Travel books that will change the way you see the world

If you are looking for some great travel books to get you ready for your next adventure, take a look at these curated by the Readsaga review team.

“The Rings of Saturn” by W.G. Sebald

When asked for his pick for the best travel book, James Kay, editor of Lonely Planet’s website, chose a work that doesn’t quite fit into any genre.

“Travelogue? Memoir? Novel? W.G. Sebald’s account of a walking tour of the English county of Suffolk defies categorization. The narrator meanders a few miles down the coast, but his mental journey feels far greater. This book blends beguiling descriptions of the places and people he encounters with meditations that range from the history of herring fishing to colonialism in the Congo to the reign of a Chinese empress,” said Kay. “‘The Rings of Saturn’ contains a philosophy for travellers who want to scratch beneath the surface of a destination: Take it slow, seek out stories, strive to be a more thoughtful explorer. Take a copy of this one-off with you, and cultivate your sense of curiosity with every step—who knows where it might lead you?”

“A Moveable Feast (Life Changing Food Adventures Around The World)” edited by Don George

Some of us love to travel and travel to eat. And when you need a book to fuel a gourmand journey, “A Moveable Feast” has got you covered with this celebration of 38 foodie tales from around the world, said Debbie Arcangeles, host of the podcast The Offbeat Life, which highlights the lives of location-independent professionals.

“‘A Movable Feast’ is a compilation of short stories from famous chefs, writers and foodies around the world,” she said. “They all share a love of food and the power it has to bring people together. Reading the short stories will give you a glimpse of the culture and induce a serious case of food lust.”

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Travel Books That Will Give You Serious Wanderlust

If you are looking for some great travel books to get you ready for your next adventure, take a look at these curated by the Readsaga review team.

Love With a Chance of Drowning, by Torre DeRoche

Travel blogger Torre DeRoche writes this book, and while I usually don’t like “chick travel love stories,” I couldn’t put this one down. It’s a beautifully written book about overcoming her fear of the ocean to sail across the Pacific with her boyfriend. The way she describes the scenery, the people, and her experience makes me want to follow in her footsteps. It’s powerful, vivid, and moving. It’s the best travel book I’ve read all year.

The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah

Inspired by the Moroccan vacations of his childhood, Shah decides to buy a house in Casablanca. He moves his family from England to break out from London’s monotony and exposes his children to a more carefree childhood. I randomly picked this up in a bookstore and couldn’t put it down. Shah is an engaging writer, and I was glued to every word. While dealing with corruption, the local bureaucracy, thieves, gangsters, jinns causing havoc, and the hassle that seems to come with even the most simple interactions, Shah weaves a story that is simply one of the best I’ve read all year. It’s beautifully written and endlessly enthralling. You must buy this book!

The Lost City of Z, by David Grann

This book seeks to find out what happened to Percy Fawcett, who trekked through the Amazon jungle in search of the fabled lost city of Z. Blending history, biography, and travelogue, Grann intermingles information about Percy’s life and expeditions with the science behind the myth of Z and the possibility that there could have been vastly advanced civilizations in the Amazon. The book reminded me of Turn Right at Machu Picchu: a modern writer follows a fabled explorer through the jungle. I learned a lot about the region and history of the cultures that inhabited the land long before Westerners came stomping about killing people.

For more great travel books, check out Readsaga.

Top 3 Songs to Add to Your Playlist when Traveling

Music can transport you to an imaginary dimension and change your moods. It can make your journey memorable as it helps you understand the origin and background of a place. Here are some of the travel songs that will make your.

T’s My Life- Bon Jovi

Many people consider T’s My Life among the best travel songs. In this song, Bon Jovi’s lyrics encourage listeners to live life to the fullest but taking precautions. If you plan for a trip with your loved one or family, try listening to this song. It is a sing-along for many who desire to live a free life.

Galway GIRL – ED Sheeran

When Ireland’s most favorite artist, Ed Sheeran, released this song, it stayed on the billboard’s top 100 pieces for a while. The music brings listeners back to the pubs in Ireland. Being a fan of traveling, Ed Sheeran talks to the audience about his journey experiences, and it is his free spirit that inspires most of his listeners.

Montego Bay – Amazulu

This song captures the spirit and energy of Jamaica. It explains in detail every impressive feature of the island. Whenever you are planning to go to Jamaica, you should listen to this song. The lyrics talk about his drive on the island while drinking rum with fellow people.

