Memoirs about travel

[Anonymous]

Feeling wanderlust, but stuck here. Help me find a book that will take me away, if only vicariously.

[Anonymous]

“Travels,” by Michael Crichton. (Parts are dated or disturbing but most of still holds up.)

“Out of Africa,” Karen Blixen.

“Lost City of Z,” David Grann. (Half memoir/half nonfiction about an expedition to the Amazon. The author relays his own experiences along with information and theories about a British expedition from 100 years before. super interesting!)

[Anonymous]

Bill Bryson. Paul Theroux.

[Anonymous]

The Places In Between by Rory Stewart. He walks across Afghanistan.

[Anonymous]

I used to INHALE travel memoirs. They definitely scratch an itch. I love Peter Hessler's books about China. The first is River Town, which is about his life in China as a Peace Corp volunteer. His writing is amazing. Other great Peace Corp books are Nine Hills to Nambokonkaha by Sarah Erdman and Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway. I enjoy anything by Pico Ayer, Mary Morris, Peter Matthieson and Paul Theroux, especially Mountains Beyond Mountains and Ghost Train to the Eastern Star by the Theroux. Catfish and Mandala. Sex Lives of Cannibals. Seven Years in Tibet. A Chef's Tour by Anthony Bourdain. Frances Mayes wrote several books about living or traveling abroad--I'm not actually a huge fan but people love Under the Tuscan Sun. Leave Only Footprints by Conor Knighton. Hokkaido Highway Blues. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris has a lot about settling in France and it is hilarious. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle is fun (but his later books about life there get kind of repetitive). Pick where you want to go! Personally, I start with River Town.

[Anonymous]

I love the bill bryson books about England and the Appalachian trail. He’s very funny and he weaves in lots of asides about history.

[Anonymous]

Bruce Chatwin

[Anonymous]

Becoming Odyssa (Appalachian Trail)
A Fortune-Teller Told Me
Pass the Butterworms
Round Ireland with a Fridge

[Anonymous]

I loved the one where bill bryson goes to Australia . I believe it’s called In a Sunburned Country.

[Anonymous]

A Year in Provence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to INHALE travel memoirs. They definitely scratch an itch. I love Peter Hessler's books about China. The first is River Town, which is about his life in China as a Peace Corp volunteer. His writing is amazing.

Peter Hesslers China books are great, why isn’t he writing anymore, wish he would

Bill Bryson’s travel books are fun reads but sometimes the writing can be quite snarky and unkind

My absolute favorite expat life book is Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart - Englishman and his wife buy and fix up a decrepit farm in rural Andalucia with little money and a lot of can do attitude. The humor is self deprecating without any condescension at the expense of the locals like in the Peter Mayle or Frances Mayes books. This book is an absolute gem, the writer is a genuinely good guy and it shows in his writing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to INHALE travel memoirs. They definitely scratch an itch. I love Peter Hessler's books about China. The first is River Town, which is about his life in China as a Peace Corp volunteer. His writing is amazing.

Peter Hesslers China books are great, why isn’t he writing anymore, wish he would

Bill Bryson’s travel books are fun reads but sometimes the writing can be quite snarky and unkind

My absolute favorite expat life book is Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart - Englishman and his wife buy and fix up a decrepit farm in rural Andalucia with little money and a lot of can do attitude. The humor is self deprecating without any condescension at the expense of the locals like in the Peter Mayle or Frances Mayes books. This book is an absolute gem, the writer is a genuinely good guy and it shows in his writing

I’m the PP you quoted. I’m going to check out Driving Over Lemons. I agree—so many older expat and travel memoirs are so condescending or even bigoted. I like reading Theroux, but the comments he makes about people in his older books are rough.

[Anonymous]

A Trance After Breakfast by Alan Cheuse.

[Anonymous]

I’ve read and agree with many already mentioned. I loved America Day by Day by Simone DeBeauvoir. Also West with the Night by Beryle Markam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A Trance After Breakfast by Alan Cheuse.

I knew him as a child. He was a wonderful person.