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alissacoopermiles's review against another edition
3.0
“Once I stopped projecting what I wished I was onto myself and faced and accepted the current version of myself, I learned how to be happy in my own company.” from Mating Season
Suzanne Roberts’ collection of travel essays tells the tales of wanderlust that can, well, be less than appealing. From getting caught naked in a lightning storm to taking “real” yoga in India to realizing she needs a divorce while watching a fellow skier almost die in an avalanche, these stories are revealing and personal. Roberts doesn’t hold back when she discusses the men she’s had in her life and on her excursions, which is actually refreshing in the way a successful woman CEO of a global and honorable company is refreshing: it isn’t quite expected, but we know that’s the problem in and of itself. Her lovers are many, but her track record with healthy relationships isn’t. This collection is a journal of self-discovery and forgiveness. It’s also a reckoning of past indiscretions, a lesson in cultural mess-ups, a gain in confidence and ownership of her own body, and a coming-to-terms with the life she’s chosen to lead.
Roberts is quick and funny and her stories are captivating. The stories involving her mother were some of my favorites. Her writing is thoughtful and honest. I found myself irked and uncomfortable by some of her choices and remembered that it’s because this is not a life I would want. This is her life. There were also times when her experiences seemed like punishment rather than adventure, which helped vary the narratives. She sees her privilege in the faces of begging children and in the generosity of a people with much less, but that is part of what opens her eyes to the importance of travel. There were moments when I wanted to rearrange the stories because the flow didn’t quite work for me. She has organized them into categories, but the years from one essay to the next can jump two, five, or even ten years back or forward. I had to remind myself who her husband is because of the leaps in time. It isn’t a huge drawback, just a slight annoyance.
This would be a good pick for anyone that loves travel, misses traveling in these days of quarantine, or would like something different. This is a collection of love stories to old friends, lovers, her mother, new friends from her travels, discovered lands and cultures, and to herself.
Suzanne Roberts’ collection of travel essays tells the tales of wanderlust that can, well, be less than appealing. From getting caught naked in a lightning storm to taking “real” yoga in India to realizing she needs a divorce while watching a fellow skier almost die in an avalanche, these stories are revealing and personal. Roberts doesn’t hold back when she discusses the men she’s had in her life and on her excursions, which is actually refreshing in the way a successful woman CEO of a global and honorable company is refreshing: it isn’t quite expected, but we know that’s the problem in and of itself. Her lovers are many, but her track record with healthy relationships isn’t. This collection is a journal of self-discovery and forgiveness. It’s also a reckoning of past indiscretions, a lesson in cultural mess-ups, a gain in confidence and ownership of her own body, and a coming-to-terms with the life she’s chosen to lead.
Roberts is quick and funny and her stories are captivating. The stories involving her mother were some of my favorites. Her writing is thoughtful and honest. I found myself irked and uncomfortable by some of her choices and remembered that it’s because this is not a life I would want. This is her life. There were also times when her experiences seemed like punishment rather than adventure, which helped vary the narratives. She sees her privilege in the faces of begging children and in the generosity of a people with much less, but that is part of what opens her eyes to the importance of travel. There were moments when I wanted to rearrange the stories because the flow didn’t quite work for me. She has organized them into categories, but the years from one essay to the next can jump two, five, or even ten years back or forward. I had to remind myself who her husband is because of the leaps in time. It isn’t a huge drawback, just a slight annoyance.
This would be a good pick for anyone that loves travel, misses traveling in these days of quarantine, or would like something different. This is a collection of love stories to old friends, lovers, her mother, new friends from her travels, discovered lands and cultures, and to herself.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
2.0
Didn't particularly enjoy this one. Too much focus on her personal life vs travel. I also found it a bit chaotic to read at times. It just wasn't a great book for me.