If you are looking for the best travel songs that you can enjoy on your next trip, please visit Readsaga.com.

Must-Read Travel eBooks to Inspire Your Next Trip

There’s nothing more exciting than traveling to places. It does not matter where you are visiting; seeing the world will give you experiences you will never forget. Here are some eBooks that will make you pack your bags and go on an exciting trip.

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

This story is about a shepherd boy who lives in Santiago. He embarks on several adventures to satisfy his zeal for traveling to fun places. One day, he comes across riches that not even money can buy. The story inspires us to seize every opportunity that comes our way and make the most out of it. If you do so, you will see the promising signs of life strewn along the way.

Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods

”A walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson is about the story of Bill Bryson. He attempts to walk the Appalachian Trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine without any success. Bryson incorporates humor and uses an easy-to-learn language that most listeners prefer. As you swipe through the pages, you will learn about the trail’s history and some of the bizarre folks he meets.

Hidden Places – Sarah Baxter

Sarah takes us through a wild and charming tale of the jungle-covered Mayan underworld. She explores some obscure locations that we have never known to exist. As you flip through the pages, you will find the secrets that led to the destruction of the Pacific.

For more exciting travel books, visit Readsaga.com.

Two Books to Take You to New Places

While many of us will be traveling for the holidays, for most of us, international travel is still but a distant dream. So if you can’t go anywhere physically, why not let a book take you away to wonderful new places? Here’s two great picks from the team here at Readsaga:

The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Yes, that’s right, Che Guevara was not just a Marxist revolutionary, he was also a celebrated author. In The Motorcycle Diaries, Guevara tells the tale of the nine month trip he embarked upon with a friend and fellow rider through Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. During the journey the pair climbed Machu Picchu, sailed down the Amazon River, and attempted to scale the Andes, all while discovering the struggling communities that informed Guevara’s ideology.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Although already considered a timeless classic and on many people’s must-read lists (or much watch lists, if you’d prefer the film adaptation) Memoirs of a Geisha paints a stunning picture of Kyoto, Japan. In his book, Golden tells the story of a young girl sold to a Geisha house at the age of nine, all while painting a picture of the historic district in which she finds herself. The evolution of both the district of Kyoto (and Greater Japan) and of the Geisha profession are explored throughout the changes brought on by World War II and the modernization of Japan.

Want to venture to new places at the touch of a button? Visit our online library at Readsaga for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Traveling For The Holidays? Here’s How to Cut the Cost

With the holidays just around the corner, many will be travelling to see loved ones, especially given how difficult the year has been and how much we’ve been apart. Traveling, however, can be expensive even at the best of times. With that in mind, the team here at Readsaga thought we’d dig into our extensive collection of travel ebooks and audiobooks to bring you the following tips:

Book as early as you can. Even if it’s already too late to get the relly relly good deals, booking as early as possible can be a way to save big on flights, even train and bus tickets! If you won’t be staying with friends and family, hotels often offer discounts as well when rooms are booked in advance.

Pack light. Airline baggage fees are getting out of hand, and in some cases baggage fees can end up costing you almost as much as your fare! With that in mind, it’s always worth the effort of packing light, and only taking the necessities with you. If you can get away with nothing more than a carry-on, you’re golden! When it comes to clothing, take only the essentials. If you’ll be traveling for a few weeks there’s always the option of washing your clothes at a local laundromat. While it may not sound appealing spending your precious travel time waiting for your clothes to dry, think of the downtime as a break from friends and family, just in case you need it!

How to Save Money While Traveling Locally

The pandemic has halted travel for most of us, at least international travel, but for a lot of cities and counties that doesn’t mean local travel is out of the question! Since traveling can get expensive no matter where you go, the team at Readsaga combed through our wide selection of travel-related content to bring you these tips on how to save money when traveling locally:

Plan your fuel stops. Although we’ve seen some low gas prices lately, the prices certainly spike in certain areas, particularly remote areas where regular fuel supplies are difficult to deliver. It’s worth not only keeping an eye on the gas gauge to avoid getting caught with an empty fuel tank, but also digging into various fuel stops on the map, many of which will have their prices indicated on various apps.

Try not to be too picky with accomodations. We may love five star resorts in countries where expenses or exchange rates make such stays affordable, but similar accommodations may be a bit pricier closer to home, assuming you can find them at all. If the point of the trip is to explore a new place rather than lounge about, a hotel with fewer amenities or even an Airbnb should do just fine, and can leave more in your wallet for other fun things!

