Books to take on a Trip: My 3 Favorites

 

 

Going on a journey? Maybe just a short vacation or maybe a long, soul searching adventure to a very foreign place? Still looking for a book to take along? Well, here are my 3 top recommendations for great reads to pack into your suitcase or backpack ...

1. The Midnight Raven by Orson Moore

This book might still be unknown to a lot of readers. I've stumbled upon it through a friend's recommendation, and I am truly happy about this hot tip. I love The Midnight Raven because it combines so many different themes and aspects. I don't really know what genre to put it into, perhaps magic realism with elements of historic fiction. It is also a story of adventure and coming-of-age. It has some small elements of the fantastic, of magic and unnatural creatures. Then it's so personal and has these trains of thoughts, this insights into the main character's mind, his pondering, his qualms, his questions.

But first of, what is it about? Well, it is set in a kind of Middle Ages and centred on the main character, Ben, a young guy who lives in a peaceful little town. His parents have mysteriously disappeared; they've been missing for years. Then Anrooks show up, a strange kind of beings who carry something his parents had owned. It leads to a direct but strange encounter and triggers a cascade of thoughts.

Ben is also a dreamer in the direct sense: He always remembers the very vivid dreams he has when he sleeps. Except for one. And this one seems to be an important one, one that seems to carry a deep meaning. 

The events, as they unfold, kind of push Ben into leaving, into setting out. His main goal: to find his parents (or at least, what happened to them). This is when his trip, his adventure begins and we, the readers, are taken along on it. It turns out to become a journey that is so much bigger and will have a so much profounder impact on his life, than he would have ever imagined.

The Midnight Raven is a great, thick read (over 600 pages) whether you're on a soul-searching trip or just out for leisure. It reads smoothly and is full of meaning. It just always goes along because it is so richly layered and, with the insights into Ben's thoughts, fears, hopes and doubts, so relatable. For fans of The Hobbit, The Alchemist and Wild (the movie with Reese Witherspoon).

2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I've dedicated a separate post for this book because it means so much to me. In a way, it was a bit life changing ... or perhaps, rather mind changing. I do look at life a bit different ever since I've read this bestseller.

Santiago is the main character in The Alchemist. He is a shepherd in Spain and has a dream about a treasure at the pyramids – and he actually decides to go look for it. And so, his adventure begins. The book, however, is not only about what happens along his journey, but the things he learns, the mistakes he makes, the challenges he faces, the choices he is forced to make. It is a spiritual journey.

The reason I, and I guess a lot of other people, like this story so much is because it is so universal and relatable. Everybody has to face difficult times in their lives, has to make up their mind and choose a path to follow. Of course, it helps that Santiago is a very sympathetic character.

The Alchemist is a great read if you're on a trip that is not purely for leisure and relaxing, but for some soul searching. If you are at a crossroads in your life, if you have some difficult decisions to make, if you have lived through some hard times, or if you simply feel a bit lost, I think this could be the book for you. I've read it while travelling through parts of South America some time after high school, when I was still searching for my personal life path, and found it very inspirational.

 

3. Shadowmarch by Tad Williams

This is the first volume of a quartet from the reknown bestselling author Williams. It is thick, lengthy, and elaborate, full of action, full of magic and beasts, and full of great characters who's fate is all intwined. Some of the characters actually do go on a journey. They all have one thing in common: They've all got their quest.

Shadowmarch begins with the Shadowline moving. For ages it has separated humanity from the perilous northern realm of the ageless Qar. Yet, this boundary is shifting, threatening to consume the last human bastion, Southmarch Kingdom. The Eddon family, traditional guardians of Southmarch Castle, faces a dire crisis as King Olin is held captive, leaving his inexperienced heirs, twins Barrick and Briony, to confront escalating danger alone. In these ominous times, the siblings may even lose their unbreakable bond.

This book, clearly in the genre of fantasy, is very entertaining, an easy read without being coarse. It's great to take along to the beach to enjoy a relaxing day in the sun.