Books for Backpacking

Three Great Books for Backpacking
Travelling will give you much time to be by yourself and that’s fine if you’re checking out the many wonders of the world, but not so great on painfully long train journeys. A good book can help to cut down the hours, and actually make you enjoy your trip even more. Check out a brief synopsis of three novels that could keep you entertained when travelling and help you escape some grim surroundings.

Tell No One by Harlan Coben
In short, David is a doctor still mourning the murder of his wife years ago, until she turns. However, after a late-night swim they are attacked and the morning after, Elizabeth’s corpse turns up while David heals in hospital.
 Fast-forward a few years, and David is a children’s doctor, trying to get on with life, when he David he receives a random email with a video link showing his very much alive wife. And there begins the thriller. David tried to find and meet up with his wife, and the FBI try to find David who has become the number one suspect. Thrillers are handy to take travelling, because they suck you in and this  is a gripping novel with a beefy plot to keep you locked in its world for a good few hours at a time.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Dean Moriarty is a young rogue, who comes to New York City looking for a new start.  He meets some friends, including Sal Paradis, and the two of them travel through the West Coast of America looking for adventure. They hit Denver, New Orleans and New York, living the hitchhiking dream, picking up odd jobs, womanizing and meeting strange characters along the way.  Kerouac was made famous for this novel, and it should strike a chord with most backpackers, as it has been noted as a pinnacle novel for the traveller. It’s a seminal work of the ‘beat’ generation.

Are You Experienced? by William Sutcliffe
Sutcliffe has a good dig at the gap year and mocks the intentions of the student traveller wanting to get spiritual when abroad. Dave is a young student-type, bored of working at a sock shop and in search of adventure. So he goes to India, where he finds it all a bit hard. Dave doesn’t like the dirt or the poverty; he gets sick, loses the girl and becomes cynical about the whole gap year experience. The Gap Year dream becomes a confused and very funny journey.

Remember, with books it’s always best to go with a paperback, as trying to lug around a heavy hardback novel will be a nightmare for your shoulders, and don’t feel precious about them when you’re done. Learn to get rid of excess baggage and if you feel sad about throwing out a good book, pass it on to a fellow traveller. Also, before you go, you must consider your travel insurance. Try companies like Go Travel for this.