Brian Thacker is no newcomer to the writing of a great travel narrative, having previously penned such greats as Rule No. 5: No Sex on the Bus, Where’s Wallis? and I’m not Eating any of that Foreign Muck. His new book is a tour of the globe while couch surfing. For those new to couch surfing, it stems from a website called GlobalFreeloaders.com. People across the world post a profile and invite travellers to come and stay on their couch for free. Not only does one get the free accommodation but more than likely the couch owner will show you around and take you out to get a feel for their town and country. An ingenuous idea for a book, this did not disappoint. Full of humour and interesting characters, the book gives some great insight into each country and couch host (as well as couch) he visits. The entertaining Sleeping Around should appeal to both real and armchair travellers. It is also a great book for a humour reader and it should inspire a whole raft of newcomers to the cult couch surfing craze. It really is a great way of meeting people and experiencing a country through a local’s perspective!

Melanie Barton is the fiction category manager at Angus & Robertson

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