If you’ve got cabin fever or an itch to travel, then I’ve got some good travel books that will keep you entertained until it’s safe to travel again! These are my favorite travel books of all time and have helped shape my unconventional life of nonstop adventure. Many of these authors literally changed my life and gave me the extra nudge of courage I so desperately needed to become the vagabond I am today. I’ve discovered that books are often the best method to find encouragement when trying to go against the norms of society to live an unconventional life.
When I read, I often dog ear pages with lines or quotes that stand out to me. After I’ve finished the book, I go back and type out the lines that spoke to me or on a Kindle, I copy and paste them to my notes. (Does anyone else do this?!?) This often seems silly but those words have helped me through so much. The most important thing in life is being understood and these simple phrases are a reminder that someone out there — a stranger — understands. I’ve included some of these in the graphics below. This habit also really came in handy when I got to interview my favorite author, Pico Iyer, last year for a story for a AFAR because I was able to easily reference several of his books!
This post is not only meant to give you inspiration and serve as a big THANK YOU to all of these authors! Check out my book list below:
[A quick side note: I’ve scaled back my posts due to the pandemic and will only be posting monthly going forward since my originally planned content now seems irrelevant. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! Please scroll down to check out my NEW Virtual One-on-one Photo classes and photo card and print sale! ]
1. A Pirate Looks at Fifty by Jimmy Buffett
Musician Jimmy Buffett is the world’s most famous beach bum and one of the few authors to top the New York Times’ bestseller lists for both fiction and nonfiction. Most importantly, Buffett is my hero! I read A Pirate Looks at Fifty, his autobiography that he wrote at age 50, on my first international flight en route to England to study abroad when I was 19. If a guy from a small town in Alabama can travel the world, why can’t a girl from small-town South Carolina do the same? This book gave me the permission I was so desperately seeking to travel and ignore the judgements of everyone who thought I was crazy. (It took me a decade to realize they were the crazy ones to deter my dream!)
In the book, Buffett shares tales of growing up in Mobile in a Catholic school, playing music on street corners in New Orleans, working on a fishing boat in Key Wey and a harrowing seaplane crash in Nantucket that he barely survived. He digs into his unconventional life philosophy and his path to making a living as a musician/professional beach bum.
The book starts with a 400-word summary of his life that only fuels the fire to keep reading. There are many Buffett-isms throughout the book including his school day musings: “My heroes were not presidents; they were pirates.” And, there’s a good deal of wisdom that comes from both age and a life of adventure: “Fifty is not the age to try and start a new life. Begin your adventures as early as you can. I promise you, you will not get burned out. It actually becomes the most enjoyable way to spend time on Earth as opposed to just pacing the cage.” And, I totally agree!
2. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
Trains are my favorite form of travel and what drew me to Theroux’s nonfiction classic, The Great Railway Bazaar. It was published in 1975 and follows the author through an epic quest to travel by train from London to Tokyo through Europe, the Middle East and Asia before returning back to London on the Trans-Siberian Express in Russia. The highlight of Theroux’s non-fiction novel is his humor and attention to the small details that are the most revealing about a culture. Thirty years later, Theroux attempts the same journey in a different global climate in his sequel, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, which is what I’m currently reading. It’s making me homesick for Asia! One of the most poignant moments is his comparison of current day Vietnam to his first visit during the war. The most intriguing part of the sequel to me are his references to The Great Railway Bazaar, his best known-work, that he says ruined his life (and marriage) but ultimately made his career.
3. West with the Night by Beryl Markham
Beryl Markham’s life should be a movie. The daring adventurer was born in England but raised in Africa in the early 1900’s by her father after her mother abandoned her at age four. Her memoir, West with the Night, details her careers as the first licensed female racehorse trainer in Africa at age 18 and a pilot—the only professional pilot on the continent at the time. In 1936, she became the first women to fly solo across the Atlantic from East to West.
She boldly defied all the constraints placed on her by society due to her gender. The page-turning memoir outlines her childhood hunting warthog with spears in the forests outside Nairobi with local tribesman, working as a bush pilot spotting wild game from the air for hunters and her famous crash landing in Nova Scotia after crossing the Atlantic.
