Sunday Review: Have Bags, Will Travel by D. G. Kaye

Diane Tibert Book Review, , , ,

Have Bags, Will Travel

by D. G. Kaye

Quick, Light Read of Travel Memories

The opening sections had me nodding my head and smiling. Germs. While I’m not as obsessive about them as D. G. Kaye, I am a faithful hand-washer. Years ago, I began using my shirt, jacket or the paper towel I dried my hands with to open public washroom doors. I thought I was the only one who did this until I read Johnny Depp also did. And now I read Kaye does the same.

Kaye explains how air travel has changed over the years with new regulations, restrictions and lack of comfort. It’s not for the better but if you’re like Kaye, you keep travelling and apply humour to the wounds.

My travel doesn’t always involve planes, but I have noticed many things have changed over the years. The biggest being security. Before 9/11, a week-trip to Montreal for a hockey game and shopping found my brother and I the only ones on the plane after the stop-over in Moncton, NB. Once in the air, the steward asked if either of us wanted to go into the cockpit. I jumped at the chance. While my brother and the steward broke out the liquor, I sat between the pilot and co-pilot all the way home, including for the landing. It was a thrill I’ll remember always. It was Christmas Eve and they were talking about sightings of Santa Claus and joking about who could land the plane better. Sadly, this would never happen these days.

Kaye shares many travelling adventures she has had with friends and family over the years, and although they don’t all include shopping, many of them do. For Kaye, shopping is a sport. Her perspective on how the atmosphere and landscape has changed in Las Vegas, Nevada, is interesting because she has been visiting her beloved Vegas since she was twenty.

I’ll admit I do not like to shop—buying only a few items when I travel—and I pack lightly—taking only what will fit into a backpack and the shoes on my feet—but anyone who finds themselves struggling with luggage weight restrictions and too many things to fit into their baggage for the return trip, will find a few great tips and lots of humour.

You may also start reminiscing about your own travel adventures.

This book can be purchased at Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.

About Sunday Review

One resolution I made this year was to catch up on my reading. I have almost 250 books on my to-read shelf, so I have a lot of catching up to do. This doesn’t include the two books I bought last Sunday off Chapters’ website. These are paperbacks. One will be here tomorrow, and the other will arrive on the 26th.

Reviews are the life blood books, so I will post my reviews on Amazon.ca, Goodreads, my Facebook page, Chapters Indigo, Smashwords and here. I may not have a review every Sunday, but I hope to have at least two a month.

Please, don’t ask me to review your book. It will take me three years to get through the books I already have.

52 thoughts on “Sunday Review: Have Bags, Will Travel by D. G. Kaye”

  1. Hi Diane, I came here via Debby’s blog, great to read your review of her travel memoir, which I have yet to read and very much look forward to doing so. I’m especially interested in bending her ear about Las Vegas as I write about my first experience there as a 19 year old from England with my American boyfriend…a while ago, ha! Love your story about the cockpit. Things have changed dramatically since 9/11 in so many ways. I too got to visit the cockpit with my son during one flight, when my brother was flying the plane. It’s the one time I felt truly safe lol! As you say, no way would that be allowed now. Lovely to meet you. I’m leaving the blogging world until the autumn with a house move fast approaching, but look forward to catching up with you on the other side 🙂 Sherri.

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    • Thank you for visiting, Sherri. You certainly should bend Debby’s ear about Las Vegas. She shares stories in the book about her experiences and the changes since she started visiting, but I’m sure she could tell you more that is not in the book.

      Sitting in the cockpit for the landing was far from what I thought it would be. The movie images of the pavement on the runway coming up to you quickly is only if you are hanging onto the front wheel. In the cockpit, you don’t get that dramatic feeling of racing toward your death. It’s as if you’re hovering and then you realize the wheels are on the ground. I felt as though I had missed the landing, it was so smooth.

      Enjoy your break away from blogging. I hope the house move is just as smooth as a landing in a cockpit without any air turbulence.

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      • I certainly will Diane, and thank you! How wonderful if only all landings felt and looked as you describe…ahhh…I am dreaming of that smooth landing – if only air turbulence was non existant, I would enjoy flying and maybe even moving house – well, almost… 😉

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        • From what the pilot told me, if they feel a smooth landing, the passengers in the back do not. And if they have a rough go, the passengers experience a smooth landing. It seems they are right since my brother said the landing was rough.

