Reading on the Road

One of the luxuries of traveling, for me anyway, has been the time it has afforded me to read. I’m always reading at home, but it’s been so nice to have blocks of time while moving from one place to the next, to really dig into a book. I’ve been trying to read books that are somewhat relevant to where we travel and others that are just pure entertainment. The best part of reading is sharing the books I’ve read with others so here are some of them worth mentioning:

Tales From a Female Nomad – by Rita Goldman Gelman – Madeline bought me this book for my birthday last year. The book is about a divorced woman in search of her self through traveling. I particularly enjoyed the chapters where she travels to Palenque, Mexico (one of our favorite places), Thailand, and Bali. Gelman immerses herself in the cultures of far-away places through cooking, local rituals, and by living with the native people. Her experience in Bali is particularly interesting.

Night – by Eli Weisel. We read this book as a family during our travels to Auschwitz. Weisel’s experience as a survivor of the Holocaust is poignant, heartbreaking and unforgettable. A must read.

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly – by Jean-Dominique Bauby. A beautifully poetic journey into the mind of a gifted man trapped inside his useless body.

Of Mice and Men – by John Steinbeck. Say no more – we all read this book, some of us for a second go around.

To Kill A Mockingbird – by Harper Lee. Scout and Atticus are our hero’s. The girls and I read this book and we loved it. Another must read. I can't believe it took me this long to read this book.

When Broken Glass Floats – by Chanrithy Han. The story of a survivor of the Cambodian genocide by the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Incredibly heartbreaking and unbelievable. Well written and informative.

The Snow Leopard – by Peter Matthiesson. A soul-searching journey through the Himalayas of Nepal and Tibet. Beautiful.

The Girl In The Picture – by Denise Chong. We’ve all seen the photo of the little girl running from the napalm attack in Viet Nam. This is her story and it’s an astonishing look into her survival, the Viet Nam war, communism and her struggle for freedom.

Dante’s Inferno – by Dante. I got caught up in reading this again. It’s actually quite humorous and this time I spent more time reading the footnotes to understand the Italian politics and influential figures during Dante’s lifetime which gave me a better understanding of him as an exiled poet. Fascinating.

Water For Elephants – by Sara Gruen. I put off reading this book because I had no interest in a story about the circus, but I devoured it! The book was passed along to me from our friend Larry in Monterroso and I, in turn, passed it along to Sarah on the ferry to Patras. Loved this book.

The Bastard of Istanbul – by Elif Shafek. This book is a simplistic look into the story of a young woman living in America who is struggling with her Armenian and Turkish roots. The reality of the Turkish genocide of the Armenians is explored through this fictional story. I didn't love this book, but I'm glad I read it.

Frankenstein – by Mary Shelley. I love Shelly’s writing style. Man vs. God, Man vs. Nature Man vs. Himself – it’s all there.

Tortilla Curtain - by T.C. Boyle. This is my third Boyle novel and he is one of my all time favorite authors. He has an incredible way of intertwining his characters lives in unexpected ways. I loved this book and more so because it was set in Topanga Canyon and explores the struggles of Mexican immigrants in search of the “American dream.”

In Spite of The Gods – by Edward Luce. A very in-depth look into modern day India. Luce was a writer for The Financial Times and spent many years living in India. He was privy to interviews with politicians, humanitarians, religious leaders, business people and government employees and his research is a fascinating look into the underbelly of corruption, the reality of India’s caste system, the business climate and India’s emerging status as a global power. One of my favorite quotes about India comes from this book when Luce says “nothing is ever as bad, or as good, as you think it is in India.”

Enjoy!