I’m a self-proclaimed bibliophile — I love books. It seems like every week I’m going to the library and coming home with a new stack of books to read. I prefer to go for the non-fiction books. If I’m going to spend time reading something, I want to learn from it. To help keep myself sane while back home, I’ve thrown myself into many travel books. I’ve cleaned out the library system’s Spain collections. I eventually wandered out to hit other sections, too.

I’ve decided to compile of list – a short list for now – of recommendations for my readers. I could have done a whole post about Spain, but I decided, for now, to try to keep it multinational-ish.

The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two Friends, and One Unexpected Adventure

By Rachel Friedman

I’ve seen some negative reviews about this book like “I had a similar experience as her, but she got published because her parents are in the publishing business.” Personally for me, I really liked it. I came upon in the library when I was just looking for books. Basically, the summer before her senior year of college, she decides to go to Ireland on a work visa for four months to experience life in another country. There she meets a girl who became her best friend and travel partner.

For me, her experience was very motivating. I wish I had as much courage as she did. She got to see some cool places. She lived in Ireland, experienced Australia with her friend, and then they visited South America (although that doesn’t go exactly as planned). I think for me, part of the reason I liked it was because I saw myself in it. Someone who beforehand, hadn’t planned on falling in love with being abroad.

She also gets the experience of traveling with a friend and traveling solo. When people say that it’s dangerous as a girl to travel alone, her experiences highlight that it is in fact okay to do, as long as you are vigilant and being safe about things. I hope to find as much happiness as she did in her travels.

Good for people who: want to have a sabbatical year, enjoy traveling to new places, female travelers

The Way of the Stars: Journeys on the Camino de Santiago

By Robert C. Sibley

One of my goals in life is to walk the Camino de Santiago (English: St. James’s Way). Technically to consider yourself a peregrine – pilgrim – you only have to walk 100 km, but I want to do the whole thing. It starts in Roncesvalles, France and ends are Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The tradition dates back to the Dark Ages when people made pilgrimages from all over Europe to the final resting place of Saint James. Kind of. It is claimed that he is buried under the cathedral, but it is more likely a transcription error and his body is somewhere in the Middle East.

This book is an autobiographical take of Robert Sibley’s journey on the Camino de Santiago. He’s actually done it twice, once in the 90s and then again with his son when his son graduated college. I really enjoyed reading this book and it’s my favorite of the books I’ve read about the Camino. He tells about his adventure and the people that he came upon on his way. His recounting put me in the journey and made me want to pack my bags and go on the trip now. It takes about a month to complete, and don’t be like him where you go too hard and end up with huge blisters on your feet that you have to pop with needles. Yes, that happened.

The Camino is not for everyone. You have to be up for walking 500 miles in a month and be able to financially compensate yourself. For me, this is something I want to do to prove to myself that I can do it … and a few other reasons, as well. If you don’t personally want to do it though, this book is great to show you a different kind of a tradition.

Good for people who: like the outdoors, want a physical challenge, enjoy multicultural adventures

Brazil

By Michael Palin

I have a soft spot in my heart for Brazil. I’ve never been, but I love the language and I love the idea of their culture. Oh and their food is the bomb. Pão de queijo, anyone? I was in the travel section of the library, where they mostly have useless travel guides, but I stumbled upon this book. The fact that it’s written by a guy from Monty Python also aided in my decision to pick it up. Michael Palin now works for the BBC doing travel documentaries, and he wrote this book!

Brazil looks at travels throughout all of Brazil, from Rio to São Paulo to the rainforests in the west. Brazil has such diverse geography and culture and it was all put together very well. Like with the other books I read, I was ready to book a flight to Brazil while reading this. I really liked the organization by the different states in Brazil he visited. I was continually looking forward to reading more. The pictures were breathtaking, as well.

It’s not a travel guide like the Lonely Planet, etc., but it does give a glimpse at life in Brazil for the everyday person, which I think is better than a silly travel guide. I guarantee Brazil will go to the top of your travel list after breezing through a few pages.

Good for people who: want to learn about new cultures, are world travelers, love nature

Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain’s Food Culture

By Matt Goulding

I tried not to include too much Spain on here, but I couldn’t help myself! Grape, Olive, Pig takes a look at food culture in Spain. What better way to learn about a country than through its food. I could feel myself salivating while reading this book, yearning to eat some Spanish food. Good thing I can make some mean tortilla and patatas bravas. 

I was captivated by the first chapter. It was about Barcelona, so I could totally relate. I was smiling and laughing at some of the Catalan customs he was talking about. It also made me insanely jealous, especially since he married a Catalan girl and lives there now. Goals. From there, he takes you on a culinary adventure through Spain, from the black-footed pig farms of the west to a paella competition in Valencia and octopus fishing in Galicia.

The book was a really easy read, as well as an interesting one. Spain is a country with so many mini-countries located in it. I learned more about the food culture and it left me wanting more. I didn’t care too much about the seafood bits since I don’t like it myself, but it made me long for my next go-round in Spain.

Good for people who: love food

Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe

By Mike Massimino

I always thought the character of Mike Massimino on The Big Bang Theory was made up until I was listening to a podcast where someone mentioned he wrote a book. Turns out, he’s a big time NASA guy, famous for his personality among the astronaut community. He’s been on two trips to space and would go again in a heartbeat if he could.

Now you may be saying, “Hey! This isn’t a travel book. This is a book about some astronaut dude.” Wrong. I thought the same at first, but then there were several passages that hit me. I thought, “Wow, this is just like me and my desire to travel.” He wanted to experience the unknown and see places that other people had seen. Another passage that I really related too was when he talked about the Columbia disaster, when the ship exploded eight seconds after lift off. While most people may feel scared to go to space again, he just considered it a hazard of being on the job. It reminded me of the people who don’t think I should travel because of the presence of terrorism. As he said, you could walk out your door on a normal day and get hit by a car. So why not travel?

If you still don’t believe me, space travel is a type of travel! Maybe it’s not something that everyone wants to do or can do, but it is inspiration in several ways. First, what he studied at college prepared him for the future, but it wasn’t his future. He was working with mechanical engineering, which helps to be an astronaut, but isn’t the direct path. Second, he had to try over and over and over again to become an astronaut. Many people apply, but very few people are accepted. It really shows the motivation and drive you need to achieve your dreams. Third, it’s just a great story. It’s a great story of his life. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he made something about of himself and he wants to share his story to inspire others. Isn’t that what we all want?

Good for people who: like inspirational stories, have a secret science side, enjoy good story telling

Read On

Summer is just around the corner, so why don’t you pick up one of these books and read it on the beach or along the pool or wherever you prefer to read? It will broaden your mind to new experiences, new cultures, and new sights to see. I know I’ll be continuing to research more books. Keep on reading and exploring!

What travel books do you love to read?