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Genre: City Guide, Travel, Nonfiction
Number of pages: 184
ISBN: 9781036116590

Format: Paperback
Publication date: March 06, 2025
Publisher: White Owl
Type: City Guide

A HUGE thanks to Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for this e-ARC. I receive no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.

When I saw the title of the book, The Godfather Lover’s Guide to Sicily, two things stood out to me: Sicily and the Godfather. Now, I’m quite the Italophile, and I’m also very curious about the mafia. Plus, I have watched all the Godfather movies, and while I’m not a huge fan, I do admit they’re classics and have put a certain standard on movies of the same kind. I was so intrigued I just had to request that book, and thankfully, Pen and Sword Books (an amazing publisher, by the way, go and take a look at their catalogue!) granted me an e-ARC of this book.

Now, I have so many feelings about this book—I was almost certain to enjoy it, but it exceeded my expectations!

Care to discover how so?

Read on, darling!

The Positive Points

The major thing I noticed is that I was always excited and giddy to pick the book back up and resume my reading! And that’s quite telling!

I find this book amazing! Indeed, the reading sessions flew by; I read an hour at a time!! Which is a lot for me who’s used to reading in chunks of 20 minutes throughout the day.

I am really glad there are numerous photos of the movies and the locations included throughout the book. It makes it way more visual and interactive. Also, there are a lot of colours in this book, even in the squares and sections for info tidbits such as film facts and scene recaps (if you forgot a bit of the movie, that was so helpful). There is also insider information as well as Sicily trivia (like how functions the menu and what is the course order in trattorie and ristoranti). It’s fun to learn such tidbits of info in a more informal manner rather than in the overall text. It sounds as though a tour guide is talking to you, being all friendly. It is refreshing and makes for a nice break. I noticed there are scene analyses from the Godfather, too! While I couldn’t remember all the scenes, it was interesting to see them being dissected like that, according to a topic tackled in the text previously.

Moreover, not only does the author talk about the settings in relation to the movies, she expands on their respective history and their relation to the movies and how it stands nowadays. She also tackles Italian and Sicilian customs related to the movies like the “confetti” Apollonia serves at her wedding party.

She also talks a lot about architecture (no wonder since she is an architect!) and art, yes yes yes, it’s lovely and fun!

I love that the whole book, including the trivia and info tidbits, helps see the movie and the Sicilian culture in a new light! It also makes me itch to have a rewatch of the Godfather trilogy haha! I watched the first movie twice and the others once. I love the ambiance and the world it depicts, but I was never a huge fan, yet I find this book exhilarating!

Plus, I love that the author talks about other points of interest like the Museum of the City of Savoca which features a room dedicated to the making of the Godfather movie. If the characters are in a certain setting or go from one point to the next in the movie, the author will mention what you can find in that area or walking the same path as the characters did. It’s really like a tour guide of Sicily and the movies’ locations! And I love it!!

It’s also very fun because there are several anecdotes, facts and unknown stories to us of what really happened while filming these movies. It’s both fascinating and entertaining. Did you know there is a statue of Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola in Savoca? The local artist Nino Ucchini created it to pay tribute to the filmmaker for bringing worldwide renown to Savoca! I think it’s fascinating to learn (and we get pictures of such facts and anecdotes!) This is only one of many, but it shows the impact of that movie trilogy around the world.

And here’s a funny fact about my experience: This book is so interesting that I kept stopping my reading to take notes!! And this is the first time it’s ever happened to me, so WOW!

The Negative Points

Ma che cosa è esso? (But what’s that?)

In Conclusion

I really think The Godfather Lover’s Guide to Sicily is worth a purchase and a read! I am not a fan of the Godfather movies per se, but I found myself to be highly entertained with this book and all I learned in it about Sicily and the behind the scenes of the movies! It also gives interesting locations to visit for tourists looking to recreate the Godfather’s journey in Sicily, or even to just soak into the Sicilian culture and visit a few personal favorite locations from the movie for a special occasion, say a honeymoon or a long-awaited vacation.

I highly recommend this book to the Godfather fans as well as Italophiles like me. It’s a tour guide with an interesting angle for fans all over the world looking to travel from your home or to actually go and visit these places with the book as guide. A gem, I love it!

For all these excellent reasons, I give The Godfather Lover’s Guide to Sicily a fabulous rating of 5 stars out of 5! This book impressed me, and I hope you will feel the same!

