My Christmas present to myself this year will be Without Reservations' The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach, I have read the book before and I want a copy so I can read it over and over. Ms. Steinbach is a beautiful writer and this book chronicles her sabbatical year of travel.

I also agreed with Debbie that Tales of a Female Nomad was a great read. I haven't read East towards Dawn but it's now on my list of future reads...thanks for the tip Debbie.

As for games when I travel, I have a compact backgammon game that has magnetized pieces, perfect for airplanes, etc.

Happy Holidays Sylvie from Toronto