Ernest Hemingway, whom she met on a safari, called the book “bloody wonderful.” Despite the lavish praise, the book went out of print shortly after it was released in 1942 due to low demand. It was re-released in the 1980’s with greater success.
Jimmy Buffett refers to this book in his autobiography. I found a used copy in a bookstore in Sydney seven years after I read his book. One of my favorite quotes from the book about leaving a place has been my motto for decades: “I have learned that if you must leave a place that you have lived in and loved and where all your yesteryears are buried deep, leave it any way except a slow way, leave it the fastest way you can. Never turn back and never believe that an hour you remember is a better hour because it is dead. Passed years seem safe ones, vanquished ones, while the future lives in a cloud, formidable from a distance.”
4. Souvenir by Rolf Potts
From the gift shops of Disney World to roadside gas stations on Route 66, travel souvenirs are a mainstay in modern society. Travel writer Rolf Potts investigates the complicated history and logic of why people collect souvenirs in his apply-titled book, Souvenir. The history is intriguing – souvenirs orientated during the crusades and were partially developed to keep people from stealing or chipping off pieces of famous ancient sights and artifacts! Pott recounts his habit of collecting masks in various countries in Asia despite never attending a performance where these masks were actually used. He digs into the deeper meaning behind the items we collect including the symbolism they have as narratives for personal experiences.
This short book is a must-read for any traveler and will cause a bit of introspection behind the meaning of the items we collect. (I rarely buy souvenirs anymore except that I do collect beer bottle caps and make magnets out of them from my travels.)
5. Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
The plot of this classic 1958 novel is set in Cuba and involves a hilarious tale of intelligence services gone awry. A single dad and vacuum cleaner repairman is approached to be a spy for the British Intelligence agency MI6. He reluctantly agrees to earn extra money to fund his daughter’s lavish hobbies and files false reports including a fake map of a secret military operation base inspired by a diagram of vacuum cleaner parts. The book is based on Greene’s own experience working for MI6 and based on stories he heard of fictitious reports filed by German agents just to line their wallets.
6. The Global Soul by Pico Iyer
Pico Iyer is one the greatest travel writers on the planet. No one can observe and translate into words the complexities of travel and our world as poetically as Iyer. While I love all of his books, the one that stands out is The Global Soul, a collection of essays that circulate around the idea of home, which is something that every traveler or expat has struggled with. (Coming home is the hardest part of travel, which I dig into in this post.) Iyer – who was born in England to Indian parents who relocated to California—also did a TED Talk on the topic. (I also highly recommend his book The Lady and Monk that tells the tale of how he fell in love with Japan on a layover, quit his job in NYC and moved to Kyoto soon after. He still lives in Japan with his wife, whom he met during that first year in Japan.)
Pico Iyer is my favorite writer and another of my heroes. I got to interview Iyer for a story I wrote for AFAR last fall on his two new books on Japan and the idea of impermanence. While I often find that meeting or speaking to famous people I admire daunting due to unrealistic expectations, Iyer was even more delightful than I could have ever imagined! Check out the interview here!
7. The Once and Future King by T.H. White
I spent a whole summer during high school reading T. H. White’s 1958 classic about the story King Arthur. (My obsession with King Arthur is part of why I studied abroad in England, which was the catalyst for my obsession with travel.) The roughly 600-page book is based on Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur that was published in 1485. White’s book is divided into four parts, which were originally four shorter novels, that recount the story of King Arthur’s youth, Knights of the Round Table and the romance between Lancelot and Guinevere. The surprising thing about this novel is how much you’ll be crying from laughter at the humorous adventures. (The Kindle version is only $1.99!)
8. Freedom From Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by Dalai Lama
Travel is one the greatest teachers. My five summers working in India were an in-depth lesson in world history. (My elementary school world history classes left out quite a bit!) This novel really puts into perspective the history of Tibet. After working in McLeod Ganj, the home of the Tibetan government in exile and the Dalai Lama, I became intrigued by the history of Tibet and the Dalai Lama especially after attending two of his teachings. This book explains it all. One of the interesting things about the Dalai Lama is that he never tries to convert other religions to Buddhism and often deters them from becoming Buddhist! I also love that he – like myself – is not a fan of flying! This book really humanizes the simple man who became a global icon.
