I have to give props to Miss Nabongo for her accomplishment and she was a pleasant narrator to listen to. I’m usually leery when a social media person wants to narrate their book, but she did a great job.

There was definitely research done in some of the history she relates on the countries.

The reason for my review not being higher was probably due to listening instead of reading this book. Listening straight through front to back a lot of her experiences in each country started to feel the same. i .e. Lovely people, colorful markets, great food, lots of alcohol. And it started sounding more humble brag, I need to cross off these countries as quick as possible, instead of a travelogue.

I cringed when she would say something was fill in the blank “AF”.

Anyway, I’ve added to my list of countries to visit but I haven’t run out to start following her on social media.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

Jessica Nabongo is the first Black woman to visit all 195 countries in the world! This book is packed with her travel adventures, recommendations, and most of all, experiences with the beautiful people she meets along the way. Those looking to travel will find inspiration, and those looking to live vicariously will find an amazing experience.

I didn’t listen to enough of this audiobook to review it, just enough to know it wasn’t something I was really interested in.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! Jessica has a really engaging writing style, and I appreciated that the chapters were short. My one complaint was that I wish her journey had been told more chronologically, but at least a good portion of it was. I really liked the greetings at the beginning of each chapter, and the way that the author was aware of and actively engaging with her implicit biases from growing up in the US. I also liked that she was upfront about incidences of racism or other prejudice she faced, rather than glossing over things happening. I saw one review that said this book read like an Instagram page and had that shiny, glossy feel. I would agree it read like Instagram, but to me, that's a good thing and didn't really gloss over things. We get a glimpse into this journey, the good and the bad, but don't sit for too long in any place or story. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

Really enjoy reading The Catch Me If You Can on paper and audio at the same time. I love being able to take in the gorgeous photos while listening to Jessica Nabongo tell me about her experiences in each country. Unfortunately the Netgalley audio player is so tinny and difficult to listen to that I had to stop listening and get it from the library.

First of all, this is one you will for sure want to listen to, but also buy a hard copy too. Buy the hard copy for the stunning photography and as a nice table top book, but listen to the book to hear author Jessica recount here stories across the globe, in there own voice. I really love how this book was structured, as it very much read like a memoir but of course from a travel adventures perspective. Jessica intertwines life lessons, facts, recommendations and lessons learned. The audiobook was very well done and easy / enjoyable to listen too. My only complaint is that sometimes the chapters ended to abruptly, but I do think that has something to do with the fact that the book as a whole is structured more like a table top style book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC digital edition.

Unfortunately, I was unable to read this in the time allotted. It remains on my “to be read” list for the future.

I liked listening to this book. The narrator was great. I enjoyed hearing stories from around the world, and how she had to overcome racism and sexism in her pursuit to get to every single country. I can't wait to visit some of the places she talked about, mostly the Caribbean - which I have never been to.

This audiobook really fueled my wanderlust! It was a treat to hear Jessica Nabongo talk about her experiences as the first Black woman to visit all 195 countries and 2 territories recognized by the United Nations. I appreciated her honesty as she depicted the racism and sexism she experienced (often in countries one would consider "safe" by Western standards), but I also loved her descriptions of the beautiful landscapes, awe-inspiring landmarks, and delectable food in each country. I wish she had been able to go into more detail about some countries (there are a few she only discusses for five or six minutes)--sometimes it felt like she was ticking those off a list--but it's clear from her passion how much she appreciates travel and the generosity of those she's met along the way.

Wow! I think I just added at least 100 countries to my bucket list! If only my bank account was as strong as my wanderlust! I enjoyed Jessica's narration and felt like she would be a fun person to travel with but I'd be exhausted! Since I listened to the audio version I did not get to see the photos which may have been a loss to the reader. .Her goal of being the first black woman to travel to all 195 countries was ambitious to say the least, but it felt like many of the destinations were more about checking them off the list then really experiencing them. I liked that she kept her experiences in every country positive even when negative things happened (racism, theft, border patrol, lost luggage, etc). One of her goals was to inspire people to travel and I think she is successful in that!

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.

I have not quite finished this book but wanted to write a review for what I have heard so far and my experience with the audio version. I am glad I received the audio version of this as I have been able to listen to Nabongo's travel stories while working. Most of them have been short and sweet, much like a blog post. I imagine this book came from her blog. I enjoyed listening to her stories about travel and about different cultures, her experiences, and the things she learned such as becoming more conscious about waste. I think Nabongo is courageous to have travelled as the first black woman all over the world and her experiences about her skin color in other places. I chose to listen to this book because I used to travel a lot when I was younger and I enjoy travel stories so I can't wait to finish this audiobook. It is inspiring in a lot of ways and eye opening as well.

I truly enjoyed this inspiring travelogue that ignited much wanderlust! If you dream of traveling the world, you’ll enjoy living vicariously through Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to visit every country in the world. My favourite takeaway: challenge your belief system around what “real life” is and what it can be, so you are empowered to create a life that excites you everyday, If you listened to the audiobook like me, you can enjoy the photos of her travels on her Instagram page of the same name. Kudos to Jessica Nabongo and thank you to NetGalley and National Geographic for the audiobook.

