For most of us, the name Britain or Britannia conjures up a map of the main countries within this archipelago: England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. For most of us, the name Britain or Britannia conjures up a map of the main countries within this archipelago: England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. But in this book, author Albinia places many of the smaller islands at the forefront, from the northernmost outpost of Shetland to the southern isles of Scilly, revealing how the islands served as centers of progress and development well before the mainland. Her travels to many of these islands, large and small, include a historical overview of the role of those islands in Britain's history and mythology, beginning with the Viking raiders who settled and became Lords of the Isles and bringing the reader to the recent (and somewhat hushed-up) history of Nazi occupation of Alderney and Jersey as well as of the long-time tax haven on the Isle of Man. She also points out the ways that women influenced the development of these islands, whether in leading society or armies (hello, Boudica), in mythological or divine guidance, or in upholding traditions in danger of being lost.
Each chapter is a richly drawn portrait of a single island or group of islands with a shared history and location, including "islands" that no longer appear to be islands (Thanet and Westminster), and Albinia captures both the romance and the reality of each of these places, adding tidbits of her personal story related to her visits. I confess that reading the book took me much longer than my usual speed because I spent so much time swiping between the book and Google Maps to zoom in on each island and explore it with her. An immersive read for armchair travelers as well as those who have traveled the British Isles extensively. 4 stars.
Thank you, W. W. Norton and Company and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own....more
Post-pandemic, many people have been eager to travel and to indulge in wanderlust, with advertising and media feeding that desire to see other places.Post-pandemic, many people have been eager to travel and to indulge in wanderlust, with advertising and media feeding that desire to see other places. But as Habib points out in this thoughtful and often pointed history of travel, the conditions of your travel plans will vary based on the color of your passport and the color of your skin (and possibly your gender). As a woman of color with family scattered around the world, Habib knows all too well the hurdles that people with Third World passports (yes, she uses the term Third World and explains why) must go through in order to travel from one country to another, and she also knows that visiting a new place more likely calls for caution rather than adventure.
Habib's research into the history of travel reveals how much the modern tourism industry is based on European and American consumerism, dating back to the era of colonialism and the age of "discovery" (which she refers to as "pseudiscovery"). She also unravels the connections between military presence and tourist development, as seen in the South Pacific following World War II. Throughout the book, she points out how privilege (in whatever way) influences how entitled a person may feel to travel and explore different areas of the world -- but also how that same privilege can block someone from true awareness of the political, social, and cultural life of the places they visit. Habib uses examples from her own travels as a Brown Muslim woman originally from India to shore up her points, and she makes a convincing argument that travel as we now know it still often falls into the old patterns and viewpoints of "discovering" and valuing the world through a Western lens.
Reading this book gave me many opportunities to reconsider not only the history I was taught in school but also my own experiences with traveling and how I feel about travel now. If travel should help us expand our horizons and learn more about the world outside of our own comfort zones, then this book is an essential read for anyone who welcomes the perspective of someone whose experiences are different from our own. 5 stars.
Thank you, Catapult and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own....more
Now that Tilly has graduated from high school, where her ADHD and problems with executive functioning made studying excruciating, she's eager to traveNow that Tilly has graduated from high school, where her ADHD and problems with executive functioning made studying excruciating, she's eager to travel Europe for the summer with her older sister. Sure, she'll have to do some work, but she's so so ready for some life experiences and for some freedom from her parents' pressure on Tilly to go to college. What she doesn't expect is to meet a hot but standoffish guy (Oliver) on the plane -- and then to discover that Oliver is her sister's design intern... and Tilly's roommate for their European travels.
This delightfully breezy YA romance features two neurodivergent lead characters (Oliver is autistic) who want to pursue their passions but don't always know how to communicate effectively. Tilly is a firecracker of a character, loud and colorful and passionate but also sometimes fizzling out quickly when she feels misunderstood, while Oliver comes across as far less responsive because it takes him longer to process what is said and what hidden messages and emotions lie underneath the words. What really works is how accepting they are of each other, how they learn to speak each other's language (so to speak), and how they grow to stand up for what they want.
Are their travels and their happy endings entirely realistic and believable? No, but they give the reader hope that they, like other neurodivergent people, can make their own space in a world that so often doesn't make room for them. For that, I can give the book a forgiving 3.75 stars rounded up.
Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own....more
Taking place 5 years after the events in Kamila Knows Best, Kamila and Rohan are getting married in a destination wedding in Tanzania. Jana Suleiman iTaking place 5 years after the events in Kamila Knows Best, Kamila and Rohan are getting married in a destination wedding in Tanzania. Jana Suleiman is taking part in the #BridalBrigade, not feeling quite like part of the friend group but eager for a vacation with her mother and daughter as well. What she doesn't expect is to run into Anil Malek, her former lover and her daughter's father, en route to the wedding. While Jana and Anil have been able to co-parent Imani amicably, Jana still hasn't quite forgiven Anil for what happened to break them apart. But Anil is determined to find a way forward...
This second-chance romance really shows the hard work, struggle, and miscommunication that characterizes a genuine attempt to heal the rift between two people meant for each other. Jana has a lot of baggage to unpack over being the "good girl" who became a scandal -- baggage that made it more difficult for her to see Anil clearly. Anil shines as a devoted dad who also wants to do what's right for Jana but often trips over his own insecurity and inability to find the right words with her. There's a messy push-pull between them that creates some awkward moments during the trip, but it felt realistic that it took them a good deal of times (and bumps) to find their way back to each other.
I also appreciated the time given to allow Jana to inch her way out of her own comfort zone and to develop a new social confidence. The friend group offered her so much support, too, and I enjoyed their discussions and laughter. (Rohan's groomsmen seemed to offer the same for Anil, though much less of that appeared on page.)
Thank you, Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own....more
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