9. The Open Road by Pico Iyer
This eloquent book really digs into the complexities of the life of the world’s most famous monk – the Dalai Lama. After reading his autobiography (listed above), this is great follow up because it digs into both his public and private life. Iyer knows the Dalai Lama on a personal level—His Holiness is a friend of his father—giving him both rare access and insight. If you have an interest in Buddhist philosophy, then I also recommend The Essential Dalai Lama.
10. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
In 2007, I wanted to move abroad or travel long-term but was paralyzed by fear that led to months of inaction. Then, I discovered this book and the subtitle alone mirrored my goals: “An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-term World Travel.” Potts digs into all the details of long-term travel including working/volunteering abroad, adjusting to life on the road and most importantly, how to fund your adventure. This book became my roadmap for my first long-term trip to Australia in 2008 and is perfect for anyone thinking about a similar adventure around the globe. (Check out my interview with Potts in this blog post!)
11. A Good Year by Peter Mayle
I love this book because it focuses on how travel—even a simple change of scenery—can be a catalyst of change. The book and the movie starring Russell Crowe follow the same story line loosely but involve lead characters with vastly different personalities. The plot follows the journey of Max Skinner, a London stockbroker, who inherits his uncle’s vineyard in France. I don’t care for the unrealistic Hollywood ending, but like in life, it’s the middle that really counts the most. Honestly, I really love the movie and watch it to fall asleep at night. There’s so many short lines or dialogue that really hit home about how travel changes a person.
12. John Muir and the Ice that Started the Fire by Kim Heacox
Author Kim Heacox is a master storyteller. His biography of John Muir doubles as an exposé on the importance of glaciers and is nothing short of exceptional. (I got to meet Heacox and hear him speak when I was working in Alaska last summer.) This book digs into all the aspects of John Muir’s life and his love for glaciers and his obsession with proving that they shaped Yosemite Valley. This quest lead him to take seven trips to Alaska. One of my favorite parts of the book is the story of Stickeen—a stray dog who survived a storm on a glacier with Muir. (The story is one of Muir’s most famous writings.) The author lives in the tiny town of Gustavus, Alaska (population 446 in 2018) where the bumper stickers read “I’d rather live here than have a career.” He’s written multiple books about Alaska including The Only Kayak about his kayak trip through nearby Glacier Bay National Park.
13. The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh
This historical fiction novel covers more than a century in Burma, Malaysia and Southern India beginning in 1855 with the British invasion. The plot follows the story of a poor boy named, Rajkumar, who rises in the ranks to run a Burmese teak empire. He falls in love with a young woman in the court of the Burmese Queen and goes to find her years later after he’s built his wealth. The beauty of this novel is the accurate descriptions of the locations and historical context. A friend gave me this book while working in India and I could not get over how perfectly it described the streets of Mandalay in Burma when I visited a month later.
14. The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
While the title of this New York Times’ bestseller might sound too good to be true, this book is a legitimate, effective blueprint for efficiently hacking your life to maximize your time, money and travel. Tim Ferriss talks about how he funded a series of mini-retirements and almost fully automated his business. My biggest takeaway from this book is the idea of fear setting where you define fears instead of goals and analyze the cost of inaction. You weigh your fears and come up with possible outcomes and ways you would deal with the worst-case scenario. I did exactly that when I moved to Australia during the 2008 recession, and that is the exact same philosophy that I’m using now to whether the financial storm of the pandemic. I bought a copy of this book for all my friend’s in 2007 for Christmas. This book introduced me to Rolf Potts, who is the author of two of the books mentioned above. In the university classes I teach, I require my students to listen to episodes of Tim Ferriss’ podcast where he interviews world-class professionals. I also recommend his TED Talks here! One of my favorite quotes from Tim: “What we don’t often consider is the atrocious cost of the status quo—not changing anything.”