If you want to learn more about the author, Karen M Spence, you can head over to her author's page on Pen & Sword Books. Don't forget to add The Godfather Lover's Guide to Sicily to your cart, your bookshelves, or your wishlist!

River Queens: A Book Review

Book Reviews November 4, 2019 Leave a comment

Amazon.ca

Genre: Non-fiction, memoir
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1939710-857
Format: Hardcover
Publication date: 2018
Publisher: Orange Frazer Press
Type: Non-Fiction, memoir, travel

*I received a free hardcover copy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to Alexander Watson, author of River Queens!*

Introduction:

I was kindly approached and offered a hardcover copy of River Queens by the author, Alexander Watson. He was lucky this year I discovered a love for memoirs and mostly travel memoirs, otherwise I wouldn't have picked it up. But his story, what of two men sailing the coasts of America in a boat no less, intrigued me.

I can tell you it also didn't disappoint. Reading this book brought me great pleasure as well as smiles and laughter. I hope my review entices you to give this fun ride a try.

Let's sail!

The Blurb:

The river—any river—is another planet, with its own language, rules, and culture. River Queens is a story of the unlikeliest of fellows (and a dog) coming to the river—and what happens to them once they arrive. At first glance, it seems to be a how-to manual for any adventuresome (but perhaps foolhardy) type who’s ever thought of restoring a wooden yacht and sailing it halfway across the country. Second glance, however, shows that it’s a classic travel narrative in which two intrepid (but perhaps foolhardy) explorers head out to tour what is usually called “a distant, alien world.”

To Alexander Watson and his partner, Dale Harris, the river is as exotic as any foreign locale they’d previously traversed. There is danger, of course—unpredictable nature, lurking water hazards, quickly rising human squalls—but the initial difficulty is language: can they become fluent in the argot of harbormasters, helmsmen, navigators, and the various deck hands, skippers, and swabbies?

The Positive Sides:

The most striking point of *River Queens* is how the author's voice flows and it's beautiful. It's charming, and it feels natural, like I'm right beside him and his partner during the purchase of the boat and their adventures. He's honest and raw but not mean. I often found myself thinking similar thoughts as I read his story.

There's something equally important: Watson reflects the people's speech singularities so well you can hear them in your mind and picture them easily! It might be hard to read sometimes due to some people talking really loosely, but it's amazing to see he reproduces these ways of talking so faithfully. I felt as I was meeting them myself. Besides their speeches, Watson puts the people he encounters (good and bad) on the forefront of his adventures, including his partner Dale and himself, too. It was beautiful to read and except for Frances Mayes's memoirs about Italy, I never felt so attached to real people in a book.

Moreover, learning about boats was interesting and informative. The author would tell us about the hull, how to see if there's leakage, water charges and more. Plus, he even included a glossary at the end! Priceless.

Speaking of him and Dale, I really enjoy their conversations, which makes the reading much more amusing (it even made me laugh out loud!) and so much more natural. It also shows how close they are and how well they know each other, which is adorable (and quite funny, too). The care they put into their boat (a wooden one, mind you as it's very important here) and each other. It was lovely.

The intertwined chapters of Alexander and his mother were a good addition. It explains a lot of things about how he thinks and acts. Mostly the "don't let things or events slip you by" mantra she said to him (paraphrased here by yours truly), which is something I stand by.

Something stood out personally: I see myself in him so much! I mean, Watson's got quite the flaming temper, just like I do (though he's got better comebacks, darn!) and it makes him even more charming and lovable to me.

As for their adventures: what a nice ride! All those places, all the small disasters that happened, the great descriptions and encounters they have! All keep you along for the ride. It was great to see America explored from the perspective of two men (and a sweet dog) aboard their own boat. Seriously, I loved it!

Last, I particularly enjoyed the short chapters and the formatting and layout. One chapter is even divided such as "Sightseeing: (what they saw and did)", then it's "Cooking: (how they found and cooked food)", and so on. It's visually interesting and a nice change of pace.

The Negative Sides:

All books have flaws and despite River Queens's great points, I've found a few that could be improved.

For starters, the transitions are slightly brusque, which confused me. I needed to read a few sentences twice. But it's not extremely bad nor is it overflowing with such brusque transitions. It's just annoying when it happens.

