In honor of my fall break from school, I decided to do a little post on travel books since I may (hopefully!) have time to get some reading done. I am also doing a similar post on Examiner this weekend. Here are the best/most hyped travel books I’ve read in the past year and my thoughts on them:
Pint-Sized Ireland: In Search of the Perfect Guinness
My mom bought me this book before my trip to Ireland last December but I wasn’t sure I would have time to read it. I am so glad I did because this Aussie’s journey to Ireland and all the impending experiences with Guinness are hilarious.
The story begins with McHugh hearing from someone where “the best” pint of Guinness is found. As he tries the brew at each destination, there is always someone telling him to go elsewhere for it. In the end, he discovers that Guinness is the same wherever you have it, but your experience in that dingy pub in that small town in rural Ireland is the important part.
I also found his relationship with somewhat girlfriend Michelle/Twidkiwodm (the woman I didn’t know I would one day marry) entertaining because like in every relationship, the guy never knows what he has going until after he’s already messed it up. McHugh, Twidkiwodm, and their crew of assorted travelers leave from Dublin, down the southern coast to Killarney, up the west coast through Lisdoonvarna, up to Northern Ireland, and finishing up the tour in Belfast. (Thomas Dunne Books, $11.16 Amazon)
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World
Eric Weiner’s The Geography of Bliss is this year’s Eat Pray Love, but grumpier. If you’re looking for a lighthearted journey to one man’s realization of complete happiness, this is not the book for you. Sure, Weiner may realize happiness in some places, but not in the ways one would expect.
He based his locations on Dutch research about the world’s happiest places. His list included The Netherlands, Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, Great Britain, India, and America. I usually highlight or underline important quotes in books that are especially inspiring.
In Weiner’s book, I highlighted the funniest and most snarky comments. The book is a mix of hard science and sarcasm, but he meets a hilarious cast of characters, especially Moldova’s cranky grandmother Luba. Not all destinations are glamorous and it definitely doesn’t read like a guide for where to visit, but is still worth reading. (Twelve Books, $10.07 Amazon)
Eat Pray Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia
Eat Pray Love could just be the most popular travel narrative of this decade, especially now that it is being made into a movie starring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem. I picked up this book because my sister had raved about it, so I figured it couldn’t be so bad.
The story tells of Elizabeth Gilbert’s heartbreaking divorce and even more heartbreaking breakup following it. Being the “strong” woman that she is, she decides she doesn’t need the man drama and sets out for a voyage to enjoy pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and balance in Indonesia.
She takes Italian classes in Italy, visits an ashram in India, and hangs out in Indonesia, but does she ever find what she’s looking for? Spoiler alert: Yes. She finds another man, who she has just recently married in real life. The New York Times reports on the feminist readers who now have their panties in a twist because they feel like she should have stayed true to herself. Girl power and all that.
I think that you take out of the book what you want to get out of it. If you are going through a similar time in your life, you may want to hear that after all the drama, she finds love again. If you are an independent woman that needs reaffirmation that it’s okay to be without a man, skip the last chapter. The Lost Girls have more here. (Penguin Books, $10.20, Amazon)
A Year in Provence
Peter Mayle is the king of travel writing. I picked up a dusty old copy of A Year in Provence at Blue Bicycle Books a couple of weeks ago. In this book, Mayle finally realizes his dream of taking off for Provence and living in an old farmhouse. He describes his month-by-month struggles and surprises.
This is a must read for travelogue lovers. He also wrote Toujours Provence, Encore Provence, A Good Year (that was later made into a Russell Crowe movie), and Chasing Cezanne among many others. (Vintage Books, $9.36, Amazon)
Travel as a Political Act
I think I have made my feelings on this book quite clear, since it has already had it’s own post. Although it seems like more of a textbook than a travelogue, it’s a class every traveler should take. Rick Steves, the somewhat dry PBS fixture, has been to every country imaginable and has learned a lot from each destination.
His chapter on the former Yugoslavian nations is heartbreaking, but it makes one want to travel there nonetheless. No matter what trials a destination has been through, Steves always makes you want to visit it. Such is the case with Iran, which was featured on Steves’ latest travel show.
He and his crew had to get special permits to film there, but it really is a beautiful and misunderstood nation. As a member of NORML, he also presents his view on drug reform in a chapter about Europe’s “smart on drugs” policy. This book makes travelers see more than pretty cathedrals or gift shops, but takes an honest look at the country’s politics and cultural landscape. (Perseus Books, $11.53, Amazon)
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