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          • That’s interesting. I’ve sat in the back a few times and definitely experienced a rougher landing there. Good to know that up front, it’s a different story, at least for the crew 🙂

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  3. Great review of a book from one of my favorite bloggers. Pinned it to my “Our TBR Lists” Board.
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
    ADD/EFD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
    “It takes a village to educate a world!”

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      • I like one of the ideas from the comments – great read on a plane.

        My brother was a commercial pilot, btw, but I never got to do more than stick my head into the cockpit. You were fortunate indeed. Didn’t know about the experience of a smooth landing being different for pilots and passengers. That must make it a tough skill to learn!

        I have heard that were women who hate to shop – but this is the first time I’ve ever met one. lol 🙂 I don’t buy much anymore, but I truly LOVE to shop, like Debby. I loved it when I lived in NYC – so many stores, so little time. 🙂
        xx,
        mgh

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    • Good morning, Norah. I had to shop yesterday because my clothes are wearing out. I often wait too long to buy new because I dislike shopping so much. After throwing out four shirts with holes in the past week, I figured it was time. I’m not that picky with what I wear, so I was in and out in less than half an hour with five new shirts. Phew, I’m good for another two years. lol

      Debby’s book was enjoyable. Thank you for stopping by.

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  6. Hi Diane, I came over from Debby’s blog and have to say I’ll be thinking twice now about touching door handles with my hands – eek! This sounds like a fun read, as well as educational 🙂 Debby is a dear friend and talented writer, so it’s wonderful to read this great review for her book!

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  7. Hello Diane,
    I clicked over from Debby’s to continue reading.. And it was a wonderful review..:-) I will leave here what I said over on Debby’s as there are more of us Hand Hygiene freaks out there 🙂

    “I had to smile when I read the beginning of this review.. Hand Hygiene is me.. And despite me getting soil under my fingernails in the garden.. 😉 I also carry hand gel after pushing the supermarket trolleys too 🙂 And I am pleased we are in the same league as Johnny Depp 🙂 as I always had a crush on him.. lol ”

    Wishing you a perfect Day, and I love the look of all your book titles.. 🙂
    Love and Blessings
    Sue 🙂

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  8. Wonderful to read about Deb’s book. I’ve looked at it often. Now I know I’m missing a humorous approach to travel (something I found very little humor with any more!).

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  11. Wow, thanks so much Diane for making it to my book on your hefty TBR list. I know very well how that goes, lol. And thank you for taking the time to review it as well.
    I loved your little story about flying in the good old days – pre 9/11. One day I might add some other stories about hanging out with pilots too, lol. Thanks again. I will be reblogging. 🙂

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    • You’re welcome, Debby. I had downloaded it long ago. What I’m trying to do is mix it up: read books by authors I know and authors I don’t know.

      The thing about your book is it made me reminisce about my travelling adventures. I’m sure it must do the same for others who read it. Everyone who has ever travelled has at least one interesting story to tell.

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      • So true Diane. But does everyone want to expose themselves? Lol. Thanks for picking it out of the pile. I know it well. I’ve shared around and mentioned your name where I shared, but for some reason none of the social sites would highlight your name when I plugged it. I’ll be reblogging it on the weekend. 🙂

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        • Certainly not everyone wishes to expose themselves, but I’m a story teller so I enjoy sharing. Like the bus tour I took to Memphis. When we woke in the morning, the power was out. The women I was with didn’t want to use the windowless washroom. I shrugged and told them I was taking a shower in the dark. They were shocked. I said, “I know where all my parts are. I can find them in the dark.”

          No worries about not finding me on social media. I have Facebook but nothing else in this name. I don’t review to promote myself; I do it to promote the authors. I know how vital reviews are.

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          • Love that little story! You strike me as a brave warrior woman anyway. 🙂 Thanks again. I’m reblogging this tomorrow. 🙂 I saw the review on .ca but not .com. Wondering if I may impose by asking if you’d mind copying and pasting over to .com? Thank you. 🙂

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  12. Diane, I love that story about you and your brother in the cockpit of the plane. How exciting! An opportunity of a lifetime for sure.
    Shopping is a sport for D.G. That’s an accurate way of describing her love for shopping. I read her book awhile back and found it a lot of fun. If anybody is planning a trip this is an entertaining and useful book to read on the plane, beach, relaxing in your hotel room etc… 🙂

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