Have Book, Will Travel

Twenty-fourteen is looking like it will be a year of travel for me. I'll be attending at least one national library conference, and I may be spending some time North of the Border over the summer. By year's end, I hope to see at least three U.S. cities. I'm truly excited about exploring more of the country and the world. 

Image via http://www.abeautifulmess.com

No matter what town I visit, I'll be sure to seek out its independent bookstores, used bookstores, and comic stores, in addition to its usual tourist attractions. And if there's a local zine library, I would try to check that out, too. But what other literary attractions would be of interest to a book lover like myself who's keen to travel? Book Riot has the answers.

Book Riot is pointing out places of interest to traveling bibliophiles in its new series, Literary Tourism. With the first installment posted on October 27, 2013, starting with the city of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Literary Tourism is highlighting scholarly hotspots across North America (so far). Already, Book Riot has given the tour guide treatment to Portland, Oregon; Austin, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Atlanta, Georgia, in addition to Fredericton, NB.

Being that Portland and Austin are two cities I hope to visit, Book Riot's Literary Tourism pieces are right on time. Now I know that while in Portland, I should stop by Cosmic Monkey Comics and Bitch Magazine's lending library in addition to Powell's City of Books and In Other Words, the latter gaining notoriety for being the location of the fictitious women's bookstore in the television sketch-comedy show Portlandia. And while in Austin, I'll know to go to BookWoman and Austin Books & Comics in addition to Book People.

Literary Tourism not only points out bookstores and libraries, but it also recommends restaurants, coffee shops, and bars where book lovers will feel right at home. Of course, cultural attractions are also mentioned, such as the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden and the Wordstock festival in Portland and the O. Henry Museum and Texas Book Festival in Austin.

For more on what to see and do as a well-read traveler, get to Book Riot's Literary Tourism site at THIS LINK. No passport required.