BiblioTravel: Find a book that is set in the place you are traveling

Last night I was discussing books with an xx that I often go to for book suggestions. She reminded me how great it is to read books that are set in the place you are visiting.

I always bring along a book or two on any vacation, and usually I head to BN or Borders for a quick peruse of the new fiction, or bestsellers, or ask a friend for a recommendation, or a swap.

She lent me The Village of Waiting, by George Packer, which is about a Peace Corps volunteer in a small village in Togo. While she enjoyed the book, my friend did not recommend reading it before or while I was visiting West Africa, due to its depressing nature.

So how do I find a book about Accra? The internet of course! This morning I found this fabulous website BiblioTravel which was created by two librarians, Fiona Scannell and James Schellenberg, who wanted "to provide a free online resource for identifying stories that are set in distinct locales."

Great idea!
I haven't explored the site to the extent that I want to but I did find books set in Accra, so check it out.