One of the things that we love about traveling is finding time to relax and read....yes sometimes on a long flight movies, or a good meditation is good, but we do love our books, and we both love an actual book!  For my 50th birthday I asked everyone to give me a book that was special to them, with a reason why.  What people wrote on the inside covers of their books were so heartwarming!  It was a great way to see into them even more-these people that I love, to see what shaped them and they held dear.

Below are some books that have touched us on some level, many about travel.  If the book calls to you you can click and order.

The Four Hour Work Week-this is one of those books that people recommend to you, over and over again, and when you do get a chance to read it you are like oh??!! WTF have I been waiting for? Solid help in how to create the life you want, with goals of life experience to drive you. Action steps to get there throughout. I am not quite done with this book, but it’s a game changer and I love it.

The Big Leap-another motivational book, that helps you break through your “upper limit problems” the authors term, but how to reach for more. A really good read for everyone and truly eye opening. This was another one of those books 4 people told me to read in one month….I obeyed and was so happy I did!

A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson.  This book taught me courage, was one of the books after my divorce that reminded me that I could truly have and create anything I wanted! Joan decides not to follow her husband to his new job, but instead to take time to find herself on Cape Cod.  A year of reflection and connecting to her surroundings and the sea, did my mermaid heart good!  The movie is good too!

Dan says it reminds us of the importance of finding our own destinies!

On the Road The classic by Jack Kerouac.This is one of Dan's favorites....and yes it probably influenced his desire to be on the road! Dan was inspired by Jack's exploration of the country with his wild and free spirit.  The exploration of alternative ways of thinking and living and how it started a new underground culture of the beat generation inspired Dan's thinking to this day.

Sadly I have not read this!

Walking Home: A Pilgrimage from the Humbled to the Healed My dear friend Faye lent me this book when I mentioned we wanted to walk the El Camino de Santiago in the future.  She is one of those friends, that always supports your dreams and has a way of figuring it out for you! Sonia Choquette is a spiritual teacher and storyteller that is read worldwide-the healer in me, the seeker, loved this book.  She describes in details her walk, her decisions on the way she does it and the emotional and psychological processing that it stirs up.So good!   I also want to read her book Walking up in Paris:   In this book she moves to Paris, to heal after her divorce "If I am going to be traumatized, I might as well be traumatized in Paris, right?"  She arrives soon after the Charlie Hedbo attacks and she and Paris' healing reflect each other.

The Way this is actually a link to a movie, veering off the book theme for this one.  If you are curious about the El Camino, this is a sweet film.  Martin Sheen plays the father who chooses to walk this path, after his son fails and dies.  When he gets there to pick up his sons ashes he decides to finish his walk.  He meets interesting characters along the way and learns a lot about himself.  Once again traveling, challenging ourselves, helps us grow.

Dharma Bums Jack Kerouac.  This is the book that Dan gave me for my birthday, so yes, influential to him in a big way.  Jack finds his spiritual path in this, through his travels.  And if you have ever read Jack Kerouac you know his way of writing is lyrical and draws you in. The descriptions of his times with nature, his hikes and his travels formed a deep connection to this book for Dan.  This book also inspired Dan and a whole generation to explore Buddhism and eastern philosophy.

Eat Pray Love This was a bestseller, and a movie, so I am sure we have all heard of it!  After her divorce she decided to visit India, Italy and Indonesia (not in that order), and along the way she processes and experiences different cultures.  The yogi in me of course relates and is waiting to get to India, but this was a bestseller for a reason.  It touched people.  The author used to live in a neighboring town and she and her hubby owned a store that we loved (have never met her in person).  Her newest book Big Magic is about living a courageous creative life...it is on my bookshelf waiting.

 The Sweet Life in Paris We follow the pastry chef and cookbook author David Lebovitz as he adjusts to his new life in Paris.  Dan says it had moment of humor, and recommendations for shops in the area of his new life.

The Little Paris Bookshop This book drew me in, about a man who has a barge that he sells books from but he is "literary apothecary" he can diagnose the book you need for healing what ails you-after 15 years working in the healing fields this of course appealed to me!  The story becomes more rich when he has the courage to read a letter from his old love that he has had for many many years-this sets him on a journey, with some new found friends and his cat after he unmoors his barge and sets off through French waterways.  This book also does have some recipes, but is just an amazing book of healing, heartache, travel and so much more!

L'appart also by David Lebovitz we follow as he buys his apartment in Paris-the red tape, the difficulties he encounters and how long it takes to get the transaction under way, and then to find the trustworthy contractors to help make his space his own.

Duck Season  A memoir of the author's time spent in the Gascony region of France.  This rural region has a very traditional food culture (do you see a theme here?  Dan loves French culture and we love our food). Because it is such a rural region, it took the author and his family a while to get adjusted to the local lifestyle and it took the locals a while to be comfortable with them.  So many fantastic recipes in here. After a year when they leave the region there is mutual sadness.

A Year in Provence  This book was a national bestseller and Dan thinks it would be a great movie.We follow the seasons along with the author, his wife and their two dogs.  Each season in this rural region with people's connection to the land, brings different activities and foods.  We learn a different pace of life, and a different appreciation of the simple pleasures in the change of the landscape and seasons.  Like all of Peter Mayle's books there are great characters and some humorous times

Toujours Provence  This is the follow book of the above book A Year in Provence....Dan is a big fan of Peter Mayle.  Always Provence!

Paris to Pyrenees This is another book about "the way", the author and his wife take the older path from Paris to the Pyrenees.  A lot of history, culture and self discovery as he walks this ancient way.

Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy Does this even need a description?  This link will take you to the trilogy, which is actually 5 books-see even that is amusing!  This guide will help you in all your travels all over the universe-just don't forget your towel or your babble fish!

A Good Year A fictional tale of a stockbroker that inherits a vineyard in France from his uncle who he had lost touch with.  His intention is to go and sell it but falls in love with the place, a woman and finds his cousin his uncle never knew about!  Lots of twists and turns!

Under the Tuscan Sun This also was a movie, with Diane Lane, who I love.  The book gets a little deeper as it always does.  A great read about redemption and refinding yourself, and new friends!

Club Paradise This is actually an old movie with Robin Williams and Jimmy Cliff-it is just silly fun, but spoke to me of opening a hotel in the Caribbean. I lived in St. Thomas USVI for 2 years, and still miss it.  I work in an Inn and have been in and out of this field most of my life.  I love it!  If you want some fun, rent this!   

And how can I forget my favorite author?  Tom Robbins! His book Another Roadside Attraction was my first favorite book, and ushered in a new way of thinking for me, followed by his Even Cowgirls get the Blues which was the first time I learned of Krisna's Gopis-images which come to mind each time I do yoga or get near a horse.  He is an amazing writer, who thoughtfully crafts each sentence (his words from an interview I read a long time ago), and his command of language is amazing.  In each of his books (and there are more than I mentioned here) he has fantastic characters, and complex story lines that interweave.  Just love him!

We will add more books as we read, and as we remember more that we have loved-this is the hardest part of our aim to be nomadic, we have a ton of books, and we love bookstores-we need a good swapping place!

Check back for updates:)