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Around the world in 65 years
Author Biku Ghosh shares a detailed account of amazing life lived over six decades and reaching all corners of the globe. Biku Ghosh beautifully describes cities and landscapes. Ranging from ancient cities to modern landscapes such as New York. Amazing architectural descriptions are a fantastic feature in this book, whether it be the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or the Empire State Building or the ‘quirky’ and ‘tacky’ hotels in Las Vegas. He vividly describes many natural settings such as the “copper colored Colorado River,” African deserts, and the Niagara Falls. Biku Ghosh briefly describes his work, but mainly focuses on the sights, food and people he encounters.
As one of Biku Ghosh’s interests is mountain climbing his climbs feature throughout the memoir. Some of the climbs described include: the Himalayas, the highest peak in the British Isles and Mt Kilimanjaro. He describes his joy when reaching the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. Eventually we hear of Ghosh’s climb to the Everest Base Camp. He writes a detailed description of the trip, split into the various stages and mountain heights. Aside from mountain climbing he also describes completing a safari in Africa, raising money for a Breast Cancer charity, scuba dives in Sorrento and the Great Barrier Reef, paragliding and skydiving in New Zealand! There are also photographs throughout the memoir, adding color and bringing life to the story.
The author’s mode of transportation is also a feature of this book. Ghosh describes the type of transport he takes in each journey, from public trains in India, electric buses in Paraguay to taxis in New York. Airplanes of various sizes from large long haul planes to a 12 seater plane to traverse the Grand Canyon. Bus rides vary from local buses, to 45km trips through forests and canyons. All of this really gives you a front seat view of the entire trip, not just the highlights.
As well as his transport and activity details, mouth-watering meals are a constant in this story: dosa, samosas, yoghurt, roti, Ethiopian coffee and popcorn, boiled shrimp, French Onion soup, almond pastries and numerous servings of ice cream to name but a few! The inclusion of food and meals adds to the depth and authenticity of the memoir.
The memoir is organized in chronological order, which makes it very easy to follow. At the beginning the sentence structure is quite long and cumbersome, however as the memoirs progress the writing becomes more natural and easier to read.
Around the World in Sixty-Five Years is an extensive memoir filled with vivid visual descriptions of exotic locations. The travel is extensive, and the anecdotes are always interesting, as are the activities, food, animals and people described. This is an engrossing memoir that will show you how much beauty there is in the world, and inspire you to travel.
Pages: 512 | ASIN: B08P7LQ9JS
Forging Ahead and Letting Go
Love and Other Moods follows a young woman who has to start life over in a foreign country where she learns a lot more about life than she expected. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Much like Naomi, I left the U.S. in my early twenties and moved to China, a country I had never stepped foot in. The move was initiated by a job, but later was motivated by romance. Both would go up in smoke after a short while. Although the novel is very much fictional, there are some elements that are inspired by real-life events.
Naomi is an intriguing and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
We meet Naomi when she is in her early twenties, having just left New York and is embarking on a new chapter of her life in an entirely foreign country. But the adventure is off to a rocky start when things don’t pan out as planned.
I think personal growth happens most often when we’re thrown out of our comfort zones and into unchartered waters. That’s what happens to Naomi. At the same time she’s adapting to her new environment, issues from her past continue to confront and haunt her. She struggles with juggling the balance between forging ahead and letting go of regrets. I think that’s something most of us can relate to.
The story explores the city of Shanghai as well as the different people and relationships Naomi has. Was there anything you pulled from your own life and put into the story?
Yes. This is very much an “own voices” story. After I moved to Shanghai, my grandfather revealed that his father had once lived in Shanghai as well, during the World War Two era. I myself had lived in China for nearly a decade, and had worked on projects for the 2007 Special Olympics in Shanghai, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
Shanghai is one of the most fascinating cities I’ve ever been to, and I’ve traveled to over thirty countries. There are contrasts abound in every corner—east and west, old versus new, modern meets tradition. Every day I was meeting somebody interesting, from all walks of life, all corners of the globe. There was endless inspiration from the streets of Shanghai, from its inhabitants, architecture, cuisine, history, etc.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is a children’s book, and will be published sometime in 2021. My kids are very excited about this!
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Amazon
Naomi Kita-Fan uproots her life from New York to China when her fiancé’s company transfers him to Shanghai. After a disastrous turn of events, Naomi finds herself with no job, no boyfriend, and nowhere to live in a foreign country.
Amidst the backdrop of Shanghai welcoming millions of workers and visitors to the 2010 World Expo, we meet a tapestry of characters through Naomi: Joss Kong, a Shanghai socialite who leads an enviable life, but must harbor the secrets of her husband, Tay Kai Tang. Logan Hayden, a womanizing restaurateur looking for love in all the wrong places. Pan Jinsung and Ouyang Zhangjie, a silver-aged couple struggling with adapting to the ever-changing faces of their city. Dante Ouyang, who had just returned to China after spending years overseas, must choose between being filial and being in love. All their dreams and aspirations interweave within the sprawling web of Shanghai.
