04.13.07
Posted in Event Recaps at 6:14 pm by Misch
Tonight, author Maliha Masood shared excerpts from her book, Zaatar Days, Henna Nights, plus slides and anecdotes from her year-long odyssey into the Middle East and into her own identity as a Muslim, an American of Pakistani origin, and a woman traveler.
In contrast to shrill headlines and sensationalized “in-depth” news reports about the region and Islam, Maliha’s soft-spoken descriptions presented the quotidian preoccupations of the people she meets in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey. Like zaatar, the spice mix of wild thyme, sesame, and sumac, Maliha offered us a highly personal collection of observations, flavors, and images.
As a traveler whose own brief skip through the Mideast inspired an enduring appreciation of things Islamic and Arab, I found Maliha’s point of view refreshing. I hope that her work encourages people to look beyond the front page and to see for themselves.
Signed copies of Zaatar Days, Henna Nights are available for $15.95.
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Posted in Store News, In-Store Events at 2:10 am by Terrell
Yes, we’re at the end of another season of WWB presentations and it’s time for our traditional wrap up session, Slides & Tell, where YOU get to be the star of the show on Tuesday, May 29th at 7 PM. We invite customers to bring in five slides or digital images in a projectable format and a story that goes with them. We’ll have our annual geography quiz with prizes for the most knowledgeable travelers in the audience. Please call ahead so we know how many to plan for and where you’ll be taking us. We can also answer your questions about using our digital projector. 206-634-3453 or email us at travel@speakeasy.net. Come and be part of the fun!
We’re hoping to get a good turnout especially since we’ve got some staff members presenting from on their travels to some great destinations this year. We’d really like to see where everybody’s been with those books and maps we’ve been selling you all year so call or email us and sign up!
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04.11.07
Posted in Store News at 10:23 pm by Terrell
New edition mania has hit Lonely Planet. Yesterday we got in the new editions of Turkey (yeah!), Korea, Tunisia, Coastal California, Boston and Vienna. We’re still waiting on Bhutan, Czech & Slovak Republics, and China, but they should be here soon. E-mail us (travel@speakeasy.net) of call us is you’d like us to hold a copy for you.
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04.04.07
Posted in Event Recaps at 3:42 am by Misch
Beth Whitman, author of Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo, joined us for an inspiring and informative talk about the adventures, unique opportunities, joys, and risks of being a female solo traveler. Her observation that we women often encounter discouragement from friends and family rang true for most of us. (In my case, a cousin who wanted to “wring my neck” for hitchhiking through Ireland–but did she want to hear any tales of the fascinating people I met? No.)
From motorcycle adventures to teaching her way around the world, Beth has amassed a wealth of travel wisdom and resources, a few of which she shared with us. Her favorite book series: Lonely Planet, DK Eyewitness, and culture guides such as Culture Smart and Culture Shock. Being a smart traveler –solo, female, or otherwise– means looking after your security, too; her fave accessories are Pacsafe’s slash-proof bags and a security cable and lock. And THE most important things: your passport and money.
You won’t get discouragement or neck-wringing relatives at Wide World Books–just your signed copy of Wanderlust and Lipstick ($17.95), Beth’s favorite books and gear, and the camaraderie of fellow wanderers.
Beth Whitman’s Web site is www.forwomentravelingsolo.com.
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04.03.07
Posted in Store News at 1:34 am by Terrell
And we get to host him here at the store! 
We’re very excited to announce that Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet has chosen Wide World Books & Maps as one of the stops on his June speaking tour! Tony will be at the store the evening of Sunday, June 17th promoting two new books, Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story and Tony Wheeler’s Bad Lands. We’re thrilled to be able to talk travel with the man who literally wrote the book. We’re trying to determine whether we need to find a bigger space to host this event so if you think you might be attending, please send us an email with “Tony Wheeler” in the subject line so we can get an idea of how many people are interested.
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04.02.07
Posted in Event Recaps at 8:51 pm by Misch
Who doesn’t love sharing stories of the road?
