93 books match the query 'Special Interest' and 5 start with f

cover of Fan Sites: Film Tourism and Contemporary Fandom

Fan Sites

Film Tourism and Contemporary Fandom

Abby S. Waysdorf

University of Iowa Press, 2021

Theme parks break attendance numbers with the promise of “stepping inside” a film’s world. Pop-up “experiences” are a regular part of promotional cycles. All this is accepted in the contemporary media environment—but why? What is the appeal of film tourism, and what can its rise tell us about contemporary fandom? Fan Sites explores why and how we experience film and television-related places, and what the growth of this practice means for contemporary fandom. Through four case studies—Game of Thrones tourism in Dubrovnik, Croatia and Northern Ireland, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks in Orlando, Florida, fandom of The Prisoner in Portmeirion, Wales, and Friends events in the United Kingdom and United States—this book presents a multifaceted look at the ways place and fandom interact today.

Fan Sites explores the different relationships that fans build with these places of fandom, from the exploratory knowledge-building of Game of Thrones fans on vacation, the appreciative evaluations of Harry Potter fans at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, to the frequent “homecoming” visits of Prisoner fans, who see Portmeirion as a “safe vault” and the home of their fandom. Including engaging accounts of real fans at each location, Fan Sites addresses what the rise of fan tourism and places of fandom might mean for the future of fandom and its relationship with the media industry.
 
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cover of Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Canary Islands

Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Canary Islands

Chris Thorogood, Mark Carine, and Alfredo Reyes-Betancourt

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2024

A comprehensive and accessible field guide to the Canary Islands flowers, including a visual guide to flora hotspots to visit.

Situated in the North Atlantic off the coast of northwestern Africa, the Canary Islands are a volcanic archipelago, comprising seven large and several smaller islands. The region attracts millions of visitors every year, with an abundance of ecotourists drawn by its famously rich flora. This book presents previously inaccessible information on the islands through the collaboration of British scientists and local experts.

This long-awaited field guide covers more than two thousand of the region’s exceptionally diverse and important plants, from the most common species to local endemics. Illustrated throughout with color photographs, each species profile includes nomenclature, description, dimensions, habitat, flowering times, and distribution.

With comprehensive, up-to-date coverage sorted by habitat, this is the essential guide for students, professional botanists, scientists, gardeners, and plant enthusiasts alike.
 
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cover of Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Western Alps: France, Italy and Switzerland

Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Western Alps

France, Italy and Switzerland

Christopher Grey-Wilson

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2025

With comprehensive, up-to-date coverage sorted by habitat, this is the essential guide to the Western Alps for students, professional botanists, scientists, gardeners, and plant-enthusiasts alike.

The Western Alps, a large region of dramatic scenery and varied habitats, is noted for its biodiversity and beauty. From woodlands and forests, through colorful hay meadows, to the higher alpine elevations, the region boasts one of the most diverse and colorful mountain floras found anywhere on earth. This book is a celebration of the great biological diversity found in one of the most beautiful and inviting regions of Europe.

This comprehensive guide features the fascinating flora to be found across the region in the French Alps, the Massif Central and Cevennes, the Swiss Jura Mountains and the Italian Alps east to Como and Bergamo. Illustrated throughout with over 2000 photographs, each species profile includes nomenclature, description, dimensions, habitat, flowering times, and distribution.
 
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cover of Following Michigan's Ink Trails: Writing Michigan, Reading Michigan

Following Michigan's Ink Trails

Writing Michigan, Reading Michigan

Dave Dempsey

Michigan State University Press, 2027

Michigan is renowned for its natural beauty and automotive history, yet its rich literary heritage often goes unrecognized. This engaging and extensively researched book aims to change that by providing vivid portraits of both well-known and overlooked authors. It also offers an enjoyable tour through the state’s libraries and bookstores. The book takes readers on a fascinating journey across the back roads and highways of Michigan writing, showcasing the remarkable diversity of authors who have called the state home as well as those who have found it inspirational. It is perfect for anyone interested in reading, Michigan’s literary heritage, and its culture.

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cover of Following the Barn Quilt Trail

Following the Barn Quilt Trail

Suzi Parron

Ohio University Press, 2016

Suzi Parron, in cooperation with Donna Sue Groves, documented the massive public art project known as the barn quilt trail in her 2012 book Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement. The first of these projects began in 2001, when Groves and community members created a series of twenty painted quilt squares in Adams County, Ohio. Since then, barn quilts have spread throughout forty-eight states and several Canadian provinces.

In Following the Barn Quilt Trail, Parron brings readers along as she, her new love, Glen, their dog Gracie, and their converted bus Ruby, leave the stationary life behind. Suzi and Glen follow the barn quilt trail through thirty states across thirteen thousand miles as Suzi collects the stories behind the brightly painted squares. With plentiful color photographs, this endearing hybrid of memoir and travelogue is for quilt lovers, Americana and folk art enthusiasts, or anyone up for a good story.

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