It’s been about three months on the road. Here is a list of the books we’ve been reading. E means Erica read it, S is for Sam:
Looking for Alaska, Peter Jenkins (E)- it was ok, I would only read it if you are traveling to Alaska or have lived there.
The Monkey Wrench Gang, Edward Abbey (S, E) – being raised in Utah, I’m ashamed I haven’t read this before. A must if you love the southern Utah desert.
Theft, Peter Carey (E)- good writing, good ending, tough narrative for me.
Cry the Beloved Country, Alan Paton (S) – heart breaking novel about South Africa.
The Lost City of Z, David Grann (E, S) – a non-fiction tale of deadly obsession in the Amazon. This reads like an action adventure! The true story of Faucet’s search for the lost city of gold. We both loved this book.
The Alchemist, Paulo Coehlo (S, E) – a fable about following your heart; this has been one of my favorites for the past 16 years.
Letters to a Young Poet, Ranier Maria Rilke (S) – an amazing set of letters between a young poet and the grand master. Reading them, I felt as if they could have been written to me.
The Last Town on Earth, Thomas Mullen (S,E) – a book that Erica though was about Alaska, but it turned out to be about logging in the northwest. Pretty depressing….
Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Godwin (S) – a monster of a book that I couldn’t get enough of. If you love the civil war or want to know more about Lincoln, this is the book for you.
Beowolf, Seamus Heaney (S) – a new translation that I found amazing. This is much better than that awful movie with the Angelina Jolie voiceover.
Esau, Philip Kerr (S) – a fun read to burn a couple hours on a plane (or a ferry in my case).
Brodie’s Report, Jorge Luis Borges (S) – a bunch of short stories about knife fighting cowboy’s in Argentina.
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall (S, E) – an amazing book about a tribe in Mexico that has the greatest runners in the world. Highly recommend this, it is entertaining and educational at the same time.
Wool Omnibus Edition, Hugh Howey (S) – I heard this was the “next Hunger Games,” so I picked it up and while it was enjoyable, I’m not sure it was as good as Hunger Games.
The Andalucian Friend, Alexander Soderberg (S) – a fun crime thriller that will burn a couple hours.
Endurance, Alfred Lancing (E) – story about Shackleton’s harrowing exploration of the Antarctic. Totally stressed me out but was great.
The Gods Themselves, Isaac Asimov (S) – it’s Asimov, so of course it starts out dull and then suddenly gets awesome.
The Places in Between, Rory Stewart (S) – Rory walks across Afghanistan, tracing the footsteps of Babur, the first Mughal emperor of Afghanistan. This guy is hard core.
Around the World in 10 Years, Pablo Rey (S) – I met Pablo at overland expo, bought his book, and have really enjoyed his memoirs.
Have any suggestions? Enjoyed any of the books on this list as well? Please leave us a comment!