When I was little, I would literally lock myself in my room with a book or two and read all day. But, well, life happens, and I thought reading was just no longer my thing. I was wrong - all I had to do was swap genres. It all started with one book, and from then on, it was impossible to stop. I will tell you which book this was in the list below, so don’t leave me here!
Ever since that first book, I was hooked and constantly trying to find books that would convey a similar feeling - sometimes more successful than other times. Fact is, it’s hard to find a comprehensive list of books that make you feel like you are part of the adventure or truly immersed in a culture. Books that make you feel grateful for the freedom and safety we live in. Books that make you long to go out there and experience as much as you possibly can. Books that make you see how little you actually know about this world.
If you are anything like me, yearning to travel, go to places far away, hard to reach, experience cultures, having your eyes opened again and again, but are tied up by a job and other responsibilities of adult life (unfortunately, I still haven’t quite figured out how to resign from those), if you enjoy, for whatever reason, having your thoughts and beliefs challenged - I am sure at least some of those books will be for you, too.
Here’s some of the books that did it for me. I will try to keep this list updated and/or add a part 2 - stay tuned and let’s see what you think Now enjoy the books and let me know what you thought of them - I’m always happy to hear more recommendations!
PS: PS: I’ve linked these to Amazon so you can easily see the editions I’m talking about (not an affiliate link!). That said, I’d love for you to support your local bookstore or find these second-hand if you can.
PPS: This list is in no particular order. You will find books on adventure, fiction and non-fiction, biographies and whatever else it might be down below.
1. The Puma Years: A Memoir (Laura Coleman)
Country: Bolivia
A georgeous book about a young woman going to South America, hoping she will find out who she really is. One thing leads to another, and eventually she ends up in an animal sanctuary in the middle of literal nowhere, Bolivia. Laura tells her story in such a personal way, you feel like you know her as a dear friend. It’s relatable on so many levels and almost impossible to put down.
2. Kāwai: For Such A Time As This (Monty Soutar)
Land: New Zealand
I saw this one in a bookshop in Rotorua, New Zealand - it caught me and I couldn’t not buy it! I was so right to get it. This book is not for the faint hearted. It contains a fictional story about pre-colonial New Zealand, about a time when the Maori were the only people on the islands. It dives deep into the ways of the Maori, about their customs, culture, way of life, and wars. This book will test your open-mindedness and perception of the world and our your own roots, Maori or not.
3. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
Countries: Afghanistan
Here we are - this is the book that started it for me. I remember watching (or rather, having to watch) this movie in high school, so not interested in the world back then, not remembering anything. I don’t remember how exactly this book got back into my hands, but I am so glad it did. Khaled Hosseini is one of my favourite authors. The way he writes about his country - a country whose people are so warm and welcoming and emotional, but a large part of this is repressed by the culture and, well, let’s just say political turmoil - it just hits on a different level. If I could get everyone in the world to read one book, this would be it. It brings Afghanistan’s culture and customs closer to you, without being too deep or overwhelming. I honestly would have loved to go deeper, but I feel like Khaled willed his books to be readable for everybody. Whatever you’re still doing here - if you haven’t read this book yet, go and get it!
4. Llama Drama (Anna McNuff)
Countries: Bolivia, Chile, Argentina
Anna deserves a big ass hug and a kiss on the cheek for writing her books. I devoured this one in 2 days, completely absent from life and responsibilities. This is the story of two women cycling from La Paz, Bolivia, to Ushuaia, Argentina. You will inevitably feel like they are your very own close friends, or, perhaps, like you’re actually there with them, quads hurting, lungs aching, tackling mountain pass after mountain pass. If you like stories about adventure, female empowerment and a healthy dose of humor - I’m sure you will enjoy this book.
