Pack Your Bags and Visit Some ‘Novel Destinations’ [REVIEW]

We love traveling to “novel destinations,” just like we did on this excursion to Concord, Massachusetts, former home to the Alcott sisters, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. (Photo by Jathan Fink, Jadeworks Entertainment)

Greg Iles’ Natchez. Mark Twain’s Mississippi River. John Steinbeck’s Salinas. Heather and I love to travel, and oftentimes our wanderlust takes us to places we have only encountered in books. There is something inspiring about walking in a favorite writer’s footsteps, seeing where he lived, or exploring a place that ignited his creative spark and ultimately fueled the imaginations of countless readers. If this type of travel appeals to you, then you’re going to love National Geographic’s new book, Novel Destinations!  

National Geographic

I must say that after exploring this book, I have a bad case of envy. Co-authors Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon have a really cool job, and they have traveled the world visiting some of literature’s truly great destinations. From Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Salem with its House of the Seven Gables to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, they’ve scoured the globe to deliver a book packed full of places every book lover should know about, whether they can pack their bags and hit the road today or have to dream about going for a little while longer.

If Ernest Hemingway is one of your favorite scribes, you’ll need to do quite a bit of globe trotting to see all the terrific places associated with the writer and his work. From his birthplace outside Chicago to his longtime home in the tropics of Key West, to the romantic streets of Paris and his estate in Havana, there is plenty to see and do.

Whether you love the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Wharton, Henry James, or any other number of literary greats, you’re destined to find something in this tome that will inspire you to close the book and sail… or fly… or drive away to a destination you’ve only encountered thus far on paper. In addition to highlighting great places to go, Novel Destinations is also packed with things to do, from literary festivals to book related lodgings, restaurants, bars, and more.

This truly is a mandatory volume for every bibliophile’s library, and it makes a great gift too, sure to bring a smile to book addicts everywhere. With so much great information, Novel Destinations is the perfect travel guide for anyone who has ever picked up a book. The only thing missing from this volume is a passport and luggage. Those you’ll need to supply yourself!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shannon Mckenna Schmidt

Shannon McKenna Schmidt is the co-author with Joni Rendon of Writers Between the Covers: The Scandalous Romantic Lives of Legendary Literary Casanovas, Coquettes, and Cads.

She has written for Arrive, National Geographic Traveler, Shelf Awareness, Gothamist.com, and other publications and websites.

A former Hoboken, New Jersey, resident, she is traveling full-time in the United States and abroad and can be found on the web at EverywhereOnce.com and NovelDestinations.wordpress.com.

NOVEL DESTINATIONS, SECOND EDITION: A TRAVEL GUIDE TO LITERARY LANDMARKS FROM JANE AUSTEN’S BATH TO ERNEST HEMINGWAY’S KEY WEST
By Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon
392 pgs. National Geographic. $26.

You may purchase Novel Destinations at one of these fine online retailers: National Geographic Store, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Novel Destinations has been brought to you in association with TLC Book Tours.