Yesterday evening was spent cutting out badly shaped leaves made from green card to stick to an empty wrapping paper tube to make a beanstalk. As you do.
The reason for this impromptu and badly executed craft night was so that my younger brother Jack could dress up for World Book Day taking place tomorrow (3rd March). Yup, he was going as himself (genius) with just this pathetic looking wilted beanstalk to complete the look. I think I need to up my craft game. Thankfully my mum swooped in to save the day.
But this got me thinking about what characters I could dress up as from my fave novels, especially my fave travel themed novels. In a way I’d quite like to have a bash at using a glue gun to create a costume fitting for a geisha or pull out the duct tape to wrap over my battered flip flops ala Cheryl Strayed in Wild.
I’m never happier than when two of my fave things go hand in hand such as sticky toffee pudding and custard, long haul flights and free upgrades (I can still dream) and travel and novels.
The way these authors describe faraway lands that you may never have set foot in in such rich and vivid detail making you want to grab your passport as you turn the pages is a complete skill. These books are guaranteed to inspire wanderlust:
Known as the bible to the beat generation, this American classic coming-of-age novel inspired a new dawn of backpackers (and hitchhikers) desperate to experience life on the road. It spoke to the lost generation who struggled with being seen as outsiders and who took to travelling as a way to find their true calling.
I read this novel and watched the film before my trip to Thailand and fell in love with the idyllic white sandy beaches, azure coloured waters and drooping lush palm trees. Of course this paradise location didn’t mean that life would be a beach for main character Richard as he discovers that what looks like Utopia has a dark underbelly.
Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts
This heavy tome is an essential on the bookshelves of any respectable traveller. Set in the underworld of Mumbai following life on the run of an Australian convict who seemingly falls down the rabbit hole into the depths of Indian slums. Possibly one that is less inspiring and more horrifying, but a classic travel read nonetheless.
Feeling disillusioned with materialism and wanting to live off the grid is something many of us understand at one time or the other. Actually giving up all you have to survive in the bleak bitterness of Alaska is another thing. This is what Alex McCandless aka Alexander Supertramp did in order to experience life at its most basic and natural state as he craved to disappear.
A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini
I credit this novel with lighting the spark of wanting to travel deep inside me, even if at the time I didn’t know just how influential it would become. I fell in love with the cast of female characters, the way Hosseini brings the dusty streets of Kabul to life and the harrowing tale that stays with you long after the final page. (Check out the interview I did with Novelicious where I shamelessly professed my love for this novel here!).
Memoirs Of A Geisha – Arthur Golden
This novel had me looking up flights to Japan faster than you can say kon’inchiwa. It follows the heartfelt tale of a young village girl whisked from her life and raised as a geisha. It did get slated for showing a Western version of Eastern practices but I really enjoyed this brief but fascinating introduction to Japanese culture and the history behind these traditions.
Wild – Cheryl Strayed
You must know by now how much I adore this book; it is my go-to travel read for so many reasons, from the incredible writing, the raw and honest account of the depths Cheryl found herself in and the punch-your-fist-in-the-air as she claws her way back up. Perfect for fearless solo travellers.
Eat Pray Love – Elizabeth Gilbert
What happens when you have achieved all the things ‘you’re meant to’ have ticked off according to society, such as a husband, mortgage and good career but you still feel empty and unfulfilled? You can do what Liz Gilbert did and go off to find yourself via Italy, India and Indonesia on a journey of self-discovery, of course.
What am I missing off this list? Which books have you read that inspired you to book a plane ticket out of here?
{If you’re looking to escape to the sandy shores of Thailand, the crazy buzz of India or the spicy Spanish feel of Chile without needing your passport then check out The Lonely Hearts Travel Club series. Personally I think they’re worthy of a spot in the ‘best travel novels’ category, but then I would think that wouldn’t I! Gah, can I be anymore shameless…:) }
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