Book Lust to Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers
Nancy Pearl
301 pages
Pub Year: 2010
Publisher: Sasquatch Books
Source: Library
I am not an enthusiastic traveler. Let me lay my cards on the table, clear the air, call a spade a spade, and make something perfectly clear. I am barely a traveler at all. . .
After reading the first two books in Nancy Pearl’s Book Lust series, I have to say that Book Lust to Go is a great addition. I picked this book up because I’m trying to move out of my reading comfort zone and would love some recommendations. I have a tendency to mostly read books set in the United States and written in English. I want to read more books translated from other languages, books written by authors of color, and/or set in someplace other than the United States. So far this year I’m doing pretty well with my goal but there’s always room for improvement.
In Book Lust to Go Pearl breaks down her recommendations by countries, American cities, and even modes of traveling. This is a great way to skim some sections, read deeper into others, or just go straight to the country you’re interested in reading more about.
I found books that other bloggers have already recommended to me like Mischa Berlinki’s Fieldwork, books that I was already aware of like the graphic novel The Photographer by Emmanuel Guibert, and books I didn’t know existed like Towards Another Summer by Janet Frame. Pearl includes books of most genres so now matter what your reading tastes are like, you should be able to find something that you want to read. The great thing about this book is that there’s an index in the back of authors’ names, titles, and countries. The bad thing about this book is that you’ll probably end up adding one hundred titles, if not more, to your tbr list. When I finished reading this book, here’s what it looked like:
I ran out of post-its! This book was due back at my library days ago but I have so many titles to write down, that I’m late returning it. So if you want to expand your tbr list, you can’t go wrong reading any of the books in the Book Lust series. Highly recommended.
Wow, this looks like a very dangerous book, indeed! I think I have problems with lists of books, so forget about a book that’s essentially one big list! BUT it’s still calling my name (of course) so I think I might venture a peak the next time I’m out. ;O)
Yay! I hope you find as many books to put on your tbr list as I did.
I co-sign. It’s calling my name and this post should’ve come with a big flashing warning sign that this could reek utter havoc on one’s tbr.
LOL! Next time I review a book like this one, I’ll make sure to add that flashing warning sign.
Running out of post-its is a VERY good sign!!! I’ve never read any of Pearl’s books, so I’m way overdue.
Yes you are, Andi! There’s something for everyone in all of Pearl’s books.
This sounds like a must read!!
It is, Kathy!
oh i love the sound of this book! i’m going to have to pick up my own copy of this book because i have a feeling it’s going to look like that book by the time i’m done with it and i’m not going to want to give it back to the library.
I should have bought my own copy too! It was torture writing down every title that I want to read AND taking the post-its out.
Books that are recommendations for more books worry me since I already have so very many on the wish list. But this series does sound really excellent.
I know but I love book recommendations, so it’s definitely worth a peak!
I checked this book out from my library not that long ago and was hoping to find a book related to Cologne, Germany as I was getting ready to travel there. Alas, there was no such book but Book Lust To Go was a great read and like you I ended up with so many books to add to my TBR!
Glad to hear that you’ve already read this book! I was looking for books with settings in Amsterdam but didn’t find any. Instead I found at least two dozen books to add to my tbr list! Good thing I already owned a few of them.
I can’t read her, because I always feel so inferior! I think I read that she reads a gazillion million books a year, and doesn’t skim! It does sound good though, and actually I just saw that she will be at BEA and I’d like to hear her talk (about how she reads a gazillion million books a year….)
The number of books that Pearl reads in a year is definitely amazing! But I think it just goes with the job of being a librarian. You are so lucky to be going to BEA! I hope you take pictures if you hear Pearl talk.
I have always wanted to but a Pearl book, but like you mention, I am afraid of what it will do to my wish list! This one sounds great though, and I will have to keep it in mind!
I’m scared and excited both to read this! Scared because I know tons will be added to the wish list! I remember borrowing Book Lust and More Book Lust from the library a few years ago and they have never been borrowed before, pristine. No one ever requested for them either so I renewed and renewed for months, lol. Addicting!
Oooo. I hadn’t really had any interest in reading the other Book Lust books– not because they didn’t look good, but because I have enough TBR wishlist books already and didn’t want to tempt myself with more. But! I really like that this is organized by place. Like you, I’ve been trying to read more diverse books and sometimes I’m a little bit at a loss for what to read next. I may crack and see about checking this book out!
This sounds great! I just checked my library and there is an available copy… will stop by this afternoon.
I had to own this one. I had way too many books to write down!
I also love Nancy Pearl’s “Book Lusts” Books, but I am so frustrated that the indexes of all these books are so nominal, and because of that so unhelpful Given, her organizing categories seem all right at the time, but looking back on them they are capricious, alphabetzied by the first word, almost no clue to what books are listed under them when trying to remember something about a book at a later date, I am hoping someone will put in the time to do a Super Index for all three books, and put a lot more references to subject matter, and tags that might be used to “refind” a book you know that she told you about, trying to remember late, but if you don’t remember the author or the title you are out of luck. For example she talks about a book about an archaeologist digging up Troy or Pompei, but later when trying to find it, one is out of luck, because archaeology isn’t even in the index in any of the 3 books. Same with Captain Cook, Egypt, and lots of others that are in books she likes, but one just can’t find something again easily in the index unless you know the author or the title. For example, she has put Tracy Chevalier’s remarkable book “Remarkable Creature” under the Lyme Regis “category” rather than women scientists, or archaeology, or any more logical or “findable” tags.
Someone needs greatly to expand the index and when doing so use a lot more categories that would be cross referned. What a help that would be!
Is there any way to “Edit” one’s previous posts on this site? I obviously didn’t proofread my comments about Nancy Pearl’s “Book Lust” Books very well. It’s downright embarrassing.
Do you really need more bookish temptations in your life, woman?
But still… it is pleasant to be tempted with all the possibilities.
Ahh, looks so good! I am sure this is a dangerous, dangerous book for the TBR pile.
this sounds good I listen to her podcasts and love Nacy’s passion ,all the best stu
This sounds like a great book to have and maybe a great one to give as a present!
I love the picture with all the post-its!
I’m a big fan of Nancy Pearl. Haven’t had a chance to check out this book but look forward to it.
Wow, this looks like the kind of book I’d love! I’m a big lover of lists, especially book lists, and I really enjoy reading about different cultures. Think I’m going to have to find myself a copy of this very soon!
Wow that’s a lot of Post-its!
Oh – I LOVE your post-it notes! That is the sign of a book that I know I must check out for myself.
I, too, am glad for the end of the semester – and I hope that I am ready to return to the classroom come August
Heheh. ::insert commiserating noises:: I had a very similar experience with the last booklisty book that I borrowed from the library. After endless copying from it, too, I resolved to use the library simply to “peek” at a book like this next time; I suppose it only makes sense that I would find books like this so irresistible, so I really do need to start thinking of them as investments and make the decision to purchase them more quickly so that I can save loads of reading time in the end! But somehow I make the decision to buy “proper” books more readily…