*ARC via NetGalley*
*ARC via NetGalley*
alexjstewart's review against another edition
3.0
Suzanne Robert's incredible skill as a poet is present all throughout this absolute ride of a book. On every page I found myself highlighting a phrase or sentence simply for its beauty. On top of that, many of the anecdotes she shares, especially early on, got quite a few chuckles out of me, which is quite the achievement. Before I reached the half way point I began to be worried what the point of the book was meant to be for the reader. And upon finishing it, I am not sure I am able to answer that question. Was I supposed to gain anything from it, or was it just supposed to be a fun, quick read to be enjoyed and then put down? If the latter is true, then it certainly fulfilled its purpose. Otherwise, not so much for me.
keerthana_n's review against another edition
3.0
Bad tourist is a travel diary of Suzanne Roberts.This book recollects all the travel experiences and self-discovery.
the writing is witty and very engaging. The book takes you around the world in just 200 pages.
Anyone who loves travelling and wants to escape into the travel misadventures and experiences will enjoy this book.
Thank you netgalley,the author and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review the book.
the writing is witty and very engaging. The book takes you around the world in just 200 pages.
Anyone who loves travelling and wants to escape into the travel misadventures and experiences will enjoy this book.
Thank you netgalley,the author and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review the book.
lyndsm's review against another edition
2.0
Bad Tourist is a memoir and collection of essays about the author's various travels around the world. This is a good book to read if you are missing traveling during the pandemic or have had to cancel trips. For me, the most enjoyable part of the book was reading about different countries and cultures. I felt like I was able to travel without even leaving my house.
However, the travel stories eventually became repetitive and superfluous in my opinion. I quickly tired of reading about love affairs in various countries and often cringeworthy encounters with locals and fellow travelers. The organization of the book was also hard to follow and didn't make sense to me.
However, the travel stories eventually became repetitive and superfluous in my opinion. I quickly tired of reading about love affairs in various countries and often cringeworthy encounters with locals and fellow travelers. The organization of the book was also hard to follow and didn't make sense to me.
travelbooksandmovies's review against another edition
4.0
Review Score: 4-stars; I really liked it.
Author: Suzanne Roberts
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Several
Bad Tourist: Misadventures in Love and Travel is a collection of travel essays from Suzanne Roberts’s travels around the world loosely collected around the idea of “peccadillos--the seeming harmless things we do in another culture that we would never do in our own--that make us bad tourists.” (Her words!)
And although many of the stories are funny and there are a few that might make you cringe, it’s more than just a collection of stories from one woman’s self-centered crazy adventures as other books in this genre sometimes become--there’s heart and meaning behind many of the stories with thoughts and lessons of how travel can affect our lives...and the lives of the people we meet along the way.
I wrote down more than just a few quotes from the book as I wanted to revisit them; I was often grateful that she was able to put into words experiences or thoughts that I, too, have experienced while traveling (or just plain living life; she does include some experiences with relationships, too).
My one complaint is the organization of the book--the stories were sorted by activity (“Eating and Drinking,” “Activities,” etc.) which meant stories from the same trip were sometimes separated and the stories sometimes jumped in time. There wasn’t one summarizing introduction or epilogue to tie the stories together; but, I read an Advanced Readers Copy and I hope that’s something they’ve added to the published editions.
Overall, though, it’s a great choice for anyone who loves to travel and realizes that travel can teach us a few things about ourselves and our world.
*I was given a version of this book for free in exchange for an honest book review. The book will be released on 1 October 2020.
Author: Suzanne Roberts
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Several
Bad Tourist: Misadventures in Love and Travel is a collection of travel essays from Suzanne Roberts’s travels around the world loosely collected around the idea of “peccadillos--the seeming harmless things we do in another culture that we would never do in our own--that make us bad tourists.” (Her words!)
And although many of the stories are funny and there are a few that might make you cringe, it’s more than just a collection of stories from one woman’s self-centered crazy adventures as other books in this genre sometimes become--there’s heart and meaning behind many of the stories with thoughts and lessons of how travel can affect our lives...and the lives of the people we meet along the way.
I wrote down more than just a few quotes from the book as I wanted to revisit them; I was often grateful that she was able to put into words experiences or thoughts that I, too, have experienced while traveling (or just plain living life; she does include some experiences with relationships, too).
