I have a great love of books and cozy spaces. I take great comfort in lounging on the couch near my bookshelves and indulging in some hard earned me time. When I’m not traveling of love perusing images and books for inspiration. Once my imagination gets going my creativity really begins to flow.
These books are truly beautiful to look at.
The Follow Me project was created in 2012 based on the concept of showing the beauty and uniqueness of different locations around the world. It is a story told through the eyes of two ordinary travelers who attempt to portray local lifestyles and narratives by means of photography.
The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World
From Lonely Planet The world’s leading travel guide publisher. Take a journey through every country in the world.
Drives of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Most Spectacular Trips
Pack your suitcase, load up the car, and head for the open road! In the tradition of National Geographic Traveler magazine’s award-winning annual feature showcasing the world’s best auto trips, National Geographic presents Drives of a Lifetime: Where to Go, Why to Go, When to Go. This lavishly illustrated, hardcover travel planner and gift book gives you every bit of information you’ll need to navigate 400 amazing driving routes in some of the world’s most fascinating locales.
Gray Malin is the artist of the moment for the Hollywood and fashion elite. His awe-inspiring aerial photographs of beaches around the world are shot from doorless helicopters, creating playful and stunning celebrations of light, shape, and perspective, as well as summer bliss. Combining the spirit of travel, adventure, luxury, and artistry, Malin built his eponymous lifestyle brand from a deep passion for photography and interior design.
Wine Trails: 52 Perfect Weekends in Wine Country
From Lonely Planet, the world’s leading travel guide publisher, Wine Trails, the first book in Lonely Planet’s “Perfect Weekends” series, introduces the secret gems in well-known regions such as Napa and Sonoma, Tuscany, Burgundy and Rioja, and also explores off-the-beaten-path regions in Georgia, Greece and beyond.
Take a journey through the world’s most romantic city, traveling from color to magnificent color with this beguiling book. An orange café chair, bright blue bicycles against a fence, a weathered white door—Nichole Robertson’s sumptuous photographs of the distinctive details of Paris, all arranged by color, evoke a sense of serendipitous discovery and celebrate the city as never before. At once a work of art and a window into the heart of the city, Paris in Color will surprise and delight those who love art, design, color, and, of course, Paris!
New York is one of the most ever-changing and photogenic places in the world. Featuring full-color photographs of well-known landmarks from all five boroughs—from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to South Street Seaport, as well as secret treasures throughout the city—this visual celebration of New York in all of its seasonal splendor is a perfect take-home souvenir for a tourist or a treasured gift for a resident New Yorker.
See San Francisco: Through the Lens of SFGirlbyBay
From internationally popular design blogger SF Girl By Bay comes the ultimate love letter to San Francisco. This gorgeously photographed lifestyle guide gives readers an insider’s tour of the City by the Bay through Victoria Smith’s unique lens. Organized by neighborhood, each chapter features enchanting photos of hidden corners, local color, landmarks, and hot spots, revealing why so many people, Victoria included, fall head over heels for this amazing city. Brimming with original, dreamy photography and packaged as a gorgeous jacketed hardcover, this lovely book makes a perfect gift for photography fans, San Francisco dwellers, visitors to the city, or those who have left their hearts in San Francisco.
To travel in North America is to face a delicious quandary: over these vast spaces with so many riches, from glittering cities to eccentric small towns and heart-stoppingly beautiful mountains and plains, how to experience as much as possible in limited time? The New York Times has the answer, and has been offering up dream weekends with practical itineraries in its popular weekly “36 Hours” column for over a decade.
To travel through Italy is as close as one gets to being in paradise. For centuries, writers, artists, architects and merchants have been drawn here, inspired by the beauty of Venice, Florence, Naples and Rome. Countless books, paintings, poems and sculptures are evidence of its undying appeal, and over the past 60 years, the country has become one of the world’s top travel and holiday destinations. The loveliness of Italy—its architecture, landscapes, culture and food (some of the world’s finest!) — if not eternal, is certainly enduring, and the easy-going and relaxed Italian lifestyle, il dolce far niente, is still unrivaled.
