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Location Index

Want to see all blog posts for a particular location? They’re all indexed here.

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And an A-Z guide of all cities I’ve covered is here:

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About Booked & Ready

Booked and Ready features destinations both real and literary.

This blog focuses on adventure wherever it can be found, whether across the globe or in the pages of a book. Browse destinations or check out what's popular.

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Recent Blogs

  • Eating My Way Through New Orleans
  • Books Going Places: The Starbound Trilogy
  • Visiting The Poe Museum
  • Another End of the Year Post: Goodbye, 2015!
  • A Light in the Darkness (#12DaysOfTravel, Day 12)

Instagram

Happy Monday, here’s a #shelfie! This next week is going to be insanely busy, and I won’t be on the ‘gram much (and I’m already so behind on my feed — will catch up next week!), but I finished rearranging my shelves over the weekend, and it’s so sunny this morning, I had to share. I haven’t posted my shelves in over a year because they have been a complete mess, but they are FINALLY clean and organized! I hope you all are safe and well and healthy, and headed into a good week. ❤️ ——— #bookshelf #bookstagram #books #booknerd #sunshine #monday
Now that I’ve participated in quite a few #24in48 #readathon events, I’ve discovered that for me, it’s more about the spirit of the event than the actual hours put in. I love dedicating a weekend to slowing down — reading more, catching up on books I started and then left off finishing, and often with an audiobook on, also catching up on laundry and chores, cooking more, and taking longer-than-usual walks. In this #stayhome24in48 edition, I’m trying to reconcile myself to not just a weekend of this, but many weeks of it ahead. Seattle’s already been in it for about three unofficial, and two official, weeks now, and I know we’ve got quite a few more to go. I have more to say about what’s going on in the world, but for now, I sincerely hope you’re all staying safe and well. Back to reading... ——— #stayhome #flatlay #booksandcoffee #booksandroses #sunday #weekend #bookstagram #readersofinstagram
My #24in48 book stack. Starting the clock in 3 ... 2 ... 1. Will you be reading this weekend? And are you joining in for #24in48? ——— #bookstack #readathon #weekend #weekendofreading #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #stayhome24in48
“This is what you must remember: the ending of one story is just the beginning of another.” — N.K. Jemisin Are you all about the dystopian reads amid this dystopian life right now? Or do you prefer to read something completely unrelated, perhaps more comforting? For me, at least, it’s kind of strangely comforting to be a huge dystopian fiction fan. It gives one perspective. I feel like Station Eleven gave me both a practical look on what a pandemic-ravaged world might look like, while also infusing the scene with a sense of hope and humanity. And then of course, books like 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Hunger Games, they all remind me things could be a lot worse. I’m reading The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin right now, and contemplating The Parable of the Sower next. I hope you all are staying safe in these uncertain times. Seattle has all but quarantined the city now, shutting down nearly everything from schools to libraries to restaurants to gyms (a move I applaud as necessary, while also feeling deep concern for those who’ve lost jobs). But I had to brave the outside world for groceries and taxes today anyway, so I stopped at the park for some desperately needed sunshine and a little time with The Fifth Season (while keeping far away from people, of course). It felt almost normal — even though I know the world is absolutely not normal right now. People are dying, stability is in shambles from the financial fallout, and all of us are feeling the strain. Still, I’ll keep looking for the bright spots, along with any way to help that’s within my power. I know, eventually, we’ll pull through. 💕 ——— #dystopia #thefifthseason #nkjemisin #read #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstack #booksoutofdoors
