We can’t wait to travel once all of this is over. As the world is gradually adopting the new changes to tackle the pandemic, there is something that can bring travel to our homes. Those pages full of words and wisdom can open up places that haven’t been a part of our bucket list.
While we wait for that day to stretch our wings and take flight to distant places, pick a cosy corner of your home, tug yourself with one of these books and dive into the world of journeys.
In Patagonia – Bruce Chatwin
A fine account of the author’s journey through Patagonia with remarkable anecdotes and historical details that will transport you to this land in the southern end of South America.
Don’t Let’s go to the Dogs Tonight – Alexandra Fuller
Get transported to 1970s conflict-ridden Rhodesia as you trace the author’s growing up years amidst the Rhodesian Civil War. The book is melancholic and poignant yet compassionate, filled with humour, even when there is little to celebrate.
Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson
Read the author’s endearing account of his hiking adventure of the Appalachian Trail. Imagine him braving through mountain wilderness filled with bears, moose, rattlesnakes and disease-bearing tics. By the end of the book, you will end up feeling as if you were there, a part of his journey.
In Ethiopia with a Mule – Dervla Murphy
On her trek to Ethiopia, the author describes the country as “….some improbable land of violence and piety, courtesy and treachery, barrenness and fertility.” This sets the tone for this book that was supposed to be about beauty, solitude and mystery, but in return, the author encounters rough terrain, exhaustion, illness and the disorder of the Ethiopians’ domestic affairs.
Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road – Kate Harris
Follow the author’s ambitious mission to bicycle across Asia, tracing the ancient Silk Road. The retelling of her journey is full of science, history, and literature as she traces her Marco Polo’s route – past Constantinople, Trabzon, Erzurum, Bukhara, Samarkand to Badakhshan, Kashgar, Khotan and Cathay. It is an enchanting travelogue.
Dark Star Safari – Paul Theroux
A travel book list is incomplete without Paul Theroux and this book takes you from Cairo to Cape Town, across bush and desert, rivers and lakes – offering some of the most beautiful (and most dangerous!) landscapes.
Here are our top picks of the books you can read during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell us in the comments if there is something you would like to suggest. We are always ready for a good read.
Dark Star Safari – Paul Theroux
A travel book list is incomplete without Paul Theroux and this book takes you from Cairo to Cape Town, across bush and desert, rivers and lakes – offering some of the most beautiful (and most dangerous!) landscapes.
