I came across an fantastic article on BBC.com called “Beyond the beach read: The new wave of bookish travel.” A traveling Book Club of sorts. I hope the article spreads and caches fire, for what a clever and fun idea to vacation, with friends or other readers, in the location of a novel’s setting.

EXCERPT: “Books in Places was started by Paul Wright in 2023, initially as a means of getting away with members of his UK-based book group. He now offers weekend trips in the UK and longer retreats to Portugal, Crete and Egypt, Italy and more, all centered on reading in situ.”

I remember reading Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson and being floored by the opening pages, which took place in a bar once nicknamed the Horrible Inn — now the Shipwreck, an upscale bar and restaurant — right in my hometown of Brielle, NJ. The amazing part is that the story had its roots just around the time when I was 17, sneaking into the Horrible Inn with my friends and a concealed six-pack of Rolling Rock, slinking past the bar to the felt stained pool table. I can only imagine the real-life characters we passed, sitting at that same bar, their heads down and their hands clutching their beers like a crucifix.

But reading that novel, later, on the sofa in front of the fireplace in my own Brielle, NJ home, made the experience utterly explosive — like tasting haute cuisine for the very first time.me.

Here is a thought– If anyone is interested, consider traveling to Ocean City, NJ, in November to read my novella November Seed as the seeds of Phragmites are released. You can visit the story’s locations, including the fictional location of the lab (New Jersey Fish & Wildlife), and fully immerse yourself in the setting. Along the way, I’ll offer in-depth (and lively) lectures on Phragmites — I promise you’ll never look at this widespread species the same way again.

Lab location