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Come Away With Me by Sarah Macdonald (ed)Sarah McDonald’s Holy Cow was the successor to Almost French in the women-go-travelling-and-find-themselves publishing explosion that was spearheaded by Random House a few years ago. Now Macdonald is back: back in Australia and back in the book market. This time she’s using her name as the attention-grabber for Come away with Me, a collection of short nonfiction tales from travel writers and other types.Published 28 February, 2005 Come away with Me (ed by Sarah Macdonald, Bantam, $22.95 pb, ISBN 1863254579, December) ** Sarah McDonald’s Holy Cow was the successor to Almost French in the women-go-travelling-and-find-themselves publishing explosion that was spearheaded by Random House a few years ago. Now Macdonald is back: back in Australia and back in the book market. This time she’s using her name as the attention-grabber for Come away with Me, a collection of short nonfiction tales from travel writers and other types. There are some terrific names assembled here—Nick Earls, Christopher Kremmer, Peter Moore—but unfortunately they do not save what I found to be a patchy collection of writing. The collection begins well with a great story about the saunas of Russia from Irris Makler, before descending into Nikki Gemmell’s self-indulgent tale of a trip to EuroDisney. It’s at this point that the book seems to turn into one for people that used to travel. The collection closes with a piece from Sarah Macdonald about moving back to Sydney to have her first child, which has echoes of the Gemmell piece. I’m sure this book will find a market, the cover design fits well with the genre and the names are recognisable to readers, but I would recommend it with caution. One small irritation: the author’s name across the headers of their pages would have been much more useful than the title of the story and the collection. Eliza Metcalfe is AB&P’s editorial coordinator This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2004, Thorpe-Bowker
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Daytripper by Simon Webster
Daytripper could be the epitome of ‘a fun read’. It’s not a book you sit down and read cover-to=cover—the bite-sized entries and cross-referencing throughout make that clear—but as a weekend reference and something to leaf through with a grin, it’s hard to imagine how it could be better.10 January, 2008
A Venetian Bestiary by Jan Morris
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Spain by the Horns by Tim Elliott
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The Perfect Glass of Wine by Ben Canaider
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Sicilian Summer by Brian Johnston
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A Crazy Occupation by Jamie Tarabay
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Turn left when you see something blue
Travel. It’s different every time because you go somewhere different. But what about going somewhere familiar differently? Lonely Planet’s new book Experimental Travel is a collection of experiments (set up in the traditional ‘method, equipment, results’ fashion we all remember from high school) that turn traditional modes of travel on their heads. It’s tricky to explain and mind-bending to read, but seems perfect for the frustrated traveller who hasn’t the time or the money to get out of town, but still wants the travel experience. In the tradition of scientific open-mindedness, AB&P grabbed a couple of mates and went experimental travelling …21 July, 2005
Two for the Road by Shirley Hardy-Rix and Brian Rix
Shirley Hardy-Rix and her husband Brian Rix had a dream to motorcycle around the world. When people close to them unexpectedly passed away, they became even more determined not to reach the end of their lives with ‘if-onlys’. Thus they set out on a 12-month adventure that took them through some of the most beautiful—and most dangerous—parts of the world.20 March, 2005 |
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