Travel-themed Books to Read While You Are Stuck at Home!

Feeling stuck while self-quarantined? But you shouldn’t! As author Jhumpa Lahiri said, “That's what books are for... to travel without moving an inch.”  So order or download a travel inspired book to feed your #TravelLust while you spend your days indoors during these difficult times. Here’s a list of interesting reads that are full of adventures and colourful experiences ⁠— sure to keep you occupied.

1. Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon

The autobiographical account of the author’s explorations in America was published in 1982. Here, the author highlights an unforgettable adventure on the backroads of the USA, which he calls the Blue Highways. His long road trip across these small, unimportant roads that connect rural America was on “Ghost Dancing”, a name he gave to his van.

He called those roads ‘Blue Highways’ as they’re marked in blue colour in a particular road atlas. What makes the read interesting is that his \adventure lasted for 3 months, as he went from one small town to another and discovered several unknown towns with fascinating names.

2. The Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald​

A first-person journey account, that involves a walking tour of Suffolk, England. Written in 1995 by German writer W.G. Sebald, this vintage classic is known as a hybrid book as it covers the genres of fiction, travelogue, biography, myth and memoir, all in a single book. It begins with his journey on foot, through the coast of East Anglia (a geographical area in England). Here, the narrator resembles the author.

Translated by Michael Hulse, the book describes all the places the author comes across and the people he meets, along with a few historic episodes such as the introduction of silkworm cultivation in Europe. He also talks about the writings of other authors.

3. A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain

Also published by the title of “A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines”, this bestseller is written by a chef and author, Anthony Bourdain. It was published in 2001, featuring the author’s travel account that includes experiencing exotic food and native life across several countries. With a tagline like, “In search of the perfect meal,” the book inspired a television series too.  

In this book, you’ll read about the author’s travel adventures in Portugal, France, Spain, Russia, Vietnam, Morocco, Japan, Cambodia, Mexico and Napa Valley. ‘Still-beating heart of a cobra’ and ‘soft-boiled duck embryo with semi-formed bones and feathers’ are just a few of the strange dishes the author talks about.

4. Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes by Robert Louis Stevenson

Written by the talented author of classics like Kidnapped and Treasure Island, this book is one of his earliest published works and a pioneer classic in outdoor literature. The travel-loving author talks about his walking tour in a mountainous region of France, known a Cevennes. A little donkey called as Mosestine, who had a mind of her own, is the author’s company throughout.

What makes the short book humorous is how the author talks about his stubborn donkey, who was hired to carry his belongings. His journey was both challenging and charming, making the perfect material for a good travel book.

5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat, Pray, Love (2006) is the author’s quest for “everything!” The 32-year-old author recalls her days of travel to Italy, India and Indonesia. This bestselling memoir is all about spirituality and romance that was missing in the American author’s life even when she had a home, a husband and a successful career. After her painful divorce, she travels to Italy to enjoy the gastronomical delights, then went to India to seek spirituality and finally visited Indonesia in search of balance in life.

The inspiring story talks about how life changes when you take charge of your own happiness rather than trying to live up to the society’s standards.

So beat away the lockdown blues with a stimulating travelogue, and go places while staying at home!