There’s quite a bit of downtime while traveling. Flights, bus journeys, and fourteen hour ferries (yes, this is a thing) mean that I end up napping and reading a lot. And even when I’m not in transit, I make an effort to bring my Kindle with me to the beaches or cafes or bed where I’m hanging out. It’s actually one of my unexpectedly favorite parts of traveling, having the free time to read almost every day. At least when I’m not attempting to blog… or watch Netflix.
2016 has been the year of memoirs and female authors… apparently. Without realizing it, I have consumed every book with with words “reminiscent of Gone Girl” in the reviews and multiple first-person narratives. In an ideal world, I would’ve blogged much more frequently and recapped each month of travel, along with all the things I loved, hated, and read (as in the laughably short “As of Late” series), but now I’m just gonna dump all the books I read right here in this one post. Sorry!
not gonna use photos of books in this post // but rather photos of places I read books
Books I’ve Read on the Road (Since Leaving for Asia)
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter. So usually those books compared to Gone Girl don’t live up to the hype. This one is the exception. There’s a reason that even Gillian Flynn praised this book – it’s possibly the most f*cked up thing I’ve ever read. And it is amazing. The plot is horrifying and gruesome, and the twists are incredible. Not for delicate minds!
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. Although the writing is a bit simple and it’s definitely an easy read, I really loved its insight into the international lives of ridiculously wealthy Asian families. Like seriously, these folks have unfathomable amounts of money. Set in Singapore, it was fun to read while traveling Southeast Asia. And I’m not gonna lie, I got a sample of the sequel China Rich Girlfriend sent to my Kindle. I’m not saying I won’t read it…
The Memory Box by Eva Lesko Natiello. Ugh, I really did not like this book. In fact, I’m pretty sure I only downloaded it because it was one of Amazon’s free KindleUnlimited books. The synapsis spoke of shocking surprises like GG, but geez what a stretch! In my opinion it was just weird and kinda cringeworthy. A reviewer on Amazon articulated my thoughts perfectly: “If you are the type of person who expects the heroine to have ONE redeeming quality, don’t purchase this book.”
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. A bestseller, there are tons of a reviews on this WWII-centered book. It’s about two French women trying to make it through the war sans men, well, minus the German soldier that moves into their farmhouse. Gonna be honest again, it definitely wasn’t a page-turner; I struggled to get through the book as it wasn’t super uplifting or exciting. It might just be me though, because thousands of great reviews can’t be wrong… right?
I read a lot while eating curries alone…
The Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost by Rachel Friedman. A memoir of an American girl, living, working, and later backpacking around the world, I downloaded it because it was recommended by Nomadic Matt. I could relate to this book enormously… and not just because the author’s name was Rachel.
The Circle by Dave Eggers. An eerily accurate commentary on social media and its impact on society. This book is look at what might happen if every aspect of our daily life were tied to a Facebook-Google-esque hybrid… like worse than they already are. No really. I sped through this book.
Bossypants by Tina Fey. Hilarious. I laughed out loud so much while reading this. Obviously we knew Tina Fey was brilliantly funny, but turns out she’s also an excellent writer of books as well as TV. She lightheartedly churns out a bit of life advice based on how she made it big. And now I’m inspired to watch all of 30 Rock.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. I was a tad let down by this one, but that’s almost certainly because I read it directly after Bossypants. However Mindy is unapologetic about that the simplicity of her book; she says it’s a fun read that should take you all of two days to finish. I was really into learning about how she got her start as a writer on The Office and how she and a friend wrote an off-Broadway play about the hypothetical lives of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon that they starred in dressed as the men.
I read a lot on the beach.
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan. So the tagline for this book is “My Month of Madness,” but it isn’t about mental illness like I originally thought – sometimes I just read random stuff my mom buys that we share via the Kindle. Instead it’s about a mysterious autoimmune disease that attacked this woman’s brain during her mid-twenties. The diagnosis was difficult (involving a brain biopsy), the symptoms hard to read (appearing very much like mental illness), and the road to recovery long and painful. It’s very interesting, but she does get pretty scientific.