Happy #floralfriday, friends! As coronavirus seems to be seeping into every part of my community, I’m trying to stay focused on all the little positive things — like that spring is almost here and tulips are back in season, or that I have loads of good reading material available — while doing what I can to keep myself and those around me safe from COVID-19. (Wash your hands, friends, and stay informed from trustworthy sources.) For me, it’s also a good time to reread old favorites. Rereads are so comforting, and that’s the reading mood I’m in right now. I’m thinking about revisiting some children’s classics (like this one) and I’m currently listening to The Winner’s Trilogy, a series I enjoyed reading a couple years ago and was delighted to see had no waiting time at the library to borrow as an e-audiobook. How about you all? What are you reading? Has coronavirus affected your area? I hope you all are staying safe and healthy, and of course, as always, well-read. ❤️📖❤️ ——— #booksandflowers #booksandtulips #tulips #railwaychildren #booksandcoffee #bookstagram #bookish #readersofinstagram #friday #mysmallindulgence
Cheers to weekend adventures and discovering cozy spots like this one. And what a #sundayshelfie! All these blue books... 💙📖💙! ——— #blue #bluebooks #bookstagram #coffeeshop #booknerd #bookshelf #booksandcoffee #explore #weekendvibes
Good morning from the library! I have discovered the perfect time to be in here, and it’s right when they open — at least if you want to take a book pic without distracting fellow students. Real talk: this is my current read. One of its central points is we’ve moved away from the idea of “public good” services in the US, and instead everything now has to prove its worth in terms of dollars. I’ll admit, I’ve been guilty of that mindset, but it’s not always tenable. Because how do you put a price tag on a child learning to read? Or an adult escaping their reality with a great book, or maybe learning a new skill? It’s very interesting, if a little depressing, because so far, the gist is: in spite of doing incredible work, libraries regularly receive funding cuts. I’m hoping toward the end it will talk more about strategies to mitigate that. Also, PSA: if you live in the US and love libraries, let your representatives know. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which provides federal funding to most US libraries, is being considered for future budget cuts, and that’s the last thing already-strapped libraries need. Anyway, I’m not often political on social media, but I had to plug my favorite public institution, which is hopefully soon to employ me—and that I know many of my fellow book lovers also hold dear. ——— #library #librariesofinstagram #suzzallolibrary #publiclibrary #welovelibraries #fundlibraries #bookstagram
Honestly, I’m not getting into much mischief right now — but I have been loving the bits of sun and spring we’ve been seeing here the past few weeks. School is at that point where everything is either due or about to be due, and I’m just so tired. But I did finish Christie’s Murder in Retrospect (also called Three Little Pigs, I now know) the other day, which was great—and by great, I mean I thought I had the murderer pinned down, but of course I didn’t. Christie always keeps me guessing! I’m trying to decide what to read next, as I have a hard time getting into a good book when school is so busy. I’ll probably stick to audiobooks until this quarter winds down. Also, I’ve never read the book featured on this tote, which I won from @penguinbooks a while back. I actually know very little about Charlotte Armstrong, truth be told, but I do love to get up to mischief sometimes. Anyone read this or something else by her? ——— #mischief #booktote #sunshine #friday #readoutside #penguinbooks #charlottearmstrong #booknerd #booklover #bookstagram #bookstagrammer
Toroweap Overlook | Grand Canyon National Park | Arizona This past Christmas, I was visiting my parents in their new home in southern Utah, and we ventured out to this extremely remote part of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim where you can just barely see the Colorado River’s biggest rapids 3,000 feet below. It’s also the only place in the park you can view the river from a vertical vantage point. To get here, you have to drive more than sixty miles down what is at first a difficult dirt road, and eventually a near-impossible one. The National Park Service says you’ll be “negotiating” the road and they are not wrong. It’s riddled with deep potholes, flooded sections, and huge rocks. But if you and your (hopefully high-clearance) vehicle can make it, you’re rewarded with gorgeous canyon and river views — and likely, solitude. Nothing quite like having something this wild and beautiful all to yourself. One thing I’m doing differently this year on Instagram is posting more travel photos mixed in with my bookish photos. Besides reading, travel is one of my favorite things, and I want to share it more often. 😊 ——— #throwbackthursday #grandcanyon #arizona #getoutside #explore #northrim
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