"Top Ten Tuesday" is an original feature/weekly meme created on the blog "The Broke and the Bookish". This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at "The Broke and the Bookish".
It is now hosted by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl.
Since I am just as fond of them as they are, I jump at the chance to
share my lists with them! Have a look at their page, there are lots of
other bloggers who share their lists here.
This week's topic is: Reasons Why I Love Reading
Good question. Do we really need a reason?
As happens so often, I have done several lists before:
Top Ten Tuesday ~ Ten Signs You’re a Book Lover
Top Ten Tuesday ~ Ten Reasons I Love Classic Literature
And last, but not least:
Top Ten Tuesday ~ Top Ten Reasons I Love Being A Blogger/Reader
The main reason I still love reading new books all the time is "I can travel the world". I got to know so many countries that I will never be able to visit due to various reasons. And I sometimes have the feeling that we can get to know them better than many real travellers, especially those who only travel to the hotels that give them the same comfort as at home.
I will try to list some of my favourite books from every continent, books that were written by travellers or (if I didn't find one about that) by someone who knows the country well.
Africa
Coelho, Paulo "The Alchemist: A Fable about Following Your Dream" (Portuguese: O Alquimista) - 1988
Probably one of the greatest philosophical novels, ot really a travel guide but still, a great book about a tip to yourself but you also get to know some places.
Asia
Afghanistan
Elliot, Jason "An Unexpected Light. Travels in Afghanistan" - 1999
Get to know Afghanistan through the eyes of this British travel writer who gets together with all kind of people in this fascinating country.
India
Roberts, Gregory David "Shantaram" - 2003
An Australian in India, not in an ashram or one of those fancy hotels for foreigners, no, in a slum where the poorest of the poor live.
Asia/Europe
Fatland, Erika "The
Border: A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia,
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland,
Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and the Northeast Passage"
(Norwegian: Grensen: En reise rundt Russland gjennom Nord-Korea, Kina,
Mongolia, Kasakhstan, Aserbajdsjan, Georgia, Ukraina, Hviterussland,
Litauen, Polen, Latvia, Estland, Finland og Norge samt Nordøstpassasjen)
- 2017
A Norwegian journalist travels all around the Russian
border and visits so many countries, definitely a good start to see what
other countries of that region one might want to visit.
Russia
Orth, Stephan "Couchsurfing in Russia: Friendships and Misadventures Behind Putin’s Curtain" (German: Couchsurfing in Russland. Wie ich fast zum Putin-Versteher wurde) - 2017
An unusual trip by a German journalist through the largest country in the world, visiting ordinary people and getting to know their circumstances.
Turkey
Pamuk, Orhan "Istanbul - Memories of a City" (Turkish: İstanbul: Hatıralar ve Şehir) - 2003
I put this here because many People say that Turkey doesn't belong to Europe. And they are partly correct. But a part of it
does and Istanbul is half in Europe and half in Asia. Nobel Prize winning author Orhan Pamuk knows
his city like the proverbial back of his hand. He is a great writer and
therefore probably best in describing this city that is so unique in
many ways.
Australia
Hunt, Ken; Taylor, Mike "Xenophobe's Guide to the Aussies" - 1995
A funny book by an Australian and some foreigners who lived there. Makes you want to go and meet these lovely people right away.
Europe
Mak, Geert "In Europe. Travels through the twentieth century" (Dutch: In Europa: Reizen door de twintigste eeuw) - 2004
A travel through time and space that gives a good information about the whole continent. The other is a renowned Dutch journalist.
United Kingdom
Bryson, Bill "The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island" - 2015
Bill Bryson is one of my favourite authors, he can describe a chair and make everyone laugh but he is at his best when he describes people.
North America
United States of America
Bryson, Bill "Notes from a Big Country" (US: I'm a Stranger Here Myself) - 1999
Who better to tell us about the United States than someone who has lived somewhere else and sees his country with different eyes, notices all the little differences someone who grew up there and never left would never see? Bill Bryson is ideal for this task.