What's the biggest bad point? Well, this book is advertised as a travel memoir (I'm not saying it's wrong here), but it took about 50 pages of closing the deal for ownership of the boat and repairing it. Afterwards, it took the same number of pages before they finally set sail (it's at about 107 pages). In my opinion, a third of the book is a bit too long of an introduction to what the blurb seemed to say was a discovery of America's coasts from two men in a saucy boat (with a beautiful dalmatian, too!)

In Conclusion:

What do I take out from this read? Amazing voice, strikingly natural dialogues (it's like hearing your neighbour talking!), and an amusing experience on the whole!

It was always a pleasure to pick up this book and resume reading, falling into Watson and Dale's boat world and meeting these new people. I recommend this book to anyone interested in travel, memoirs, true stories, exploration, and those who just want to have a genuinely good time! I give River Queens: Saucy boat, stout mates, spotted dog, America a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 for how lovely, entertaining and engrossing this book is.

As a note, I will keep this book in my own bookshelf as I will surely reread it down my lifetime. It was worthwhile and I know I'll want to share the author's story again by reading it. Such a great journey and personality!

If you want to learn more about the author, you can visit his Web site, you can also follow him on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest (you can see pictures of his boat, Betty Jane!) Amazon author page and Goodreads. You can visit his publisher, Orange FrazerPress. You can also add River Queens to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.

Go Ahead, You’re Home: A Review

Book Reviews July 29, 2019 Leave a comment

Genre: Memoir, Travel, Non-Fiction

Pages: 173
ISBN: 978-0997572704
Format: Paperback, eBook (Kindle)
Publication date: May 16th, 2016
Publisher: Your Book Angel
Type: Memoir

*Thanks to BookTasters (Twitter: @BookTasters and Web site) and Miss Tirzah Libert for giving me a free ecopy of Go Ahead, You're Home in exchange for a review given on a voluntary basis. I received no compensation.*

I chose Go Ahead, You're Home because the blurb made me dream of travelling in someone else's shoes and see their life, in two vastly different countries to mine. As a polyglot and big enthusiast of cultures and travelling, this intrigued me. Also, I wanted to see what pushed her to move to the Netherlands and what she wants to accomplish.

The Positive Points:

I'll go ahead (see what I did there?) and say that the best part about this book is simply the heart she puts into telling us all about her life. It's beautiful, humbling, and inspiring, too. I rather enjoyed this side and felt somehow touched that she'd let me (and others) see her thoughts and life so closely. It was quite interesting to experience a different POV since she sounds "wilder" than I am (no offence here, I think it's fun to see) and it was amusing and eye-opening to be able to read about a different life somewhere else in the world. Here, it was in the Caribbeans. It was poignant and immersive; it was as if I could see through her very eyes. Loved it!

Moreover, the resilience and strength of this woman along with the culture and customs of her homeland are great to see! They're also admirable in their own rights.

The Negative Points:

These were very hard to order as I think they're are major points, but here goes:

The ideas and subjects are all jumbled together! It's like head-hopping (where an author switches from one character to another continuously), but with ideas! She's talking of her faith, then it brusquely switches to her aunt with no real link between the two. And it goes on and on like this. It's pretty confusing and unpleasant. There's so much to tell, I know, but a more structured approach would make this book better!

The amount of "faith" and "religion" talks in this book are annoying… I understand it's part of that part, but it's just too much for other readers who might not be like her (*GASPS*). I didn't take any points for this though since that's how she is. But there's a bit too much of it to be easily readable by others and NOT put down with a roll of our eyes or an annoyed sigh.

Lastly, the author tells us all about her actions, the events, the situations, and it's quite interesting, I must admit! I could get lost in it easily. But there is ONE major wrong point: she tells us about the actions, but not enough about her emotions. I want to know how she felt! How did finding a secretary job made her feel? How about that difficult (I assume) miscarriage? In memoirs, we're looking for the "travel" part, true, but I want the emotions, I want to feel, to connect. I don't just want to watch over her shoulder. It's a good book, but this point is severely lacking.

In Conclusion:

While it was a good insight into Miss Libert's life and allowed me to taste a different culture and experience another's life, I think it was way too topic-hopping, confusing and not detailed enough for me to really be hooked to this book. So, I give Go Ahead, You're Home a rating of 3.5 out of 5. I would recommend it to other travel memoirs and memoirs enthusiasts.

