Sight Hound
by Pam Houston
Dog lovers in particular will be charmed by Pam Houston’s debut novel (she has previously published short story collections). Rae is a Colorado playwright who is learning about hope, love and faith from an unlikely source—her Irish wolfhound, Dante. Though Dante is diagnosed with bone cancer and loses a leg, his strength and serenity impacts everyone in Rae’s life.

Each chapter is narrated by a different character in the story, including animals. Rae’s complicated life is anchored by Dante and, in his own chapter, he offers insight into how he wants Rae to learn to trust love and keep hope alive in a world without him.

Crashing Through: A Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See
by Robert Kurson
Mike May lost his sight at age three, but thanks to a revolutionary stem-cell and cornea transplant, he regained his vision at age 46. After decades of blindness, he embarks on a physical and emotional journey as he adjusts to his ability to see.

Although this is a true story, May’s life seems at times unbelievable. He was a CIA analyst, champion skier and entrepreneur before ever undergoing the procedure. As he weighs the physical risks of the transplant, he also struggles with how his identity and self-image are changed.

Shem Creek: A Lowcountry Tale
by Dorthea Benton Frank
If you’re in the mood for a good narrative, try this one from Frank’s Lowcountry Tales series. Linda Breland is a single mother who decides to pack up and move, along with her two teenage daughters, from New Jersey to Mount Pleasant, S.C. Her sister Mimi is waiting with open arms and endless advice for the three women.

Linda is hired to work at a local restaurant, and the owner seems like a refreshing departure from the men she left in New Jersey. The story unfolds as the likeable cast of characters all learn to depend on one another and find a new life together in this small Southern town.

There are ways to minimize that sense of dislocation by tweaking your routine and bringing a little bit of home with you when you travel.

1. Don’t live out of your suitcase. By unpacking and putting your “stuff” where it belongs, you’ll give yourself a subconscious cue that you’re in familiar territory.
2. Venture out of the room. Even if you need to bring your laptop with you, make use of the hotel’s welcoming shared spaces, such as seating areas around the fireplace and pool. Being around others can spark conversation or make silence more companionable.
3. Bigger is better. When possible, upgrade from a standard room to a suite for an extended stay. Having more elbow room, an in-room fridge and other conveniences makes a big difference.
4. Travel with your totems. What reminds you of home? Maybe it’s your pillow, a few photos, an iPod playlist. One frequent traveler opts for fresh flowers in a collapsible vase that’s easy to pack. Another listens to e-books to stay connected to the neighborhood book club. Or maybe it’s a comfy robe and slippers to make evenings cozy. Whatever it is, bring it.
5. Stay with your normal routine. Flying, driving and being on the move are disruptive enough. When possible, try to stick with your normal regime of exercise, diet and sleep habits to maintain balance away from familiar turf. Make use of your hotel’s fitness center and check for healthy food options in the breakfast offerings.
6. High tech helps. Kissing your spouse and kids goodnight over Skype isn’t perfect, but it’s better than nothing. Apps for smartphones, such as Apple’s FaceTime, deliver live video calls perfect for bedtime reading and sharing the details of a busy day. Even something as simple as keeping a photo gallery on your laptop to remind you of loved ones is a big help.
7. Membership has its privileges. Be sure to join your hotel’s frequent stay program. Club Carlson^SM rewards with free room nights, airline miles, prepaid cards and more. When you feel like your business is appreciated and the welcome mat is out, you’ll sleep easier, even if you are away from home.

Since business travelers tend to be creatures of habit—remember George Clooney’s “same old” regimen in Up in the Air?—forging new paths may take some conscious effort. Even if you don’t add on extra days, there are still ways to recharge your batteries by getting local and soaking up a slice of regional culture.

1. Do what you love. From swimming laps at the Y to taking in a foreign film to perusing a farmers’ market, sniff out a source of R&R in your business destination. For example, conference goers in New Orleans can take a yoga class at the Cabildo Museum overlooking Jackson Square three mornings a week for just $12.50.

2. Stop by the local visitors’ center or CVB. In Philly, for example, the Independence Visitor Center in the heart of the historic district can hook you up with a Mural Arts walking tour, breakfast with Ben Franklin and a City Pass for bundled savings on museums and other attractions. There are plenty of free touring options, and a multilingual concierge staff can help you make the most of your time.