Tonight’s event with guests Mark Pearson, Martin Westerman, Brent Fattore, Judy Boersema, and Dave Fox was a relaxed, fun evening of just that: trying to defuse a knife-wielding Puerto Rican in the Vatican, hightailing out of a museum after setting off the alarms, and more. Their tales took me back to my days of overnight couchettes and hitchhiking on the autobahn in winter. Things you do when you’re a free-wheelin’ 20-something with freedom and eyes wide open. Or 30-, 40-, or 80-something!
What’s YOUR story?
We have signed copies of Spain From A Backpack and Italy From A Backpack in stock for $15.95. More teasers about the books are at www.EuropeBackpack.com.
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04.01.07
Posted in Store News, In-Store Events at 3:40 am by Administrator
April 3rd Tuesday 7 PM
Wanderlust and Lipstick with author Beth Whitman
Beth Whitman is a self-described “travel addict” and has been a solo traveler for nearly 20 years. From Australia to Vietnam, she has backpacked through Nepal; ridden a motorcycle solo through Central America; driven the AlCan Highway to Alaska; trekked the highlands of Vietnam; and maneuvered the back-roads of France’s Dijon region in a rental car. Beth is the author of Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo and will be here tonight giving us her take on the ins and outs of solo travel for women. If you’ve been wanting to get out on the road yourself, don’t miss this evening with Beth.
April 10th Tuesday 7 PM
One Woman in the Middle East with author Maliha Masood
Join us this evening as we welcome award-winning local author, filmmaker and traveler Maliha Masood. Maliha’s new book, Zaatar Days, Henna Nights, tells of her escape from a desk job to a year of travel through the Middle East in search of her Islamic heritage. Born in Pakistan but raised here in the Pacific Northwest—her mom works across the street in the Wallingford Center—Maliha brings a unique perspective to this journey. From the streets of Cairo, Amman, Beirut, Damascus and Istanbul to Kurdish mountain villages; from the haunting silence of the Sahara to nightclubs booming with hip hop, this evening’s talk and slide show will focus on women traveling in the Middle East as well as the perceptions of this region in the media and the reality that Maliha herself encountered.
April 17th Tuesday 7 PM
Northwest Yunnan Province with Spring Cheng and Crooked Trails
Tonight we will make the pilgrimage trek around China’s Mt Kawa Karpo. One of the eight sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism, this dazzling pinnacle soars above the landscape of far eastern Tibet and Northwest Yunnan Province in one the most remote and pristine places inhabited by humans. Our guide this evening is Spring Cheng founder of Mystic Trails and an associate guide with Crooked Trails. A native-born Chinese now living in the U.S., Spring encourages travelers to explore the cultural, historical and physical diversity of the China that lies off the beaten tourist trail. She is an experienced technical climber and trekker, who will lead us on an amazing journey through this high mountain landscape and through the culture of this fascinating region.
April 21st Saturday 9 AM
Solo Travelers
Join us for an informal gathering of travelers as they meet and learn from each other’s travel experiences and share wisdom learned on the road. Whether you’re preparing for your first solo journey or your hundredth, you’ll enjoy sharing your adventures with your fellow sojourners. Bring your coffee and your questions!
April 24th Tuesday 7 PM
Two Writers’ Journeys with authors Susan Rich and Barbara Sjoholm
Local authors Susan Rich and Barbara Sjoholm will be here to read from and sign their most recent books, Cures Include Travel (Susan’s poetry) and Incognito Street: How Travel Made Me a Writer (Barbara’s memoir). We’ll be talking tonight about the connections between travel and writing; of how, as Susan writes, the external journey of the traveler and the internal mapping of the poet are different sides of one central desire: the search for an extended worldview. Both Barbara and Susan have traveled extensively, Susan as a Peace Corps volunteer and International rights worker, Barbara as a student and in the course of research for other books. And both are accomplished authors with a variety of awards and publishing achievements between them. This promises to be an evening that will get your creative juices flowing and your feet itching to wander.
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