Because I’m here, I am not there –  Paddington Bear

 

The Library Lady is on the road again, so watch for some fun new posts about Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and more. I shall return, but until then, I thought I’d share some of my . . .

Favorite Travel Books

A Fine Romance, Falling in Love with the English Countryside – By Susan Branch
This is my all time favorite travel book and it ranks high on my list of favorite books in general. A Fine Romance is a combination diary, travel journal, artist’s sketchpad and step by step itinerary  of a ramble through the English countryside. My favorite destination was her visit to Beatrix Potter’s home. (I must see it in person someday.) This book reads like a letter from your best friend and is illustrated by the author’s own whimsical watercolors. I’m hoping you’ll love it.

Rudy’s Rules for Travel
By Mary K. Jensen
Rudy is a die-hard traveler, and one who refuses to spend a penny more than is absolutely necessary. His #1 rule for traveling is “adapt”.  His wife, who prefers four star accommodations, makes a valiant effort, but at times  even she rebels. In one episode she discovers Rudy has booked  them at a budget hotel which isn’t even built yet.
Despite the challenges, Mary K. Jensen adores her husband and brings out the humor in his eccentricities.  Rudy’s Rules is a fun read about a Green Acres-esque couple and their globe trotting adventures. Their stories range from laugh out loud funny to down right scary, and I couldn’t stop reading. This book will make you want to hit the road (but maybe not with Rudy).

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk, the Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
By Ben Montgomery

Grandma Gatewood is a tough cookie.  After enduring years of abuse at the hands of a cruel husband, she decides to take a walk – a long walk – and proceeds to hike the entire 2,050 miles of the Appalachian Trail.  This inspiring book tells of her amazing adventures, her unexpected celebrity and why at the age of 67 she decided to take a hike.

Older Favorites

French Impressions
By John Littel
It was 1950 and John Littel was four-years-old when his family moved to France. As an adult he read his mothers diaries of the experience and decided to turn them into a book.  It’s fun to follow this young family as they struggle to adapt to new surroundings, learn to cook French cuisine, and get to know the locals. French Impressions gives the reader a glimpse of what it’s like to immerse yourself into a totally new culture. This book is a travel classic.

Under the Tuscan Sun
By Fances Mayes
Frances Mayes, a seasoned traveler with the  taste buds of a gourmet cook and food writer, chronicles her experience restoring a rustic Tuscan villa. As seen on  HGTV renovation shows, tearing down  walls can lead to tearing out hair, and Mayes wonders if she’s bitten off more than she can chew. From plumbers who can’t plumb, to construction workers who construct only when it’s convenient, this humorous book will make you think twice about remodeling in Tuscany, but you’ll definitely want to travel there.

Travel Books I Want to Read 

Since I haven’t yet  read these I can’t review them, but – Here’s What Amazon says:

How Not To Travel The World – Lauren Juliff

It was hitting rock bottom that convinced Lauren to quit her job, sell everything she owned, and travel the world alone. It wasn’t an easy decision: she suffered from debilitating anxiety, was battling an eating disorder, and had just had her heart broken. Not only that, but she had so little life experience that she had never eaten rice or been on a bus.

She’d hoped leaving everything behind would help her find and heal herself, but instead Lauren’s travels were full of bad luck and near-death experiences. She was scammed and assaulted; lost teeth and swallowed a cockroach. She fell into leech-infested rice paddies, was caught up in a tsunami, had the brakes of her motorbike fail, and experienced a very unhappy ending in Thailand. It was just as she was about to give up on travel when she stumbled across a handsome New Zealander with a love of challenges…

The Travel Book captures the essence of every country on the planet through stunning photographs and atmospheric text. User-friendly A-to-Z coverage and double-page spreads of every country make this book a total delight – and an amazing gift. Includes cultural insights, key facts and maps.

‘At a time when the world feels as if it’s becoming a larger, more divided and increasingly impossible place to understand, let alone discover, The Travel Book is a reminder that the world is truly an amazing place.’ The Age (Melbourne, Australia)

Library Lady’s Motto – Have Money will Travel. If I don’t have money, I check out  travel books!

Do you have a favorite? I’d love to hear about it.