While e-books are gaining in popularity, there’s still nothing like a well-stocked bookstore, especially one that’s dedicated to a particular subject matter or market.

Whether you have a trip planned or you’ve just returned from someplace you loved, you may want to read more about it—either to educate yourself, get in the mood, learn a language, or simply as a reminder of the great experiences you had. If so, Idlewild Books is for you. Located at 19^th Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, or online at www.idlewildbooks.com, it carries all kinds of books—from novels to memoirs to cookbooks to travel guides, and even children’s books—about almost anyplace in the world.

If you’ve fallen in love with France, for example, you might want to read Julia Child’s My Life in France to discover what made her fall in love with it on first sight. Or if you’re setting out for Spain, reading Hemingway’s classic The Sun Also Rises will surely make you yearn to see Pamplona. And Idlewild even offers language courses in French, Italian, and Spanish right in the shop.

E-readers are not only changing the publishing paradigm, they’re changing the way people read. No longer do we have to carry a pile of paperbacks or wean ourselves from reading the New York Times when we’re traveling. Now we can get what we want to read when we want it, and all on a single, lightweight, eminently portable device.

Personally, I believe the iPad is going to become the market leader, but it may not be for everyone. More a combination netbook and e-reader than a simple reading device, it performs a multitude of functions, but it’s also bigger and you may not need everything it does.

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We may be living in a global economy but customs still differ from one country to the next. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, you don’t want to worry about offending anyone, and your stay will be much more productive and pleasurable if you’re familiar with the culture of the country you’re visiting. In fact, taking the time to learn what’s okay and what’s not is more than polite—it’s a way to show your respect.

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands is an invaluable paperback guide to the do’s and don’ts of 60 countries throughout the world. I own and use it myself and found it extremely helpful when I traveled to Hong Kong and Japan. Although written primarily for business travelers, the concise, straightforward information is equally useful for vacationers.