Seriously. These are the good stuff.

This post was prompted by a friend who asked about "something good to read on an upcoming trip". We like to read about travel when we travel. Go figure. Well... if you enjoy travel, and/or are traveling, and want something to read, the following choices won't let you down. I promise.

They aren't quite in order, because I'm too lazy to put them in order (sorry!), but here is a quick thought on each author.

First: Outside Magazine. If you like rugged travel and enjoy hearing about weird things that happen to other people. Bingo! You are set. These are generally shorter stories, easily digestible, great for travel in that you can stop whenever you need to do so. Possibly not so great for sitting on the beach all day if you want continuity.

2nd: Carl Hiassen. Fiction. In my mind, a perfect beach read (not about travel at all). A little angry at the folks who are ravaging Florida's nature, but otherwise fun, funny and quirky. Easy reading, perfect for an umbrella drink by the pool.

3rd: Tony Horwitz. Non-fiction. Makes history read like a novel (or sitcom, really). So light and pleasant that you won't even mind that you are actually learning about stuff.

4th: Tim Cahill. Essays (in the pecked and wolverine books) or longer stories too. Writes for Outside, often. Funny, self-effacing, engaging. Great stuff that makes me laugh out loud. Good for buses, maybe not so good for red-eye planes (seriously, you will laugh out loud.) Mostly non-fiction. Perhaps "embellished" a little.

5th: Bill Bryson. Also non-fiction (with embellishment). Written as sort of a newspaper column might be written if it were several hundred pages long.




If you don't find something you like... we've got more favorites and will be posting them eventually, stay tuned!

Labels: book, travel