3. Force yourself to disconnect. Instead of catching up on email in your room, take a technology break and visit new surroundings. Even if you have to work, opting for sitting in a local coffee shop will expose you to an energizing flow of people and a sense of place.

4. Don’t always have dinner with colleagues. It’s easy to fall into the habit of rehashing office politics and the day’s business. Treat the end of the workday as exactly that, and go out and do your own thing.

5. Support local restaurants. Even somewhere as chain-heavy as Orlando has an indie restaurant scene, populated by gems such as Le Coq au Vin, where chef Louis Perrotte gives farm-to-table dining a decidedly French accent. Not sure where to start? Your Country Inns & Suites By Carlson front desk staff can help.

6.Museum hop. Just because a city museum is huge doesn’t mean you have to spend all day in it. Even the vast British Museum offers free 30–40 minute eyeOpener gallery tours introducing different areas of the museum’s collection. Dip in for the time available and you’ll walk out better for it.

7. Take in a show. Getting out and about can include experiencing repertory theater, showing up for a library lecture series or giving stand-up comics an audience. Anything that gets you out and about is a good thing.

8.Use social media. Search on Twitter or Facebook for a city and an activity, say hiking and San Francisco, or fishing and Columbus, and you’ll find all kinds of connections to explore.

More than 90,000 books will help promote learning and literacy in Greater Kansas City.

I’m so excited to tell you about some great news from Country Inns & Suites and how we have extended hospitality beyond the four walls of our hotel and out into the community.

If you’ve taken advantage of our Read It & Return Lending Library^SM, you know we see reading as a vital everyday activity – either by yourself, or with the family. So we’re thrilled to be able to share our surplus books last week – all 90,000 of them! – with the United Way of Kansas City, for distribution to its more than 50 partner agencies.

The donation, which was announced at an event last Tuesday, included selections of fiction, non-fiction, mystery/suspense and self-help, and titles including Moon Over Manhattan and Show Boat, along with family books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Nancy Drew Mysteries. But the key was seeing how grateful the partner agencies were to receive the donation and to hear stories of how the books will be used.

You can read more in this story by the Kansas City Star.

I Love this Country!

Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel knew what he was talking about. Reading is the key to unlocking untold worlds for your child, from scholastic and professional success to personal enrichment. The challenge is figuring out ways to create a thirst for reading that will serve your children throughout their lives. At a time when some 30 million U.S. adults function at the “below basic” level of literacy skill, according to ProLiteracy Worldwide, the importance of concentrating on reading at an early age cannot be over emphasized.

“The family that reads together has the right idea,” said Steve Mogck, executive vice president and brand leader for Country Inns & Suites By Carlson (and father of three). “We hear from our guests – families, educators and business travelers – that reading is a vital part of their everyday life which is why we developed the Read It & Return Lending Library for our hotels.” Enticing kids to read at a young age is the first step to creating a lifelong reader. Here are 10 ways to help make this happen:

• Lead by example. If your child sees you reading, he or she will get the idea that reading is fun. Make it a point to talk about books at the dinner table – maybe even start a family book club.
• Leverage every reading opportunity. The next time you plan a road trip, look for hotels that provide books for guests to enjoy and offer specials that enable you to broaden your family book collection.
• Encourage family reading time. Even if it’s just once a week, consistency counts.
• Get to know your library. The community library is at the heart of a good reading program. When traveling, introduce your child to the Read It & Return Lending Library at more than 450 Country Inns & Suites hotels around the country. Your child can take out a book, and return it the next time you stay.
• Steer your child to television programming that promotes reading. One good example is the Emmy award-winning PBS children’s series, “Reading Rainbow,” a show designed to encourage a love of books among children ages 4-8.
• It doesn’t have to be a classic. If your child enjoys nature, then a subscription to National Geo Kids or Ranger Rick magazine will be something he looks forward to every month. Graphic novels are a terrific way to appeal to ‘tween and teen readers.
• Read out loud. The practice of reading aloud at bedtime is the earliest positive imprint a parent can convey that reading equates to comfort, safety and dreamy pleasure. Even older kids will enjoy the ritual, especially if they’re hooked on a story line or a serial book and can also take turns reading pages.
• Treat books with respect. Teach your children that books should have a designated place in their room, and they should be treated with care. Give the child a bookmark of their own, to prevent pages from getting dog-eared.
• Keep an open mind. As your child gets older, he or she might make book choices you wouldn’t have expected. As long as the material is age appropriate, support the choice and be interested in the content.
• Movie ties-ins can inspire. If a movie – like the Harry Potter series, gets kids excited about books, that’s just great. Make a list of books that have been made into film, from Little Women to Black Beauty and The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking, and read the book, then see the movie. Everybody can weigh in on what they like, or dislike, about each medium.

