Only four days to go before setting off on the Dawn Princess World Cruise out of Sydney, Australia.
Tomorrow I’ll think about what to pack and make sure everything and everyone is organized during the time I’m away.
But I spent all of today deciding what books to take on this leisurely vacation. After all, when you’re about to be embark on 55 days at sea, choosing good reading material is crucial.
Here’s what I came up with…
A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain is based on Twain’s 16 month journey around central and southern Europe between 1878 and 1879 and offers a hilarious look at old world Europe.
W. Somerset Maugham: The Skeptical Romancer edited by Pico Iyer. Though best known for his dark outlook on human frailties in books such as Of Human Bondage and The Razor’s Edge, W. Somerset Maugham was also a curious and adventurous traveler who carefully documented his journeys and experiences.
Original Letters from India by Eliza Fey. Written during a 1779 voyage across the world from England to India, these letters offer a fascinating glimpse into Eliza Fey’s woman’s gruelling 12 month journey.
Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark by Mary Wollenstonecraft. A deeply personal travel narrative by an 18th century British feminist (who also happened to be the mother of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein)
Coast to Coast by Jan Morris. In her very first book, Jan Morris narrates her one year journey through 1950’s America by car, train, ship, and aircraft.
It’s a pretty diverse list of books. But they all have one thing in common – long distance travel in a bygone era.
I just returned from 5 weeks of travel, using a Kindle for the first time. It’s a great way to carry lots of books in a small format. I was even able to buy books while abroad (from Amazon’s Kindle Store)–great for when you suddenly develop an interest in something and want to read about it right away.
The device cost about $250 US, but as there are many free titles (out of copyright items) and others cost about 30% less than paper books, it won’t be too long before an avid reader earns back its cost.
However, I will never buy a guidebook on Kindle again. I used LP’s Egypt guide and found it extremely frustrating. The maps cannot be enlarged and are therefore mostly useless (and it’s hard to find a good map of Cairo once you’re there). ‘Flipping’ through pages is tedious also, and the hyperlinks were iffy. Bring the real thing.
Jim Johnston, Mexico City
Books about the places we would see and the Bible and my fave books flyy girl the coldest winter ever and the bluest eye.
Great selection of books: are you re-reading them or are they first time pleasures?
have a great trip!
Books are looking worth reading. I would like to check these.