The Not-Quite States of America: Dispatches from the Territories and Other Far-Flung Outposts of the USA / Doug Mark / 336 pgs

I've really enjoyed this book! The author visited all of those U.S. territories that most of us know nothing about including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and really gets a feel for the culture, the problems, the history, and everything else you could ever want to know about these places that are part of America, and yet not quite. I like how the author describes the islands that he visits. He shows the beautiful and the ugly and really gives life to the people who he meets on his journeys. I highly recommend if you're looking for a good book about travel.

For the ReadHarder challenge I am doing, I am using this book for the Travel Memoir category. 

The Travelers/ Chris Pavone/ 433 pages

The Travelers by Chris Pavone catches the reader in a spy web and takes them on a trip of twists and turns, ups and downs.  The journey results in a suspenseful and enjoyable trip for the reader.  Will Rhodes and wife Chloe are both journalists.  Chloe had worked for Travelers magazine until the recent past when Will takes a job there.  While on a trip to Argentina, Will is placed in a situation that results in his being blackmailed into working for the CIA.  Or is it the CIA?  As the story moves forward the reader is left wondering just who are the good guys and who are not so good.  This is an action packed story that will appeal to reader who like fast paced stories such as the Da Vinci Code.