Want to venture to new places with the touch of a button? Visit our online library at Readsaga for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

How to Travel During the Pandemic

While for the most part we shouldn’t be traveling, and most international travel has ground to a halt anyway due to border closures, there are still ways to take a trip during the pandemic if you really need the escape. So the team at Readsaga combed through our wide selection of travel-related content to bring you these tips:

Safety first. Remember that no matter where you go, maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask where needed will not only keep you safe, but it’ll keep everyone around you safe as well, and will go a long way towards making people comfortable with tourists around. Washing your hands frequently and avoiding contact with your face will also help ensure you stay healthy while away.

Consider sticking closer to home. Sure, we’d love to be sunbathing on a tropical island too, but it may make more sense for the time being to stay closer to home, even in your own city if there’s somewhere you’d like to check out. It could help slow the spread of the coronavirus and help you avoid any quarantine upon your return.

Try not to be too picky. Finally, if you do want to hop a flight to a far away land, many countries are accepting international travelers, but not all of them. If your desired destination has closed its borders, it may be worth considering an alternative that could be easier to get to.

Miss Flying? Why not Fly to Nowhere.

While the ongoing global pandemic has been a challenge for a number of industries, few have been hit quite as hard as the travel and tourism industry. Airlines in particular have seen their profits plummet, with global travel restrictions resulting in innumerable cancellations, seemingly limitless layoffs, and an industry-wide fear of looming bankruptcies. Travelers aren’t faring too well either, with many missing their regular trips and jetsetting lifestyles. And so, in a desperate attempt to ease the pain felt by airlines and consumers alike, some airlines, such as Australia’s Qantas, have started offering so-called “flights to nowhere”.” The flights, often 7 to 10 hours in duration, allow travelers to board planes and fly around over various landmarks, only to return to their original locations. One such flight offered by Qantas sold out in 10 minutes.

“It’s probably the fastest selling flight in Qantas history,” the airline’s CEO, Alan Joyce, said in a statement. “People clearly miss travel and the experience of flying. If the demand is there, we’ll definitely look at doing more of these scenic flights while we all wait for borders to open.”

Will the flights help airlines recoup their losses? One analyst isn’t convinced.

“It certainly doesn’t hurt to do these flights, but I wouldn’t expect a big impact in terms of revenue or reduced losses during these challenging times,” Brendan Sobie, an aviation analyst with Sobie Aviation, told the Strait Times.

Time will tell if this trend will take off, but in the meantime we’ll all be hoping for the day where we can land somewhere other than where we take off.

Looking for some travel related reads? Visit our online library at Readsaga for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Watching San Francisco Change Through The Eyes of An Author

With 20 or so novels to his name, few would hesitate to call Christopher Moore a successful author. And although he hails from Ohio and called Hawaii home for a time, Christopher Moore is an author who knows the city of San Francisco well, and who has watched it change over the years. Among Moore’s many titles are his Vampires in San Francisco series: Bloodsucking Fiends (1995), You suck (2007), and Bite Me (2010). Back in 2010 Moore sat down for an interview with Express. Asked about the challenges of revisiting characters for a sequel a decade after his original novel, Moore instead had an interesting take on the challenges of a writing about a city a decade later. From the interview:

“It was a lot more difficult than I thought. I think it was 12 years from the first one to the second one. As I said, I hadn’t planned on that. I thought I’d do a sequel in a couple of years, but it didn’t work out business-wise. The biggest problem wasn’t revisiting the characters. The city had changed. That was the 12 years when the Internet happened and in the city where the Internet happened. The area where the characters lived when I did the original research in ’93 was Pakistani restaurants, transmission shops, and artist lofts. And that area — the South of Market Street. area, the SOMA — had basically turned into Internet central. All of the startup companies had gone down there and built these really expensive facilities, and there were a lot of really hip new lofts that had been put in fro the employees who worked at Google and places like that. So I had to deal with the fact that the city had changed. And I actually met with a book group at a San Francisco bookshop called Borderlands, which does science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and I said, What do you guys think? You live in the city. How should I handle this? And they said, Just ignore it. Just act like there was no difference. So that’s what I did. But that was the thing that concerned me the most, how the city had changed. I knew the characters were going to be just like they had been the day before, and then I added new characters that were a little more challenging, like Abby Normal.”

Looking for some travel related reads? Visit our online library at Readsaga for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.