I hope to get more into reading when i travel, i only tend to read every so often at the moment and i really need to be gripped by a book, when i read the hobbit and lord of the rings i was really engrossed and went for the one book to another with nearly no breaths and so i need some really good books for my travels any suggestions?
Reply to this "Down Under" by Bill Bryson was mentioned, but another fabulous book by him is "In a Sunburnt Coutnry" by him which is also about travelling around Australia. They actually might be the same book. Not sure. "A Short History of Nearly Everything" was so well-done. Not necessarily about travel through locations, but definitely one of travelling through history.
Reply to this It's too big to take with you, but The Lonely Planet's "Book of Cities" is absolutely superb, and perfect for both planning trips, and calming the travel bug just after them
Reply to this Hello Susin 😊
I like stories, with a good setting, and maybe some history.
They encourage me to take an interest in the country the book is set in.
Mel
Reply to this I like to read books that take place in the country I'm in. These are a few of my favorites:
Without Reservations, Alice Steinbach (Paris, London, Oxford, Italy) read this first
Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman, Alice Steinbach (England, Japan, France, Prague) read this second
My Dream of You, Nuala O'Faolain (Ireland)
A Walk Across France, Miles Morland
Diary of Anne Frank (Read it after visiting the house)
Sherlock Holmes (in England of course)
In a Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson (Australia and laugh out loud funny)
Reply to this Everyone going to India should read 'Shantaram' by Gregory David Roberts, set to be a film starring Johnny Depp.
For Delhi specifically, William Dalrymple's 'City of Djinn's' will help you appreciate it all the more.
Also, anyone doing the Istanbul - Cairo trip should read Dalrymple's 'From The Holy Mountain', which is his best book.
Silk Road travellers should give Colin Thubron's 'Shadow of the Silk Road' a read, or any of his other boks on the region, he's really one of the best travel writers.
Many people find Paul Theroux irritating, but whatever, he's still a fine writer, and most of his books are worth a read.
Reply to this The best books are obviously books about where you are. These are all amazing books
I would recomend
Rohinton Mistry - A Fine Balance (India)
Asne Seierstad - The Bookseller of Kabul (Afghanistan)
Khaled Hoseini - The Kite Runner (Afghanistan)
Khaled Hoseini - 1000 Splendid Suns (Afghanistan)
William Dalrymple - Age of Kali
Reply to this i gotta go with No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy. absolutely gripping but downright beautiful. it gets rather depressing at times but its just a powerful book.
Reply to this Breaking the Maya Code - Michael D. Coe
Great if you're visiting mayan ruins in Central America.
Reply to this Oh yeah, another great one for Afghanistan is 'An Unexpected Light', by Jason Elliott.
He also wrote one about Iran - 'Mirrors of the Unseen', which is also good.
Reply to this If you're traveling in Lijiang/Lugu Lake, Yunnan Province, China - Leaving Mother Lake, by Yang Erche Namu. A memoir about a Mosu girl leaving her matriarch society.
Reply to this Alissa,
if you recommend 'Shadow of the Wind' after saying you are a book-nerd, no one is going to believe you... That is a masterpiece.
Other books about Spain, please choose from Vazquez Moltalbman's huge list. Buenos Aires' Quintet is a perfect introduction to Argentina.
Better than guides are James A Michener's books: he wrote about South Africa (The Covenant), Poland, USA (Chesapeake, Texas, Space) and so on...
Books about travelling: start from 'When the Going was Good', by Evelyn Waugh.
Then google 'HW Tilman', he was the greatest explorer of the 20th century! His 7 mountain travel books and 8 sailing books are just a class of their own. Best reading for travellers. Ever. Period.
Enjoy!
M
Reply to this Fingerprints of the Gods is the main inspiration for my trip to South and Central America. It's a book that tries to explain the extraordinary acuracy of certain middle age maps. It goes onto a bit of a wander and starts to contemplate other things such as the whereabouts of Atlantis. To be honest isn't the most thrilling read, and took me aout a year to finnish. But is still worth reading simply for the insight into ancient myths and knowledge.
Plus due to it's epic size i don't think it would be ideal to take travelling.
Reply to this I'll second Alissa's opinion of "Shadow of the Wind" It is a fantastic book. A love story, historical fiction, political thriller, horror story, and comedy all rolled into one.
Reply to this The Internet is the best place now to get travel information.
Reply to this Maiden Voyages by various solo women travellers - some famous, some not. Many of the stories were written before the 20th century, but amazingly things haven't changed much (for solo female travellers) since then.
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