Plunge â€� One Womanâ€™s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary in The Insecure Writer's Support Group Book Club

Nov 16, 2020 Jacqui rated it it was amazing

Liesbet Collaert's debut memoir, Plunge: One Woman's Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary, is one of those books I couldn't wait to read. Who hasnâ€™t wanted to be a wanderer, go wherever life led them, bravely face new adventures with courage and aplomb, make new friends in dozens of countries, and conquer crises as though it were easy. Me, I think 'wandering' is part of man's DNA. There's a reason we are the only species that inhabits every corner of the planet. The issue: Most of us think living req ...more

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Nov 17, 2020 Ellen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sailing

This memoir has it all - adventure, romance, fascinating characters, and travel!

The author takes us on a riveting tale of her life as a nomad, exploring the world from a sailboat and embracing the highs and lows of life at sea. This memoir will appeal to all sorts of readers, not just sailors, because, ultimately, it's a story about the choices one woman makes in search of love, fulfillment, and happiness - choices many of us can relate to.

For me, what sets this memoir apart is its unflinching ...more

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May 01, 2022 Toi Thomas rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a fun but challenging book for me to read. Never the avid reader of nonfiction, I found this memoir very approachable and would definitely read more from this author. The reason this book was such a challenge for me was due to the authenticity of it. It is difficult not to become overwhelmed by emotional and personal judgments when reading the imitate details of someoneâ€™s life. Because you know itâ€™s a true story, you canâ€™t write certain things off as shock value or drama inducing, itâ€™s This was a fun but challenging book for me to read. Never the avid reader of nonfiction, I found this memoir very approachable and would definitely read more from this author. The reason this book was such a challenge for me was due to the authenticity of it. It is difficult not to become overwhelmed by emotional and personal judgments when reading the imitate details of someoneâ€™s life. Because you know itâ€™s a true story, you canâ€™t write certain things off as shock value or drama inducing, itâ€™s just what really happened.

In the beginning of this memoir I didnâ€™t love nor hate the author. I spent a large portion of my reading experience trying to decide if I liked her or not. At some point, I decided it didnâ€™t matter. I was so consumed with exploring her alternative lifestyle and discovering cultural differences Iâ€™d never considered, I began to have an immense appreciation for her. I didnâ€™t always agree with the choices she made, but they were her choices to make. I often found myself wanting to pass judgment against her for daring to be honest about the things she was saying, thinking, feeling, and doing. I had to be honest with myself a few times and stop pointing my finger.

The most relatable moments, unfortunately, were those moments of great sorrow. Experiencing the losses she describes in this book was uncomfortable yet empowering. I have nothing but respect for writers who are able to share their pain and journeys to recovery with others so openingly. I too have had pet challenges in my life and have lost loved ones to cancer. While I havenâ€™t experienced the bullying of a customs agent, I have had negative experiences with law enforcement because of the color of my skin.

My ultimate take away from this book, is the message of travel it promotes. While I donâ€™t plan on taking up the nomadic life any time soon, I want to travel and experience new places and things. I also want to encourage others to live a life of meaning based on what they want, not what society tells them they should want.

I thoroughly enjoyed discussing this book with the IWSG Book Club and highly recommend this memoir to anyone who likes travel, nature, and adventures. ...more

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Dec 03, 2020 Beth Camp rated it it was amazing

Liesbetâ€™s memoir begins with an exceptional decision: At seventeen, she leaves her family in Belgium to travel the world. Along the way, she falls in love and winds up living on a boat to explore the tropics and beyond.

This intriguing memoir is filled with a sense of adventure, happily recreating what life is like 24/7 on a catamaran, complete with dogs, loving partner, flying fish, dolphins, and visits from friends in the boating community.

Storms challenge Liesbet and Mark, for not every day ...more

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Apr 17, 2022 Ronel Janse van Vuuren rated it it was amazing

Shelves: tbr-2022-challenge, memoir, animals, iwsg-member-book, dogs

Well-written. Love the cover!

