30th September 2015

The Ultimate Reading List for International Travel

There is one thing I absolutely can never, ever go on a trip without: something to read. All those hours on planes, trains, cars and bus stations can leave a person with hours of free reading time. Can’t let it go to waste. For my recent trip to Italy, I had a very special list of books I wanted to tackle. And thanks to one delayed train and some bad weather in Amsterdam, I got almost all of them read.

Here are the books solo female travelers MUST read on their next trip:

It Chooses You by Miranda July

This book by female director Miranda July makes me cry every time. It’s so funny and endearing, because it’s so human. It chronicles July’s efforts to buy things from the Penny Saver and learn about the people selling their belongings. It seems odd. It is odd. But it’s so lovely.

Bed: Stories by Tao Lin

Tao Lin is just damn funny. SO DAMN FUNNY. And weird. I like funny and weird. And if you do too, you’ll enjoy this collection of crazy.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

You’ve probably heard of the movie. But you know what? This book. This book is really where it’s at. If you’ve ever thought about doing something bold after a breakup or death or firing or anything - you need this book.

Alone with Other People by Gabby Bess

I love poems. People that know me well know that I actually wanted to be a poetry major in college, but it’s an art that not many publishers are willing to explore. Bess’s book is one of the few brilliant new collections of poems to be on the scene in the last few years.

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

A classic. An important crux of women’s history. It’s amazing how many women my age have never read this seminal text. Read it to see how far we’ve come. Read it gasp at how little progress we’ve made. Read it to understand what we must continue to fight for.

A Manual For Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin

This book surprised me because it shouldn’t have been interesting to me: it’s literally about cleaning. Well, not entirely. It’s a series of essays that include cleaning references, but it’s really remarkable because it’s so human.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

You may know this woman because of Beyonce. You just don’t know it yet. She’s the woman on Flawless who perfectly describes feminism. Yes, now you know what I’m talking about. Anyway, her writing is just as brilliant.

What are the books that make your heart pitter patter with feelings and emotions and woos and tears and bursts of laughter in inappropriate places?