Bought this at Borders:Brisbane after not buying it the other day in Adelaide and regretting it since it's not available on Amazon. Glad I was able to find it here as I've heard good things about it.

It's on the 2007 Books Alive list.

I finished this somewhere over the Pacific Ocean on either the 23rd or 24th, since I'm not sure which side of the date line I was on, between Brisbane and Los Angeles, California.

I absolutely loved this book, some of what resonated with me was stemming from my recent stay at the Westin Melbourne (more coming in my blog on that stay!), which may not be a member of the Leading Hotels of the World but remained far above my normal standard.

"We aren't cultural Neanderthals, but I start to wonder how we'll cope in accommodation where everything is geared to those with champagne tastes, not a beer budget."

Yep, that's definitely what I felt at the Westin. $8.50 for a bottle of water? About the same for an hour of internet access? I guess it's different if you have a significant amount of disposable income but those prices seemed exorbitant to me. I'd much rather spend that on a day's food or something. At times though I wished my budget did extend to upmarket places because the Westin was amazing! Like the author did at first, I struggle with the idea that a hotel can be a destination, but I'm learning it can be.

I loved the range of properties they stayed in, and how they came to realize each property really is an individual. I also liked how the author acknowledged that travel isn't always roses and different kinds of travel elicit different reactions. The feeling of not quite homesickness but something along those lines hit in Prague and it surprised me because four weeks is nothing compared to some of my trips. However it was a very different kind of trip, much the same as how Tiana was hit in this trip.

The mention of Big Apple Greeter was wonderful. Love that Jo took them to Grey's Papaya and that different situations resulted in different reasons for admitting where they were staying and why. Ultimately I liked that the revelations were because they wanted to and not out of a sense that they had to tell.

Website for the book, which comes with some great photos that complement the stories well.

Possible ring if there's an interest...

International Ring: please leave a comment to join

Order (as of 1 Sept 2009):
SKingList - NY
JennyC1230 - (US Only)
Menita - PA, USA (Int'l OK)
rapturina - Netherlands (Int'l Surface)
iliotropio - Belgium (Int'l OK)
BOKWORMY - Portugal (Int'l OK)
kamischka - Poland (Int'l OK)
TotoroandMei - Japan (Int'l - Surface)
flossie771 - US (Anywhere)
banyantree - India (anywhere)
LyzzyBee - UK (anywhere)
chich - France (anywhere)

TramGirl - VIC (prefers Aus)
Luckaye - QLD (prefers Aus)
FreePages - ACT (Aus Only)

added 7.6.08, need to find a shipper

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed off to the first participant today via Media Mail.

If someone along the way has a label, can you please label it? Right now the BCID is written in.

Hooray! The book is here. Can't wait to read it! :-) Thank you SKingList for sharing with us. I will journal again after I read it. Thanks!

I finished reading this book today and I have to say it was a really good book! I think they should send the author on lots of trips so she can tell the real truth about hotels, restaurants, whatever! (by the way wouldn't that be a fun job???) After reading this book and "getting to know her" you can completely relate to her. The only experience close to this was when I went on an Alaskan cruise for my honeymoon, I was clueless about tipping and other things like that. I really enjoyed it, so thank you SKingList for sharing it with us. :-)

Sending off to Menita tomorrow...

I shipped the book to Menita today (Sept. 8th). It's media mail so there isn't a tracking number. :-(

Got it yesterday! Am still trying to finish another book, but this one will be next!

Okay, somehow I couldn't get myself to read this one. It's probably the way it is written: description of too much tiny tiny details when their preparing their trip. I don't know. Anyway, in order to not stal this Ring any longer I'll get it out to Rapturina ASAP.

It's here! I'm currently reading another book, but this one will be next. Looking forward to it!

I really enjoyed this book! I read a lot of travel stories and this one was rather different because the trip was so different. Usually travel books have at least a few chapters about the appalling conditions of cheap hotels and complaints about being ripped off by locals. :D I especially liked the chapter about Syria, but I would've liked to read more about the places they visited. She kind of zips through their destinations, which is not that weird considering the amount of places they go and the limited number of pages. It doesn't really bother me for places like Paris or Venice, probably because I've been there myself, but I would've liked to read a lot more about Syria. :D Other than that, I thought it was a fun & interesting read.

Sent to iliotropio this morning.

The book arrived safely in Brussels and will fly this evening to Greece, where I'm spending X-mas with my family. I'm curious to see what the author has to say about luxury hotels, as I've been staying in some of the Leading Hotels of the World lately...
Thank you rapturina and happy holidays!