If you want to learn more about Tirzah Libert, visit her Web site, Twitter account, and Facebook page. You can also add the book to your Goodreads and LibraryThing TBR list(s).

Take (Un)Calculated Risks: Read Other Genres

chit-chatting with Cat, Tips January 19, 2019 Leave a comment

Hi, folks! A writing tip is in order after so long, I think. We talk a lot about how to write specifically for a certain genre, how to fit in that genre, and so on. But what about branching out?

How about diving into uncharted (by you) waters?

That’s what we’ll see here and how it can help you either expand your writing knowledge and skills, or even find you a better genre for your writing.

Ready?

Let’s go!

The Fear/Apprehension

I get it: you’re way too comfy in your cozy comfort zone to try anything else. Let’s take myself as an example: I’ve been reading language books, how-to’s, documentaries, fantasy, thrillers, crime, LGBTQ+, teen, YA, middle grade, historical, dystopian, and a little bit of romance here and there when the idea sounds really different to my ears. And this up until last year. I knew what I wanted. No dilly-dallying. I had no time to waste and I wanted to get the most out of it. It’s too pleasant and I didn’t see the point in reading other genres.

Truth is: I was afraid. Probably just like you. Afraid of what? Hang on!

Here goes:

Wasting precious time

Not loving my reading (what is that even!?)

Being scared

Being uncomfortable

Liking it (imagine adding another genre to the big to-be-read list…!)

Not understanding and feeling like a fool

Entering some kind of “secret club” to which I know nothing and would have to work to better know it

Being angry at what I’m reading (from confusion)

I’m one who loves trying new things, activities and I always jump right into it (mostly as the first one to, as well). But reading? Nah, that was my secret altar… Untouchable. But more importantly: unchangeable.

So how come I’ve now expanded my horizons?

My Dabbling in Other Genres

Sci-Fi: One year ago, I was browsing the YA shelves of my public library and the purple spine and title Empress of a Thousand Skies caught my interest. Right away I knew it was sci-fi from the title and I don’t read that genre. Nevertheless, I still picked it up to satisfy my growing curiosity. The cover was just SO gorgeous! With an Asian young lady staring at the beyond over planets and stars on a purple and blue background. I thought it was so pretty that I wanted to read the summary. So I did. In short, it’s about a betrayed young empress who fights to regain her right to rule and avenge her family. I mean: that’s just what I love! So I battled the desire to read the whole story until I checked it out of the library and took it home.

It ended up being a great book and while reading sci-fi felt awkward at first, I enjoyed the discovery of all those aliens and new technology and planets. In short, I liked this sci-fi world! This book started my yearly habit of reading two to three sci-fi stories to diversify my readings. If that’s not fantastic, I’ll be stunned! (You can read my 4-starred review of Empress of a Thousands Skies by Rhoda Belleza here.)

Horror: I’ve always been attracted to the horror and the disgusting what with my loving to watch horror movies (and being so scared afterwards I couldn’t sleep for weeks…) However, reading horror was another matter. Why? Again, I was so scared of being effectively scared. Reading it is worse than watching horror on screen because I feel as I AM there, I am the protagonist! So, I spent years simply skimming the books in the horror aisle (both at library and bookstores), gently touching their spines with envy.

This, too, started about a year ago. As a budding author, I was highly recommended Stephen King’s On Writing and when it was finally available at my library, I read it. But then, it got me even MORE curious… At the same time, It the Movie was in theatres and I. friggin’. missed. it (or It!) And like I told you, I’m a fan of horror movies so this interested me a great deal, but since I always prefer to read the books when there’s one (in this case by Stephen King no less!), I was stuck between actually reading the damn book or just watching the movie once it hit DVDs. So I watched the movie. Then, scared AND interested, I started reading horror short stories by various authors, including Stephen King. I skirted around It, preferring to try other, less terrifying stories… but it was always on my mind, pushing me. I found it at my local library and in a burst of courage I picked it up and took it home. I was hooked! I now have it on Kobo as well as The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King and I’m slowly working my way up the horror genre.

Now, why is this important? First, I’m satisfied (even though I’m a tad scared) because FINALLY I’m reading horror. It doesn’t seem out of my limit now. Also, horror stories started to pour out of me! It’s as though they had been WAITING for me to jump into the genre, creeping up on me. I knew I wanted to write darker things, but never got around to it. Well, this is what it did to me: it freed a part of me somehow.

