Summer reads and decorating with maps

Good morning and hey it is Friday! Wheather you are having a sunny or a rainy Friday it is Friday after all. It is still rainy in Basel today but the forecast predicts it will stop raining and the sun peaking out late afternoon or evening. The rain has brought us some cooler temperatures which are welcome after the heat wave that we have had. 

I thought I'd share some of my summer reads with you. Grapes and Wines is a book that is great for any one like me that is interested in learning more about wine and the many different grapes. It is not a book you read in one go but something that has to take it's time. I feel you can't read about too many grapes at one go or I will mix all the information up.

Travel books. I love travel books and I could not imagine going on a trip without one. Half the fun of going on a trip is planning the trip to me. Here are some new travel books that I bought in Sweden. Florida we are going to in late December with C and his parents as well as sister and her husband and two daughters. Another good book about Switzerland and all that it has to offer. The wine trail books are excellent for wine touring between different cities and wine estates.

A few summer reads. I try to read as much as possible in English. It is a good way to keep your vocabulary up. For the moment I don't have a particular favorite author. I pick books based on the short summary on the back. If it catches my interest and the story seems good then that's a book I pick. 

I have just started reading "Carry the one" and the rest of the books in this stack are still waiting. I stock up on books whenever I go to Sweden or the US because the selection is so much larger than here in Basel where most books are in German. Most books are translated and movies are dubbed here. Even travel books like Lonely Planet are most often translated to German.

Two good books that I finished reading. I particularly liked "A secret kept" by Tatiana de Rosnay. She is also the author of the best seller "Finding Sarah's key" that also was made into a movie.

Something new for the wall. I found this wonderful and very cool map of Switzerland in a small shop in old town. It is printed on a thicker type of fabric. Perfect for adding pins to the places that you have visited.

I have always loved maps. There is always something new to discover when looking at maps. I decided to hang it in our hallway downstairs. I got spot to hang around with guests letting the map open up subjects of discussion and conversation.

The map is ideal for pins and even comes with a set of pins to use. Maps in general are beautiful wall decoration. 

Plans for the weekend? We are meeting up with friends tonight and going out for some sushi. The rest of the weekend is supposed to be sunny and nice so that should make a great weekend. What are you up to?