Books about Traveling from Amazon.com

Ann Brashares has created a wonderful, heartfelt series for teens (and adults) around a pair of pants. In her breakout bestseller, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Brashares introduced readers to four girls, Lena, Bridget, Carmen, and Tibby, and to the magical pair of jeans that fit them all perfectly, and inspired them to live their young lives to the fullest. Forever in Blue, the fourth and final novel in the series, promises a dazzling finale--one "last glorious summer" for the four girls, and their fans. See a note from author Ann Brashares, below.--Daphne Durham

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Spend Time with the Sisterhood

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Boxed Set

Girls in Pants

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

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Price: $5.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

For most writers, the greatest challenge of spiritual writing is to keep it grounded in concrete language. The temptation is to wander off into the clouds of ethereal epiphanies, only to lose readers with woo-woo thinking and sacred-laced clichés. Thankfully, Anne Lamott (Operating Instructions, Crooked Little Heart) knows better. In this collection of essays, Lamott offers her trademark wit and irreverence in describing her reluctant journey into faith. Every epiphany is framed in plainspoken (and, yes, occasionally crassly spoken) real-life, honest-to-God experiences. For example, after having an abortion, Lamott felt the presence of Christ sitting in her bedroom:

This experience spooked me badly, but I thought it was just an apparition born of fear and self-loathing and booze and loss of blood. But then everywhere I went I had the feeling that a little cat was following me, wanting me to reach down and pick it up, wanting me to open the door and let it in. But I knew what would happen: you let a cat in one time, give it a little milk and then it stays forever.

Whether she's writing about airplane turbulence, bulimia, her "feta cheese thighs," or consulting God over how to parent her son, Lamott keeps her spirituality firmly planted in solid scenes and believable metaphors. As a result, this is a richly satisfying armchair-travel experience, highlighting the tender mercies of Lamott's life that nudged her into Christian faith. --Gail Hudson.
Price: $4.65 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Budget Travel magazine isn't just about the best travel experience at the lowest price it's also about traveling "the right way." Their philosophy, "Vacations for real people," has led them to their readership for guidance, and this collection of their readers' best 399 travel tips is an essential addition to any traveler's library. In The Smart Traveler's Passport, you'll learn:
13 different uses for Ziploc bags
How dental floss can double as a tape measure
Where to find the best street food in cities worldwide
How a digital camera can help you find your rental car
Why clearing your Web browser's cache will lead to lower prices on airfare and hotel reservations
How to avoid long lines at the world's most popular attractions

Designed to look and feel like an actual passport, these tips on planning, booking, packing, flying, safety, security, and getting around make the perfect bon voyage gift!.
Price: $6.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

For Katherine Givens and the four women about to become her best friends, the adventure begins with a UPS package Inside is a pair of red sneakers filled with ashes and a note that will forever change their lives. Katherine’s oldest and dearest friend, the irrepressible Annie Freeman, left one final request–a traveling funeral–and she wants the most important women in her life as “pallbearers.”

From Sonoma to Manhattan, Katherine, Laura, Rebecca, Jill, and Marie will carry Annie’s ashes to the special places in her life. At every stop there’s a surprise encounter and a small miracle waiting, and as they whoop it up across the country, attracting interest wherever they go, they share their deepest secrets–tales of broken hearts and second chances, missed opportunities and new beginnings. And as they grieve over what they’ve lost, they discover how much is still possible if only they can unravel the secret Annie left them.....
Price: $2.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

From beloved award-winning author Max Lucado comes Traveling Light, refreshing words wrapped around the biblical passages of the 23rd Psalm to reenergize weary spiritual travelers. In his inimitable, pastoral voice that both soothes and exhorts, Lucado gently unpacks the verses of the psalm while helping readers lay down the burdens of doubt, anxiety, perfectionism, and fear. "You can't enjoy a journey carrying so much stuff," Lucado writes. "Why don't you just drop all that luggage?" Lucado mixes personal transparency with his trademark humor, offering uncomplicated counsel. Change your focus. Make time for rest. Know you are not alone. Be humble. Trust God. It's only when we set down our "luggage" and let God carry it for us, says Lucado, that we are free to share grace, offer comfort, and help lift the load of others. As you read Lucado's words and work through the study questions, you'll find your own load feeling a little lighter. --Cindy Crosby.
Price: $4.49 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Ages 12 and up. Best buds Tibby, Carmen, Lena and Bridget are back with their magical pair of shared jeans in Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood Each summer brings new and difficult challenges, as the perennially separated friends discover afresh this last season before college. Tibby struggles with the idea of close friend Brian becoming her boyfriend, and their fragile relationship is soon tested by a tragedy in her immediate family. Carmen doesn't know how to react when she finds out that her middle-aged mom is pregnant, and Bridget is unpleasantly surprised to be reunited with the boy who broke her heart two summers ago. Finally, Lena, still coming to terms with the loss of her first love, tries to convince her strict father that art school is a better career path than Greek restaurant management. But through every crisis, each girl is assured of the love and support of the created sisterhood when she pulls on the denim armor of the cherished, and by now, a bit fragrant ("Rule # 1. You must never wash the Pants.") Traveling Pants.