You can purchase any of these wonderful books via the link or by clicking on the image.
I just finished reading, “Looptail How One Company Changed the World” by Bruce Poon Tip. I picked it up because it was on one of those best business books of 2013 lists and more specifically because it was a travel company. I’ve been wanting to travel more and trying to find creative ways to do so.
The book is a great read for those interested in leadership and testing out different business models especially for company’s going through growth looking for new strategies.
I found the book inspiring because it’s an example of a company who has incredible growth and did so without comprising on their ideals. If you think success means you’ll have to sell out one day here’s a real example of that not being true. This company was able to thrive while paying it forward and helping local communities to grow and prosper. Because of the prejudice he encountered as a child he celebrated the uniqueness of people who collectively could achieve the extraordinary.
Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
“It’s about paying it forward, finding purpose and infusing your work and life with it, you create the conditions for your own success.”
“How you view the world is linked to your influences and the world is a reflection of your consciousness.”
What are you reading? Do you have any recommendations for me?
If you want to see what else I’m reading follow me on Goodreads and don’t forget to subscribe to receive updates.
As an avid reader I devour articles, magazines and books on a daily basis. I guess that’s why I’ve never made any formal reading goals. It’s something I already do, but seeing others create reading goals for the new year made me want to take my reading to another level which is reading with the purpose to acquire and use information.
Reading to Learn
Writing better will always be a goal of mine. The first two books I’m reading this year are about writing. I’m re-reading Syd Field’s, Foundations of Screenwriting. It helps me to look at the plot of the story I’m working on and strengthen it.
The second book I’m reading is Writing Irresistible Kidlit by Mary Kole. If you are writing for young adults or middle grade I highly recommend it. This is one of the best books on writing I’ve read.
Reading to Acquire New Information
There are things I want to learn like how to best handle my finances, business and marketing. I’ll be reading books on these topics and I’ll share them here and on Goodreads. Please share your recommendations in the comments.
Reading for fun
I also like to read for pure entertainment especially fiction. Next on my to read list is one I picked up at the Miami Book Fair. It’s a book of short stories called: The Vintage Book of Latin American Stories. There are some classics stories in there like Jorge Luis Borges, The Aleph but also many other great gems I hope to discover.
Some of my favorite books are:
10 Benefits of Reading
Mental Stimulation
Improve Memory
Acquire Vocabulary
Boosts Analytical Thinking
Improves Empathy
Improve Writing Skills
Increase Emotional Intelligence
Expands Your World View
Makes You Look Sexy
Entertainment
If you’re on Goodreads you can check out what I read in 2013.
Your turn, tell me what you’re reading?
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“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.” Gustave Flaubert
“We read to know that we are not alone.” William Nicholson
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” Benjamin Franklin
“Think before you speak. Read before you think.” Fran Lebowitz
“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” Mortimer J. Adler
Update: I found an old Vine video with some books from my shelf.
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Stuff on my bookshelf. |
I am compiling a list of Latino literature sources. If you have a website or page please list them in the comments and I will add them here for now.
Here are a few resources I know of already:
On twitter you can search the tag: #LatinoLit
I have a long list of books I’ve read on GoodReads.
FaceBook Pages:
Capicu Poetry & Cultural Showcase
Las Comadres
Las Comadres website with book club selection listing.
Websites:
Literary Latino
Latino literature and particularly Latino fiction.
Mayra Calvani Latino Books Examiner
The Hispanic Reader
“There is nothing which can better deserve our patronage than the promotion of science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness.” George Washington
It has been a great experience collaborating with someone so talented who allows me to run away with my imagination. Jenny has also contributed the most fantastic illustrations to go with the story.
If you haven’t already you can catch up with the series at the following links.
I hope you enjoy reading them.
Episode 1: Fairy Flight North
Episode 2: The Rolling Trolls
Episode 3: Waves, Caves & Warriors
Episode 4: Merciless Dreams
Episode 5: Battle at Sky Bridge
Episode 6: A Royal Journey
Episode 7: Off to Grandma’s Castle
Episode 8: Coming Soon