Top 5 Books for March 2011
- A Dip In The Ocean by Sarah Outen
This book speaks for itself in this month’s free travel extract, however to add to the feeling of awe that you will experience after reading this, here’s the review. Sarah Outen, the rather amazing author behind this read, set out to row 4000 miles across the Indian Ocean in honour of her father who had suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis. At the age of 23 this is exactly what she did on her tiny boat Dipper, facing some of the worst weather conditions on earth and a wall of grief after the loss of her father. If you want a book that gives you inspiration to live life to the full, look no further.
A Dip In The Ocean by Sarah Outen. is published by Summersdale (paperback; £8.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.
- The Rough Guide to the iPad by Peter Buckley
I don’t own an iPad but after a recent internal monologue, debating the pros and cons of picking one up from the Duty Free shop in the airport, I decided to find out more before making a decision. Luckily enough there’s a Rough Guide to the device covering everything from FAQs and maintenance to accessories and productivity. In reading it I discovered a few fun facts, for example did you know that the iPad screen recognises your touch in terms of the electrical capacity of your fingers, not the pressure of your touch? Well now you (and I) do. This is a great manual for those who currently own an iPad, but I’m still undecided.
The Rough Guide to the iPad by Peter Buckley is published by Rough Guides (paperback; £7.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.
- Las Vegas City Guide by Sara Benson
This bubble of a city in the middle of the desert and full to the brim with ‘sin’ has been the stuff of adoration and disgust for many a year. Having read this badger, I’ve never felt more compelled to give it a go, if only to have a photo taken outside Slots-a-Fun. Author Sara Benson had received a lot of praise for this guide, which reportedly involved 500 hours of research. The detail suggests it involved much more and my mate in Vegas confirms this is indeed a cultural bible, and so I add my praise to the already noted acclaim.
Las Vegas City Guide by Sara Benson is published by Lonely Planet(paperback; £12.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.
- Walking on La Palma by Paddy Dillon
La Palma is one of the world’s steepest islands, which isn’t all that shocking in itself but when you dedicate an entire guide to walking up and down this challenging terrain, interest levels are perked somewhat. La Palma is the less famous Canary island off the cost of Africa , and author Paddy Dillon does a bang up job shining some well deserved light on the bounty of beauty to be enjoyed during a good old hike here. In fact Paddy suggests 45 exploratory routes for those on foot and I recommend all of them to any traveller who makes it to the island of La Palma.
Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire is published by Cicerone (paperback; £12.95). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.
- Dash by Andrew Dilger
Two things caught my eye about this book and both were on the front cover. The first was the sub-title, ‘Bitch of the Year.’ It took me a few seconds to figure out this was a reference to the sex of the dog in said book, not a precursor to a Lauren Weisberger-esque book about the fashion world. The second was the quote of recommendation from Twiggy, which threw me again. Packaging aside however, this is a charming tale of one man’s love for his greyhound and how that relationship, after a few hurdles, helped him to commit to his girlfriend and lead to an engagement. Dash the dog was even a ring bearer at the ceremony.
Dash by Andrew Dilger is published by Summersdale (paperback; £7.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.
- Rob Savage