Absolutely enjoyable and so very true!
I've PMed BOKWORMY on 31/1, but she hasn't replied yet. I'll try to send her a second PM before posting an ISO in the forum.

I've finally got BOKWORMY's address. The book is on its way to Portugal. Happy reading!

Just received it in the post thanks to iliotropio & thank-you SKingList for sharing it with me :)

I have a few bookrings before this one but I´ll try to be quick!

Wow... that was a great, quick read! What an adventure for Tiana & Trevor, wouldn´t mind experiencing it myself :)

31/03 - PMing next person on the list!

RELEASE NOTES:

On the way to kamischka in Poland, finally!

got it in the mail as a bookring, can't wait to read it as the cover description sounds pretty good!

I've just finished the book and I truly enjoyed that! thanks for letting me read it:)!

I've already got the address of the next person so I'm gonna mail it within next few days!

sent it to TotoroandMei today! Hope it'll arrive soon! Sorry for the delay but because of the strike at the post I wanted to wait a little bit to be sure the book won't be lost!

Got this today. Thanks!

Fun quick read. I have this with me in the US so it will be sent to flossie771 next.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Going media mail to flossie771
Enjoy!

Arrived safely today...adding to my tbr. Thanks!

I am done with this book and it is ready for the next reader. I have contacted banyantree for a mailing address, so as soon as I have it, the book will be sent to the next in line. Thanks for including me in this ring.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed out today to banyantree.

Excellent book - the travellers learn to be comfortable in five star surroundings even as they retain their ability to live an ordinary life. Today a room at 1000 dollars a night with a butler and tomorrow a tiny room with shared bath...takes some doing.

Banyantree, LyzzyBee isn't sure you received the PM she sent with her address. If you didn't get it, please e-mail her on the address in her profile. Thanks!

mailed out to Lyzzy Bee about four days ago - sorry for the delay. Good Reading.

It's arrived! Will read and send on asap. Thanks skinglist for starting the ring and Banyantree for sending it on.

As someone who feels out of place in a 4, let alone a 5 star (and never quite felt I lived up to living in Central London) (although I have also only stayed in a backpackers' hostel once), I could identify with this couple's feelings as they embark upon their journey around the best hotels in the world, won by entering a competition in a magazine that they got from the library.

But I've also come to realise that it's the middle-rank, aspiring places (and people) who are unsure of their rank and place that are the snobby ones - really posh establishments (and people) are often a lot more laid-back and accepting. And so it seems in these hotels, from the Paris Ritz to a hotel in Brazil - and if only Tiana and Trevor can realise that, they might have a better time.

I enjoyed this book immensely - Tiana and Trevor come across as likeable and honest and, like SKingLIst, I enjoyed the acceptance in the book that travel can be exhausting and induce home- and friend-sickness. The part in London was particularly poignant, as we have dear friends made in London and now many miles away, with not many opportunities to see them. I also liked that they stuck to their careful habits in the main, staying at cheap places in between, arriving at posh hotels on the bus, but that they learned to treat themselves when it was worth it - which is valuable knowledge to arrive at.

Really good read and glad I read it. Will contact Chich for her address today...

2nd PM sent today - I'm sure it's a glitch in the PM system as chich is very reliable, and so am I!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posting to Chich today!

This book was patiently waiting for me when I arrived in Spain last night. Many thanks for passing it on LyzzyBee:)

Thanks for hosting this ring SKinglist, I started reading the book this morning and am already enjoying it!

A very interesting read. I was quite surprised by the author's constant need to fit in wherever she was, whether staying in a 5-star palace or in a 'regular' hotel. I was also a bit taken aback by her reactions and naivety sometimes, which were both unexpected in someone supposedly so well-travelled.

Again, many thanks for sharing this with us SKingList!

The book will resume its journey as soon as TramGirl gives me her address.

Book sent to TramGirl today, enjoy! :)

Got the book in today's mail. Look forward to reading it soon, thanks chich for sending it over :)

I really enjoyed this book, it was an easy read and made me want to jump on a plane and travel again right now!! As others have noted it was interesting the journey the author and her husband went through from trying to 'fit in' at all the luxury hotels to eventually realising that it didn't matter and just to enjoy themselves regardless and it changed the whole experience. I would love to know how they settled back in to their regular everyday lives after a trip like this, certainly would be very hard I imagine!

Thanks again SKingList for this bookray, it got me back into bookcrossing after a couple of quiet years! :)

Sending to Luckaye in todays mail!

