Bookshelf

I am not sure if it was reading that first turned me into a traveler, but it is what has fueled many of the travels I have taken. I always pour over guidebooks before I go to glean the information about the places that look most interesting to me. Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, Moon publication, Frommers, Let's Go, Rough Guides, Time Out guides, Michelen Green Guides are among my favorites.

But beyond guidebooks, there is a wealth of excellent fiction and non-fiction that have greatly enhanced and enriched my travels. My listings below are from many places I have traveled to, not just the hiking trails.

Here is my list of favorite books by country or city and country, most I have read, some are on the list of "to be read", but all are of places I have visited or I'm in process of planning the trip:

FRANCE

Corsica

Page link to Corsica Hike

Granite Island by Dorothy Carrington

This is a fascinating story about the time the author spent in Corsica after World War II. She lived there for many years and writes about what makes Corsicans so unique. Their long history of invasions, their mythology and relationship with their dead family members, the vendetta, bandits and the importance of family and respect. It is all woven together to create a culture that is not Italian, not French but uniquely Corsican. It does help explain why there are more murders in this small island than any other country in Europe even today.

Asterix in Corsica by Rene Goscinny

A very funny book that some say captures the Corsican spirit better than any travel guide could.

Honorable Bandit: A walk across Corsica by Brian Bouldrey

I haven't started this one yet and his travel is farther south than we will be, but looks interesting.

Cevennes

Travels with a Donkey by Robert Louis Stevenson
I am particularly fond of this book as I grew up reading A Child's Garden of Verses and Kidnapped. I had read Travels with a Donkey long before I ever travelled to France. I reread it after returning from our hike in the Cevennes where we actually hiked on Stevenson's path he describes in the book. Although he had a miserable time and the people were very poor in his day, he still brings to life the legends and history of this unique land.


SCOTLAND

Glasgow and beyond

Rock Rock by Stephen Najda
This semi-autobiographical story of growing up in punk rock era Glasgow is a raucous tale that has the boys on a wild midnight moto ride into the Scottish highlands where they discover the lure of the mountains. Their passion for music and mountains carries them across the water to France where more hilarity and death defying adventure await. This is truly one of my favorite books of all time. It is funny, breathtaking and interesting. The descriptions of Glasgow and the French Alps are spot on.

IRELAND

Cork

The Tailor and Ansty by Eric Cross
I read this book the first year I lived in Ireland recommended to me by many friends there. It is the classic story of a farmer, his wife and a cow. But he was no ordinary farmer. He had the philosophy of the world in his head and shared his wisdom sitting in front of the turf fire. I laughed and pondered and cried while reading this book. Read it anytime if you can get your hands on it, but especially if you are going to visit County Cork and in particular, the village of Garrynapeaka.

ENGLAND

Oxford

Oxford: A cultural and literary companion by David Horan. Cities of the Imagination Series.

Oxford is so rich in literary history you practically stumble over it when walking through the streets. And the city has changed so little since many of the historical events occurred that are written about in this book, that it takes very little imagination to picture C.S. Lewis and Tolkien sitting in the pub, or Lewis Carroll in the garden with Alice. This is the book to read before, during and after a trip to this city filled with stone temples of higher education.