TGIF and Follow Friday (3-2-12)

Happy Friday, everybody! Where ever you are, I hope that you are having great weather like we are here in Pittsburgh. Today's forecast? 60 and sunny. Gorgeous! (But it's supposed to snow the next two days, so we only get a little teaser of spring). I hope that everyone had a great Leap Day ... I was working, but I think most people were. Now, onto the Friday fun ...

Parajunkee asks:

What book would you love to see made into a movie or television show?

Well, I don't like most movie adaptations of books since they are never as good as the book. Some TV shows work, though, but I think that's because they get so far away from the book that it creates enough distance between the two to resist comparisons (I'm thinking of Gossip Girl). However, I did just finish Maisie Dobbs (review will be up in a few weeks) and think that would make a great TV show (it reminds me of Downton Abbey, just a bit).

GReads asks:

Book Moments: What has been your favorite moment (scene) in a book that you've read so far in 2012? Please be kind & not include spoilers.

Great question! I would have to say The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost (link to my review) by Rachel Friedman had quite a few moments that had me thinking. Rachel points out (several times) that as Americans, we are born to work and make money. There's not much time for travel and exploration of the world around us. The way that she stated it, though, was just so thought-provoking that I had to put the book down for a few minutes to take her point in. We are raised with the idea that we will work (either once finishing high school or college), and we do it nonstop until we retire. Sure, we have a few vacation weeks every year, but not the amount that other people get in different countries. It just really made me stop and think and want to change this "just keep working and making money" attitude that we have as Americans.

So, what book would you like to see turned into a movie/TV show? Favorite book moment of 2012 so far? Let me know, and have a great weekend!

Review: The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost by Rachel Friedman

The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost
Author: Rachel Friedman
Published: March 29, 2011
Genre: travel, memoir
Paperback: 320 pages
Source: personal copy


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): Rachel Friedman has always been the consummate good girl who does well in school and plays it safe, so the college grad surprises no one more than herself when, on a whim (and in an effort to escape impending life decisions), she buys a ticket to Ireland, a place she has never visited. There she forms an unlikely bond with a free-spirited Australian girl, a born adventurer who spurs Rachel on to a yearlong odyssey that takes her to three continents, fills her life with newfound friends, and gives birth to a previously unrealized passion for adventure. As her journey takes her to Australia and South America, Rachel discovers and embraces her love of travel and unlocks more truths about herself than she ever realized she was seeking. Along the way, the erstwhile good girl finally learns to do something she’s never done before: simply live for the moment.


My Thoughts: While reading Rachel Friedman's travelogue about her adventures in Ireland, Australia, and South America, there were several times where I found myself packing my bags, about to jet off on my own adventure. Friedman writes very casually, describing her experiences in each place. While she does talk about the places that she's in, this book isn't focusing on the locations as much as it is Friedman discovering who she is and what she wants in life. It's her personal journey that makes this book so good and how she tells it that makes me wish that the book were longer (or that she will publish another book in the future!) 


It is difficult to write reviews for memoirs because I find it impossible to judge someone's experiences with something. For me, this was a great book that had me captivated and longing to plan a trip abroad, to go and see more of this world. If you enjoy travel memoirs, are a fan of Bill Bryson, or just looking for something to pull you out of a reading rut, then I would definitely recommend this book. It will make you feel as if you are going to all of these places without having to leave your hometown.