Full of homey platitudes about life, love and the pursuit of perfect jeans, Girls in Pants occasionally reads like a lengthy Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul entry. But often that's precisely the kind of friendly reassurance female readers are looking for, and fans of the wildly popular series who've journeyed every summer with the "Septembers" will find much to laugh and cry about in this volume. --Jennifer Hubert.
Price: $3.33 [Notify me when price goes down.]

4 girls, 3 summers, and 1 pair of pants!

For the first time ever, all three novels in the #1 New York Times bestselling series are available in this terrific boxed set, which includes an exclusive magnet frame and magnets of the Pants..
Price: $16.73 [Notify me when price goes down.]

They were just a soft, ordinary pair of thrift-shop jeans until the four girls took turns trying them on--four girls, that is, who are close friends, about to be parted for the summer, with very different sizes and builds, not to mention backgrounds and personalities. Yet the pants settle on each girl's hips perfectly, making her look sexy and long-legged and feel confident as a teenager can feel. "These are magical Pants!" they realize, and so they make a pact to share them equally, to mail them back and forth over the summer from wherever they are. Beautiful, distant Lena is going to Greece to be with her grandparents; strong, athletic Bridget is off to soccer camp in Baja, California; hot-tempered Carmen plans to have her divorced father all to herself in South Carolina; and Tibby the rebel will be left at home to slave for minimum wage at Wallman's.

Over the summer the Pants come to represent the support of the sisterhood, but they also lead each girl into bruising and ultimately healing confrontations with love and courage, dying and forgiveness. Lena finds her identity in Greece and the courage not to reject love; Bridget gets in over her head with an older camp coach; Carmen finds her father ensconced with a new fiancée and family; and Tibby unwillingly takes on a filmmaking apprentice who is dying of leukemia. Each girl's story is distinct and engrossing, told in a brightly contemporary style. Like the Pants, the reader bounces back and forth among the four unfolding adventures, and the melange is spiced with letters and witty quotes. Ann Brashares has here created four captivating characters and seamlessly interwoven their stories for a young adult novel that is fresh and absorbing. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell.
Price: $2.70 [Notify me when price goes down.]

If you think of your pet as a family member, it only follows that Fluffy should come along on family vacations. But between "no pets allowed" signs and over-the-top surcharges, it seems like your only option for accommodations is a tent. For travel anywhere in North America, those options are about to change, thanks to Traveling with Your Pet, a comprehensive and easy-to-use guide for AAA-rated lodgings that welcome four-legged guests.

Most of the book reads like any standard travel book. Arranged alphabetically by state, you'll find hotels in both small towns and major cities, with a list of icons showing what amenities you can expect. Instead of descriptions of restaurants or spas, you'll find a sentence or two outlining pet policies. Here, a careful reading can save you a bundle. Although many hotels are happy to house animals, surcharges range anywhere from $5 total to $100 per night and, in some cases, only particular species of small size are accepted. This section cautions readers to confirm the current policy in advance. The last thing you want to discover upon arrival with your two labs is that the policy was changed the day before you made the reservations.

Other than these listings, information is relatively limited, but can be helpful to newcomers to the world of pet vacations. Contact information is provided for several airlines, as well as emergency animal health-care suggestions and advice for buying safe traveling equipment. Dog owners will appreciate the list of off-leash dog parks throughout the U.S., which includes rules for national parks and forests. In fact, with all its practical information, you may find this book puts your regular pet sitter out of a job! --Jill Lightner.
Price: $12.21 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Plan the best adventures possible and travel together with confidence. This book will help you... Conquer jetlag with your child and manage changes in eating and sleeping routines... Determine the most enjoyable vacations for your family at every age and stage... Learn the ins and outs of flying with children on laps, in car seats, and in airline bassinets... Find the cruise or resort that's the perfect fit for your family's vacation needs and desires... Stay two steps ahead of high-energy children, picky eaters, and potty trainees as you travel. Visit www.travelswithbaby.com.
Price: $19.76 [Notify me when price goes down.]