Travel books can be a source of inspiration, filling you with awe and a desire to explore. They can make long bus rides bearable and spark excitement about new destinations. As an avid reader, I sometimes find myself reading a couple of books a week, then not touching another for months. This year, I’m aiming for consistency, with a goal to read at least one book a week.
As we journey through the year, I’d like to share some of my recent favorite reads. These books are not just entertaining, but they also inspire, educate, and might even change your habits. Here are some of them:
"Marching Powder" by Rusty Young & Thomas McFadden tells the true story of Thomas McFadden’s time in Bolivia’s San Pedro prison. McFadden, an English drug trafficker, was double-crossed by an official he was bribing and ended up in jail. The book gives a glimpse into a prison where inmates bought their own cells, creating a class system, and even made their own drugs.
"Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain is an insider’s account of the restaurant industry. Bourdain, known for his travels around the world, started as a chef in New York City. The book is a raw and unfiltered look at the fast-paced, dog-eat-dog world of restaurants, revealing the drug use in kitchens, staff loyalty to chefs, and some foods you should never order.
"The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg, although not a travel book, is a well-researched exploration of how we form habits. It discusses why we repeat habits, even bad ones, and how we can break them and form good ones. This book made me rethink many of my habits and inspired me to read more.
"Choose Yourself!" by James Altucher is a book about the new economy and how it has made it easier for people to become their own bosses. It provides tips on starting your own business and advice on finding what makes you happy and doing more of it.
"Turn Right at Machu Picchu" by Mark Adams is a tale of Adams’s journey through Peru in search of little-visited Inca ruins and ancient cities. It’s one of the best-written tales I read last year and gave me a new understanding of the Incas.
"Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure" by Sarah Macdonald is a funny and insightful account of Macdonald’s experience moving to India to follow her boyfriend. It shares a lot about her time in the country, from family, marriage, and dating to class breakdowns.
"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini is a beautiful and vivid story of Amir, a wealthy Afghan kid who escapes with his family during the Soviet invasion, grows up in America, and eventually returns to Afghanistan during Taliban rule to save his friend’s son.
"Salt: A World History" by Mark Kurlansky is a dense but fascinating book that traces the history of salt and its importance to civilization, ancient empires, and world exploration.
"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho is a story about following your dreams. It follows a young shepherd boy traveling from Spain to Egypt after he has a dream telling him he needs to get to Egypt.
"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values" by Robert M. Pirsig is a classic book that uses travel as a backdrop to make us question why we do what we do, what makes us happy, and how we can be happier.
"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer follows Christopher McCandless’s journey across the United States in search of a deeper meaning to life.
"Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris" by Sarah Turnbull is a book about Turnbull’s life in Paris as she tries to fit into a foreign culture while slowly falling more in love with it.
This year, as I read more, I thought it would be fun to start a travel book club. Once a month, I’ll be featuring about five amazing books — some oldies, some recent reads — covering travel, history, fiction, and anything else I think you might enjoy! So, if you want reading suggestions, just sign up below. Once a month you’ll get a list of suggested books based on what I read and loved that month. And, if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments below!
