Here are my top 5 reads.
1. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Set in India with descriptions of daily life and the darker side to the country. If you are looking for suspense and mystery to add some excitement to your journey or inspire you to go to India.
2. The Beach by Alex Garland
As iconic as the movie adaptation, the book is even better to read. It makes me think about a time in life when we had more freedom to explore without restrictions but also a reminder about the dangers of trusting strangers. The character in the books uses travel as a way of escaping his problems as he searches for paradise and the meaning of life.
3. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
If you are looking for something that takes time and a lot of emotional investment. Birdsong is set in WW1 and centres on a soldiers love for a woman he had to leave behind to go and fight on the frontline. It's not a book to make you laugh but still a gripping tale about love, passion and sacrifice.
4. A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke
The first instalment of Stephen Clarke's comedy about an Englishman who settles in Paris on his challenges and the funny side of moving your life abroad, starting a new business, learning a new language and getting to grips with a different culture.
5. Desert Flower by Waris Dirie
The first time I read this book I was 15 and on holiday in Europe and the moment I read it I couldn't put it down. It centres on the incredible story of the supermodel Waris Dirie, how she escaped her childhood home and her journey to London. It details the barbaric practice still carried out on women in some parts of the world. She campaigns still for the rights of women in deprived areas and works to change the mindset of those that still believe in inflicting pain on young girls and women.