Books to travel by

As I begin to compile my bookshelf page I am taking the books off my shelf, thumbing through them and remembering how much each one has contributed to my travels. This is going to take a long time as I easily get wrapped up in one chapter, then the next. Just like food, or sounds or sights can evoke a memory or thought of a place, these books sail me back to where I've been and where the author has been.

Sometimes I read up before I go, sometimes I take the book with me and other times I read long after I've returned home. These are the books I can never let go of. They are the ones that will collect dust until years later I discover them again. They are as important to me as the photos I take, the music I've purchased or the journals I've written while traveling.

Many of these books have been hard to come by. They are out of print or only available in the United Kingdom so thanks to Amazon, I've been able to find most everything I want.

Many have also found me. I love to scour the travel sections of used book stores and have found many treasures I would never of heard of had I not bumped into them on the store's shelf.

Of course there are many titles I have borrowed from the library and though they are not on my personal shelf, I know they will always be accessible as long as libraries are around.

The stack is growing next to me so I best be back to work if I am ever going to list all of my favorites.