Reading List: Travel Narratives

INTRODUCTION
The following are travel narratives, with a few international memoirs mixed in. They are organized by continent. The books on this list I’ve either read, plan to read, or have been highly successful. Most are contemporary, but a few were written over 50 years ago (i.e. Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Freya Stark, Theodore Roosevelt). I've listed specific countries where appropriate if they're not evident from the title. I know this list is far from comprehensive, so recommendations would be appreciated.

NORTH AMERICA
I'm a Stranger Here Myself - Bill Bryson
The Lost Continent – Bill Bryson
A Walk in the Woods [Appalachian Trail] – Bill Bryson
Blue Highways - William Least Heat-Moon
Roads to Quoz - William Least Heat-Moon
A Walk Across America – Peter Jenkins
The Walk West - Peter & Barbara Jenkins
Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer
You Can Get Arrested for That – Rich Smith
Travels with Charley – John Steinbeck
The Call of the Weird – Louis Theroux

EUROPE
Neither Here Nor There - Bill Bryson
Notes From a Small Island [England] - Bill Bryson
A Year in Provence [France] - Peter Mayle
Toujours Provence [France] - Peter Mayle
Without Reservations [France, England, Italy] – Alice Steinbach
The Kingdom By the Sea [Great Britain] – Paul Theroux
A Motor-flight Through France – Edith Wharton

ASIA
Wrong About Japan - Peter Carey
Child of the Jungle [Indonesia] – Sabine Kuegler
Letters Home [Japan] – Todd Jay Leonard
Chinese Cinderella - Adeline Yen Mah
Three Cups of Tea [Pakistan] – Greg Mortenson
Japanland - Karin Muller
The Valley of the Assassins and Other Persian Tales [Iraq/Iran] - Freya Stark

AUSTRALIA
In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson
The Road from Coorain (memoir) - Jill Ker Conway
The Sex Lives of Cannibals [South Pacific island] - J. Maarten Troost

AFRICA
Don't Look Behind You - Peter Allison
Whatever You Do, Don’t Run [Botswana] – Peter Allison
Bill Bryson's African Diary [Kenya] - Bill Bryson
In Morocco – Edith Wharton

SOUTH AMERICA
Road Fever - Tim Cahill
The Enchanted Isles [Galapagos Islands] - Herman Melville
Nothing to Declare – Mary Morris
Through the Brazilian Wilderness – Theodore Roosevelt

WORLD TRAVEL
Last Chance to See - Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine
Pecked to Death by Ducks – Tim Cahill
Around the World in 80 Dates - Jennifer Cox
Where the Hell Is Matt? - Matt Harding
The Ridiculous Race - Steve Hely & Vali Chandrasekaran
101 Places Not to See Before You Die - Catherine Price
Mark Twain on Travel – Mark Twain, Terry Mort, ed.

ESSAY COLLECTIONS
Not So Funny When It Happened – Tim Cahill, ed.
The Risks of Sunbathing Topless - Kate Chynoweth, ed.
Bad Trips - Keath Fraser, ed.
By the Seat of My Pants – Don George, ed.
The Conde Nast Traveler Book of Unforgettable Journeys - Klara Glowczewska, ed.
Sand in My Bra - Jennifer L. Leo, ed.
The Gift of Travel - Habegger, O'Reilly & O'Reilly, eds.
The Blessings of a Good Thick Skirt - Mary Russell

ANNUAL COLLECTIONS
The Best Travel Writing
The Best American Travel Writing
The Best Women’s Travel Writing

Reading Lists: Young Adult Fiction (Introduction)

INTRODUCTION
Below are reading lists of popular and award-winning young adult books. I've sorted them by category, then listed books alphabetically first by author, then by title. I've also included the year of first publication. You'll note classic and contemporary novels are mixed together, with some classics listed under historical, though the period they were set in was contemporary at the time they were written. As a source I used my general knowledge, and selected books from the Newberry Medalists, top 100 YA titles on GoodReads.com, top 100 bestselling teen books on Amazon.com, and the top 100 bestselling children's books on BN.com as of January 3, 2010.

Interestingly, the majority of popular novels fall into the fantasy and science fiction, contemporary, or historical genres. There weren't many mystery or suspense novels which were more popular when I was a young adult (Christopher Pike, R.L. Stein, etc.) The science fiction/fantasy category was so overwhelming, that I broke it into sub categories: fantasy novels take place primarily in an alternate world, supernatural novels are set in our world but feature characters with supernatural powers (vampires, witches, werewolves), and science fiction novels are set in the future or in an alternate world inspired by science/technology. For series of four or more books, I generally just listed the series and not all the titles. Because the list became unwieldy and for easier reference, I’ve posted the categories separately.

If you note any errors or glaring omissions, please let me know.

*Newberry Medal recipient

Introduction

I wanted to create a place to encourage people to read more books, and share their passion for reading. As a book editor for over ten years, I see every day how an idea can become a proposal, a manuscript, a finished book, and ultimately change a reader's life. Books have the ability to meaningfully impact us in a way other media generally doesn't. Most books can't be finished in two hours like a movie--you have to take more time and absorb them. Without a set and actors, you customize your own vision of what the characters look like, you make them personal to you. My authors sometimes forward me letters from readers who identify with the characters in a way that gives them solace, are inspired by a memoir to change their own lives, or manage to reach a personal goal through the author's guidance and advice. A good genre novel can help you wind down and escape for a few hours each night, and a travel narrative can take you to a place you've never been.
This blog isn't about me. It's about reading, but I will share some of ways I motivated myself to spend more time reading, finally getting around to the classics I'd never read in school, exploring genres I'd never tried, discovering new favorite authors, or just making room on my shelves for new books by reading (and donating) the ones I had. If you have a passion for reading, some of these motivations may sound familiar. For me, it helps to have a clearly defined goal to work toward (I can't tell you how many business/motivation/self-help books I've seen that have setting a goal as the foundation for achievement). I'm going to post reading challenges here that I've tried, or would like to try. I'll also offer reading lists that may inspire you.
Remember, this is about you. While I'm making suggestions, set your own goal that will be a good challenge for you. If you feel like it's too hard or too easy, or you lose interest in the challenge, don't give up--think what adjustments you need to make it work. You might want to invite friends or family to join you (the interest of my own friends and family is what inspired this blog), or to select a challenge of their own.
My goal is to create a community space for those who like to read. I cannot encourage you strongly enough to participate here. If you think I've left a book off a list, add a comment. If you want to share your progress toward whatever goal you choose, do so regularly. If you have a variation or a new challenge you want to try, by all means share it--it may inspire others to try. If you discovered a new author you love, found a classic surprisingly easy to read (or way too hard), or are looking for recommendations, let us know. The act of reading may be solitary, but the passion for reading is something we share (I know this, because if you didn't care about reading, you wouldn't have read this far.) And now, let's get to the books!