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. I found a paperback copy of this one at a hostel in Croatia and snagged it! Again, I thought it would be like GG (I’m such a sucker), but the twist of this book didn’t really happen until the final few pages, and by then I was already weary of waiting for it. Not bad, not amazzzzing.
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. I loved this book! The protagonist is an Australian genetics professor who is struggling to find a mate due to his severe lack of social skills. As another Amazon reviewer noted, it’s as if Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory wrote a book about his love life. It’s so original, hilarious, and quirky. I LOL’d a lot. (And whoa, I just found out there’s a sequel! I’ve gotta read it.)
Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale. Ughhhhh, so cheesy. Mom must’ve downloaded this one on the Kindle for free, but the reviews were actually good so I have no idea what’s going on with this one. It’s just ultra chick lit, way too easy, and oh so romantic-corny-predictable. Beach read maybe?
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. A classic. I came across my hard copy of this book right when I got home and discovered that maybe I’d never finished the last chapter, so that’s what I’m reading now. The writing is so snarky, descriptive, and revealing of all that goes on behind the scenes in a restaurant. Bourdain can do no wrong though.
I read a lot at coffee shops that are way too hip for me
The one thing I didn’t take into account in my reading quests was only bringing my Kindle. (Well, aside from not getting the Paperwhite with the backlight for dark hostel dorm room reading.) While it is hands down the best and easiest way of getting the books you want on demand whenever you have wifi, you can’t really trade it in at free book exchanges. (Duh, not gonna trade the Kindle for a paperback! And I feel like it’s bad karma to take a book without donating one to the shelf… even though I may have done it once. Shhhh…) So this time around I’m going to bring one actual book with me, ya know, if there’s room in my carry-on.
Oh, if you were reading this post in hopes of finding books that were a little more travel-related, check out this list of travel books (to which I contributed!) over at Desk to Dirtbag.
Podcasts!
If you aren’t on the podcast train yet, get with it! It’s such an effortless way to pass time, be entertained, and learn stuff.
I just got LASIK (hell yeah, no more packing tons of contacts for months of travel!), and I knew I was gonna need a little something to distract me before bed after the surgery that first night, so I jumped back into the podcast game. I was such a fan of Serial that I figured there had to be more out there like it.
Accused by the Cincinnati Enquirer was a good pick. I’ve just listened to the first few episodes but I can already tell it’s gonna hook me and leave me frustrated about yet another unsolved, shoddily handled murder. This one surrounds the death of a 23-year old woman found strangled and stabbed in her apartment in the 70’s. The jury found her boyfriend not guilty and then the police just stopped investigating… Argh!
The next one I’m planning to listen to is called Untold, about the axe murder of a British private investigator who might’ve been planning to expose the corruption of the police. Can’t wait! I do have a long, long flight coming up!
(And in case you were wondering, I did listen to the second season of Serial, but I just never got around to finishing it. The Bowe Bergdahl case just wasn’t as intriguing to me as a teenage murder mystery.)
So guys, I get on my next flight out of the country a week from today. What should I get into next?!
LASIK is just about the best investment I’ve ever made, seriously. So nice to travel, hike, whatever without worrying about either glasses or contacts. Nice little list, I just finished reading Hillbilly Elegy last night, which is a great read as well…
I’m loving the new vision so far. Contacts took up so much room in my bag and solution was not really that cheap in other countries… plus they’re not that comfortable all the time. Thanks for the book recommendation – I’ll check it out!
Haha I read every book I can find that says “will appeal to fans of Gone Girl” too! But sadly, there are very few that I’ve liked. We’ll have to swap book suggestions someday! I’m really interested in Pretty Girls but damn, why is like $10 on Kindle? I’m cheap and only read books that are free with the Kindle Unlimited service, but once in a while, I’ll “splurge” on a book that costs money. Is it worth $10? I read Everything We Keep too, and yeah…. it wasn’t twisty at all.
Definitely. I just need for Gillian to write a new book ASAP. And if you EVER find anything super worth reading on Kindle Unlimited, let me know! It hasn’t worked out for me that well so far.