15. Good With Money by Anna Mazurek
The 2008 recession taught me how to be good with money. It was a pivotal moment and lead me to get my life in order financially and inspired me to write my first book, Good With Money: A Guide to Prioritizing Spending, Maximizing Savings, and Traveling More. Tim Ferriss’ philosophy on fear setting was a big part of that. I defined my fears and prepared for worst case scenario for the recession. In the book, I share my experience: “I went back to living like I did in college. I ate cheaply. I hardly bought any new clothes for almost a year. Guess what happened? Nothing horrible. I know I can live like that again if I have to. While it wouldn’t be fun, I could handle it.” That’s how I know I can handle the financial fallout of the pandemic. Money is the least of my concerns right now because of all the lessons I learned in 2008. If you or anyone you know is struggling financially and could use this book, please share it with them. My goal is to help as many people as possible. I’ve discounted the price of the Kindle version 50% for the next week to make it as affordable as possible fo anyone struggling now. Please share this with anyone you know that would find it helpful! 50% off promotion ends on Friday, May 15th!!
If you’ve looking to binge on some movies this weekend, then I recommend…..
The “Before Sunrise” series
The premise of Richard Linklater’s 1995 movie “Before Sunrise” is essentially a casual travel fling that evolves into something much deeper. The story begins when a young American tourist named Jessie (Ethan Hawke) and Celine, a French student played by Julie Delpy, meet on a train in Europe. After a brief conversation, Jessie convinces her to get off the train in Vienna to spend the day with him before his flight the next morning.
The movie is essentially a long, deep conversation about life and love; the kind of conversation that’s only possible between two strangers who meet in a foreign place. Instead of exchanging contact information when their time in Vienna ends, they agree to meet up again in exactly six months at the exact same spot.
Two sequels, “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight,” each pick up the story of Jessie and Celine nine years down the road in different parts of Europe (France and Greece) after a surprising turn of events. The films were all released nine years apart to show the natural aging of the actors to fit the characters. Again, the dialogue is the star of both films, which are a very accurate descriptions of love and the rollercoaster nature of relationships.
*Please note that Amazon affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no cost to you, which goes toward the cost of operating and maintaining the blog. I appreciate your support! Please email me with any questions.
NEW Virtual Photo Classes
Are you interested in honing your photo skills while you’re stuck inside?
In two weeks, I’ll be launching my virtual one-on-one photography class sessions! These 30- or 60-minute video sessions are personalized based on YOUR interest and skill level! This includes photo basics for beginners, editing for more advanced photographers and photo critiques. Website critiques and Q&A sessions are also available!
My Experience: I’ve taught photography for over 10 years across the world including at Texas State University, where I still teach part-time. Prior to that, I taught at Samford University’s After Sundown program, where some of you know me from!
I have a Master’s degree in photojournalism from the University of Missouri and my photo clients include the Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Southern Living, Facebook and AFAR. Please visit my photography website to view my work!
If you’re interested in photo sessions, shoot me a quick a email (Anna@TravelLikeAnna.com) and I’ll update you when slots open!
Card & Print SALE!
Let’s be honest—there’s NOTHING better than real mail! The best way to cheer up yourself and a friend during this difficult time is to send a hand-written card! I’m offering sets of handmade 5×7 folded cards with 4×6 photos of both scenic travel prints AND gnome photos of your choice! (Let’s be honest— everyone needs a GNOME in their mailbox!)
- Handmade cards are available in sets of 3 or more. Printed flat cards are available in sets of 25 or more.
- Photo prints are available in 5×7, 8×10 and 11×14 sizes!
- You can order any of the images listed on my ETSY Shop along with work from my website and Instagram!
Since I’m sitting stateside for a while, I am actually able to make cards and prints, which is a rarity and something I’ve missed doing the past few years! Please email me with any questions or custom orders!
Head over to my my Etsy shop to grab a set of cards and prints!
What’s your favorite travel book? Respond in the comments, email me (Anna@TravelLikeAnna.com) or tag me on Twitter/Instagram!
