Tina Hopgood lives on a farm in England with her family and strikes up an email correspondence with Professor Anders Larsen in Denmark. The two exchange letters, then emails that touch on a plethora of important topics beyond history and societal changes, to include their insights on families, personal growth and dreams.

Similar in style to 84 Charing Cross Road, Meet Me at the Museum's narrative is comprised of letters between the two characters. The conversation springboards from Hopgood's desire to visit the Tollund Man in Denmark, and blossoms into a beautiful conversation about culture, history and family values, while their relationship flowers into a a nurturing friendship that helps one another through difficult times.

A lovely, heartwarming short novel that will delight lovers of books, writing and reading letters.

According to Wikipeia, the Tollund Man is: a naturally mummified corpse of a man who lived during the 4th century BCE, during the period characterised in Scandinavia as the Pre-Roman Iron Age. He was found in 1950, preserved as a bog body, on the Jutland peninsula, in Denmark.

Author Fumio Sasaki succinctly explains why he chose a minimalism and how he created the lifestyle for himself. Sasaki outlines how his life changed before and after the changes, and advises on how one might deal with the feelings that arise during the cleansing process. His 55 tips on saying goodbye to your things and 15 steps to beginning the journey are logical, simple to follow and help you understand just how much stuff begets more stuff that demands your energy.

Many might be familiar with Marie Kondo's Spark Joy, which advocates a similar lifestyle. I think Sasaki's book was more pertinent for me. It approached the reasons why we hold onto things in more detail, and also emphasized how this lifestyle will enrich our lives. It felt less 'gimmicky' (although, the media and hoopla about Spark Joy could be why the book feels so 'gimmicky'). I think this is a solid follow up to Kondo's book to bring home (no pun intended) the advantages to decluttering your life so you spend less time maintaining your stuff.

Self-deprecating thirty-six-year-old Keiko Furukura lives in Tokyo. Her family is not happy with the way she is. She is awkward, never has felt as though she fits in anywhere . . .  until she starts working at the local convenience store. Here, she finds that she can understand and work with the people that come in and out, the rules and codes of her little universe where she is safe and in control. It's only when she leaves the store that she has problems and the rules and expectations of her family weigh on her.

This novella is a touching glimpse into Japanese culture. Keiko is a sweet protagonist, who I think, captures the self-deprecating, honorable, respectful ways of the Japanese people BUT, reveals the true self beneath.

A quick and enjoyable read that has gotten me onto a path of novellas by Japanese authors (although my library doesn't carry that many . . .).

A lovely quick read that hails the benefits of travel, and provides travel advice from a variety of travelers - airline professionals, resort owners, adventurers, entrepreneurs, and many more,

The author, Daniel Houghton was the son of Delta employees who took advantage of travel possibilities with the company, but at age 24, Houghton landed a position at Lonely Planet, which sparked a life of international travel. In this book, Houghton brings together numerous perspectives on travel, with information and tips on how to travel efficiently and sustainably. 

An inspiring book that invites travel and a global outlook.

If you like Bill Bryson's books, you might enjoy this.

Happy trails.