5. I am Malala (Malala Yousafzai)
Country: Pakistan
A dear friend of mine, who I met on my travels, is Pakistani (Hi, Sam!). Before we met, Pakistan was never really on my radar. I didn’t know anything about it, until Sam told me so passionately about their country. I knew so little about Pakistan that I didn’t even know that Malala was from there. Again, when Malala was in the news, I was knee-deep in puberty and had other concerns. See, I like books that make me feel ignorant. In case something similar happened to you: Malala grew up in rural Pakistan, longing for education in a time and culture where it was simply not available to girls and women. She tells her personal story of growing up, fighting the system and endangering herself while standing up for women’s rights. This book deserves to be read, and her story deserves to be known.
6. Where is she? Travel To Trauma (Alyshia Ford)
Country: Australia
Many of us travel to find ourselves. But sometimes, to find yourself, you have to lose yourself first. Travel is not always just butterflies and rainbows, and Alyshia tells both sides of her time backpacking Australia. A beautiful and personal story, and definitely worth a read!
7. A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini)
Countries: Afghanistan
Another book by Khaled Hosseini. This time, containing the story of a young woman’s life in Afghanistan - about finding a husband, or rather: having a husband found for her, about suppressed desires and emotions, and finally finding meaning. Reading any of Khaled’s books on a trip is surely a conversation starter. As I have found out: many people prefer this one over The Kite Runner. I don’t quite agree, but try for yourself. Der Drachenläufer. Ich stimme dem nicht ganz zu, aber probier es selbst aus.
8. The Pants of Perspective (Anna McNuff)
Land: New Zealand
Oh, Anna - how glad I am that I found these books. Her lifestyle seems to be actually achievable - working and saving money, then going on a big adventure. #goals right here. This one is her story of running the length of New Zealand. No no no, don’t leave me yet - I am also not a runner, absolutely not (though I would love to be. Maybe one day). Just go and read it, and then judge, do we have a deal?
9. The United States of Adventure (Anna McNuff)
Country: USA
Seeing a pattern here, aren’t you? This is the last book by Anna McNuff that I will recommend here, though she has others and I’m sure those are great as well. By the way, did I say kudos to the cover designer, yet? Cycling through every single state of the US, as a solo woman - let her take you on that grand quest with her.
10. Even Silence Has an End (Ingrid Betancourt)
Country: Kolumbien
There’s many books about this wonderful country (actually, my favourite country I’ve been to so far). Recommending one about the kidnapping of a presidential candidate may seem contrary to my desire of changing the beliefs westerners have about Colombia. However, it’s such a good read and it would be a shame not to recommend it. I refuse to tell you more about it than that - it’s such a personal story and I don’t feel like I could ever find the right words for it.
11. Born to Run (Christopher McDougall)
Country: Mexiko
A non-runner reading another book about running. I get it, I sound like a hypocrite, but stay with me. This book tells the story of a journalist, finding his way back to running and health in general, by trying to make the impossible possible: Connecting to a people of a very rural, very hidden tribe, in middle-of-nowhere, Mexico. The people of the Tarahumara tribe are some of the best runners the world has ever seen. Give this book a chance and dive into a time when the Tarahumara were still mainly unknown, and read the story of a running race that will make you flip the pages in record time.
12. Mud, Sweat and Tears: The Autobiography (Bear Grylls)
Land: UK
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know who Bear Grylls is. Mud, Sweat and Tears is not about trying to survive in whatever godforsaken place the producers picked out this time, but about his very personal story of growing up, finding his place in the world and, a good junk, about his military training. A super interesting read, very personal, revealing sides of Bear that I never thought possible. There’s a lot more to this man than drinking his own pee and eating critters.
13. Schiffbruch mit Tiger (Yann Martel)
Countries: Indien, Kanada
I get it - you think this is too much, putting a completely fictional book, about tragedy, on a list of books to spark wanderlust? Well, read the title again. It includes the words „fulfill the desire to experience the world“. And I feel like it did a good part for that. This Indian boy, fascinated by religion - whereas I am as atheist as they come - challenged my beliefs. I am still atheist. But I enjoyed this book a lot, and, in case you would like to read some fiction between all of these adventure stories and books about tragedies that actually happened - click the link.
