Good books take you places and expand your horizons. The same could be said of travel. Two of our obsessions come together in this suggested reading list for the end of winter.
Lunch in Paris
by Elizabeth Bard
If you… are dreaming about la vie en rose. The new memoir Lunch in Paris will whet your appetite further with the story of an American journalist falling (sometimes clumsily) in love with a French man and his country.
South from Granada
by Gerald Brenan
If you… are visiting the Costa Del Sol this spring. Brenan’s portrait of Andalusía in the 1920′s is as relevant as ever, a somewhat charming indicator of how slowly changes come to this part of the globe.
State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett
If you… are headed into the heart of the Amazon. Patchett’s latest novel is set in Brazil, and while it’s not the most romantic portrayal of the jungle, it is certainly vivid, living up to the expectations set by its title.
The Last Werewolf
by Glen Duncan
If you… think the world has reached its quota of vampire novels. This novel’s eponymous werewolf protagonist is far more enlightened anyway, asserting “the point of civilization is so that one can check in to a quality hotel.”
Ask the Dust
by John Fante
If you… don’t believe LA has a history. John Fante’s 1939 novel is waiting to prove you wrong. And the bonus? An intro by Charles Bukowski.
The Art of Travel
by Alain de Botton
If you… are still spinning the globe. Alain de Botton is the ultimate observationalist. His essays in The Art of Travel are as much travelogues as they are lessons in philosophy, or at least “The World According to Alain de Botton.”
The Space Between Us
by Thrity Umrigar
If you… are captivated by modern-day Mumbai. The story alternates between two narrators — Sera, a wealthy widow, and her elderly servant Bhima, illuminating the city’s inescapable class divide.
Train Dreams
by Denis Johnson
If you… are going rogue. That Johnson has captured the epic scale of the American West in such a skinny volume speaks to his preternatural gift for descriptive prose.
New Impressions of Africa
by Raymond Roussel
If you… have planned an African odyssey. The latest translation of Raymond Roussel’s magnum opus is by Mark Ford, and it sings.
