Blog Tour: Review of Frances Mayes Always Italy by Frances Mayes and Ondine Cohane

Authors: Frances Mayes & Ondine Cohane

Publisher: National Geographic

Publication Date: March 2020

The world’s favorite expert on la dolce vita (Under the Tuscan Sun author) guides readers through Italy’s iconic regions, replete with lavish National Geographic images.

This lush guide, featuring more than 350 glorious photographs from National Geographic, showcases the best Italy has to offer from the perspective of two women who have spent their lives reveling in its unique joys. In these illuminating pages, Frances Mayes, the author of Under the Tuscan Sun and many other bestsellers, and New York Times travel writer Ondine Cohane reveal an Italy that only the locals know, filled with top destinations and unforgettable travel experiences in every region. From the colorful coastline of Cinque Terre and the quiet ports of the Aeolian Islands to the Renaissance architecture of Florence and the best pizza in Rome, every section features insider secrets and off-the-beaten-path recommendations (for example, a little restaurant in Piedmont known for its tajarin, a pasta that is the perfect bed for the region’s celebrated truffles). Here are the best places to stay, eat, and tour, paired with the rich history of each city, hillside town, and unique terrain. Along the way, you’ll make stops at the country’s hidden gems–art galleries, local restaurants, little-known hiking trails, spas, and premier spots for R&R. Inspiring and utterly unique, this vivid treasury is a must-have for anyone who wants to experience the best of Italy.

Frances Mayes Alway Italy is produced by National Geographic and gives the reader an "insider look" at all Italy has to offer.  I had honestly never thought abut visiting Italy before leafing through this book. The gorgeous photos and the personal write-ups about each region have made me rethink adding this country to my bucket list.  This book is like a travel guide, but better. Wine lovers will enjoy checking out each "In Your Glass" section.  I personally loved the photos.  I highly recommend this addition to any traveler's collection.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

About Frances Mayes

FRANCES MAYES is the author of four bestsellers, Under the Tuscan Sun, Bella Tuscany, Everyday in Tuscany, and In Tuscany. All are about taking chances, living in Italy, and the “voluptuousness of Italian life.” A widely published poet and essayist, Mayes has written numerous memoirs, books of poetry, and novels. Formerly a professor of creative writing at San Francisco State University, she now devotes herself full-time to writing, traveling, and restoring a historic garden. She and her husband divide their time between North Carolina and Cortona, Italy.

Find out more about Mayes at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Ondine Cohane

ONDINE COHANE, a contributing editor at Condé Nast Traveler, writes regularly for the New York Times travel section, among many other publications. She has appeared on CNN and Good Morning America, and co-hosts Condé Nast Traveler’s Insider Guide series on PBS. Cohane lives in the Renaissance town of Pienza in Southern Tuscany and owns two boutique hotels.

Find out more about Cohane at her website, and connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.

Tour Stops

Wednesday, April 1st: Instagram: @books_with_bethany

Thursday, April 2nd: Tabi Thoughts

Friday, April 3rd: Jennifer ~ Tar Heel Reader

Monday, April 6th: Man of La Book

Wednesday, April 8th: Instagram: @colbywilkens

Thursday, April 9th: Instagram: @somekindofalibrary

Monday, April 13th: A Bookish Way of Life

Tuesday, April 14th: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, April 15th: Gone With the Family

Thursday, April 16th: The Unexplorer

Monday, April 20th: Amy’s Book-et List

Tuesday, April 21st: The Wayfaring Voyager

TBD: Tuesday, April 7th: Wellreadtraveler

Blog Tour: Review of Complete National Parks of Europe by National Geographic

Publisher: National Geographic

Publication Date: February 2020

Discover European wilderness–from Croatia’s coastline to Scotland’s highlands–in this comprehensive guide to pristine parks and wild spaces, full of photos, maps, and tips.

In these rich and informative pages, the travel pros at National Geographic bring you the premier guide to 460 national parks of Europe. Find your way to Snowdonia in Wales, offering more than 1,490 miles of walking trails through thick forests, coastal beaches, deep lakes, and jagged mountains. Catch a glimpse of more than 10,000 species inhabiting Germany’s Bavarian Forest. Explore the flora and fauna while camping amid the twin peaks of France’s Pyrénées. Or visit “the home of the giants,” Norway’s Jotunheimen park, containing the country’s 29 highest peaks and plenty of backcountry hiking. This breathtaking tour spans the entire continent and will inspire your next grand adventure with more than 400 photos, 55 maps, rich histories, exciting itineraries, and need-to-know tips from what to do and how to get there. Each entry includes favorite spots for viewing scenery and wildlife, the best trails to walk or hike, and insights into what makes each of these parks worth visiting. Inspiring and informative, this illuminating guide will help you to experience Europe in a whole new way.

Complete National Parks of Europe is the latest offering from National Geographic.  I was excited to browse through this book.  I have a few co-workers who are from different parts of Europe (Germany, Belgium, and Romania).  I brought this volume into work with me and had them show me the places that they had visited themselves.  I had a lot of fun listening to each of them talk about their experiences.  As well as their take on places in their own countries that they had yet to visit.  

