Books on Tap: It's baaaaack

Well, that didn't last long. After approximately five months back in America, I am done with this and I want to go back to France. Now.

But since that isn't an option, I did what I've done my entire life: read my way to new places. The travel nonfiction genre is back and better than ever. If you're feeling a little stuck where you are, check out one of these great reads.

xoxo,
E

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360 Degrees Longitude, by John Higham. The Highams' story is basically the dream. A husband and wife save up for 10 years to undertake a year-long around-the-world trip with their two kids, age 8 and 11. They bike across Europe, take a freezing cruise in China, go on safari in the Serengeti, and more. The list of countries they visit makes our 6 months in Europe look downright paltry. The writing is great as well, and I love that Higham doesn't play up or down their troubles. They realize how lucky they are to undertake such a trip, and his tone throughout the books is perfect (travelogues can be hit or miss when it comes to attitude). I want to get on a plane right now and go where they did. Except maybe not China. And I'd add Morocco. But you get the idea. This is a great book to help satisfy your wanderlust.

Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist In Spain, by Chris Stewart. I don't know much about Spain, and we only made it to San Sebastian during our Eurotrip. So this was an interesting read because it taught me about a country I really don't know much at all about. The author and his wife bought a run-down villa in the Alpujarra Mountains, and set about restoring and modernizing it. I was shocked that in Spain, which for purposes of argument I'd consider a first-world country, didn't even have running water or electric stoves in some places. It was a fascinating look into a world wildly different from ours, and also wildly different from what we experienced during our own Euro-travels. I found it a little dry in places (I'm not what you'd call a "roughing it" kind of girl), but Stewart is also entertaining and a good writer, making this a pleasurable and educational read.

An Embarrassment of Mangoes, by Ann Vanderhoof. If you've ever wanted to hop in a boat and sail off into the sunset, this is the book for you. Vanderhoof and her husband, Steve, up and quit their Toronto life to sail around the Caribbean for two years. I don't know all that much about island life, so it's interesting to read how different - yet how similar - all the islands are. The book is a bit hard to follow in places because I know absolutely nothing about sailing, and all the nautical terms can get confusing, but the land-based parts are entertaining. Even better, Vanderhoof includes recipes in the book with ingredients she's found at the various islands - some as exotic as spiny lobster, others as "tame" as mango. I'll definitely keep this book as a reference for cooking. It's a great read, especially if you've ever dreamed about throwing in the towel and just getting away - and believe me, I have.

The Road to McCarthy: Around the World in Search of Ireland, by Pete McCarthy. To understand this book, you really need to have read McCarthy's first book, McCarthy's Bar. His father told him never to pass up a bar with your name on it, so he drove around Ireland looking for McCarthy's bars. Now he's doing roughly the same thing around the world, looking for his heritage (the McCarthy clan) in places like Morocco and Alaska. McCarthy is a great writer, dry and witty, making him a perfect choice for fans of Peter Mayle and Bill Bryson (Wes, I'm looking at you!). This book not only makes me want to to Ireland (and Morocco, and Alaska...), but also it makes me wish I was Irish. A rollicking, funny, light read, this was the perfect antidote to a living room chock-full of boxes and a neighbor who likes to flick off our dog, then take pictures of her barking. Good times, folks, good times.

Paris in Love: A Memoir, by Eloisa James. I saved this travel book for last because...well, Paris. What else can I say? I would give anything to be back in France: Tours, Paris, Bordeaux, Marseilles...I'm not even picky. And even if I was, this book did not disappoint. I LOVED it. Partly told in a series of short essays, partly in small paragraphs and observations from the author's Facebook and Twitter pages, this book went straight to my heart. Although I didn't experience exactly what she did, I could very clearly see it happening, and it all sounded so familiar that it made me incredibly homesick. I lost it when she talked about how, between the hours of 6-7 at night, everyone walked through the streets of Paris with a fresh baguette they'd picked up a boulangerie...because we so did that nearly every night. God, I miss that bread...and that life. America's good, but France? You have my heart. Now take me back.