Every young single women should read this. And especially Women of color. The stories and experiences in the book is truly amazing and I want to do more traveling and the places she mentioned are now on my list. I also plan to buy the physical copy of this book. This is a must have in your collection. 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this amazing audiobook

This book would make the perfect one-chapter-per-day read, except the chapters are so entertaining and the perfect length, that you want to keep going. Each chapter covers a new destination and it would be so fun to take a mini-vacation every day through the storytelling. The journey is made even more special by having Nabongo narrate, so it's like you are on a trip with a friend. I loved that Nabongo doesn't shy away from making bold choices like quitting many jobs to prioritize her adventures, being unafraid to travel to places even if they are listed as "do not travel" by the US government, pointing out that it is the people of these countries who suffer from this fear. Nabongo recalls where the worst racism she's faced is, and she validates the idea that you can be a traveler without having to participate in death defying/adrenaline activities, and that she prefers travelling with nicer accommodations than backpackers can portray. Each chapter teaches the reader so many new things about other places, probably often not heard of, and suggests places to eat for foodies. She also does some myth-busting about the glamor of France. This is a book I would read over again just to absorb new details I may have missed.

3.5 stars

This was a fascinating book about a black woman who has been to every country in the world. I've never heard of her, but she is apparently an influencer and traveled to many of those countries as part of her brand. She is a writer, photographer, travel expert, entrepreneur, and cultural ambassador. She was born in Uganda but is a dual Ugandan/American citizen and her goal is to inspire others to travel and to make travel more inclusive. I listened to the audiobook as narrated by her, and there were positive and negative aspects to that. First off, it was her voice and her story and I could hear the passion in her voice when she talked about things that were particularly meaningful for her. She is passionate not only about making travel more accessible/inclusive to all, but she is also a proponent of making choices that will help preserve our environment while traveling (and while living your everyday life). She does a solid job of narrating her book, but there were several times when she listed all of her accomplishments that it just sounded like a brag sheet. Don't get me wrong--this woman has been able to live on her own terms and has found a way to make a living at it. She figured out her priorities pretty early on and I applaud her for going after her dreams. She also says several times that she knows she is really privileged to have had the life she's had, and that part of what made it possible for her to travel to some of the countries was because she had a Ugandan passport. Being a dual citizen has made it easier. Similarly, there were many times when she would say that on the one hand, she loved such and such a country, but then she hated how she was treated. It was kind of an odd dichotomy, and I think I get what she was saying, but it was hard to work through some of it.

The main messages I received were the following:
1) This woman is amazing in what she has accomplished
2) Jessica has tried to take something positive from every country she has visited, even the most negative of countries
3) Some of the places you would think were the least safe were her best experiences, partly because she is seen as an African woman rather than an American woman (it helps that she is fluent in French)
4) She has had the most trouble with Chinese tourists who are everywhere in the world (including China) and it may be a cultural incompatibility.
5) There are many places in America where she feels less safe than those that are considered "unsafe countries" because she is a black woman.
6) Many of her negative experiences were linked to her being a black woman. Some of these included being ignored or overlooked in favor of a male companion (black or white) or being treated hostilely or with suspicion.
7) If you're going to visit a country, always reach out to locals/natives for advice/safety tips, etc.
They will know better than any website how to best navigate their country.

Overall, I'm glad I listened to this and if I ever visit another country, I will probably keep some of her tips in mind. Certainly while listening, there were several countries that jumped out to me as places I would want to visit!

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this audiobook so much! Loved learning about all the places Jessica visited and getting to armchair travel. Her writing and narration was also really good

I honestly had a very hard time getting through this book. I found the author's voice to be a poor fit for audiobook narration. I found her story to be more bragg-y than inspiring. I just didn't like it. It didn't have any of the elements I want in a travelogue.

I loved this amazing travelogue on her adventures all over the world. An unapologetic tourist, Jessica Nabongo makes mistakes the average traveler would make but she learns from them and embraces her new locations. She is a wonderful storyteller and I felt like I was traveling with her. Helpful tips and lists are added at the end of each section. I can't wait to visit some of these countries and hope to have the same incredible adventures she did.

Wow. I can't even imagine how Jessica Nabongo feels. She's the first black woman on record to travel to all 195 countries in the world. What an accomplishment. That has to feel so surreal. This is her memoir of her travels. I love her passion and positive messages about finding a job/work you love and taking your days off. Some people dream of quitting their corporate jobs and traveling the world: Nabongo actually does it.

What I loved most:
Each chapter was bite sized and focuses on ONE country at a time.
Nabongo would mention places to see and must-dos in each place she visited
Each chapter had a food recommendation. I LOVE trying food in new places, so this was fun to listen to.
How Nabonga put together a network of artisans around the world to sell different products.
How Nabango evolves throughout her travels in regards to environmental impact.

What I didn't love so much:
At times, Nabongo would get repetitive.
Sometimes, the details of getting into a country and the needed visas/journey to get them felt forced or tedious. While I appreciate the effort it took to get to some of these places, I feel like more of this space/time could have been dedicated to the place itself, the languages of the places, the people, cultures.
!!! Some of the countries skipped. I wished there had been some explanation at the start or end on why not all 195 countries would be discussed/why some were left out. The version I listened to has 105 chapters - so a little more than half are talked about - but there's nothing on which countries were left out, why they weren't included or anything. This really irritated me. I understand that it was her top 100 - but some criteria on why and how she halved the list would be beneficial for a reader. (Especially for readers like me who don't read the synopsis and pick books based on covers and dive in).

P.S. I love the way Nabongo read her own book and the ending was intentionally edited to feel like you were on a plane. Love that touch!