Memoirs (Travel): Frankly, memoirs and biographies (including autobiographies) held zero interest for me. Reading about people’s ordinary, daily lives often riddled with illnesses, false hopes and mean words? Nah, thanks. That was until I stumbled upon Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian by Frances Mayes, her travel memoir about her life in Tuscany (half of the year or so). As a huge Italy lover and Italian speaker, I fell in love. There is no other way to put this. Her writing is delicate and always uses the best precise word and is quite rich in terms of vocabulary. Furthermore, her memoir really follows an interesting narrative with confidences and anecdotes (both funny and sometimes awful) . I love how the Italian language, art, architecture, people, and food all hold a major place in her book.

I told you: I fell hard for this one. Curious, I went to check out the second volume (I started by the third one… So I’m reading the series backwards, haha) right away to see if it was only a onetime thing, but no. I still love it!

Now, I checked out Paris in Love by Eloisa James because I’ve been dreaming of going to Paris since I was four or five years old. Of course I have to read this book! Plus, French is my native language so seeing French words and expressions sprinkled here and there is an absolute blast. With this, I assured myself that I really love travel memoirs and not just those from Frances Mayes or about Italy. No, I really discovered this genre in its own right this very year!

I’m both amazed and taken aback! (I still can’t stand autobiographies or biographies of stars and celebrities, though, unless it’s historical.)

Why You Should Try It Too

I highly suggest you to read outside your comfort zone. If you don’t want to try all the genres you usually avoid at the same time, then just pick one or two to start your adventure with. Go with one that has a cover that grabs your eye, read the blurb and if it sounds like something you might vaguely be interested into, take this one! If it doesn’t work the first time, look for another.

But why?

As I mentioned earlier, not only did it make me take a risk and discover new genres I never thought I would enjoy, but it also gave me new writing genres. And those two aspects are exactly what it’s about!

After all, reading more widely opens the mind a little more and allows other information, ideas and concepts to enter your mind. And it’s beautiful. Take memoirs for instance. I thought I’d hate those! In fact, it turns out I LOVE travel memoirs. I noticed a renewal of interest in reading in general, but also an increased enjoyment and excitation at reading about other people’s adventures in countries I hope to visit one day (or maybe just read about them). THAT’s a big point. It makes me feel the adventures. Something I only had in fiction before, but now it’s in the same world I’m living in! Wonderful! Now I’m a voracious reader of travel memoirs and I’ve noticed a more intense, more focused writing of mine. So memoirs brought general appreciation AND energy into my reading and writing.

Now, a similar story happens with sci-fi and horror. I now read about 3-4 sci-fi novels a year hoping to find one that leaves its print on me. So far I have found Zodiac by Romina Russell and Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza. I’ll soon aim for the classics by H. G. Wells and other big sci-fi names I can find at the library. It’s diversifying my reading and point of view a hell lot! Speaking of hell, I’m trying (the try aspect is very important here) to read more horror. I’m reading Pet Sematary and other books by Stephen King along with A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis and such. While I might not read more than three horror books (if I get to that number) a year, it’s still interesting, thrilling, and diversifying.

You’re saying: Okay, but what’s the “new writing genres” thing about?

Well, since I discovered an interest in these genres, I noticed a few sci-fi story ideas bubbling up in me. Little bits and pieces, here and there, until there were not only one character fully formed, but two! It didn’t take me long to have a basic plot for a series. Then, other snippets for other sci-fi stories came to me… In other words: science fiction has now become a genre I can write in, even though I still feel relatively awkward in it. Isn’t that great?! See, I did not just discover a new genre for reading, but it also opened my mind enough that I could incorporate it into my writing, too!

What about horror and travel memoirs? Right on that, my friend! I’ve always loved horror movies, but never got around to reading horror books until last year. So, bearing that in mind, it wasn’t hard for my interest in this genre to bloom. And so it did. Now I have about three horror short stories in progress on my laptop. There will be more to come in the future as well! See? It made me go back to horror, a genre (in movies) I had neglected for the last years; it soon caught my attention again and lit my interest on fire (think Carrie here; I love Carrie, the story, though she’s a poor victim). As for the travel memoirs, they fuel my need to write non-fiction further; so I started writing a memoir about how I became a polyglot and the important events I think played a key part in making me choose to learn languages as a fun activity, then as a passion that’s driving my whole life, and now as a job. Since I love travel memoirs especially, and I don’t travel a lot due to many complications in my life at the moment, my languages were the next best topic to write about. Also, it’s pushing me forward in creating my own language learning courses and ebooks.