At one point, I wanted to slap some sense into the Homeland Security guy who wanted to keep Liesbet out of the USA. I also love the dogs, Kali and Darwin. I might like them more than Mark, but that might have more to do with what happened in Central America than with him personally. Though, of course, taking his frustrations out on Liesbet instead of getting help isnâ€™t counting in his favour. I think the wedding was as much as a surprise to Liesbet as to the reader. ...more

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Apr 17, 2021 J. Dorner rated it really liked it

Shelves: debut-author, non-fiction-stuff

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was an interesting book to read. It's sprinkled with sailing lingo (such as mooring balls). Anyone planning on taking up sailing, or going on long-term travels across continents, should certainly read this book first. It's realistic and honest, a behind-the-scenes that shows the grit, not just the glory. I rarely read travel memoirs.

I feel it was brave of Liesbet to share so much with the audience. Parts of this are like reading a diary. There are some relationship ups and downs that not ev This was an interesting book to read. It's sprinkled with sailing lingo (such as mooring balls). Anyone planning on taking up sailing, or going on long-term travels across continents, should certainly read this book first. It's realistic and honest, a behind-the-scenes that shows the grit, not just the glory. I rarely read travel memoirs.

I feel it was brave of Liesbet to share so much with the audience. Parts of this are like reading a diary. There are some relationship ups and downs that not everyone would be so comfortable sharing. And there are worrisome parts, like some of her descriptions of Mark. She talks about his habit of criticizing her in public in front of their friends. "When Mark is in these frustrated moods... I feel their anxiety... we all lower our heads." He was willing to wear a ring in his previous marriage, but argues (though caves) about doing it for this one. "Fact is, each time he yells or boils over with frustration, I can't focus on things I enjoy, like writing. All I do is cower."

I interviewed this debut author at Operation Awesome, and was given a free copy of this book. This is my honest and unbiased review. We are both members of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, which is thanked in the acknowledgments.

There are a lot of great excerpts I could share. And the pictures at the end of the book are absolutely stunning. "Happiness comes from within. It's presented in fleeting moments; it's found when you feel at peace with the decision you've made." That's a really profound quote.
"When we arrive in (spoiler location), we're homeless." That's something to really take in, something people don't really think about. It matches chapter 18, where she mentions the difference between buying things for enjoyment instead of things to survive and prevent sinking.
"I chose travel over stuff."
"What does luck have to do with making decisions or shaking responsibilities to pursue freedom?" The author has such a strong and unique mindset, it's very inspiring.
Mayonnaise with fries... I've never had that.

The scene with the sea lions was my favorite. I read the whole book to see how it would turn out. Having interviewed the author, I know where she was and how she was living in 2020, so I wanted to know why she "got off the boat" so to say. The book is tragic at times (cancer, cancer, more cancer, freaking cancer again, oh look- it's cancer). Mini-spoiler but also trigger warning: the dogs do not survive in this book. The book has as many plot twists as life can throw at a person. But it's inspirational and entertaining, and makes one think about travel and all the places there are to go on our "blue marble." The author is certainly an authority on the subject, having lived it and getting magazines to publish her articles about her various adventures. The book is well-edited and the author's voice is strong.

"The Pan-American highway does not connect the American continents." I never knew that. Or really thought about it. I always assumed that it was possible to travel directly to South America from North America- but apparently, it is not simple. (The highway ends in Yaviza. I just looked it up on Google Maps.)

Liesbet briefly mentions that being from a socialist country is the reason she wasn't broke and could travel. And how it saves her country money. Fascinating. It doesn't cover everything, but it certainly helps.

The book is hard to put down because the chapters each end with a reason to need the next one. Good suspense! If Liesbet ever gets into writing mystery novels, they'll be excellent.

I couldn't relate to sailing, as I've never done that on this scale. But I've dumped and been dumped, I've traveled, and I've lost loved ones. The animals and wildlife were the best parts of the settings. There's a scene in the book where they make a friend who has the same name as my spouse! That was fun for me, "Hey, what are you doing in this book? Sailing without me?" Haha.

The book is beneficial to society because it gives the reader a reason to think about how a different mindset and choices can result in an entirely different life. Not an easier one, but certainly a different one. ...more

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