If you or a loved one love traveling this is the perfect book. Nabongo does an extraordinary job of telling a different story about some of her favorite countries. This is the perfect gift for someone who wants to travel but needs some inspiration for where to go.

Such a cool and beautiful book - she is so inspiring and the book itself is gorgeous. Maybe not super heavy on content, but I guess it would have to be a huge book to cover every country in the world in a meaningful way....

I got to read a sample of this book from NetGalley. From what I was able to read, this seems to be an intelligent, well-written book. If you're into traveling, you probably will find it interesting, although very few of us are likely to ever take on travels so broad and far-reaching. The author, Jessica Nabongo, has visited every country in the world. That's quite a challenge! When time allows, I'm likely to pick up a complete copy of this book, to see what else awaits!

I understand what the author was probably trying to say in this book. However, the jumping around was a little over the top. Still was an interesting read.

When you travel do you try to make your way off the well traveled path and the glitzy tourist traps? Is the purpose of your travel to find new adventure, get to know new people and ways of life, try new foods, learn about traditions and enjoy the celebration of new cultures? The author of Catch Me if You Can, Jessica Nabongo, was fortunate enough to leave her 9 to 5 corporate job and travel to the 195 official UN -recognized countries (She actually had a head start and Japan was #10 on her list). She started off her adventures by spending a year teaching English in Japan. As a Black woman, as she proudly describes herself, she stood out in Japan where the population is more than 95 per cent Japanese. She felt isolated until she learned the language. Along the way she tells the reader she learned to purposely wander off the beaten path and find authentic experiences. She experienced Tokyo (which she describes as Times Square on steroids) , Osaka, Mount Fuji, Hiroshima, many of the 2,000 temples and shrines of Kyoto but also the lesser known cities and side streets near where she taught. She enjoyed the street food and in home Japanese/American dinners ( octopus balls) with her colleagues. When she left she moved to London for a Master 's program for international development at the London School of Economics. Her intent was to travel for 3 years before returning home. It became 7. This book tells of the 100 countries that impacted her the most. Some of them she visited more than 5 times to take in more of the "vibes" of the country that had found a special place in her heart. She shares stories and pictures of the people she met, the celebrities and the average citizens. She shares pictures and stories of some well known tourist sites as well as pictures from off the beaten path: a temple amid cherry blossoms in Japan and a Balinese Hindu temple, a mosque in Iran, murals painted on the walls of many building in Honduras, the feluccas (traditional wooden sailing boats) along the Nile, the Zims (motorcycle taxis) in Benin, the blue dome of St. Peter's Basilica, an agricultural worker in Ethiopia, a dhow (a traditional boat) on the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya, the chief of a Maasai village, the buzzing streets of Haiti, monks in Laos lined up for the food offered to them during Tak bat (almsgiving), an 80 year old grandma spinning wool in Peru, men playing dominoes on a street in Cuba, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square, Nungwi ( a beach in Zanzibar that is now on her list of the top 5 beaches in the world), a rooftop view of the medina of Tunis in Tunisia, Maya ruins, stilt fishermen in Sri Lanka, the Mass Games in North Korea and more. She shares little known facts: the saliva of giraffes in Nairobi are antiseptic, Kyrgystan has roughly the same number of sheep as people, and good times to travel She tells of "must visit places and foods to try: an art gallery in Bamako, Mali, the sweet, sour, salt and spicy blend of taste in Burmese cuisine, Sua, a giant Samoan swimming hole that is 100 foot deep, the 520 feet Punakha Suspension Bridge in Bhutan, must eat street foods and so much more.
I highly recommend this travel guide/diary of 409 pages and numerous pictures, insert maps and advice. It caught me by surprise and opened my eyes and my horizons to places I've never considered traveling to.

