The only drawback to being on the road for days at a time is the whole “keeping your sanity” thing.
Trust me, I know the deal. And I can honestly say that audiobooks will alleviate some of that highway-induced crazy. Yesterday we crafted a list of great books for traveling with children. Today we bring you books just for wandering adults.
Here are some humorous, educating, and inspiring titles that are particularly suited to your ramblin’ needs.
Big Sur
By Jack Kerouac
Big Sur is an inspirational account of Jack Kerouac’s experience living in California while dealing with alcoholism, fame, and the realities of adulthood. This is the sort of narrative of strength and self-discovery that propels us all to our limits and provides hope in carrying on.
I Am Malala
By Malala Yousafzai
I Am Malala details how the young Malala Yousafzai’s incredible fight for equality merited winning the Nobel Peace Prize and took her on a life-changing journey around the world. I Am Malala will teach you that you cannot be prepared for every bump in the road, but that you can learn to respond to life’s ups and downs with grace and courage.
Shantaram
by Gregory David Roberts
Shantaram is the unbelievable epic based on Gregory David Roberts’ own life story. It follows the life of Lin, a well-known convict, who escapes maximum security prison in Australia and makes it to India, going on to spend the next decade dealing in the Black Market and underground slums of Bombay. Roberts’ writing takes on life of its own, and not only will you find yourself immersed in the world he has created, but you will also become more willing to see the adventure in travel, even if it’s not as illegal or far from home.
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The Happiness Project
By Gretchen Rubin
As a part of her Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin took a year to focus her energy on living each day to the fullest. Despite the seeming simplicity of her goal, Rubin’s challenge is very universally understood. As you listen to her story, you’ll start to think about what you could start doing in order to maximize your happiness. Who knows, maybe this road trip could be just the thing!
Me Talk Pretty One Day
By David Sedaris
Me Talk Pretty One Day includes, among other things, the humorous narrative about the trials and tribulations of David Sedaris as he picks up everything, moves to France, and attempts to fit in there. Sedaris satirizes the stressful realities of travel, including language barriers and culture shocks, ultimately proving to be a comforting and humorous soundtrack to your own trip out of town.
Do you have any travel favorites you would add to the list? Let us know in the comments!
The first book of his I read was Holidays on Ice, which was hysterical. I haven’t ‘read’ any of the otehrs but listened to the audio of this one and Me Talk Pretty One Day. I actually liked this one better than you but I think that was in large part because I was listening to him tell the stories. It put a whole lot more humanity into what are, as you point out, sad stories. To Kathy I would definitely recommend Holidays on Ice and I HIGHLY recommend it and his other books on audio (I checked them out from the library). He is a great storyteller.