For more information about Country Inns & Suites literacy initiatives, visit www.countryinns.com.

Begin your literary quest with a visit to the Web site of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America. Member dealers ensure fair transactions, and there are 45 in or near Manhattan.

Make your first stop at the Strand, boasting 18 miles of books. The rare book room houses treasures like the first American and first regularly published edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with 42 illustrations by John Tenniel for $15,000.

Next, head to the Grolier Club, where books are exhibited on a par with painting and sculpture. Lives on the Mississippi: Literature and Culture along the Great River from the collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library Association will be on exhibit from February 24 through May 1, 2010.

For high-end, pristine editions, visit Ursus Books and Prints. “Condition is 99 percent of the game,” notes owner T. Peter Kraus. Bauman Rare Books is another top-shelf resource for serious collectors.

INSIDER’S TIP: Most museums include a rare book or manuscript collection. One of the best is the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, which boasts more than 8,000-volume rare book collection tracing design through the ages.

How to start your collection

Whether you are interested in kitschy snow globes from around the world or are serious about investing in antiques, here are some ideas on how to get started with any type of collection:

• Collect what you enjoy. While some collections can be worth a lot of money, most collectors do it for the pleasure of surrounding themselves with items they enjoy.

• Be wary of fads. Many “hot” items for collecting today are passing fancies. If you like an item, fine. But don’t expect it to increase in value in the future.

• Know your collectible. If you are serious about collecting as an investment, it pays to have knowledge of the piece. Check out the item’s desirability and rarity. Study price guides and compare objects in the guides to pieces in antique stores.

• Protect your investment. If you believe a piece is worth more than $100, have it appraised. And if your collectible turns out to be valuable, insure it.

 Beth D’Addono, a travel writer based in Belmont Hills, Pennsylvania, looks for independent bookstores wherever she travels.

Country Inns & Suites continues to expand its Read It & Return Lending Library, which provides free books to guests based on the assurance that they will return the book on their next visit. A variety of titles are available—for both children and adults—at locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Specially designed shelves, resembling a giant book, help to create greater awareness of the Read It & Return Lending Library. With new titles being added several times each year, the lending library offers an opportunity to catch up on reading while on the road.

 The library also offers the chance to improve literacy. Each time a book is returned, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson makes a donation to a literacy organization. Since the inception of the lending library in 2001, Country Inns & Suites has donated nearly $600,000 to organizations across the United States, which run the gamut from publishers to television programs to school systems.

 “Our lending library is a great way for us to differentiate from our competition while simultaneously showing the heart behind our company,” says Steve Mogck, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Country Inns & Suites By Carlson in the Americas.

 Literacy Partnerships

Country Inns & Suites joined with Scholastic Books to provide classroom educational kits to 25,000 fourth- through sixth-grade teachers nationwide. Each of these educational kits, which focused on reading, writing and geography, contained a classroom poster of the United States that included literary landmarks, two in-class lessons for teachers, and a take-home activity for students and their families.

 A more recent partnership with the PBS program Reading Rainbow provided support for the Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, designed to honor excellence in storytelling and illustration for children kindergarten to third grade.

 And in the spring of 2009, Country Inns & Suites joined with the Junior League of Minneapolis for a book drive that collected more than 15,000 books for St. Louis Park Public Schools in Minneapolis, Minn. The books were used in elementary classrooms and given to individual students in grades K–8 for home reading.

 “Our guests are delighted that our hotels offer a guest lending library,” adds Mogck, “and we were pleased to be able to donate additional copies from the collection to help the community where we are based.”

 Committed to Educators

And the commitment to teachers doesn’t end with books and kits. For educators on the road, the hotel chain offers a special educator rate. “It’s important that when educators travel—whether for work or on a well-deserved vacation—they have affordable lodging options that also offer convenience and quality,” says Mogck.

You can find a current catalogue of our Read It & Return books & movies* on our website.

*Movies not available in all locations.  Titles vary by location.