This book was received as an ARC from National Geographic through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jessica Nabongo's story was exciting, liberating, and life-changing. I could only imagine being in those territories witnessing all of those moments, and most importantly since she is a photographer, capturing all of those moments so she can create her award-winning website inspiring millions worldwide. If a photographer was this inspiring to challenge the world and accomplishing traveling, and visiting all 195 countries being an eye-witness to all the exciting moments, all to follow her love and passion for photography. Everyone can do anything with the right direction, love, and passion.

A inspiring story that will inspire, and capture the hearts of millions worldwide. This book deserves 5 stars.

The sampler was great and I'm curious to see more. I like Nabongo's tone. She feels like a friend sharing her tips and encouraging you to have your own travel adventures. The formatting was a bit off for me, but the photos I could see were gorgeous.

Jessica Nabongo takes you on her journeys. I only received the sampler copy. But, as someone who loves to travel, I so enjoyed reading Jessica’s take on her travels. The pictures included are spectacular!

Thank you #NetGalley, #NationalGeographic and #JessicaNabongo for the arc for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I thought it would be inspiring the read stories written by the first Black woman to visit every country in the world (though I've learned that this was actually claimed by Woni Spotts one year before Jessica Nabongo, so the title is actually contested), and in some ways it was. I think it may just be that I am not the target audience. Nabongo is an Instagram influencer and her book reads as such. If I was younger or interested in influencer culture, I would have appreciate the book more. I do give Nabongo props for all of the travel she did and the terrible instances of racial discrimination she experienced along the way.

Although this is a sample, but It does make me want to read more. The individual brings to light some of the different places she has traveled to, almost 200 (In the full book, of course) And full of beautiful pictures and so well written. It makes me want to travel that much more to see the beauty for myself

Thank you for the ARC of this book. I absolutely adored this sampler and can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the full book. Many of my girlfriends, and myself, travel solo and travel abroad fairly often. Will probably purchase copies as a gift (after I read it!)

The Catch Me if You Can is a fascinating look at Jessica Nabongo's favorite travel destinations. I only had access to a sample, but it's wonderful! Looking forward to reading the finished book.

Blogger Jessica Nabongo was the first Black woman to visit all 195 countries. In this 418-page book, she shares some of her personal story and provides an overview of her 100 favorite travel destinations illustrated with her own photographs. In addition to her stories and photos, each country’s entry includes the month and year she first visited, how many times she has visited, and a small map showing where the country is located.

The text isn’t detailed enough to function as a travel guide, but this is a wonderful way for armchair travelers to learn about exotic locations. For those wanting to pursue their own adventures, the book concludes with the author’s suggested bucket list for readers.

At roughly 7 by 9 inches, the hardcover book is smaller than most coffee table books. However, I’ve found that I like this size; it's easier to hold than a larger book.

Thanks to National Geographic for providing me with an unproofed ARC sample through NetGalley.

🌍 Book Sampler Review 🌏

#thecatchmeifyoucan
#jessicanabongo
#travelogue
#memoirs
#nonfiction
#NetGalley (to be published 6/14/2022)
#nationalgeographic @natgeo

🌏🌎🌍🌏🌎/5

I really wish this sampler for review was longer. I love JN's voice. It is very conversational. Very readable. Easy to understand. Filled with facts and opinions.

When I want to decide where in the world to travel to, I will definitely buy her book to help decide which countries to visit,which attractions/activities to explore. Very well done.

Now it's time for me go find her on social media and start to follow JN.

#travel
#bookstagram #booknerds #bookworm #booklover #bookdragon #readalot #ilovereading #inkdrinker #librarymouse #booknerdbookreviews #bookaddict #bookaholic #bookrecommendation #bookreview #booknerdigan #bookish #gottareadthisbook #books #readalot #ilovereading

Many of us talk about traveling the world, but an intrepid woman ditched corporate life to fill her passport to global adventure. I was keen to read about Jessica Nabango’s memoir on the best 100 destinations in her 195 country record-breaking journey.

