Part of the tool belt of any traveler is a good book. Long bus, train, or plane rides can get pretty boring and can give you a lot of “dead” time if you haven’t mastered the art of the 10-hour blank stare.
While traveling, I always enjoy reading books about travel, exotic locations, and living your dreams. It makes me feel good about what I’m doing and keeps me dreaming of different places. Even if you aren’t traveling, a good travel book can help motivate you to get out there.
# The Alchemist, by Paulo CoelhoA story about following your dreams, this is one of the most-read books in recent history. It’s sold 65 million copies and has been printed in 150 languages. The story follows a young shepherd boy from Spain to Egypt as he follows his heart, goes with the flow, learns to love, and learns the meaning of life. The book is filled with amazing quotes. My favorite, “If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man… Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now.”” It’s one of those books that makes you feel good to be alive. This book always inspires me to remember to keep things in perspective and follow my heart and dreams and not be boxed in by what I “should” do.
# On the Road, by Jack KerouacWritten in 1957, Jack Kerouac’s Beat Generation classic is a classic travel novel. Kerouac’s character’s (who he modeled after himself) frustration, desire to see the world, and adventures resonate with all of us who need a little relief from modern life. The story follows his character, Sal, as he leaves New York City and heads west, riding the rails, making friends, and partying the night away. He finds thrills, adventure, love, sex, drugs, poverty, and excitement while moving from a weak character into someone whose life experience brings confidence.
# Unlikely Destinations, by Tony & Maureen WheelerThis tome chronicles the start of Lonely Planet. The story follows them from when they set out from England in the 1970s to the beginning of the 21st century. In between, you hear travel tales and learn about their early business struggles. While the book drags in some parts, it is ultimately a fascinating read about the company that helped start the travel guidebook industry and forever changed how we travel.
# The Beach, by Alex Garland
Alex Garland’s The Beach is about a group of backpackers and their search for paradise. Following Richard and his quest to “do something different” in Thailand, we see the backpacker’s desire to explore and find new places, but never really completely. The book is part adventure and partly an exploration of why we always search for these utopias — and the consequences of that quest. It perfectly sums up the idealization of travel.
# Oracle Bones, by Peter Hessler
This novel about China spans the late 90s and early 2000s. It gives a fascinating look at many aspects of China, from its culture to its politics to its food. The author lived in Beijing for years, and his observations into daily life are insightful. He befriends an Uyghur, one of China’s ethnic minorities, and the storyline gives a lot of insight into how China treats some of its lower-class citizens. This book is thick, and while not a beach read, it will certainly give you a lot of information. We often think of China as monocultural, but this book clearly shows you it’s not.
# Smile When You’re Lying, by Chuck ThompsonWritten by the slightly jaded Chuck Thompson, this book is a humorous criticism of the travel writing industry. Chuck Thompson rails against the gloss of travel magazines, overused euphemisms, and the Lonely Planetization of the world. He argues that all those travel magazines are nothing but glorified brochures. All the good stories – and he includes quite a few of his own (my favorite was his story of getting robbed by Thai school girls) – don’t get included. Sometimes the book meanders all over the place, but it nevertheless kept me laughing all the way through.