Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Gilbert’s disarmingly honest, soul searching novel is based on her real-life experience as a down-and-out divorcee who spends a year traveling abroad in search of revitalization. This lyrical, uplifting, and often humorous story explores Italian decadence, yogic pilgrimage in India, and spiritual wanderings in Indonesia, while also covering the more figurative distance from an unhappy marriage to a newfound sense of self, friendship and, of course, romance. Get ready for some continent skipping.
Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust
From the French Riviera to Paris and the rich countryside in between, Proust details the upheaval and glamor of a troubled upper class at the turn of the twentieth century in this fictitious masterpiece. Borrowing liberally from his real life experience, the dream-like quality of this three volume portrait portrays recollections of childhood as well as a coming of age and, later, young man’s tribulations.
Throughout the many chapters of a man’s life, a constant connection to place draws forth a delectable imagery of everything European and most precisely, everything French. You’ll be ready to hit the streets of Paris afterward in pursuit of the perfectly baked madeleine.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
A friend once boarded a bus with this cult classic in hand, to be told by the stranger sitting next to her, “Oh! Get ready to pack your bags–that one always gets people going.” That couldn’t be more true. The beatnik era comes to life in Kerouac’s impulse-driven, mesmerizing tale of hobo-style adventure as he travels from the eastern U.S. coast to west, and back again.
In between lies music, new friends, a few mishaps and great insight. Even if you aren’t exactly the hitchhiking, guitar strumming, poem-shouting type, this book will leave you with itching feet.
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
As you follow the journeys of the tireless Dr. Paul Farmer in his head-spinning efforts all over the world to treat and cure tuberculosis, you may find yourself longing to do some philanthropy yourself. You may also find yourself endeared to the people Farmer works with whose lives are dedicated to eradicating a disease that still plagues thousands from Haiti to Eastern Russia.
Kidder doesn’t sugar-coat the situation, but succeeds in delivering an inspiring true story of unrelenting courage and good will while exposing the dynamic realities of economics, politics and health care.
Whitewater Classics: Fifty North American Rivers by Tyler Williams
Even if you’ve never been in a raft or kayak, this off-the-beaten-path guidebook is a great way to brainstorm and maybe learn something new about an area nearby. Williams documents information about some of the most sought after rivers in the U.S. , from Washington to New York to Tennessee.
Each unique river is hand-picked and described by a whitewater expert, whether it be a pioneer, pro-kayaker, expeditioner or raft guide. While offering some key information for the prospective traveler, including the rate of difficulty for rafters and kayakers, it stands alone as a great read just for the stories, history and regional insight.
Like most sports, river running can be a mode for worldwide travel, and rivers are a way to explore places off the beaten path. All rivers have commercial outfitters which guide visitors of all levels on trips, but the book is also used by enthusiasts to create a checklist of places to go. Bring on the rapids.