In Conclusion

Not only do I strongly suggest (and when teachers say that, what I am, its underlying meaning is “do it!”) reading in other genres to discover stories and interests you never thought you’d like, but also encourage you to be inspired by them. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll end up having a few new, different ideas of your own.

I really hope you try this!

Please do tell me, how is it working for you?

What genres are you willing to try out?

See you next post, lovelies!

Ireland the Best: A Review

Book Reviews July 26, 2018 Leave a comment

irelandthebest

by John and Sally McKenna

Amazon.com (Released on September 1st, 2018)

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca

Indigo

B&N (Released on September 1st, 2018)

Goodreads

LibraryThing

WorldCat

Genre: Travel, Reference, Guidebooks, Travel guides

Pages: 424

ISBN: 9780008248819

Format: Paperback

Publication date: March 22, 2018

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers

Type: Travel guide

*A special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

The Blurb:

Ireland the Best is a fully comprehensive and independent guide to Ireland which gives you only the very best recommendations, whatever your budget.

Brought to you by the McKennas, who have over 30 years’ experience writing and talking about Ireland’s amazing food, drink and hospitality. Following the format of Scotland the Best, Scotland’s bestselling guide for 25 years.

Local experts John and Sally McKenna are your personal guides to the very best of Ireland, from the streets of Belfast to the hills of Galway. They have visited, rated and remarked on every entry to help you get the most out of the Emerald Isle.

This book is the companion to the series originator Peter Irvine’s bestselling Scotland the Best, and utilises the same design template.

Introduction:

Ireland, O Ireland… You’re calling me.

I remember reading my first Irish author along with the country’s history when I was fourteen years old. I can also tell you I fell in love with the people’s accent, its landscapes and simply put: Ireland itself.

Hence there was no refusing picking up this guide about Ireland. I hoped to learn more about this country and explore it through gorgeous images and sceneries.

Whilst I liked the information, I was also disappointed. How could a guide about Ireland let me down?

The Positive Sides:

I always prefer to lay the positive points of a book first, which gives a better and kinder “image” of the work. I found this guide, Ireland the Best, to be quite informative. In the places and activities’ descriptions (often lengthy and detailed), they give us snippets of these places’ history and explanations as to why it came to be or how it was named the way it is. Moreover, the guide presents awesome, diverse and funny categories such as historical, ethnic restaurants, amusing pubs, libraries, and more of the sorts! This feature is what I loved best about this book because it dared go beyond the traditional formula for guides.

The authors wrote all the addresses, phone numbers and web links. Maps are also present and although the image referencing system is somewhat good, it’s a bit messy too. You need to do a lot of coming and going from the number associated to a certain map to the actual image in the last pages of the book.

The research put into this guide is undeniable! A wealth of information is in there for whoever’s willing to dig to find gold.

The Negative Sides:

Most of the times, I try to focus on the positive of a book, but the huge lack of pictures made this read almost impossible – or at least, unattractive and uninteresting. There are no visual references nor is it pleasant to gaze at despite how thoroughly researched and organised it is. It’s plain-looking, though practical without a doubt. Take your pick! One thing’s for sure: reading it all from cover to end is out of the question! This guide makes it way too boring; I know, I’ve tried and gave up when I noticed how awfully redundant this book was with no pictures.

In Conclusion:

Overall, good for quick info on locations, history bits and fun things to do when in Ireland, but the lack in visuals is extremely annoying and disappointing. So I give it a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars. I don’t see how a guide about a country, which contains such great and varied information, doesn’t have pictures here and there to make itself easy and pleasant on the eye. I’m not asking for a picture with every location or fact, but at least one for major attractions.

Although I don’t recommend this book, if you want a great source of reliable information and just need to look up locations and fun tidbits sometimes, then please, do have a go at it! I’m sure it will be useful to you. But as a discovery guide out of curiosity or even a guide you plan on actually guiding you through Ireland, it’s not doing the job it set out to do. Deux point cinq

If you want to learn more about the authors, the McKennas, you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @McKennasGuides. Their book is featured on the publisher’s Web site. You can also add Ireland the Best to your bookshelves on Goodreads and LibraryThing.