Being stuck inside for three months, under Covid regulations, is comparable to being stuck at home for months as a teenager, unable to leave the house because – where are you going to go?
When I was a teenager, and was living in a village, in the middle of nowhere, I had no (personal) transport & had to rely on Mum&Dad Taxi’s to go anywhere. The village was three miles from civilisation (the town where I went to school) and every morning, and evening, without fail, we had to get a damp, cold, double decker tin-can to/from school. There was nothing to do in my village – you could try your luck at getting into one of six pubs, knock some tinnies back in the park, after begging one of your older sister’s mates to buy you & your friends wine, or you could stay home to get good enough grades to get the hell out of this godforsaken place!
Lucky for me, this village also had an amazing library, which was a Godsend to families like mine, who couldn’t really afford to keep me in the custom to which I had become accustomed, accruing a large number of library books on loan each month (up to 20 books)!
That being said, whenever I am stuck inside for a prolonged period of time, winter mainly, it’s my go-to thing to do. Books have an incredible way drifting us off to new, otherwise unimaginable, lands; and of allowing us to immerse ourselves in other’s experiences, without ever leaving the comfort of home. Right now, when what is outside, our four walls, can fill us with a dreaded, anxiety that inhibits us from leaving home, there is safety in losing ourselves in a good book – to take you to a place you’ve never been and could never have imagined.
Here are a few books I have read both in this lockdown (and just in life), which I would recommend to grounded wanderlusters, who are itching to fly off to far-off lands:
- Wild by Cheryl Strayed
This is a story about a woman who walks the Pacific Crest Trail, from southern California to Oregon, in an attempt to heal her heart, after her mother dies. Cheryl’s backstory is that she descended into darkness, after the death of her mother, got addicted to heroin, and instead of further succumbing to self-destruction, she decided to walk away her sins, accompanied by a backpack called “Monster”, and far too much stuff to actually carry. She ends up dumping most of her belongings on the walk, and along with it, her emotional baggage, in order return back to herself. - Into the Wild by John Kraukauer
A young, upper-middle class, graduate, who feels depressed by the “American dream” and the rat race that awaits him, after university, decides to sell all of his belongings, say goodbye to family and walk to an alternate life. In his new life as a nomad, Alexander Supertramp lives off-grid in the wild, cold, lonely, forests of Alaska in a converted school bus. - A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Seasoned rambler and travel journalist, Bill Bryson, decides to embark on a very long walk along America’s Appalachian trail. He walks it in many parts and documents his journey, along the way, with an odd mix of companions accompanying him. Scattered with seemingly trivial, historical, notes about the trail and the places within breathing distance of it, it is also a funny and endearing tale about getting older. - October, October by Katya Balen
A beautifully written novel about a child, who really loves the woods, written with the innocence, and consideration, of a child exploring the grown-up world beyond their beloved woods for the very first time. - Penguin Lessons by Tom Mitchell
A scholar, accidentally, adopts an injured, oil-slicked, penguin, while travelling in Uruguay. He becomes the unlikely guardian of the young Juan Salvador, smuggling him through customs and giving him a home at the University, where he works. Jibes ensue! - Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King
Some cynics refer to this book as the new self-love movement. Those of us less cynical, but interested in how the power of positive thought can transform our lives and lead us in miraculous directions to unlocking secrets to happiness, may find this book very inspiring. - Departures by Anna Hart
A memoir about the Northern Irish travel journalist, Anna Hart’s, life living out of suitcase, as she embarks on adventure after adventure, and eventually finds herself in (of all places) Margate. - Last Train to Istanbul by Ayse Kulin
This is a love story about two Turkish lovers trapped in Nazi occupied France, who, with the help of the Turkish government, attempt to get themselves back to Istanbul, against ever-increasing odds. - Dispatches from the Kabul Cafe by Heidi Kingstone
This is a memoir from the pen of Canadian journalist, Heidi Kingstone, who lived in Kabul between 2007-2011, during the humanitarian crisis and Taliban occupation of Afghanistan. - The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri Murari
A lovely novel about an attempt to escape Taliban rule, under the guise of cricket! A determined woman decides her best chance of avoiding marrying a cruel Taliban commander is to learn how to play cricket!
Let me know in the comments, if you read any of these, and what you think! Happy reading!
we dance to all the wrong songs 