This multilayered novel explores a kaleidoscope of shifting relationships——familial friction, amorous entanglements, volatile friendships——in one of the most dynamic metropolises of the twenty-first century.
A Classic on Fly Fishing
First Steps to Fly Fishing is the definitive book on fly-fishing and provides invaluable, and actionable, advice readers can use to the fishing technique or begin their fishing journey. Why was this an important book for you to refresh for modern readers?
There were a couple of reasons. First, the original book was considered one of the “go-to” books on fly fishing in its day. Its patient, step-by-step approach to one’s first foray into this sport/art is worth preserving in a world where many times people automatically believe that text from a hundred years ago must ipso facto be bad, inaccurate, outdated, or just plain wrong. Not the case here. The basics of fly fishing 100 years ago have, to a high degree of correlation, synergy with those of today (i.e., e.g. to catch fish you need to know how to read the fish, the water, the weather, the flora, and the fauna. How to present the fly, and so on.) So a proven voice from yesterday, matched with updated tech information from today to me represents value for today’s reader/fisherman.
What were some goals you set for yourself as the editor in updating this book?
To preserve a classic on fly fishing for today’s audiences while at the same time updating the work to reflect contemporary technologies and definitions in particular. To preserve as much as practical, Michael’s ‘voice’ — so as much as I could I left his words and phrasing alone unless my copy editor and I were concerned it might cause confusion for a contemporary reader.
What was something that was new to you and that you learned from this book while working on it?
I wasn’t aware just how pervasive the use of horsehair and silk was in fishing back in the day. On the other hand, bamboo rods were quite the thing back then and these days they are back-in-style — back to the future, as it were.
What were some parts of the book that were included specifically for the modern audience, and what were parts that needed no revisions?
There is quite a bit of new material in this book. Just a quick list of the new parts would include:
- The History of Fly Fishing
- The images of the flies
- The introduction by noted Fly Fishing expert Joshua Bergan
- The period-specific advertisement images
- The basic fly fishing knots and loops illustration
- All of the content on the contemporary fly collection list
- The Glossary of Fly Fishing
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads | Website
In 1924, Michael Temple wrote what for decades was the ‘bible’ on learning how to fly fish: “First Steps in Fly Fishing.” Now Cresting Wave Publishing has updated this classic for the 2020s! With an introduction by noted fly fishing expert and author Joshua Bergan, and additional material from Editor Kris Neely, “First Steps in Fly Fishing” is now the definitive book for your budding fly fisher.
A Wonderful and Fulfilling Experience
The Overseas Fabulous Pinay is a fun and informative guide to help travelers adjust and live better abroad. Why was this an important book for you to write?
A few years ago, I had a dream to give back and make a social impact. With my limited time and resources, I had to think of a more creative way so I thought of writing this book. With this book, I realized my dream in alignment with my advocacies: by empowering women (planning to move or already abroad) through my knowledge and experience to make it easier for them to transition to their life overseas; by uplifting the image of overseas Filipina women, making it more positive by showing that living abroad can be a rewarding experience and one can be successful; and finally by emphasizing on self-love- that focusing on one’s self to be happy and to be a well rounded person (complemented by being abroad) is important in order to thrive and make your life more meaningful.
You give a lot of great and useful advice throughout the book. What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you first started traveling?
It may sound obvious but it’s to really spend some time to research on your host country’s history, culture and people before your move. This way you will not go blindly to your new environment and be shocked or educated the hard way. Sometimes a little knowledge, compared to zero knowledge, can go a long way.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
I would like my readers to realize that living abroad can be challenging but with the right tools and attitude, it can be a wonderful and fulfilling experience.
The book draws from your experience traveling across three continents, four countries and five cities. Do you have future plans to do more traveling?
Traveling for leisure, yes. But for relocation? Not in the near future but I’m definitely not closing my doors on the possibility.
Author Interview: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Have you ever wondered what it takes for someone to live abroad? If you are moving overseas, do you know how to plan your move? Where do you start? And if you are already living abroad, how can you make your life more meaningful and fun?
If you are seeking answers to any of the questions above, this book is for you!
The book draws from the author’s learnings and personal experience from years of living overseas across three continents, four countries and five cities.
It is full of guidance and practical tips to survive life abroad while being confident, sophisticated and responsible–the embodiment of an Overseas Fabulous Pinay. From planning an overseas move to integrating in one’s host country, it answers burning questions such as:
⁃ What survival skills do you need to learn before moving abroad?
⁃ What do you need to know and prepare before your move?
⁃ What do you need to prioritize within the first six months of arriving in your destination?
⁃ How do you beat homesickness?
⁃ What are the five rules that will help you succeed professionally abroad?
⁃ How do you make friends in a foreign country?
⁃ What are the six practical questions to make you more financially conscious?
⁃ What is the secret formula to help you integrate in your host country?
⁃ How can you continue enjoying life abroad?
And much more!
