I went out 35 books everyone should read in their lifetime And rip your way through The best new books of 2021. Now, I bring to your attention some of the best travel books of today and last year. We’ve put together a roundup of travel books for that great world-traveling thrill from the comfort of your own home (or, if you’re lucky – from your porch, sidewalk, or piece of knife facing the beach outside). rent your vacation). We promise to finish each of these travel books while feeling enlightened and appreciating the little blue dot we call home.
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1. Odyssey By Homer, translated by Emily Wilson
This engaging translation of Homer’s epic poem from the eighth century B.C. follows Odysseus in his decade-long quest to bring it home to his wife, Penelope, and his son Telemachus, after the Trojan War. He faces many challenges along the way – Cyclops; storms at sea, invoked by Poseidon; Heavy fights you know, the usual culprits. Immerse yourself in a world of cinematic drama and impressive suspense unlike – and perhaps even more beautiful – than any other.
2. The Mileage Maniac: Genius, Insane And A Touch Of Evil To Collect 40 Million Frequent Flyer Miles by Steve Belkin
Published in June 2021, Steve Belkin paints an amusing (and at times noteworthy) picture of his attempt to amass a massive number of flying miles. You will be captivated by the strange and dark world as Belkin recounts how he transformed unemployed improv actors and disabled Thai masseuses into “Mileage Mules”. And it doesn’t stop there: he’s turned hair transplant consultations, a Jaguar test drive, thousands of magazine subscriptions, and fictitious flights to Cameroon into airline miles, too.
3. The Passenger: How a Travel Writer Learned to Love Cruises and Other Lies from a Sinking Ship by Chani Kwak
Kwan is a budding Korean-American writer to watch – and his journey down the fateful road Viking Sky The March 2019 cruise ship (hit by a bomb cyclone off the coast of Norway) is a must read. Sure enough, there were 60-foot swells, 87-mph storms, and blackouts as the ship floated toward the perilous coast of Hustadvika. But the real nuts here are Cowan’s evocative writing that swings seamlessly from humorous to elegiac to reflexive (especially when he thinks of his own death). With breaks to the South China Sea, Korea in the aftermath of World War II, and San Francisco in these times of pandemic, good luck getting off this page. You’ll never step on a cruise ship again without remembering this action-packed anecdote –if I got on a cruise ship again…
4. Deep South: Four Seasons on the back roads by Paul Therou
As any avid reader of travel volumes knows, the best thing after you hit the road is to take a back seat with Theroux, perhaps the most famous travel writer of our time. Here, you’ll venture to dusty back roads, local water holes, and amazing attractions throughout the South. It’s a winding wild ride that reads like an adult lullaby. Shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of the Bible Belt with its characteristic silly remarks.
5. All God’s children need travel shoes by Maya Angelou
Angelou captures that deep desire to truly know ourselves in this touching 1986 autobiography. It is filled with lines that stop you in your tracks (“The pain of homeland lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned”) while Angelou obscures as she moves to Ghana, where it became part of the former American group “Returning Revolutionaries”. While many have read Angelou’s famous 1969 autobiography, I know why the caged bird singsThis book gives you new insight into the African American experience, as well as the Pan-African movement.
6. March In: A Veterans Travel Guide by Michael Embrich
Travel the world with US Navy veteran, writer, and military researcher Michael Embrich in his debut this summer 2021. The book is part travel guide, and part personal narrative. Along the way, you’ll visit New York City’s private officers’ clubs, travel to Paris to visit veteran expats, and more. We especially love the resources it provides to help you plan actual travel. The book highlights veteran-owned businesses across the United States and Europe, and provides detailed historical anecdotes.
7. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America by Bill Bryson
This 1989 Bryson classic is the kind of ride you’ll want to go back to over and over again. This book brings big hearty laughs, so proceed with caution while out in public. You’ll learn about the endless beauty and tragedy of the United States, whether it’s Bryson dropping you into the Big Apple or the vast expanse of California. If you can’t let this go, be sure to pick up Bryson’s diary The life and times of a thunderbolt child. He tells us more about Des Moines, Iowa, his upbringing and what makes this beloved travel writer tick.
8. The Girl Explorers: The untold story of women travelers who ran, flew and fought their way around the world by Jayne Zanglein
Take a look at the first members of the International Geographical Society. Founded in 1925 – as PW subtly sums it up – “explorers, artists, scientists, and writers who shared a common love of travel and exploration in an age when women were told their place was at home”. Zanglein’s telling of their tales takes you from the mountains of Peru to flying across the Atlantic.
Pre-order this adorable hardcover (from October 19, 2021) to indulge in a sofa-side escape to over 40 countries. Whether you’re traveling to an adult space camp in Huntsville, Alabama or hitting the slopes in Stowe, Vermont, you’ll be sure to learn something new in these 700-plus pages. You can also bookmark your next vacation and plan as well.
10. Faith Encounter: The Jungle Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun by Faith Adele
If the past year has made you consider giving up all your worldly possessions and becoming a Buddhist, a) we don’t blame you and b) you should probably read this book. The memoir was published in 2005, and feels especially relevant in these turbulent times. Feel inspired by Adiele’s journey to undo her Harvard-born ego and embrace life in a jungle temple in Thailand. Note: If you thought your 15-minute Simple Habit sessions were tough, try 19 hours of meditation a day.
11. Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors by James Mills
Prepare for an adventure, but also a thought-provoking exploration of the racism inherent in America’s great outdoors. In this 2014 non-fiction book, Mills documents the first team of African-American climbers on their attempt to summit Denali. The highest peak in North America, the mountain is 20,310 feet above sea level. Along the way, Mills shares his critique of minority group exclusion from the outdoors. It also focuses on what we can do to shape a better path for everyone.
12. 50 Ways to Recycle the World by Tristan Bogard and Belen Castillo
If a coffee table book is what you crave, then this great photography book is about the world in every sense of the word. Features cycling adventures in 23 countries by 75 individuals and groups. Revealed in June 2021, this ant will have you knocking some pedal dreams off your bucket list. However, it is preferable not to be on a tandem bike, on a long trip alone, or with a cat, as the book depicts.
Joseph