Arrived today - a bit of a surprise as I had forgotten that I had joined the ring *grin*. WIll keep it next to my computer and read whilst I wait for facebook pages to load - you would not believe how many books I have read this way in the past few weeks! LOL

Good read - easy to read whilst sitting at my computer :) I hope wish that they had of gotten over themselves and relaxed and enjoyed the experience, instead of worrying what other people thought of them. My philosophy on life = what other people think of me in none of my business! LOL
Sending onto FreePages in ACT today (or tomorrow)

Oh dear! I've been a bad bookcrosser lately (actually, ever since the site changed!) and I've had this book for a bit before registering the catch. In fact, I'm halfway through it and enjoying it very much. A very easy going read.
Funny enough, I've been reading it today while waiting for facebook pages to load and just realised that was what luckaye had been doing too! Great minds think alike ;-)

I'm up to the spot where they're at the Dorchester and just about to reveal their secret to their friends, who they meet in NZ at the Haku Falls Lodge. The Haku Falls is the only one that I've been even been close to seeing and it was surrounded by security, because a US president was staying there at the time. A beautiful place and I really like the sound of the understated luxury.

I haven't gone through all the journal entries yet to see if anyone else had posted the link to the photos of Tiana's & Trev's trip. Publishing travel photos of a paperback travel book on the net seems to be all the rage- keeps publishing costs down. The same thing was done by Peter Moore with his Vespa adventures ie" Vroom with a View" and his other Vespa adventures.
The Absolutely Faking it Photos are here


Must contac SKingList to see where to send it next.
Thanks again for sharing.
xx

GoldenWattle another Canberra BCer would like to read this, however, while she is away I was going to take it to the Canberra BCer meet-up and see if someone else would like to read it in the meantime, with the proviso it is to go to GoldenWattle next :-)

I'm not entirely sure how this book came to be available at a BookCrossing meetup in Canberra, but wow! What serendipity!

The first time I met the amazing travelling SKinglist was here in Canberra, at a BookCrossing meetup.

And the last time I saw her was in my room at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Thanks, BTW, once again for taking my daughter and I to see the ball game. Shame the Mets got done, but oh boy, was it fun to watch the baseball and eat the hotdogs and drink the beer and just have a ball!

Only fair we should show you where we were staying at the Waldorf.

As it happened, I'd gotten wind of a special deal. Waldorf at $200 a night. Pricey, but a huuuge discount. Daughter and I were travelling around the world on the cheap, on airpoints accumulated over the years, and we were pretty much in the same boat as the two backpackers in this book. Sneaking out for takeaway food to eat in our grand room. NOT ordering coffee, no matter how much we wanted one.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying this book, and I've made a note to pass it on to the next on the list at the next meeting.

and if we want to add another level of Canberra to this - it was purchased on the only one of my trips to Australia where I didn't visit Canberra.

Canberra BCers - whether FreePages/Skyring/Golden Wattle or whoever have a job. This book has traveled too far and wide to sit on someone's shelves permanently. I want it to keep moving . Don't care if it's another ring or ray, int'l, RABCKs or what not, but the book has wanderlust. That sounds far more fun then it coming home to me.

I look forward to hearing from the book. Also look forward to my next meetup with you, Skyring, on whatever continent that may be.

Absolutely Faking It by Tiana Templeman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This travel book is about people as much as places. The travellers and the people they met, in grand hotels or dusty hovels around the world, found that it isn't the uniform or the smelly t-shirt that makes the person, it is the spark of friendship that counts.

Winning the holiday of a lifetime - stays in a dozen of the Leading Hotels of the World - with economy class airfare and enough spending money for a pizza now and then made for an entertaining trip. The holiday of a lifetime was certainly that, but perhaps not in the way originally envisaged!

Torture in Turkey, missed connections, encounters with assault gun-toting soldiers, lost luggage, sudden sickness, rustbucket boats and planes, soakings... This could be the holiday from hell!

But it's also fabulous views from vast suites, exquisite service, meals to die for, unexpected friendships, lazy days lounging around the pool, private tours of incredible sites. And sights.

This is a down-to-earth look at places most of us can only dream of, whether they are the Ritz or the Peninsula, waterfalls that make Niagara look sick or ancient cities stretching across the empty Syrian sands.

I learnt a lot about places and people from this book, and it's a pleasure to have a friendly Aussie guide.

