Mind Travel

I am the first to admit that I am guilty of being one of those people with big (more like gigantic) travel ideas. The type of person who will spend hours trawling through travel magazines and websites planning their next excursion or 'dream trip' without realizing how much it would actually COST. I know i'm not the only one, many of us do it. We will dream of backpacking through Asia or riding a car down Route 66... until we check our bank balance. And our heart sinks. 

Along with my weekly trip to the newsagents for my lottery ticket (I will win someday), travel books and novels help to keep the dream of future trips alive. They allow you to explore distant lands, learn about new cultures and see the world within the comfort of your own home. Although 'mind travel' is far from the real thing, it nurtures curiosity. 

For those of you (like me!) whose budget won't stretch far enough for 'an around the world' ticket, here are a few book suggestions that will have you exploring the far corners of the world while curled up on the coach. 

Middle East

Afghanistan

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner tells the story of the friendship of two boys, Amir and Hassan, from Kabul. The story is set against the backdrop of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the rise of the Taliban and the resulting rise of refugees in Pakistan. Not only does Hosseini create a heart wrenching tale of childhood friendship and regret, the author poetically re-tells the history of conflict within Afghanistan.

Africa

The no.1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

If you’re looking for a few laughs and an easy read, McCall’s series about Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s leading, and only, female private detective is perfect. The cheerful female ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and her diverse range of clients portray the colourful Botswana community and easy way of life. The book celebrates the positives of Africa and its people.

Thailand 

The Beach by Alex Garland

Although this book has become the stereotypical vision of backpacking around Asia, the Beach has remained an iconic beacon for romantic travellers seeking an ‘alternate universe’ or way of life. While being a modern fable on the idea of paradise, The Beach also boasts great insight into the city of Bangkok and the Thai Islands. A great book to read for those interested in travelling around Thailand. Also Leo is pretty good in the film too!

Mexico

 The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

This epic (and very long) book is perfect if you are plagued with summer boredom and have a lot of time on your hands. Kingsolver creates an epic journey of Mexico City through the artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. This tale tells the story of not only a part of Mexico, but also the lives of some fascinating people including Kahlo, as well as the exiled Russian Lev Trotsky. It explores many themes such as art, communism and even J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI, and a specific moment in Mexican and American history.

America 

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

If you’re looking for something a bit different, Fear and Loathing tells the story of a drug-soaked and rollicking weekend road trip. Thompson’s novel has already been heralded as one of the funniest American prose and represents American pop culture. The main character Raoul Duke and his attorney travel to Las Vegas to cover a dirt-track motorcycle race creating an insulting and hysterical discovery of drugs and the American Dream.

China

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

For those who prefer a good biography, this is an inspiring story of three daughters of China and their struggle and survival against communism. Beginning in the early twentieth century and ending in 1978, it chronicles the struggle of the nation, the suffering of its people, and the terror that reigned. It explores the Japanese invasion, poverty, the Red Guards and concubines, and ultimately portrays the complexities of loyalty and love.

Japan

Empire of the Sun by J.G.Ballard

The novel is based on events which Ballard himself witnessed while interned as a boy in Shanghai during the Second World War. It concentrates on the expatriate colony in Shanghai and the events which followed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, through the eyes of an eleven year-old boy. The novel provides insight into Shanghai as a place of luxurious expat indulgence, to the struggles of Japan during the war. Yet, what makes this story so moving is that it is essentially just a tale of a little boy.

Caribbean

The Pirates Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson

The Pirate’s Daughter tells a very different story of the Caribbean; one of wealth, luxury and corruption. It follows the famous actor Errol Flynn and his time on the island of Jamaica, and the people whose lives he touched. It is a fascinating insight into the lives of the wealthy and privileged and portrays the Caribbean in its full exotic glory.

The Long Song by Andrea Levy

The Long Song is set in early 19^th century Jamaica, on a sugar-cane plantation, during the turbulent years before and after the abolition of slavery. The novel is told from the point of view of an old Jamaican woman July who is lyrical and heartbreaking, yet matter-of-fact and funny. While Levy depicts a bleak and terrible time in Jamaica’s history, she also celebrates the faith of its people.

India

 Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

 Shantaram is part autobiographical and part fictional. It is the tale of an escaped prisoner from Australia who hides in Bombay. He starts a medical clinic for slum-dwellers, lives in a slum, makes friends, watches friends die, falls in love, and works as a counterfeiter, smuggler, gunrunner and street soldier for the Bombay mafia. Clearly this novel packs a punch and many have claimed it acts as a reference guide to India. This 933 page novel will certainly tell you a lot about Indian culture.

Hawaii

The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings

Most people will be aware of this book through the release of the film version with the gorgeous George Clooney earlier this year. Matt King, a Honolulu attorney, finds himself in deep water after his fun-loving wife, Joanie, falls into a coma following a boating accident. The book, in my opinion, portrays the complexities of family and love a lot better than the film, and in a truly funny way. The beauty of Hawaii can also be felt, in addition to the westernized lifestyles of the many inhabitants.

Greece

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis De Benares

Arguably one of the best books on this list (it’s definitely my favourite) Captain Corelli’s Mandolin has a complicated, episodic structure that leaps from quiet Greek island life to the ranting of Mussolini, treatises on Greek history and war in Albania. It not only tells the history of the lesser talked about influence WWII had on Greece, but also encapsulates the microcosmic and quite life on the Greek island of Cephalonia; where its people love, laugh and mourn.

Russia  

 Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

Child 44 tells the story of mass murderer during Stalin’s Soviet Union and the fear and death that was rife in society. The book provides a chilling insight into life under Stalin’s regime and the danger of ideological disloyalty.

Bosnia and Herzegovina  

The cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

This novel captures with taut clarity the events and atmosphere surrounding the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, the longest in modern warfare, through the perspectives of three primary characters. It tells the true story of a cellist who resolves to play Albinoni’s Adagio on the same square every day for 22 days in honour of the victims of a massacre that took place there.

Ireland  

Angela’s ashes by Frank McCourt

A memoir set in a background of impoverished Ireland, Angela’s Ashes is a humorous and witty tale of childhood with harrowing and sad undertones. Beginning in the 1930s the tale highlights the unimaginable difficulties of growing up in working class Ireland. While being at most times sad, it also provides a lesson on what people can overcome through true grit and determination. 

Spain  

Guernica by Dave Boling

Guernica is an epic story of love, family and war in the Basque town of Guernica before, during, and after its destruction by German Luftwaffe during the Spanish civil war. History and fiction merge together seamlessly in this portrayal of family and tradition. The bombing of Guernica was a terrible experiment by the German Luftwaffe in the run up to World War II. This novel not only portrays the devastation which it caused but also an ancient nation and Basque culture and tradition.

France  

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Harris’s detailed description of the setting and characters of a small town in France encapsulates the traditions and world of village life.  As the inhabitants of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes move away from the church and over-indulge on Vianne’s chocolat, the poetic story unravels into a war between church and chocolate; a declaration of independence and self pleasure.

Italy

 Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

The Birth of Venus centres around a teenager, Alessandra Cecchi, in medieval Florence at the height of the Medici reign during the Renaissance. Sarah Dunant's novel of love, desire, art, and history portrays Italian life during the Renaissance.

For general inspiration for travel ideas read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The pilgrimage of Santiago is guaranteed to cause itchy feet and inspire you to get off the couch, ignore the gloomy weather and book a trip of your own.