14. Americanah (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
Countries: Nigeria, USA
Through the hands of fate, this book made its way into my shopping cart. And I am grateful it did. Fiction, again, but the author knows what she is talking about when she’s talking about Nigerian culture and racism in the US. This is a beautiful book that gives insights into life in Nigeria, makes you re-think racism as a white person, and tells a beautiful love story at the same time. It’s a big book, but the pages are flowing, I promise.
15. The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul(Deborah Rodriguez)
Countries: Afghanistan
Amazon describes this book as „heart-warming“ - and I have to agree. I have only recently finished this book, and it’s one of those books that, when you flip the last page, you feel like you don’t know what to do with yourself now. This book is about life in Afghanistan through the eyes of females and foreigners. Stories of strong, independent, wonderful women fighting very different fights that, somehow, bring them all together. One of my favourite books.
16. In Order To Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom (Yeonmi Park)
Countries: North Korea, South Korea
Uff. I found this book in a hostel, under a stack of empty beer cans (only some of them were mine, okay), while I was struggling to read one of those books that just weren’t doing it for me. And I spent Christmas devouring the pages. At this point, you should know that this book isn’t for the faint hearted either. And, since you’re here, I feel like you should know enough about North Korea that I don’t have to tell you what exactly this book is about. Go and read it.
17. Cry Freedom (John Briley)
Country: Südafrika
A beautiful story about an unlikely friendship between a white journalist (Donald Woods) and a black activist (Steve Biko) in South Africa under the brutal apartheid regime. Racism, fighting for freedom, fighting for rights that people simply didn’t have because of the color of their skin.
18. The Book Of Hope: A Survival Guide for an Endangered Planet
Land: –
Feeling depressed after all of the above and need to find some hope? Or want to learn some actual, pure facts? We all love and admire Jane and she 100 % deserves to be read by every single person ever. Go ahead and give the counter a higher number.
19. Ali and Nino (Kurban Said)
Countries: Georgia, Azerbaijan
I was walking around Batumi, Georgia, when I came across this statue of 2 people moving into and through each other. I was fascinated, and then I learned there’s a book about this. The story of true love, betrayed by imagined borders and by different religions and beliefs. Heart-breaking. This book will make you cry.
20. Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Life of a Desert Nomad (Waris Dirie)
Land: Somalia
This is a heart-breaking story of a girl growing out of a beautiful childhood in Somalia and having to step, too early, into womanhood. As is the custom in Somalia at that time, she was mutilated. She flees after an attempt of being married off to an old man, having nothing but the clothes she was wearing and speaking little to no English. Waris tells her story with brutal honesty. She has found a way to live and a purpose in telling this story and fighting for girls who would undergo a similar procedure and life as she would have had, had her flight not been successful.
21. Behind the Beautiful Forevers (Katherine Boo)
Country: India
This is my current read - I am about a third in, and I can say I highly enjoy it. This book as well has a bit of a sad tone to it, but, well, I guess that’s what a book about life in a slum is. The stories are told through different perspectives of women and children. It gives you insights you may have never thought about. Co-living with so many people (and rats, mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches etc.) on such tight space, not knowing if you will make enough money to feed your family, what happens when you’re sick or injured.
22. Into the Wild (Jon Krakauer)
Country: USA
A must-read if you ask anyone who reads books on adventure and the great outdoors. Is it truly? Well, I honestly don’t know. Jon, the author, went out and tried to tie the loose strings of Christopher McCandless’ great adventure that nobody knew the exact details of, and he surely did a good job! For me, it was a good read, but I do feel like it’s a little bit overrated.
23. Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found (Cheryl Strayed)
Country: USA
Speaking of overrated books, here’s my number one overrated one. But, since you’ve come this far, I feel like you have about a year-long list of books that might be better suited for you. With this one, honestly, I’d say screw it and just watch the movie. I rarely ever say this, but in this case, do that. I found this book a little too long for what it is, and the movie does a better job of conveying the emotions than the book. Not hating on Cheryl, just stating my honest opinion, though unpopular.
So, what are you thinking? Have you read any of those book and/or are you planning on reading some? :)
