By Larry Buttrose
Lonely Planet Publications
257 pages
Available at Goodwill Bookstore
Travel takes on two forms. First, and the more obvious, the physical: We pack our bags, tie our shoelaces and hie off to whichever place our work, desires or loved ones take us. The second form of travel, the less apparent but more real (especially to those who display a predilection for introspection) is a journey through emotions: We pack our hearts full of life’s lessons and send it on it’s way. The Blue Man is a book that shows the constant juxtaposition of the two.
The author, Australian-born Larry Buttrose, a successful playwright, budget traveler and travel writer, sketches for us his life story – specifically the part where he faces a choice between following the road less traveled (at least to those who have no taste for budget traveling) and continuing a seven-year trek down the hallways of a long-term relationship with an exotic beauty named Kathryn.
Told in vignettes of real-life experiences during journeys to places like Ghana, Timbuktu and Morocco, The Blue Man is a narrative of a troubled romance woven into a colorful panorama of Larry’s travels. Cafe after cafe in one exotic place after another, he finds himself contemplating his relationship woes in the midst of the strange and fascinating culture and people he encounters. Kathryn, who seems to be the heart of Larry’s journeys, is a constant presence despite her physical absence, following him in the cheap hotels, dark alleyways and crowded marketplaces the world over.
In language rich with local color (revealing a talent for evoking detailed images and weaving sensual descriptions – which is probably why he is a travel writer in the first place), Larry painstakingly probes the demands of modern relationships coupled with the hazards of modern travel with enough wit and humor to keep it from getting bland.
By Suzie Hayman
Contemporary Books
183 pages
Available at Goodwill Bookstore
It really doesn’t end with "I do". In fact, what we often think is the sealing pact of romance is actually the beginning of a lifetime of working at togetherness. An installment of the Help Yourself series, Make Your Honeymoon Last tells you how to keep a relationship fresh beyond the first flush of excitement. Packed with helpful and supportive strategies to avoid getting into a relationship rut, it traces in six informative chapters the stages of romance from falling in love to building a better relationship.
Suzie Hayman, an accomplished author of many relationship books, dishes out useful and easily applicable advice on how to really get to know your partner, how to effectively communicate what you want from each other, how to make your partner feel valued, how to have a good fight, and how to add spice to your relationship.
There is a very positive voice in this book that dismisses the bleak predictions on long-term commitment. Side by side with easily applicable tips that cover every aspect of a relationship (from emotional growth to sexual intimacy) is the happy news that things can be worked out to build a stronger relationship. But Hayman doesn’t claim it’s going to be easy. In fact, as early as the introduction, she declares it’s going to take a lot of work. Make Your Honeymoon Last does not give instant solutions (as if they exist!); instead, it breaks down the usual frustrations of too much familiarity into simple, easy-to-understand ideas that present what couples think are "impossible" situations in a more solvable manner.
The thing to remember with this book, however, is that for it to be even minutely effective, you don’t stop with just reading it. It calls for you to participate and take action.