That's the thing about books...

...they let you travel without moving your feet. -- Jhumpa Lahiri

Photo credit: livelongandtravel.com

If you haven't guessed it yet, this post is about books. Specifically books that I've read which have either a) inspired some of my travels or b) are the go-to books that I take with me.

If you were to ask me what my passions were, I'd say travel, food and books. My love for reading meant that this post was pretty much inevitable.

I've been an avid reader ever since I was really young. I never needed cajoling or pushing by my parents to 'read' (well maybe just the newspaper…). I could happily wile away hours by myself, lost in a book and can still vividly picture myself, when we lived in Delhi, sitting in our conservatory known as the 'Sun Room' (since it faced the direction the sun would rise) doing just that. I would snuggle up in one of the massive chairs, reading all the Jacqueline Wilson books that I could get my hands on, and be happily occupied for hours.

The situation still hasn't changed. I can usually tell quite quickly whether a book is for me or not, and once I realise it is for me, I (figuratively, of course) devour it. I sometimes would lose myself to such an extent in a book, that I feel like I'm watching a movie. If I have to leave it for a moment, I feel a completely irrational pang of nervousness about missing crucial scenes (as if I can’t pause it or something)! I know, that sounds really weird, but hopefully there are other readers out there who have experienced a similar feeling?! Nope, just me?!

So without any further ado, below is my list and I strongly recommend reading these books if you haven't already:

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon

This Spanish novel is one of my ALL TIME FAVOURITES. I can't tell you how many times I've read it, but it always leaves me speechless. It's set in Barcelona during the Civil War, and is a story with a story. I was on holiday with a friend and his family in Greece, when his dad, also an avid reader, told me to read this book. Needless to say, I’m so glad that he did.

The first story concerns a boy, Daniel Sempere, who is taken to 'The Cemetery of Forgotten Books' by his father. There he finds a book called 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Julian Carax. Completely engrossed by the book, he becomes involves in re-tracing the history of Carax, and there he uncovers a beautiful love story... But, not only is it a beautiful love story, but Zafon takes you on a tour of the old streets of Barcelona. If you are a fan of the Catalan city (or even if you're not), The Shadow of the Wind is DEFINITELY a must-read!

Buy the book here!

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

When I was about 16, I was doing a summer job in a Call Centre for a credit card company. During lunch on one of the days, I walked in to a charity shop and started perusing the books for sale. I came across Memoirs of a Geisha by chance, but had never heard of it nor the author before. The front cover was so alluring that I decided to buy it for a meager GBP1.50.

The story follows Chiyo Sakamoto’s transformation and training from a poverty-stricken child to a maiko (apprentice geiko) and then to a full-fledged geiko (traditional Japanese female entertainer) in Gion, the most prominent geisha district in Kyoto, Japan. It’s an enchanting tale of one woman’s story as she struggles to find her footing in the geisha culture and traditions and her highs and lows to make a name for herself. It turned out to be one of the best books I’ve ever read, and gives a brilliant snapshot in to the Japanese geisha/geiko culture.

Buy the book here!

Shantaram: A novel by David Gregory Roberts

Whilst travelling for 3 months in Africa, I met some Australian travellers who were reading this book. As they had nearly finished it, they told me I could have it to read when we parted ways. If you haven’t read or heard of it before: it’s a HUGE book about a convicted Australian bank robber who escapes prison in Australia and flees to India. The story unfolds to the backdrop of the vibrant and tumultuous city of Mumbai, India and follows ‘Shantaram’ in his quest to be free and start a new life. The book is allegedly based on true life events, and I have to say: if it is, WOW, what a life. But even it’s not: WOW, what a story. After I read the book and on a later visit to Mumbai, I went to some of the key places in the book such as Taj Mahal Hotel, Gateway of India and Leopold Café and Bar.

Buy the book here!

(The locations I mentioned above are also key sites in the 2008 Mumbai attacks therefore are worth a visit even if you haven’t read the book.)

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I can’t really recall who recommended this book to me. All I know is that I read it prior to all the Dan Brown hype and when I read it, it was still relatively unknown. I was lucky enough to be reading it whilst I was in Paris, so I literally walked the streets from the book. I was so taken by the book, that I even took it with me when we visited the Louvre, so I could re-read the parts about the paintings (especially The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa) whilst looking at them!

This book’s reputation precedes it now, so I probably don’t really need to give much of a little blurb. But for those of you who may not have heard it before (!): The Da Vinci Code is a mystery novel set in Paris and follows symbologist Robert Langdon’s quest to uncover the truth behind a murder in the Louvre museum. The novel explores an alternative history (truth or untruth) of Jesus Christ potentially having married Mary Magdalene and delves into the concepts of the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.

Not to be taken too seriously, it’s a great murder-mystery which will leave you gripped and desperate to find out what happens next.

Buy the book here!

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

Wild Swans is a biographical book, containing the stories of Jung Chang, her mother and her grandmother, set during the changing times and traditions of China. The book begins with the grandmother’s story from when she was only 2 years old and her forced life as a concubine to a high-ranking warlord General. Fast forward then to the life of Chang’s mother, who at the age of 15 began working for the Communist Party of China and Mao Zedong’s Red Army before she married a high-ranking officer (Chang’s father) and joined the military herself. We then move on to Chang’s life, who was a teenager when the Cultural Revolution began in China. Her story is about her experience in the Red Guards, but at the same time her parents condemnation of the brutality inflicted on the Chinese people under Mao’s rule and then their subsequent capture and torture. Despite the revolution, Chang worked hard to gain a place at University to study English, and then won a scholarship to study in England where she left to settle and establish a new home.

I probably read this book far before I was able to appreciate the complexities of Chinese culture and the struggles of the people during the decades across which the book is set. This book is definitely worth reading if you have an interest in history and excellent narratives.