My one complaint is the organization of the book--the stories were sorted by activity (“Eating and Drinking,” “Activities,” etc.) which meant stories from the same trip were sometimes separated and the stories sometimes jumped in time. There wasn’t one summarizing introduction or epilogue to tie the stories together; but, I read an Advanced Readers Copy and I hope that’s something they’ve added to the published editions.
Overall, though, it’s a great choice for anyone who loves to travel and realizes that travel can teach us a few things about ourselves and our world.
*I was given a version of this book for free in exchange for an honest book review. The book will be released on 1 October 2020.
abenteuerlichesoul's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.75
mariasmusings's review against another edition
1.0
I love to travel and always enjoy discussing travel plans with other travellers - or even better swapping stories about some of our more unnerviing and life enhancing experiences. And so, it was with a sense of excitment that I opened the book, 'Bad Tourist' by Suzanne Roberts. A well-known travel writer, through a collection of essays, Roberts recounts her previous travels around the world from Peru to Africa to India.
The essay's are not told in chronological order but rather divided into several topics such as 'Sight's', Sleeping', Fesstivals and Specials Events' , the book does genuinely sound as a Roberts is about to embark on a detailed recollection of her travels and tell us about her expereinces along the way. Sadly, this did not prove to be the case; I had hoped to learn about her time in various countries, and while there are a few references to trains, mudslides to in Peru, the majority of her references are focused on her love-life - or lack thereof at the time. This book is more of a recollection about the men in her life and where she met them, rather than the places that they experienced together..
Roberts's attempts to find herself as she travels and indeed her eventual realisation that she does not need to be married to define herself, seems almost lost after all of the confusion that she has previously mentioned. Prehaps, an epilogue from the author to give a greater insight on her life and learnings now, would have added to the completion of the book. So much promise but in the end, I was truely disappointed by this book. I realise that the book will appeal to any, many other readers, I just prefer my travel memoirs to focus less on the author's life and more on the actual travel.
The essay's are not told in chronological order but rather divided into several topics such as 'Sight's', Sleeping', Fesstivals and Specials Events' , the book does genuinely sound as a Roberts is about to embark on a detailed recollection of her travels and tell us about her expereinces along the way. Sadly, this did not prove to be the case; I had hoped to learn about her time in various countries, and while there are a few references to trains, mudslides to in Peru, the majority of her references are focused on her love-life - or lack thereof at the time. This book is more of a recollection about the men in her life and where she met them, rather than the places that they experienced together..
Roberts's attempts to find herself as she travels and indeed her eventual realisation that she does not need to be married to define herself, seems almost lost after all of the confusion that she has previously mentioned. Prehaps, an epilogue from the author to give a greater insight on her life and learnings now, would have added to the completion of the book. So much promise but in the end, I was truely disappointed by this book. I realise that the book will appeal to any, many other readers, I just prefer my travel memoirs to focus less on the author's life and more on the actual travel.
nstinch54's review against another edition
1.0
** I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **
This book was NOT what I expected at all. Instead of the a book full of adventures she experienced traveling, I got a book of adventures and a collection of one-night-stands in almost every single story that's in this book.
Not only was this book not what I expected, but the author seemed to constantly put herself into unsafe situations that leads to her being drugged by a tainted drink while she was in Peru, someone she was with was drugged in Mexico, and she seemed to constantly need to try to escape men she drunkenly slept with and then regretted the next morning. And clearly she doesn't learn from these mistakes as this happens over and over again to her.
Sorry, but I don't find that to be entertaining. And if it weren't for the fact that this was an ARC, I would have DNFed this book at about 20%.
This book was NOT what I expected at all. Instead of the a book full of adventures she experienced traveling, I got a book of adventures and a collection of one-night-stands in almost every single story that's in this book.
Not only was this book not what I expected, but the author seemed to constantly put herself into unsafe situations that leads to her being drugged by a tainted drink while she was in Peru, someone she was with was drugged in Mexico, and she seemed to constantly need to try to escape men she drunkenly slept with and then regretted the next morning. And clearly she doesn't learn from these mistakes as this happens over and over again to her.
Sorry, but I don't find that to be entertaining. And if it weren't for the fact that this was an ARC, I would have DNFed this book at about 20%.