August 1, 2012

Travel Tales + Birthday Giveaway!

One of the best things about summer vacation is going on a trip – whether it is around your own city on a staycation, to the town one stop over or to an entirely different country altogether, to some place that you’ve never been to or a place that’s as familiar as the back of your hand. Traveling is a second passion in my life, right alongside books. Travel Tales is a celebration of these combined passions, and I’m hosting it this August together with my friends Magan & Estelle of Rather be Reading and Elena of Novel Sounds

Our main goal is to celebrate that, as readers, we get to visit places both real and imagined through all of the books we read – and to go on “vacation”, reading style. We’ve got some great posts about reading, travel and a combination of both these passions coming up. There are also going to be a few guest posters joining us in sharing their love of reading and travel and maybe even their hometowns! 

So fasten your seatbelts, grab a book or two or ten, and pack some sunscreen or a parka (whichever happens to be applicable in your case) and join us as we share all of our Travel Tales with you this month. 
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In tandem with Travel Tales and my upcoming birthday, I’ll also be hosting a month-long giveaway where you can win any of my 2012 All Star Reads (most of which are set in FABULOUS places) – and there are going to be TWO lucky winners!

70 Comments:

  1. i would love to go to Paris, just to eat fresh baguettes and see the Eiffel Tower. Beyond that, I think I would be lost since I really can't speak French very well!

    I'd also love to go to New York, just to see Times Square. :)

    Great giveaway!

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  2. I'd LOVE to go to New York, cause then we could meet up and I'd love to visit the US period. I've been to a lot of the nice European places cause they're only a couple hours away, but I haven't been to Rome yet, so that's on my wishlist as well :)
    Thanks so much for the giveaway!

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  3. Can't wait to read the "Travel Tales"! That's a really fun idea. Personally, I love any book that takes place in Paris :)

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  4. As we talked about... I need a beach and a fruity drink ASAP. I'd love to just go to Aruba for awhile. I haven't been there in forever.

    So excited for Travel Tales ;)

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  5. This sounds so cool! I can't wait to read these! I love reading about Italy. I'll get there one day!

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  6. I would go to Europe! I want to see all the countries there and just explore the world!

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  7. I NEED to go to Europe - specifically Italy (where my dad's side of the fam is from), Spain (I was a Spanish major) and Germany (mom's side). Someday... someday.

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  8. SO very excited to be doing this with you, Alexa! E and I have had so much fun planning it all out! :) Yay for August birthdays - mine is August 31st! Woo-hoo!

    xoxoxo

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  9. Oh wow! I'm sort of in love with this idea :) As a person who adores traveling too, I am very much looking forward to the posts ahead. How fun!

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  10. And I just realized I didn't answer the question.. haha.. um I've always wanted to visit Greece! The pictures leave me breathless. I have no idea what it would do to me in person, haha.

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  11. I would love to visit France to tour the city of Paris. Thank you for the giveaway!

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  12. I REALLY want to visit Greece! That is my dream vacation and one day it will happen! Love this new feature and awesome give away!

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  13. I would absolutely love to visit Egypt.
    amandarwest atgmaildotcom

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  14. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS! and need to get a'scheduling for my posts, haha.

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  15. I'd like to go to USA!!! Great giveway :)

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  16. I love to travel! Just love it! Living in Europe gives me the opportunity to visit different countries without much travelling involved. My all time favorite is London but I would love to visit more parts of Australia and the States too. Just go out and see the world.

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  18. Ireland! Very green and magical

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  19. LONDON.
    And Rome.
    I can pick two, right?

    I would bring le Kindle so I had many options! But probably I'd read Harry Potter like a badass.

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  20. I want to go to South Korea because I am in love with their culture and the country is so beautiful. Also the language. Their language is gorgeous.

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  21. I really want to go to Greece! I'm a huge lover of ancient Greek art, and visiting the Parthenon is a dream of mine. Thanks for the giveaway! What a fun event!

    - Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl

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  22. I can't pick Europe? ;)
    I'd like to go (back) to Poland. I visited there last summer with my choir, and I LOVED it. The old buildings, the amazing culture and resilience of the polish people, the beautiful scenery, it was just all amazing. I'd like to go back there and poke around at a more leisurely pace.

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  23. I've always, ALWAYS wanted to go to New York City. I can't exactly pin down why, but I've wanted to go since I was a little girl!

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  24. I want to visit Chicago. I drove through there a couple summers ago on a family vacation and fell in love, but we only spent a few hours there and most of it was either spent driving around lost or eating. I'd love to go back now and visit with Husband :]

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  25. Happy Birthday! and thanks for this awesome giveaway!
    I love to travel! Unfortunately, most of the real places I want to visit are out of my budget at the time, though I have managed to go to a few of them. But that's ok,I love book-travel just as much, and of that I get plenty.

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  26. Oops, forgot to say: I would love to go to Amsterdam! I just read The Fault in our Stars by John Green and it reminded me of the rich history of the city and how everything is dated from the Golden Age, and I'm just a sucker for old places.

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  27. What a great idea for a giveaway! And Happy Birthday - when is yours? You must be a Leo like me!! Yay for birthday month!

    I would like to go to the USA and I'm already planning my trip, YAY!

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  28. Well, I want to go just about everywhere, haha. But I'm going to say Italy because I was talking with a lady at work tonight who's about to go to Rome, Florence, Venice, and other cities, and I basically want to tuck myself away in her suitcase and tag along.

