I am absolutely loving this post by Catherine of Forty 20 Four! I always swoon over her travel posts since she and her husband make travel a priority–something Mike and I hope to do as well. I’m definitely going to have to check some of these books out once we get settled in Spain and I have some time to get back to reading!
When Mandy asked me if I would be interested in guest blogging while she was in Spain, I jumped at the chance. I so ENVIOUS that she’s moving to Spain – what an amazing experience it will be for her and her family.
I love traveling and have loved living abroad but like most people, my husband and I don’t quite have the resources (money and time off) to go all the places we want to go. Luckily for us, there are ways to have worldly adventures without ever leaving the couch – all it takes is a good book and here are my top 5 picks.
Tip Five Travel Books:
1. Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay
This is one of my FAVORITE books period. I’m a sucker for a history of (insert random topic here) book. I really enjoy reading how a particular item, be it Cod or Color, affected the world. This book is half travel memoir, half history of color. The writing is superb. It makes your favorite color really come to life and allow you understand its role in history.
2. West With the Night by Beryl Markham
When I started to travelling to Africa regularly, my Mother-in-law suggested I read this book. She said she knew I would really love it. As usual, she was right. Beryl moved to Africa in 1906 and was in love with the continent. She was a remarkable women who ran her own small airline and had adventures which were the envy of any man at the time – or person now. I could not put this book down. The imagery and language take you away to another place and time, and you go willingly.
3. The Places in Between by Rory Stewart
I don’t know why I picked up this book but I’m so glad I did. I learned so much about a country I knew little about, Afghanistan. After spending significant time in Asia, Rory Stewart decides to walk across Afghanistan shortly after 9/11 and the departure of the Taliban. He’s honest, the book is gritty, and it holds your attention throughout. I may never go to Afghanistan but I feel like I understand it better after reading this book.
4. Note From a Small Island and In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Maybe I should just say books by Bill Bryson? I read Notes From a Small Island a few weeks before I moved to England to go to graduate school. I felt like I didn’t need a travel guide but just something that interesting and gave me a real perspective of what it would be like to live in England as an America. Bryson’s observations are spot on (in my option) and his adventures are hilarious no matter where he is.
I read In a Sunburned Country right before my husband and I headed to Australia for our honeymoon. Thank goodness I read it after I booked our tickets because that book, despite being REALLY funny, scared me to death. Bryson spends most of the book humorously describing all the life threatening and poisonous dangers in Australia. Then again, Bryson also convinced me I HAD to go to Australia and pray that I would be on a train and see a kangaroo hopping alongside it. You know what, I totally saw a kangaroo (two actually) hop, ok bound, alongside our train and it was amazing and my favorite memory
from Australia.
5. Ciao, America! By Beppe Severgnini
There are so many books about Americans living, traveling and learning the ropes in Italy but this is not that – it’s the complete opposite. This book is about an Italian man living in Washington DC. It’s SO funny and many of Severgnini’s observations and frustrations with Washington DC are exclusive to him being Italian. I read this book almost 10 years ago and realized that I had the same feelings as he did about many of the same things. I also remember that this book was funny. Did I say that? Like laugh
out loud on the metro and have people stare at you funny.
There are SO many more travel memoirs and histories I’ve read and loved. What books have taken you away on foreign adventures without ever leaving the house?