Fry, Stephen "Stephen Fry in America" - 2009
And then there is this, the view of a British guy who travels through the States, just as good, just as hilarious. Stephen Fry is one of the best British comedians, writers, broadcasters, actors and directors.
South America
García Márquez, Gabriel "The General in His Labyrinth" (Spanish: El general en su laberinto) - 1989
I haven't read that many books about South America but this one is about Simón Bolívar and his last journey, written by Colombian Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez.
I'm sure there are better ones for this list, I'm open to suggestions.
You can also see my visits to other parts of our world here: The World Reading Challenge
I love the idea of visiting those countries bordering Russia. Many of them are places I'd like to visit if I ever get the chance.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read more looks at America through the eyes of people from other countries.
Thanks, Greg. I can heartily recommend Erka Fatland's book, it is very informative. She has written another one about the "Stans", all the former members of the USSR that now have the ending -stan (or -jan). Very interesting.
DeleteAs to books about America by others, Stephen Fry's is interesting though probably not the usual traveller. He cruised through the States with a black London taxi. But he is hilarious. I'll have to think about other books written by people who started living in the States or visited for a longer time.
Thanks for your visit. Will have to see what you came up with today.
I've always been interested in the -stans, for whatever reason. Maybe my interest in the Silk Road when I was younger, and the fact that it would through some of those areas. Mongolia always fascinated me too. And finland, for whatever reason. :)
DeleteI think there are many reasons why we are interested in that part of the world. To me, it always sounds magical, I love the names, I love the buildings, it's our wish for something completely different, I guess. Orient, 1001 nights, it all goes into that direction.
DeleteI have "The Silk Roads" from Peter Frankopan on my TBR pile and am looking forward to that book already.
I love your take on this week! And some great recommendations! I've recently decided to attempt to "read the world" so I'm definitely going to look into a few of these and add some to me TBR.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lauren. I hope you find many of those on my page (every country I ever read about is listed under the labels) or on some of my other posts (I just added a link at the end of my post). I'm quite excited to see what you will come up with.
DeleteThanks for the visit, I will hop over to your page now.
Travelling the world through reading is an amazing thing to do. I love your list.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lydia. I feel like I've seen the world though I hardly left Europe.
DeleteGreat list! I need to branch out a bit more, I think, and read more things set in other countries. Although, I did read a book earlier this year set in China, which was pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
Definitely, Aymee, I have read books about China since my first one by Pearl S. Buck when I was in my early teens. Always fascinating.
DeleteThanks for the link.
That is one of the reasons I love history so much - not only can I travel the world but I can travel back in time as well.
ReplyDeleteSame here, Sarah. I always say I don't really like books about time travel but I do it all the time, visit the Tudors, for example.
DeleteGlad to see you back here.
That's exactly it! It's a different sort of time travel I guess, but not really.
DeleteI am glad to be back, thank you!
Well, it's like the "real" travel in books, we can go to the other side of the earth and believe we are there, so we can visit another era.
DeleteAs long as we don't get stuck there, it's the best part. As much as I would love to go back and talk to Eleanor of Aquitaine (which would be impossible anyway, given the language barrier, but I can still dream), I could not survive in that time period.
DeleteI never thought about it that she might not have spoken English but they even had a few kings who spoke no word. I speak French but I doubt my conversation would have been all that easy, either, they spoke quite differently everywhere in the Middle Ages and before.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteOh yeah, she definitely would not have spoken English - at least as we know it today. She would have spoken the Poitevin dialect and probably Latin. It could be possible that she learned Medieval English but she spent so much time in Aquitaine especially, even after marrying Henry. But she certainly kept things under control in England when Richard was off on Crusade, and had to go around collecting his ransom. *Sigh* So many lovely things to think about.
DeleteWell, most people at court would have spoken French so that she had enough translators.
DeleteI just visited a list (can't remember which blog now) that said, "Reading is the cheapest way to travel the world." Amen to that! I've traveled so much more widely in books than I'll ever be able to travel in real life. And I like what you said about soaking in a place better through books than in person. I agree!
