15 Sep Travel Book Recommendations: Edition #1
I was the type of kid who would get more excited about going to the book store than the toy store—I’ve always loved to read. The problem is, as I’ve grown older, I haven’t dedicated enough time to indulge myself in getting lost in a book. Well, with a list of books that I want to read exceeding well over 50, I’ve decided it’s finally time to rectify this problem. I’m making a point to read on planes instead of trying to work the entire time, before bed, and while I’m waiting for an appointment or the like—basically any chance I can. And, since I always enjoy hearing other’s book recommendations, I thought it would be fun to do periodic updates of some books I’ve been enjoying lately.
My favorite types of books are typically nonfiction, and usually revolve around travel or take place in a foreign country. I really enjoy first person stories, whether they are telling of a travel adventure, an event, a historic moment in time or even a behind the scenes look at a career. So, if you are a fiction lover, I apologize, you probably won’t find many fiction books on my lists, although some may sneak in once in awhile. But, either way, I hope you can find a book or two that does interest you.
Here are my first three book recommendations—all of them are nonfiction and they happen to be some of my favorite books to date!
by Lauren Juliff
This book has become one of my favorite books of all time—I literally could not put this book down and finished it in just two days. Lauren, creator of one of my favorite travel blogs, shares a multitude of hilarious misadventures from her nonstop traveling around the world. For most of her life, Lauren has dealt with debilitating anxiety and an eating disorder, but through travel, she has learned to get out of her comfort zone and stare her problems in the face. I laughed out loud more times than I care to admit, and even got a bit teary-eyed at the end. Check out this book for a mix of adventure, love, more bad luck and near-death experiences than anyone should have in one lifetime, and humorous tales from exotic destinations around the world—you won’t be disappointed!
Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal
Little Princes is a heart-wrenching memoir about child trafficking, orphanages, corruption and civil war in Nepal. Conor initially visits Nepal as the first stop on his yearlong world trip—he admits that he signed up to volunteer at an orphanage in order to impress women and make himself feel better about taking off to explore for a year. After bonding with the children and learning that the “orphans” were not orphans, but rather victims of child trafficking, he ends up on a mission to save Nepal’s lost children and reunite them with their families. As sad as this sounds (and is), the book is filled with hilarious moments, dangerous adventure and even a love story. And now, I want to travel to Nepal even more than I did before!
Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet
I read Cruising Attitude quite some time ago, but it still remains one of my favorites. This book provides an intriguing glimpse into a life in the sky. Heather, a long-time flight attendant, shares stories and anecdotes from her flights, and she provides a behind the scenes peek into what it is like to work in this profession. My favorite sections detail the hiring and training processes of becoming a flight attendant, what the first couple of years on the job look like and how the profession has changed over the years. I also love the hilarious and absurd stories she shares about passengers (some of them famous, although nameless!)—I just can’t believe what people think is ok to do while on a plane, or anywhere in public for that matter! Cruising Attitude gave me an entirely new view on flying and flight attendants, and I must confess, I think back to the book almost every time I hop on a plane!
What are some of your favorite books? Share with us!
If you liked this post, we’d love for you to Pin It!
The Amazon links in this article are affiliate links, meaning we get a small commission from any sales at no extra cost to you. They just help us keep the site up and running, and we thank you for your support!