Some readers have moaned a little about the trouble Tiana takes to try to fit in. A backpacker at the Ritz. Embarrassment and uncertainty are big themes in this book, especially at the beginning. But isn't that what this book is all about? If it was some jetsetter jotting down notes on the five star hotels along the way, it wouldn't be worth reading. It would be pretentious. It would be flung out the window.

The charm of the story lies in the unexpected serendipity of it all. The grand prize falling in the laps of two people who have to count every cent along the way.

As an aside, this book came to me quite by chance, at a Canberra meetup of BookCrossers, swapping books. You can always find the BookCrossing table - it's piled high with books, and the people who might have been strangers moments before are chatting about Jane Austen - or Dan Brown - and the adventures of the books rival the narratives.

The book was bought on a flying visit to Australia by New York based Cari. I first met her at a Canberra BookCrossing meetup, and since then I've gasped at her amazing travels. She's seen more of my country than I have myself, and when she showed me around Hiroshima and I was reduced to an emotional wreck, it was her fourth time and she was keener on capturing the pink perfection of the sakura cherry blossoms. Not unmoved, just making the best use of the moment.

It was fun to see her excited over being at the top of the Empire State Building. She pulled out her phone and called her Mom. Even though she was a New Yorker born and bred, it was her first time as much as mine.

And, in a fore-echo of this book, the last time I saw Cari was last July, when she took us out to a Mets ballgame and we showed her around our hotel room. Our room at the Waldorf-Astoria.

We might have checked in clad in cargo pants, our colourful nylon bags humbling us, smuggled in Subways and refrained from ordering room service coffee, but it was still the Waldorf, snapped up in an unbelievable online deal, and we HAD to show it off!

Since finishing this book, somewhere over the Pacific on a day made fuzzy by the dateline, Cari has passed it on to BookCrossers around the world. Netherlands, US, Poland, Japan, back to Australia... Absolutely Faking it

The book's travels mirror those of the author!

Bottom line? It's not great literature, and to tell the truth I find the sort of breathless-Aussie-girl-exploring-the-world style of travel writing a teeny bit irritating, but the story itself is well worth the reading. Why? Because why is that we've all looked at the competitions for these amazing prizes and dreamed of winning it. Well, Tiana won the prize, and she has shared it with us. We could be walking through those golden doors in our sweaty shorts and torn t-shirts, and the way she tells it, we are.

Here are the photographs that go with the book, including the glorious photograph that sealed first prize, taken by the photographer husband of the writing wife: Absolutely Faking It Photographs

And here is Tatiana's travel blog. Looks like she has found her niche and loving it! Every Day is a New Adventure



View all my reviews

[Later] Lyzzybee - I remember that backpacker's hostel in Edinburgh! It wasn't five star accommodation, but it was fun. I had comfort food to heal up my broken big toe. Bangers and mash and chips and Swedish pear cider. It did nothing for the toe, but I forgot about the pain! And you wouldn't let me hug you goodbye because you were sweaty from your run. I'm going to claim that missed hug someday!

This was waiting in my letterbox when I arrived home this evening. Thank you Skyring for dropping it off.

This book has ended its first bookray in Canberra. It would be a shame if its journey finished after it has done the rounds of the local BookCrossers, so I have listed it under "Bookrings, Bookrays, and Bookboxes" to see if there is any interest.

Bookray

Like the story’s protagonists, I also took a photograph that won an international photographic competition. My prize was the return airflight from Canberra to New York, three night’s accommodation in a Manhattan hotel and a dinner where I was presented with my award. But my hotel was three stars (although I was given a suite), not one of the world’s most exclusive five star hotels that the author and her husband got to stay in. I have been in the foyer of The Peninsular Hotel in Hong Kong that was part of their prize. It was raining (like in the story) and the doorman handed me a plastic cover for my umbrella with the hotel’s name printed on it, giving me a souvenir. But The Peninsular Hotel was beyond my price range and I stayed next door in the YMCA (it also took female guests). However, I was upgraded free of charge to a suite with curved floor to ceiling windows looking down on Hong Kong. It was the most upmarket YMCA I have seen, with two pools, one of them twenty-five metres long (and fluffy towels) and nice rooms of about four star standard. But it was not The Peninsular experience.