Buy the book here!

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

This book is another of my all-time favourites. It’s a tale of two very dissimilar women, whose lives intersect under unfortunate circumstances. However it’s a testament to the bonds between a mother and daughter (regardless of whether it’s real or pseudo) and the strength they can call upon from that support to overcome the impossible.

The story focuses on a specific part of Afghan history and the roles of females in society during this time. I learnt so much from this book, not only about society, but also points of history that I otherwise was unaware about. The impact of the book on me was so much that it frequently comes up in conversation as a reference point when discussing the roles of women in oppressive societies. Similar to Wild Swans, the story is told from a woman’s perspective, however is distinguished by the fact that it’s written by a man. Hosseini has an uncanny ability to touch on incredibly sensitive subjects and write them in a remarkable way, that you would think it was written by a person / woman who was retelling their own story. I couldn’t recommend this book enough.

Buy the book here!

The Namesake: a novel by Jhumpa Lahiri

I watched the film before I read the book. I know, I know, cardinal sin, but even though it’s written by a Pulitzer prize winning author, I had no idea it existed until after I’d seen the film. If you have ever experienced being an immigrant / expat / living outside of your familial country or just basically any sort of identity crisis from a relocation: read this book.

The book explores the trials and tribulations of a Bengali couple after they emigrate to the United States to live a life away from their family and anything they are accustomed to. It explores the complexities of adopting a new culture and new ways and the importance, but yet difficulties, of creating a feeling of ‘belonging’ no matter where you are.

It wasn’t until I was in my early teens that I truly realised just how different my upbringing was from other British Asians. My dad is a first generation immigrant from Delhi, India and married my mum who is second generation British Asian (my grandparents moved to the UK when she was just 2). Whilst this part isn’t particular unusual, what made my identifying with a particular culture difficult was that my brother and I spent our childhood in Delhi and then moved to London when I was 10 and he was 13. Ages that were old enough to really remember our childhood and what it was like growing up in Delhi. We didn’t know anyone else who had a similar childhood in London at all. In fact, I still don’t. I never got nvolved in conversations about the programmes we watched as children, or the sweets we ate, or even packed lunches that our mums made for us, because what I did as a child was so different from the people I knew in London. I never completely felt like I was from Delhi, or I was from London, so an identity crisis at some stage was almost inevitable.

This book really resonated with me, because I felt that a lot of the internal struggles I faced were played out in the book. But even if you haven’t experienced something like this before, I really would urge you to read this book. It may just help to give you an insight and therefore appreciation of the struggles of immigrants around you as they try to create and establish a new life in a land unknown.

Buy the book here!

Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell

Moving in the polar opposite direction of ‘serious’: I am THE biggest ‘Sex and the City’ fan. I mean, seriously: I quote them in my day to day conversation (don’t judge me). I finally managed to visit New York 2014, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I made a trip to see Carrie’s front door from the series (it was conveniently located round the corner from my Uncle’s apartment, so I figured it would be rude not to!) when I finally set foot in the city.

Before the series, was the book. If you haven’t read it and are a fan of the series, it’s a MUST! It’s a collection of essays by Candace Bushnell herself, based on her and her friend’s lifestyles, living and dating (or, ahem, mating!) in New York City. A New York perspective, a New York sense of humour, a goddamn New York minute – it will inspire you to get your own taste of the Big Apple!

Buy the book here!

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

When I was given this book, I was told that it was an incredibly funny book. So I had high expectations before I started it. It ended up being truly excellent (I can understand why it’s a best seller) and I have since recommended the book to many other expats living in Singapore. The story centres around the main character, Nick Young, who is heir to an extremely affluent ‘old money’ Singaporean family, and is living and working in New York as a professor, and his girlfriend, Rachel Chu, who is American-born Chinese and also a professor. Nick is due to return to Singapore after many years to attend his best friend’s wedding, and will be bringing his Rachel to meet his family for the first time. Nick’s family has certain expectations of him, so when he returns home without having told his mother about his girlfriend: s**t hits the fan.

The story is a non-stop comedy rollercoaster of Nick’s mother’s frantic attempts to quash Nick and Rachel’s relationship resorting to scheming, backstabbing and rumours, against a backdrop of Singapore’s high society, where the affluent people give a whole new meaning to the word ‘wealthy’.

One of the things I loved the most about the book however is the footnotes added by the author to explain Singaporean nuances e.g. slang / history / mass opinions. It helps you understand the cultural differences and also gives you an understanding of the background of the country. The book is excellent if you have visited or know anything about Singapore. You’ll find yourself having lots of ‘a ha’ moments, for example when the history of black and white houses is explained or when we are told about the triad of Chinese restaurants in London which are the only ones frequented by Chinese Singaporeans. If you’re an expat living in Singapore it’s a MUST READ.

Buy the book here!

The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The last book on the list, is not really a book that inspired me to travel (despite the title!), but rather a book that I have read a number of times whilst travelling. I can honestly say, every single time I read this book, something new and different stands out for me.

It’s a love story between Henry DeTamble who has a genetic disorder which allows him to involuntarily time travel, and his wife Clare Anne Abshire who has to learn to live with his frequent absences and sometimes dangerous encounters. The tale, whilst falling in both science fiction and romance genres, explores love, loss, relationships, the obscure nature of free will and some deeper existential questions.

After I read this book for the first time, it truly affected my outlook on love and relationships. The emotional depth of the novel means that you can’t help but become invested in Henry and Clare’s story and feel a part of it. It’s a book you can read and completely lose yourself in, hence why it’s perfect for travels.

Buy the book here!

So that’s it folks! My list (for now) of must-read travel books. I’d love to know if you have any go-to books, so please drop me a line in the comments section below and get involved!

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