For my final stop, it's London. But not just any London, it's the London of . . . Bridget Jones! Fabulous publishing parties, great friends who support each other through good dates and bad, humor and humility and perhaps even a little humiliation, but strength and character that triumph in the end. It is not a perfect world, but the benefits far outweigh the challenges. 

In my Bridget Jones world. narrated by the lovely Imogen Church, London is a place where you can reinvent yourself, where there are as many possibilities as you can imagine, where a sense of irony and a fondness for adventure can take you to laughter or tears. 

And it's not just Bridget. They're all here with her. Tom, Jude, and Shazza. Mum, Dad, Una Alconbury, and perverted Uncle Geoffrey. Perpetua. Natasha. And of course, Daniel Cleaver and the unflappable Mark Darcy. 

I have always loved this novel. I am an Anglophile by nature, and my reading kryptonite is a strong first-person narrator. Add in a strong sense of humor and a female narrator, then you can't keep me from that book. So clearly, I am all over Helen Fielding and her fantastic novels. I read them, re-read them, and listen to them any time I need a break from reality. Listening to this audiobook helps me to remember my own strength, focus my own thoughts, and give me the power to face my personal demons again. 

If you are looking for a fun romp through England, a light-weight romance based on Jane Austen, or an empowering feminist story of taking charge of your life, then Bridget Jones' Diary is for you. And you can't beat the experience of listening to this book on audio. It adds a layer of authenticity, of rawness, that I don't get when I just read the text myself (and I will admit, when I'm reading it myself, I hear Renee Zellweger in my head; there's nothing wrong with that, but listening to a true Brit read it adds depth and feeling to it that's not there otherwise). So give it a shot: listen to Bridget Jones, and join me on the trip of a lifetime.