The author, Tiana Templeman, mentioned she was a well travelled budget traveller, but at times she came across as naive for an experienced traveller. Then she mentioned an organised bus tour she had been on. Was this the type of travelling she had done previously? Perhaps that’s why she still came across a naïve. She suffers from a great deal of homesickness. “A bout of homesickness was bound to strike sometimes.” (Why!?) Strange for someone who thinks they are well travelled and I found that hard to believe and relate to. Too much angst at times too.
Tiana has difficulty reading maps. I have never understood what is difficult with looking at the street where you are and matching it up with lines on a map, then matching up the next intersection with a line that joins the first line. I have cycled solo through Europe on back lanes and can’t remember getting lost, except for the day it rained so heavily I didn’t want to get the map out and have it destroyed in the rain. But when I asked directions it turns out I was headed in the right direction, sans the map (dry and safe in my pannier). And even after a full day of cycling I never suffered the tiredness Tiana and Trevor seemed to regularly suffer from.
Tiana and Trevor are always crying poor. But they both worked and had months to save before they left for their holiday. Their airfare and much of their accommodation was paid for. I wondered why they couldn’t have scrimped and saved to have had more money to spend. I don’t mean to throw around, but so as not to have to cry poor so often.
Tiana writes, “In Australia, most of the country is made up of bright colours – vibrant green leaves, deep blue ocean, golden fields of wheat.” That could maybe describe the Brisbane area where Tiana comes from, but not a lot of Australia. I wondered how much she has travelled in Australia. Hasn’t she been in western NSW and Queensland during a drought? Not much colour then. And how can Australian’s dominant tree, the eucalyptus, be described as vibrant green?
I found the book an interesting read and I was pleased for their win. I too would have initially felt out of place in the splendour of the top hotels. But the writing could have been better and facts, figures, dates read as if they were taken straight from tourist brochures and off the internet. Worth a read though for the description of the hotels.

I am passing this onto Needle-n-Thread, also in Canberra.

Absolutely Faking it by Tiana Templeman is a very good read. I enjoyed hearing about the thirteen five-star Hotels where they stayed, but feel it would have been better if the travellers had used suitcases instead of backpacks, and perhaps packed some better clothes so they wouldn't have attracted so much attention when arriving amongst well "heeled" guests.
However the book is well written and keeps one reading. 8 out 10 for me.

Goldenwattle is taking this along to the local BookCrossing meet at Floriade flower festival this weekend to see if any more Canberra BookCrossers would like to read it before it continues its journey.

I took this book along to the Canberra BookCrossing meet, held this month, September, amid the flowers of the annual Floriade flower festival. Over the top of coffee and cake, I waved the book about, but I could not attract anymore interest in it. Four Canberra BookCrossers have read it and three of those were at the meet. Floriade
The book’s Canberra sojourn has now come to an end and it’s time for it to travel on. I will post it to salvami in Ireland.
Bookray
Continuing Bookray.
salvami (Ireland)
bookowl1000 (UK)
sarabe1 (Sweden)
helena100 (Greece)
okyrhoe (Greece)
Icila (France)
LovesOU (Texas, USA)
debbie4osu (Texas, USA) We will ship anywhere----> (here)
nat4lee (Virginia, USA) am willing to ship internationally if needed.----> (or likely here)
megami-no-ushi (Canada) I can mail back to the US
mssaver (Illinois, USA) shipping within the US, but I can ship to Canada if necessary
Queebers (Virginia, USA) US shipping, but willing to ship internationally if need be

and back to SKingList (USA) who started this book's journey.

Normal Bookray rules. Journal when you receive it and again when you send it on. Please try not to keep it more than a month. But if there's a difficulty, please journal and let the rest of us know. When it finishes please consider another Bookray if possible. Thank you.

This book is winging its way to salvami in Ireland. Enjoy.


The background to the picture is a view over Canberra.

Thank you for the book, goldenwattle! ..and the beautiful pictures you share with us :)
oh and I have to mention about the stamps, they are so lovely.

Just finished this book and I absolutely loved it! It was a very enjoyable read and often funny. What a super lovely experience they had...oh wish I could go travelling again very sooooon!
I totally agree with rapturina. I would've liked to read more about each places, especially Syria! The country sounds very very interesting in the book.

Thanks very much for letting me join this well-travelled bookring :) I will send this to next reader as soon as I can.

sent to bookowl1000 in UK, enjoy!

The book arrived safely sometime last week while I was working away from home. I have another book ahead of it and will start reading as soon as I can.

Thanks for sending it my way.

I loved this book. It could be because I have been to several of the destinations, thus it brought back memories, or because I can relate to many of the situations. I have never stayed in a very high end hotel but do know what it feels like to spend several weeks travelling around only to end the holiday staying 'somewhere nice', only to look bedraggled and feel embarrassed when checking in. The whole etiquete of tipping is something that I just do not get and have been in the situation of trying to smuggle food into the hotel as we were on a budget and could not afford to eat at the hotel. After reading this I am going to be more confident and just stroll on in (at least then the receptionist will not have to pretend not to have noticed bulging pockets and bags. This book has shown me that is best just to relax and be yourself; it is feeling self conscious that makes you stand out.

