Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler by Lavinia Spalding
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I finished reading the book, I gave it three stars because I thought it was a nice enough book but I did not see how it might improve the travel journals I already keep and I did not see why I might need an additional journal for the travel when I keep a daily one.
Well, I was wrong. I used some of her suggestions during a 17-day road trip and I can barely contain my extra journal within its rubber strap. I especially liked her suggestion for a three-column list with the headings of Date/Destination/Discovery. She suggests adding plastic blunt edge scissors (all the better to get through TSA), tape and archival glue to your journal accessories, and I found myself taping items from brochures as natural sidebars.
I recommend this book for those who already keep journals and for those who might want to give it a try. You don't have to use all her suggestions; just the ones you feel comfortable doing.

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Rick Steves' Postcards from Europe: Travel Tales from America's Favorite Guidebook Writer by Rick Steves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed some of the stories, and some of the stories made me uncomfortable when Steves told of shoplifting as a youthful traveler and having his early tour groups bed down in a 400-person tent just to watch his group members be uncomfortable in different circumstances.

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Lewis & Clark by Stephen E. Ambrose
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another book from my National Geographic Society shelf.
The author is Stephen E. Ambrose, who wrote Undaunted Courage. The subtitle is Voyage of Discovery. Ambrose becomes our travel guide who interprets the history for us and he tells the tales of how this epic journey influenced Ambrose's family in our modern era. He introduces us to local historians and guides.
The photographs are by Sam Abell, and I continue to admire his his work.
I encourage all readers to put this on your want-to-read list.

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The Hunt by Jan Neuharth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I downloaded this book as a Free Friday selection in 2011, and it is not longer free.
This murder mystery is an entertaining read up to the point when a child was kidnapped; and that is when I say to Neuharth, there was no more reason to use a child as a victim in this plot than to have the horses owned by this protagonist threatened. I found the behavior of the protagonist to be exasperating. The exasperating behvaior may make him more realistic, but it does not make him to be more likable to me.
I recommend it to readers who want a mystery set in the world of Virginia's landed gentry. Neuharth currently has 3 novels in Hunt Country Suspense series.

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