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
I'm pretty sure I saw that, too, Susan. And it's SO true.
DeleteLooking forward to your list.
I love Bryson's travel books, they're a bit dated but his humor is still there. I'm actually currently reading one of his books. Happy reading! My TTT https://readwithstefani.com/top-ten-reasons-to-love-reading/
ReplyDeleteOf course, Stefani, I don't think his humour will fade, his books might still be funny for our grandchildren. I hope. He is one of my favourite authors. I heard the other day that he doesn't want to carry on writing and we all said he will be sadly missed.
DeleteThanks for your link. Will visit you soon.
I love the idea of visiting another country or another world through books if the book is a fantasy. Here is my post- https://paigesofbook.blogspot.com/2021/07/top-ten-tuesday-eight-reasons-i-enjoy.html.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Paige. I'm not much into fantasy, I rather visit them in "reality". But no matter how, as long as we visit them, we're fine. I'll see you on your page.
DeleteI love that reading can take us places we've never been. I recently read Two Trees Make a Forest by Jessica J Lee. It's about her journey into her family's past in Taiwan. It's a hybrid of travelogue, memoir, history, and science in one book.
ReplyDeleteHere's my TTT post: https://readbakecreate.com/?p=468
Thanks, Pam, that sounds totally interesting, I don't think I've ever read anything about Taiwan. Will have to explore.
DeleteAnd thanks for leaving your link, will visit you soon.
Wonderful list this week! Reading a good book is like taking a journey. 🙂
ReplyDeleteHere's my list!
Always, Lectrice, even if it's in your own country. Thanks for the list, I'm always happy to see your posts.
DeleteI definitely love travelling through books, I have severe wanderlust and books definitely feed that (especially in the past year where I haven't been able to go anywhere).
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2021/07/06/top-ten-tuesday-323/
Ah, another reader with the wanderlust gene, Jo?
DeleteI am grateful I could travel with my books last year, don't know what I would have done without them.
Thanks for the link.
Nice twist on this week's theme.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa. I just had to do it. ;)
DeleteAlways nice to see you here. Thank you.
I love when books inspire me to want to travel. I think the ones that have inspired me the most are books set in the southern US. Someday I'll get to those destinations. Maybe after all this COVID stuff is over.
ReplyDeleteMost books somehow inspire me. I would love to go to all the places I read about, whether they are books about travel or not. Covid has not allowed us to do that in real life but books are great replacement.
DeleteI will see whether you get to your dream destination soon, I guess. Happy travelling.
I absolutely love Bill Bryson too, he is sooooo funny! I especially love his travel books, I find "a walk in the woods" particularly funny, I must have read that book like 10 times! It has made me very happy to find another Bill Bryson fan, I shall be following your blog. Kat
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kat. I totally agree. I also loved "A Walk in the Woods" but I wouldn't be able to mention one book of him I didn't like. Even the science ones and that means a lot!
DeleteI know they made a movie of it. Have you ever seen it?
And welcome to my blog. I'm always happy to follow my fellow bloggers. So, I will definitely follow you as well. May the be the beginning of a long friendship.
Yes I have seen the movie, it was on prime video a while back. It was pretty good but not as funny as the book. In audible the narrator makes it even funnier. And thanks Marianne, I definitely need more followers and always welcome new friends. I am a new blogger so I don't have many followers. Thanks for coming over to my blog earlier. :)
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that the movie isn't as funny. Bill Bryson should have played himself. I mean, there are some pretty good actors there but still ...
DeleteI am sure you will get more followers once you start blogging and contributing to pages like this, that's where I found most of mine. I don't make any money on it and started it for members of my international book club (in the Netherlands) who had left the area so they could stay informed about what we were reading. But in the meantime, I am much more active with the blogger community and I love it. Some are becoming closer friends than others but that's alright, everyone is extremely nice, that's the main point.
Have a good weekend!