This book was nice. I don't hate Alice Steinback quite as much as I hate Frances Mayes (she is living the life that was meant to be mine!) but I am very jealous of her voyage. I really respect her ability to travel alone and meet the most interesting people. She has recently written a new memoir called Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman. I'll have to pick that one up too.

Maybe someday I'll be able to take a year off and travel around Europe. I don't see it happening any time soon though. I am curious about Freya Stark's memoir that she often quotes.

From the back cover:
"In many ways, I was an independent woman," writes Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Alice Steinback. "For years I'd made my own choices, paid my own bills, shoveled my own snow." But somehow she had become dependent in quite another way. "I had fallen into the habit... of defining myself in terms of who I was to other people and what they expected of me." But who was she away from the people and things that defined her? In this exquisite book, Steinbach searches for the answer to this question in some of the most beautiful and exciting places in the world: Paris, where she finds a soul mate; Oxford, where she takes a course on the English village; Milan, where she befriends a young woman about to be married. Beautifully illustrated with postcards from her journeys, this revealing and witty book transports you into a fascinating inner and outer journey, and unforgettable voyage of discovery.

I got some interest in this book so I decided to send it on a Bookray journey. It seems appropriate to let this book travel where it may. :) I'm so excited so many people from all over the world have signed up! I think it will be neat to end it in France. Maybe Brujula can release it in one of the places Alice visits in the book?

Here are the participants and the order it will be shipped...
1. dschinny (Germany)
2. blacksheeps99 (Austria)*
3. Nolatari (TX) US only
4. antsnax (TX) US only - STALLED
5. labmomnm (NM)* US only - 7/2 has 2nd copy
6. sgscarcliff (CA)*
7. nwpassage (northern BC, Canada)*
8. jessibud (Toronto)*
9. annyria (Quebec)*
10. Rrrcaron (NH)*
11. MaryZee (MD) US/Canada
12. schmetterling (NC)*
13. hotflash (AZ)* (check to see if she is receiving books at this time)
14. Ilios (FL) US/Canada
15. Tiredngrumpy (FL)*
16. meganh (Australia)* (put near end)
17. jackiea (Australia)*
18. maupi (Netherlands) Europe (put near end)
19. redhouse (UK)* (put near end)
20. Auglaise (UK) Europe
21. Brujula (France) Europe

Please journal when you receive this book so we know where it is. Try to read it in 4 weeks after receiving it. Then, tell us what you thought of it in a journal entry. PM the next person on the list for their address and send it on in a timely manner. Make sure to let us know when you sent it in a journal entry. Enjoy!!!

Sent to dschinny today. Enjoy!

The book arrived safely today. What a good feeling to come home and find a big envelope sticking out of the mailbox. It certainly brightened up my day! And such a lovely looking book - makes you want to up and leave immediately. Thanks to fizzfred for the nice bookmark with the travelling order of the book and especially for the additional bookmarks for everybody.
I'll rush through the book I'm reading right now to start with this one asap.

A wonderful book! A bit diffrent than I would have expected but still very enjoyable. It does make you think about your own sabbatical... I also would be interested in checking out Frya Stark's book.

Will be passed on to blacksheeps99 when I have got the address.

Found this book (along with another ring) in my postbox yesterday. Will read it as soon as possible. Thanks a lot!!

Edit ( Sept 7th): Started reading this book yesterday. Sorry for the delay, I´m drowning in bookrays and rings and in books for university. But as this one is really gripping I´m planning to post it at the end of the week.

There is much delight to be had in the reading of this book, but none so much as one who can relate wholeheartedly to the author. Steinbach spoke to my own desires throughout the book. I felt as if I was traveling with a friend. And she inspired me to venture out alone (once more) in some heretofore unvisited city with only a loose agenda and an eye for adventure. I felt a kinship to this author and will look forward to reading more of her travels.

My only complaint—if you can call it such—was the lack of detail in the sites she saw. Her stories focused on the emotional impact of her travels more than the actual locations. Still, there was just enough description of each city to whet my appetite, thus making me want to travel to each locale on my own and experience much of what she experienced. This book is not so much "travel writing" as it is "memoir during travel". But it's enchanting nonetheless.

Read more at Nolatari's BookBlog.

Released on Monday, November 08, 2004 at about 5:00:00 PM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at Bookring in Austin, Texas USA.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending to antsnax via USPS... continuing the Bookring

Late in journalling- thanks for the reminder! Received before the holidays, but haven't been able to get started. Will do RIGHT AWAY, and thanks for the lovely treats, fizzfred and nolatari!

2/8/05- My apologies to all for holding up the ring. No excuses, I will send this book on its way to next reader.

Since this book seems to be stuck with antsnax for almost 6 months I am actively looking for a replacement. I am so sorry for the delay.

5/9 I have heard from antsnax. She thought she had mailed the book but just found it at her house. She says she mailed it to me. Hopefully I'll get it soon so it can restart its journey.

Since I have not received this back from antsnax yet I bought another copy to send to the rest of the people in the ray. Click here for the new book. I am so sorry the rest of the journal entries will not be posted with this book.

Antsnax, please send the other book to me at:
Jennifer Fredericks
891 5th Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95818
If you would like me to pay postage PM me your address and I'll get it right to you.

Hmmmm.....It seems that this book has gotten lost. The journal entries tell us tales that the book got lost within a bookcrossers house and that it should have been mailed but alas no one has heard from it in many months still. Did this book get dropped in the mail only to meet another unfortunate mishap with the postal service?

The Lost Book Island invites this book to take a much needed rest on the island until the day that a new journal entry comes to tell us where this book has ended up and what kind of travels the future holds.