Ampersand book art!

When I travel, I like to read books that are set in the place I am going or while I am there. Here, I am talking about creative writing (e.g., novels or memoirs), rather than guidebooks, but a comment on those first…

Earlier in my travel life, I read guidebooks, sometimes cover to cover, to plan out my itineraries. They are an indispensable resource, unless you book a tour and your human guide is serving that purpose. Even in the internet age, I still find guidebooks a much better medium and far more thorough than pages of printouts from articles, top 10 lists, and discussion groups. I like the books that have a combo of words and visuals and are opinionated, particularly an easy to scan rating system e.g. 1, 2, 3 stars. Two of my favorite publishers are not the biggest names you hear, but depending on your destination, check out: Bradt and Moon to see if one is available. And when I lived in Prague, the Time Out guide was an indispensable reference.

Now onto reading for pleasure and learning.

I love books that have a strong sense of place. A book can be particularly meaningful if it’s a place I know, however it’s not a necessity. A strong writer can depict a full and satisfying multi-sensory experience of a place.  Whether I have been there or not, I can still feel like I am there. I am also happy if I am learning something, say, about the history, some key event(s), or culture of a place. If you happen to feel the same about reading, here are some of my favorites, in no particular order:

West With the Night by Beryl Markham (Kenya and flight beyond it) – Markham, an early aviatrix shares incredible descriptions of a Kenya that is now lost to development and hunting/poaching. Her equally vivid descriptions of early flight are remarkable.

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families by Philip Gourevitch (Rwanda) – a definitive read about the lead-up and events of the Rwandan genocide. Gourevitch is a journalist, which enough is usually a strong indication that you will get a thoroughly-researched and well-written read.

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder (Haiti) – the backstory and rise of Paul Farmer, one of the most influential public health figures today. Kidder is a Pulitzer-prize-winning author. These are both reasons enough, but it’s also an informative and moving piece of work.

Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis (Haiti) – the book, not the movie. (I cannot be held accountable for the movie, which I have not seen and I understand was only loosely based on the book. It’s classified as horror genre, which the book is certainly not.) A fascinating journey, rarely glimpsed by those of us from outside Haiti, written by a scientist whose research eventually brings him into the voodoo culture of Haiti and lives of people who practice and participate in it.

Before the Knife by Carolyn Slaughter (Botswana) – I have never been to Botswana, though I have spent time in southern Africa.  Slaughter grew up there during the last years of colonial rule, with a father who was a British officer there and more than a bit of an assh0le.

Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (Botswana) – a fictional detective series with a strong female lead character. (I loved Nancy Drew books as a kid:-) I read the first 5 or 6 of the books and they’re delightful. It was made into a television version that I have not seen.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (South Africa) – I have been there, as a tourist, but Noah grew up in parts of the city that most tourists do not see. I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and learned about Noah’s frankly refreshing views.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (China) – See is a Chinese-American fiction writer. I’ve loved her other books that I’ve read as well. She does an outstanding job of creating an intimate world that’s a different place and time.

Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler (China) – Hessler is an American teacher living in China at the time, so you’re getting an American’s perspective on the changes happening there, but he’s an informative and interesting writer. I liked this one better than the also well-reviewed River Town.

A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlene di Blasi (Italy) – short, delicious book by an American expat about Italy, food, and love. I admit I did *not* find her earlier book about Tuscany to be as delicious.

There are so many more, but I’ll stop here. Book Lust to Go, by librarian Nancy Pearl is a whole book with recommended books to read organized into cities, countries, and other topics.

I like to buy books for the sheer pleasure of having them on my shelves 🙂 so here are a few sitting on my shelves that I have not read. If you’ve read any of them, please comment:

• A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif (Pakistan) – about the plane crash that killed the then-president
• Video Night in Kathmandu by Pico Iyer (Nepal, obviously)
• The News from Paraguay by Lily Tuck – I’ve never been, but why not?
• The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh (India) – though someone told me Bangladesh, which was why I bought it, as I was living there at the time.
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt (Georgia, U.S.A.)
• Travelers’ Tales  Prague and the Czech Republic: True Stories by various authors collected by various editors. I have Travelers’ Tales Paris: True Stories as well. That I haven’t read them yet does not indicate my level of passion for both places. On my shortest list of favorite places, these two are on it.

Do you have any recommendations?