The book is filled with amazing photographs and brief descriptions of the region.  Also, included are possible wildlife sightings as well as brief history tidbits.  I have my favorite dream places all mapped out.  I hope I get to visit some of them one day. Now I just need to win the lottery! I highly recommend this book for any travel enthusiast or travel "dreamer" like me.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

Tour Stops

Tuesday, February 25th: Instagram: @southernbellereading (feature only)

Thursday, February 27th: Instagram: @dropandgivemenerdy

Friday, February 28th: A Bookish Way of Life

Monday, March 2nd: Instagram: @nature.books.coffee

Tuesday, March 3rd: Gone With the Family

Wednesday, March 4th: The Wayfaring Voyager

Wednesday, March 4th: Instagram: @wellreadtraveler

Thursday, March 5th: Instagram: @books_with_bethany

Friday, March 6th: Travelling Book Junkie

Monday, March 9th: Instagram: @colbywilkens

Tuesday, March 10th: Tabi Thoughts

Wednesday, March 11th: Jennifer ~ Tar Heel Reader

Thursday, March 12th: From the TBR Pile

Friday, March 13th: Instagram: @places_and_books

Blog Tour: Review of Almanac 2019 by National Geographic

Publisher:National Geographic 

Publication Date: October 23, 2018

A one-of-a-kind annual featuring surprising facts, stunning color photos, arresting infographics, and illuminating maps that present the world in a whole new way.

An almanac like you’ve never seen before, this arresting volume features key information on science, nature, history, and geography, spiked with cutting-edge ideas and spectacular visuals. Discover features that only National Geographic can deliver, including exquisite photography, explanatory infographics, illustrated timelines, and maps created by expert cartographers. Chapters include Exploration & Adventure, This Planet & Beyond, Life on Earth, and The Science of Us; featured topics range from the polar jet stream and how chameleons change colors to the world’s biggest cities and the science of addiction. It includes top travel trends, new explorations, and recent discoveries, as well as fascinating trivia. Enlightening for young and old, exquisitely designed, each page of this special almanac reveals something new about today’s world.

Books like Almanac 2019 are hard to "review" in the traditional sense since it's not really a book that you read front to back.  That being said, this book is full of amazing information about nature, science, and the human body.  The photographs are gorgeous, colorful and bright.  I wouldn't expect anything else from National Geographic. 

Each section begins with something called "Quizmaster". The creators of the book put together questions about the contents in each section.  I would highly recommend checking those out before delving into the section. It helps focus yourself on what you will be reading.  The information on each topic is well written and easy to understand.

Being a scientist, my favorite pages were about gene therapy and gene editing.  Those are fascinating and upcoming technologies that will hopefully help a lot of sick people in the future.  I also enjoyed "Science of Us" particularly the pages on addiction, viruses and antibiotic resistance. 

This volume is packed with information about where the world is now in terms of science, environment and innovation.  There is something here for everyone.  I highly recommend getting this one.  Especially for any kids who love science and nature.

Purchase Links

National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tour Stops

Monday, November 19th: BookExpression

Monday, November 26th: Thoughts From a Highly Caffeinated Mind

Monday, November 26th: Ms. Nose in a Book

Tuesday, March 5th: A Dream Within a Dream

Wednesday, March 6th: Man of La Book

Friday, March 8th: Instagram: @thepagesinbetween

Monday, March 11th: Instagram: @shereadswithcats

Tuesday, March 12th: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, March 13th: Instagram: @biblio_files

Thursday, March 14th: Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World

TBD: Literary Quicksand

TBD: Monday, March 4th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

TBD: Friday, March 8th: Into the Hall of Books

Blog Tour: Review of Atlas of World War II; edited by Neil Kagan

Editors: Neil Kagan

Publisher: National Geographic

Date of publication: October 2018

This definitive, lavishly illustrated book from National Geographic features an astonishing array of vintage and newly created maps, rare photographs, covert documents, and eyewitness accounts that illuminate the world’s greatest conflict.

This magnificent atlas delves into the cartographic history of WWII: naval, land, and aerial attacks from the invasion of Poland to Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Bulge. Rare maps include a detailed Germany & Approaches map used by Allied forces in the final stages of the war, full large-scale wartime maps of the world used by President Roosevelt, and crucial Pacific theater maps used by B-17 pilots. Satellite data renders terrain as never before seen, highlighting countries and continents in stunning detail to include the towns, cities, provinces and transportation roads for a pinpoint-accurate depiction of army movements and alliances. Gripping wartime stories from these hallowed fields of battle, along with photographs, sketches, confidential documents, and artifacts color the rest of this timeless and informative book.

So I'll admit up front that I'm not a big WWII fan.  So, you might wonder why I would choose to review a book on WWII.  The reason is that I happen to know a big WWII buff and I had her in mind as I leafed through this volume.  At first, it seems a little bit overwhelming. It's definitely a volume that is meant to be savored and digested slowly.  This is a big book and has a lot of information packed into it.  The photos are gorgeous and the maps are pretty cool and detailed.  It's National Geographic, you know you are getting perfection.   I highly recommend this one for any history buff or even someone interested in cartography.  It would make an excellent holiday gift!

Purchase Links

National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Neil Kagan

NEIL KAGAN, editor, heads Kagan & Associates, Inc., a firm specializing in designing and producing innovative illustrated books. Recently, he edited Great Photographs of World War II, Smithsonian Civil War, and for National Geographic, as well as the best-selling Concise History of the World, Eyewitness to the Civil War, Atlas of the Civil War, The Untold Civil War, Eyewitness to World War II and The Secret History of World War II.

Tour Stops

Monday, November 26th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, December 3rd: Jenn’s Bookshelves

TBD: World War II Database

TBD: Man of La Book

TBD: Into the Hall of Books

TBD: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

TBD: Tina Says…

TBD: Jathan & Heather

TBD: Instagram: @theliterarybirds

TBD: Literary Quicksand

TBD: Instagram: @wellreadmama

TBD: Dwell in Possibility

TBD: Instagram: @giuliland