Travelling broadens the perspective and books take us a million places. This is a quite-heard-of phrase.
My recent road trip has inspired me to make a list of my favourite books which contain trips, travel or just beautiful places that I have or want to visit. Here is my list of six books in no particular order.
All the bright places
I know a lot of people who take ‘Fault in our stars’ as the gateway to young adult fiction, but for me ‘All the bright places’ did the trick. It is a beautiful book about a boy in depression and a girl who has no will to live. Things happen and they decide to roam around their beloved town to explore the lesser known places. They come across a beautiful lake, a church and a field of flowers. Ah, also the visit to the tank top to view beautiful constellation.
The travel brings both the protagonists close. As they say, you make best of friends on a road trip!
Though the book has a sad ending, the exploration is beautiful. Getting to know one’s own place from up close fills you with awe. It is often said that chasing the moon makes you oversee the sixpence under your nose. Finch here will definitely not let that happen.
Paper towns
Often debated as the best work of John Green, this book contains all the excitement of a road trip with a time constraint. Friends bond and walls are broken. There is a search for someone who does not want to be sought. This book also gives us an unforgettable female character. Margo Roth Spiegelman is definitely worth the chase! ‘Paper towns’ will definitely make you pack your bags and go on a road trip.
God of small things
Kerala often called as ‘God’s own country’, has been on the list of all the travel buffs. But this book has inspired me to move the place to my priority list. Lent to me by one of the few people who has influenced my reading, this book opened the doors of literary fiction to me.
The first few pages contain an abundance of beautiful descriptions about the place. The entire book inspires you to visit the lakes, sit under the stars across the river and just fall in love with the place. This Booker prize-winning book should be on every traveler’s list to read. God of Small Things makes you fall in love with Kerela.
The Tudor wife
Tudor history is probably the most read history in the world. This book makes you understand that the head which wears the crown often lies uneasy. Apart from giving my interest in Tudor history a kickstart, this book also describes the castles beautifully. ‘The Tudor wife’ is not the best book on Tudor history but it definitely explains the grandeur well.
England has a beautiful legacy when it comes to architecture. Every monarch inspires a different style of architecture. This rich architecture puts England on the map for every architecture lover. And mine too, of course!
Safe haven
The King of romance, ‘Nicholas Sparks’ has romanticised ‘North Carolina’ to the extent that it has permanently pricked a pin on every traveller’s map. Being the hometown of the author, he describes the city most intimately which will make anyone fall in love with the place.
Definitely, a place to visit at least once in a lifetime.
Naughty men
This book is a proof that if your life isn’t going well, take a road trip. Primarily a story of a middle-aged man who has a sexless life, and a permanent interference of his in-laws in his household activities is not helping.
He and his friend decide to take a road trip together and then the book goes from being funny to hilarious. A definite read for all bachelors or anyone who enjoys good humour!