This week's travel books
The Americas: Where to Go When
Craig Doyle, consultant editor
DK Eyewitness Travel, £25
This is not a guide book to bring with you on your travels but a great big slab of a tome to consult before you book your tickets. Structured on a month-by-month basis, it covers the countries and islands of North and South America. The focus is very much on the destinations themselves: there are few mentions of specific hotels or guest houses, for example, and almost no restaurant tips or listings. Instead, you have beautiful pictures to fire the imagination, plus stacks of punchy, thrilling itineraries. For example, in November you could indulge yourself in the desert town of Tucson, Arizona, explore the vibrant life of Isla Margarita, in Venezuela, discover the ruins of Tikal, in Guatemala, or hike the awesome glacial scenery of Patagonia, in Chile. It's a cracking, colourful collection of destinations and a brilliant book to read before you book.
Canada
DK Eyewitness Travel, £16.99
Canada is probably one of the most overlooked destinations, with most travellers' compasses probably a little biased to the hustle of the US or the perceived sense of adventure farther south. But it has all the sophistication in its cities, and rugged beauty in its countryside, that anyone could ask for, from the pristine glacial fields of its northern regions and the uncompromising terrain of the Rockies to the vibrant elegance of Montreal. This is an iridescent guide written at DK's typically whip-fast pace, but with so much good music coming out of Canada, did they really have to plump for Alanis Morissette as evidence of the country's strong musical heritage?
• lmackin@irish-times.ie