Thanks for the link to the photos. I especially liked the one of the gondolier on his phone; it made me chuckle as when in Venice my husband and I took a gondola ride. Our gondolier answered his mobile phone just after we started out, and spent most of our trip chatting. I was not amused at the time.

I have received he address of the next person and so the book will be posted to Sweden in the morning.

Seems like an interesting read and a funny story. Looking forward to reading it!

Enjoy your reading. This was a pleasant read, but not too much depth in the story. The back story is a bit too fantastic for me to feel really involved in the story. But entertaining, absolutely!

just arrived on the first working day of the year!
thanks for posting it.


--------
comments on the book:
I enjoyed most of it, although I found it a bit flat and very simple as a story and writing style. I appreciate the difficulties and the approach of the two travellers and I can see the problem but maybe this book just took too long. Shorter could have been better.
Most other people on the list were thrilled but I was not.

on its way to the Okyrhoe by post!
thanks for sharing it.

Arrived in Athens.

Wow, this may be the most-traveled-BC-book that I add to my shelf!

Thanks SKingList for including me in the ring, and helena100 for posting it to me :-))

A quick and pleasant read (large type and not too many pages) but overall not a must-read.
I understand it's hard to remember, let alone write about, places where no sooner had Tiana & Trevor arrived they had to prepare to leave for the next location (max 3 nights at each hotel), and so there isn't much in-depth substance to write about.
The better detailed episodes are at the locations where Tiana & Trevor chose to visit on their own means (Iguazu Falls, Las Vegas, Washington, DC), the places they had prior experience of (Paris, Venice), or when they had other people to socialize with (dinner companions in N.Z,/Washington DC/ London, conversing with their tour guides in NYC & Damascus).
I was struck by Tiana's naivete, how easily she got flustered by little things, and how alone/isolated she felt oftentimes - as she freely admits at the end of the book. I think this trait got the better of her in Syria and Turkey, because despite her advance "research" she is unprepared for what she eventually encounters there.
Yes, there is a filthy meat market in Damascus - there's a smelly one in Athens, too! - but there are also Western-style supermarkets with "hygienic" meat as well. In Istanbul, the incident at the dubious clinic is just plain stupid. A phone call to the embassy*, instead of relying on the budget hotel's receptionist, would have spared her from the "dentist from hell." I was particularly irritated by this chapter, as it seemed to be a replay of a stereotypical Midnight Express experience.
I will agree with Tiana that it's the human touch that makes the difference in making one's stay memorable - whether it's the sincere quality of service at the hotels & restaurants, or the local people & fellow travelers you get to know along the way.


*US embassy websites list reputable local health services - useful references for all travelers.

On its way by post to icila. Enjoy!

In my box yesterday. Thanks Olga, for the lovely card too, let me think about greek holidays. :)

To be short, I agree with goldenwattle.

I was wondering if it's was a true story and I visited the author's website. It appears that today she does it for a living (traveltesting). The photos concerning the book are very deceptive, nothing personnel .

Anyway it was a pleasant reading. Thanks for sharing.

On its way under care of the post office.

Received in the Mail today from France. I have so been looking forward to this book. Thanks!

Caught from my sister, and she really liked it. Yay!

Off to nat4lee to continue the bookray. I thought it was a great story, and I hope you like it as well.

It is almost a month since this book was posted, so I sent emails to both debbie4osu and nat4lee. debbie4osu says the book has been posted, but nat4lee says they haven’t received it yet. This seems a long time for a book posted to a destination in the same country. Hopefully it has only been a temporary delay. Best wishes little book. We'll be sad if you get lost.

This PM from nat4lee is the latest information on this book.

Hello goldenwattle,
Thank you for continuing to keep tabs on this book. The book "Absolutely Faking It" has not yet arrived to me, but I continue to keep an eye out for it. I have been in contact with the previous sender, and the book appears to be in the mail system. As a former postmaster here in Virginia, I can attest that packages can be held up or routed to the wrong place for the strangest of reasons. I dealt with this on a nearly daily basis. I have faith that this book will get to me sooner or later! USPS is pretty good at eventually sorting things out!
All the best,
nat4lee

Have listed the book missing in the Lost Book List.
If it turns up - no, be positive, when it turns up - I will adjust the entry.