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  29. Can I list all of them?! Germany, France (because of Anna & the French Kiss), Sweden, Switzerland, England, Italy, Croatia, Prague (because of Daughter of Smoke and Bone), Ireland, Austria, California, Oregon, Wyoming, and North Carolina. Too bad my boyfriend isn't as into traveling as I am :p Thanks for the chance to win. Love your blog!

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  30. I'd love to go to Italy. I went there once on a school trip, but we were only there briefly, and only in Rome. I want to explore more of Rome, and then go to Venice and Florence and all those other lovely places!

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  31. I'd love to go to England! Everything about England just screams me.

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  32. I'd love to go to London. 'Cause that's the closest I could ever get to Hogwarts. :D
    I'd also love to visit Paris and New York. :)

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  33. Happy birthday! I would love to go anywhere in Europe!!! There is so much history and so many places I want to visit and I want to try all the food!!!

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  34. I would loooovveee to go to anywhere in Europe. I want to travel around to Paris, Versailles, Rome, Berlin, etc.

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  35. Id love to visit London because I have family over there. My family from London comes to the US to visit me all the time, Id like to go visit them =]

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  36. I'd love to drop by Canada to see snow, and go skiing on their mountains. (granted I can figure out how to ski first)

    Lilian @ A Novel Toybox

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  37. I'd love to visit Japan and a ton of places in Europe. There are so many places I want to go that I can't even name them all. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  38. I was to visit Great Britain so I can walk it and get my own feel for the land; I've read stories about it and living there, but want to experience it for myself.

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  39. There are so many places I want to visit someday! Some of those are the USA, Australia, Argentina and Indonesia. Thanks for this giveaway!

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  40. I would love to go to all the spots mentioned in Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard! And of course, who wouldn't want to go to Hogwarts, Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade too :)

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  41. I'm a complete history nerd, and love to travel to places where I can take some in--that's one of the reasons I enjoy historical fiction so much! I'd love to go to Rome or Greece, and certain places in South America like Manchu Picchu. I also love reading books that take place in the Rocky Mountains, as that's where I grew up and I get incredibly homesick--it gives me a taste of home!

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  42. I'd love to visit Venice! It's so romantic, and I'd love to ride a gondola <3

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  43. Scotland. Thanks to the Outlander series, it's the only place I want to go right now. Of course the pictures I keep seeing of Bora Bora, kind of make me think otherwise.

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  44. My answer to the second is related to the first: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Because I admit that it's my travel fantasy involving airports and London!

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  45. I'd love to visit Thailand. I've been to Japan and loved it, but I want to explore other Asian countries. They have such rich histories and fascinating cultural traditions. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  46. The place I want to visit the most is Japan. Maybe Tokyo or Kyoto, anywhere in Japan really! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  47. I'd love to visit Prague after reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It sounds so hauntingly lovely. Thank you for the giveaway!

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  48. England because I've always wanted to see Big Ben and all the sights they offer there, :)

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  49. London, I'm a hopeless romantic and I just have to go to the so called "City of Love and Lights".

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  50. I just wanted to say, you have amazing taste in giveaway books. If I win, I have no idea how I'll choose just one :)

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  51. I would love to visit Scotland & Ireland. It's constantly on my mind how badly I want to go there. Someday...

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  52. I'd love to go to new york. since I'm italian I visited every important italian cities and some european cities. I'd like to change and new york is my dream since I was a baby :)

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  53. I would love to go to Germany or Finland, I have always wanted to get to go there. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  54. One place I have to visit before I die is Greece. I'm such a hardcore Greek myth fan and I really want to see the monuments and such.

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  55. Would love to visit Australia! :D

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  56. I just wanted to let you know I have SO been loving all of the Travel Tales post you have put up so far. I think this is such a fun event you ladies have put together!

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  57. I would love to go to Italy. I know I've been wanting to go there for many years now yet I don't know the reason I'm so fixated on visiting Italy. It's beautiful, romantic and full of amazing culture but I can't really pinpoint anything specific that drives my need to visit Italy. It just feels like a necessary trip that I should make.

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  58. I'd love to visit Paris because that's where Die for Me is set. :)

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  59. I'd really love to visit Italy so that I could just sit around in the sun and try the famous original pizza and ice cream! It's also stunning and romantic and I've just wanted to go there all of my life. So fingers crossed for the future! :) xxx

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  60. The place I'd most like to visit is a fictional place, because I would LOVE to go to Hogwarts and Diagon Alley (who wouldn't?!?). I guess I'll have to settle for Disney's version of it :)

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  61. I would like to visit London and Paris.

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  62. I'd like to visit Japan. I've spent a lot of time studying the culture and it would be nice to see the things I've studied in person.

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  63. I am fascinated by Eiffel Tower and I definitely want to visit Paris just for that. Other than that, I love travelling!

    Thanks for the giveaway.

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  64. Whoops, TBD doesn't ship to my country so do delete my entries. =/

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  65. I would love to visit Ireland or Australia. New Zealand is another on my list of places I wish I could visit.

    Thanks for the opportunity to win great books.

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  66. I'd love to visit Toyko! I think it'd be amazing if not a little bit crazy..

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  67. I would love to go to South Korea, I love to learn about different cultures. And going would help me learn Korean.

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Thanks for leaving a comment! I love seeing what you have to say, and will try to reply (here or on Twitter) as soon as I can :)