The Joys of Literary Travel Adventure

I love traveling. It opens up the mind to new ways of thinking, new ideas. There is always so much to learn and so much fun to be had. I love books too, for the same reasons. This is why I love the sub-genre of literary travel adventure. It mixes all of my favorite things about traveling and books, two things that are very personal to the people experiencing them. It's like having a conversation with the author about a book that greatly influenced their life.

This genre has been gaining steam over the past few years, and here are some of my favorite titles so that everyone can get in on the action.

Walden on Wheels by Ken Ilgunas

This book rocked my socks off. The author has just graduated from college and is having a hard time coming to terms with the large amount of student loans he owes, the lack of high paying jobs available that won't crush his soul, and the high cost of living (I'm sure that many recent graduates, myself included, can relate to this). He turns to the lessons in Henry David Thereau's  Walden and lives out of a van to keep costs of living low and to pay back his student loans as quickly as possible,

This book is so wonderful. Its funny, witty, relevant, and poignant. The author's voice alone makes this book worth reading, and his travels are amazing, from Alaska to the south. I think this is a must read for anyone who liked Walden, the outdoors, or is a recent graduate (regardless of the amount of debt accrued).


Finding Abbey by Sean Prentiss

This was an extremely charming story of a man trying to figure out what he should fight for and where he should make his stand by retracing the steps of Edward Abbey. If you haven't read Edward Abbey, you really should. His books are charming, exciting, emotional, and they portray a deep connectedness to the land in the west. Cactus Ed was definitely a man who knew how to make a stand. Sean Prentiss retraces Abbey's steps and communicates with Abbey's friends in order to track down Abbey's secret desert grave.

This book is the cutest midlife crisis story I have ever read.

Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler

In this travel adventure story the author retraces the steps of the greatest story ever told, the first five books of it anyways. This book is a mixture of literary deconstruction, travel adventure, and history lesson. I loved it. It goes in depth into the first five books of the bible while the author examines his own faith as he travels through the Middle East. Well written and witty it handles the geo-political and religious tensions of the area with grace and humor, and is a great read no matter what you believe in.

Spinster by Kate Bolick

This book, while not strictly a travel adventure, is one that still needs to be on this list. It is the authors coming of age story as she explores what it means to be a single woman in this day and age, and she tells the story through a string of authors and how their books influenced her. This book was amazing! Insightful, funny, important (I am still thrown off when people ask me when I'm gonna settle down and have kids. It's an "If" everyone, not a "when") this is one that made me laugh as well as make me think. It was so interesting to see how these different authors shaped Kate Bolick and how she reacts to the way that women, especially single women, are treated in today society. Here's a little taste to get you hooked:

"Whom to marry, and when it will happen- these two questions define every woman's existence, regardless of where she was raised or what religion she does or doesn't practice. She may grow up to love women instead of men, or to decide she simply doesn't believe in marriage. No matter. These dual contingencies govern her until they're answered, even if the answers are nobody and never."

Kate Bolick

Spinster

I love this genre and I can't wait to read more books along the same lines. If you have any literary travel adventures that you loved please leave the title in the comments below!