The Catch Me If You Can introduced Jessica Nabango from her childhood living in Detroit as a first generation Ugandan American and visits to her mother and father’s homeland, her early thirst for travel and the roundabout path she took to get there through corporate America. Starting her own travel agency, Jet Black, and lifestyle brand, The Catch, adding professional travel photographer, and online influencer with her The Catch Me If You Can website, Jessica proceeded to become the first black woman to visit all 195 UN recognized countries.

Her book is loaded with her own photography (my eARC copy only captured a portion of these) and a plethora of lush destinations. Her vignettes about places, experiences, and people are tinted with emotion and reflection. I felt I was there with her visiting a mountain top Buddhist temple in Laos, attending a family wedding in Uganda, celebrating Persian New Year in Iran, and so much more.

“While I have a lot of rules of thumb for traveling, there is one that I live by as much as possible: I do not travel to new countries with a fear of the unknown… I choose instead to live by what is true, to be in the moment.” Pp. 332



In the end, she sums up her thoughts and leaves a bucket list to her readers. I felt my mind broadened and enriched simply from reading her book so I can’t imagine how much better following in her actual footsteps would be. Don’t hesitate to pick this up if you love travelogues, memoirs, or simply want to learn to appreciate the wonderful world we live in.

Writer, entrepreneur, travel influencer, and nomad, Jessica Nabongo is the first Black woman on record to visit all 195 UN-recognized countries in the world. Now, in what I would call a graphic memoir, she reveals her top 100 destinations.
With this 20-page sampler, we get to peek at three of the locales (Uganda, Laos, Iran) that Nabongo describes in her 416-page travelogue. The color photos are exactly as sharp, enticing, and dramatic as you expect from a National Geographic title. If the full book is as luscious as this sampler, it will make for an armchair traveler's dream.

[Thanks to National Geographic and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of a portion of this book.

Visually beautiful with enviable locals. I wish there was more to judge but the focus was on personal growth and interaction with people she meets on her teavels.

This is just the sampler that I was able to get on NetGalley but well done because I am totally hooked and I can't wait to read the rest. I am in awe of the premise and I am dying to know where she goes and how this adventure plays out! It's at the top of my summer reading list. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this sampler ARC.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Author Jessica Nabongo is living the dream of those who like to travel. She found a way to ditch her to 9 to 5 gig and make traveling her occupation. I imagine she became comfortable with travel as the American-born child of Ugandan parents and traveling to Uganda several times. She published this book after she became the first Black woman of record to visit all of the 195 United Nations-recognize countries. It includes her top 100 destinations.
Even getting visas to places like North Korea and Sudan and is quite an accomplishment, and it would be worth picking up this book to see her impressions of each.
I read a sampler which included material on Uganda, Laos, and Iran. As in all books published by National Geographic, the photography is spectacular, colorful and vivid. She includes a one or two page narrative with each country, and I liked her commentary, for instance when visiting Iran she said, “I do not allow what I read in the news to taint my idea of a country or its people.” She talks about the beauty of the mosques there and the warmth of the people, as well as the delicious food. It’s a good reminder that a place we sometimes think of as being full of deserts and violence if it has had a vibrant culture for thousands of years.
I will say that I found myself wishing she could be a little more specific with her stories. When she talks about having a “proper Persian meal” with an acquaintance in Iran, she says that they laughed, had a lot of food, and a “unique opportunity to learn more about Persian culture,” the words are general enough that I don’t get a real picture in my mind. I also found myself a little frustrated when she describes the sites she sees, but there’s no accompanying photograph. For instance, she said that when she entered one of the mosques, “my jaw hit the floor,” because it was so stunning. She says that it had multi- colored tile that covered every wall and a bright yellow tiled dome, but I so wanted to be able to see a photo of what she was describing.
All in all, it looks like a good book for perusing, picking up interesting details from time to time, and dreaming about countries that we’d like to visit.

I've been following the author on Instagram for a few years so I've heard and seen about some of her trips. It's so cool to see that she has been able to create a volume with a summary for each country. The photos in the book are stunning, and the author's story and context are what makes the book unique and stand out from the typical travel book.

I'll be grabbing a print copy of this as a coffee table book when it comes out.