Love and Other Moods
![Love and Other Moods by [Crystal Z. Lee]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51A9kuu64GL.jpg)
Love and Other Moods by Crystal Z. Lee follows Naomi through a disastrous turn of events that leave her alone in a foreign country. The reader is introduced to an endearing character named Naomi, who moves from New York City to Shanghai with her fiance. Naomi breaks off their engagement when she finds out he has been unfaithful to her. She stays in Shanghai and starts her life over. Now stuck in a foreign country she must learn the language, find a job, and learn how to get around Shanghai on her own. Readers follow her on mesmerizing journey through an exotic location, meeting people and seeing things that will keep you furiously flipping pages.
Author Crystal Z. Lee has artfully crafted an authentic story that captivated me from the moment I started reading. I loved Naomi’s character because she is portrayed as strong, fierce, and independent and she has a fun personality that was always interesting no matter the situation she found herself in. Dante was another great addition to the novel. He was funny and intelligent and I loved his presence. Lee’s writing is so vivid you feel as if you are in Shanghai. The descriptions of the streets of Shanghai, the exotic food, and the culture are eloquently written. This is important as the city is just as much a character in this captivating novel as Naomi is. We get to experience life in Shanghai through Naomi, and it’s always entertaining. The author takes readers on a cultural journey through the streets of old and new Shanghai; a place I’ve never been but have a desire to go now that I’ve read this book. Written from a third person perspective, the reader gets plenty of insight into the various characters in the book and you begin to understand and connect with them.
Love and Other Moods explores topics such as self discovery and falling in love all with a backdrop of Asian culture that I found to be delightfully charming. Love and Other Moods is a compelling contemporary romance novel that I heartily recommend.
Pages: 326 | ASIN: B08NTL2PGR
The Overseas Fabulous Pinay
Many people dream of living abroad but don’t have the information they need to make it possible. As such, this is the book you need to read! When preparing for this journey, you’re going to wonder, where do I start? How do I plan my move? What are the things I need to know? Donna Avellana Kunzler writes from her own experience living abroad and enlightens readers on making it work for you by offering practical tips everyone can put to use.
The Overseas Fabulous Pinay is a fascinating and fun read because you are presented with a helpful guide that offers essential tips on what you need to know. A bonus that the author has added in the book are recipes on how to make Filipino dishes. Author Donna Avellana Kunzler has made this an easy to read and engaging book that makes me want to explore new foods and different cultures. The author also provides tips on how to beat homesickness; which is an example of the many unexpected by helpful tips you’ll find in this entertaining and informative book. Her last piece of advice is to invest in and love yourself. Is this a self-help book two? Sort of; as the author states, ‘when a person is happy, she radiates positivity’. Kunzler says that living overseas can help you learn more about yourself. What a fantastic route to personal development!
This quirky book has a fun and upbeat tone that feels comfortable and inviting. The author offers vital information and helpful tips in a fresh and relatable way. I have a more powerful yearning now to travel abroad and spend a good portion of my morning imagining what it would be like working overseas. The Overseas Fabulous Pinay is a unique, fascinating and fun read that I recommend to all who are traveling, who are going to travel, or those that want some inspiration to travel.
Pages: 128 | ISBN: 3952520101
Raji, Book Four: The House of the West Wind
Fuse returns to Burma in 1941 to look for Kayin. He left Raji behind in Virginia to recuperate from her ordeal, but she promised to join him later in Mandalay. It has been eight years since Fuse and Raji left Burma on the ill-fated training mission to Ethiopia. Since then he has not heard anything from Kayin. She is probably married by now or at least in a relationship with someone, but he has to find out, just to be sure she’s all right. What he discovers at the old hotel is something completely unexpected.
Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon
![Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon: Poems from my 10-year bender inside heaven's dive bar (Bar Poems) by [Randall McNair]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41lrjA7Xt7L.jpg)
With a name like Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon you expect a certain level or drunken late night epiphanies and high jinx associated with your local dive bar. What readers are treated to instead is a whole new level of thought provoking prose that turns any preconceived notions, or personal experiences, on their head. Randall McNair captures a world so many fail to explore, detailing what the reader can only imagine to be his life on the barstool at the corner of a dark room filled with regulars. The sort of place you just don’t pop in to try, but have a long established history with.
Each poem provides glimpses into the human psyche. One might think, from an outside glance, these are just ramblings. They are not. They are so much more. From the banker lamenting his lot in life to approaching wildfires threatening to burn the Swinging Door down, the thought that is put into every line makes this piece of literature provocative and absorbing.
McNair just might be a genius, having used his time nestled into the bar wisely. He evokes images of crazy, deep thought, and sheer brilliance sprinkled throughout for good measure. I found a world within his words that could easily be translated to a fully fleshed out manuscript. He has clearly studied the art, as admitted in the beginning of the book as he sat on his favorite stool reading countless other books on poetry.
Oh sure, there is lighthearted whimsy here, and more than a few poems that left me wondering. But overall this was an enjoyable collection of poetry from a man who has seen much, experienced more, and was kind enough to jot it all down for the rest of us to read.
Pages: 130 | ASIN: B0895697Q3
LITERARY TITAN 