Books to match ports...

[SunDapple]

I wonder if I am alone in this but when I am anticipating a cruise I like to turn my recreational reading to books that reflect the ports we'll be visiting. I don't mean travel books or guides, but books that are perhaps set in that city or country. For example, we will be in the Mediterranean this summer visiting Rome and Pompeii, and I was lucky enough to find Lindsey Davis's Marcus Didius Falco series, set in 1st century Rome. My husband is reading Saylor's Roma.

 

So the question is.....do others do this, and if so what books have you read to match your ports?

[5waldos]

We do- had Mitchner's Carribean for our trip last month. Amazon has a great search function which allows you to search books about whatever- includes novels. don't remember the names of the others we had, except one rather terrible one set in Jamaica. Used to get our kids books set in different places- had a whole set of books in Belize a few years back. There is also a wonderful series of mystery art history books set in Italy that I carried when we traveled there a couple years ago- wish I could remember the authors name. Easy reading but lots of fun- wandering around in Venice during the day, reading the murder mystery at night.

[SunDapple]

There is also a wonderful series of mystery art history books set in Italy that I carried when we traveled there a couple years ago- wish I could remember the authors name. Easy reading but lots of fun- wandering around in Venice during the day, reading the murder mystery at night.

 

Yes, lots of fun reading about places that you've just seen, or will see. I think the art history mystery is a series by Iain Pears. One of his books is The Raphael Affair. Someone told be about that one for Italian culture. :)

[augustvows]

I haven't cruised yet, so I can't say I do, but it's the exact sort of thing I WILL do. Can anybody recommend great reading for Alaska?

[SunDapple]

I haven't cruised yet, so I can't say I do, but it's the exact sort of thing I WILL do. Can anybody recommend great reading for Alaska?

 

I know James Michener wrote one about Alaska. He does very detailed research and then writes a great story.

[carolene]

I do this, too, on any vacation. Years ago I was on a train in Switzerland that stopped at the Zurich airport.....at the very same time I was reading a book where the character was in that very same airport!