FEBRUARY 2007 UPDATE: Due to the pending closure of the Departure Lounge, new members are not being admitted at this time. Current and potential members are encouraged to join the new group Armchair Travel instead: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/armchair_travel


Welcome to the Departure Lounge, a free online international book group where we discuss travel books, very broadly defined.

There is no reading schedule, simply read anything you like and then tell us about it. Both non-fiction and fiction recommendations are welcome. Which books have given you insight into life in another country or region? Alternatively, which books would you recommend to a person who wants to learn about your part of the world?

To learn more or to join, please click on the blue "join" button above, and be sure to provide a functional e-mail address. Then respond to the automated e-mail message you receive.

November 2006 update...Current participants are living in Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Finland, France, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA!

(keywords: travel literature, travel writing, travel narratives, travel essays, travelogues, guidebooks, culture, world travel, armchair travel, memoirs, foreign, migration, immigration, history, expat, expatriate, abroad, overseas)