When the spring weather starts to turn warm and sunny (a little later this year than most), my feet start to itch. Not so much literally (though in the Italian folklore in which I was raised, a literal foot-itch would mean the same thing), but in the sense of me wanting to get away. For me, the springtime brings on a serious case of wanderlust. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been able to appease this wanderlust with a small handful of European destinations over the years, but sometimes, as it is for many people, a far-flung trip just isn’t possible.
So what’s a person to do when they have itchy feet and no place to go? Well, I might be a bit biased, but I say go to the library, of course! One of the best ways to cure (or at least quell for a little bit) a case of wanderlust is to read a book that can take you someplace. Whether it’s a work of fiction that has such a good sense of place it can transport you, not only into the story, but to the setting of the book, or following in someone’s footsteps as you vicariously experience the travels of someone who was thoughtful enough to put their experiences on paper; you can “travel by book” anytime with a good, old-fashioned library card.
We’re no stranger to wanderlust here on the blog and you can find a few city-specific reading lists already in our illustrious pages. We here at the South Branch recognize that the need for wanderlust is often so strong you not only can’t help but read something to ease the pangs, but sometimes, you even want to talk about your armchair (or bed, or blanket fort) travels with others blighted with similar symptoms. Enter, the Wanderlust Book Discussion Group, a monthly group that will meet here at the South Branch, gathering precisely those people. Each month, starting June 9th @ 7PM, we will travel by a different book and meet to discuss that month’s selection. All are welcome to join in person if you want to talk bookish travel in person, or in spirit if you’d just like to follow along with the selections. You’ll find the Wanderlust Book Group each month on the South Branch’s events calendar with that month’s selection posted.
If all this talk of traveling by book has given you the wanderlust bug, here are a few selections that might help:
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
This was a natural choice as it’s the first selection of the Wanderlust book Group. If you laughed along with Bryson in A Walk in the Woods, imagine how much trouble he can get into when a surprising proportion of the flora and fauna of an entire subcontinent has the potential to kill him? Follow Bryson’s exploits and misadventures in a better planned, but still curmudgeonly delightful trip to Australia with plenty of history and snark thrown in for good measure.
The Falls by Ian Rankin
This is a work of fiction, but given that Rankin lives, works and frequents several of the pubs in Edinburgh, it feels real enough. While all of Rankin’s books give Edinburgh their due, making the city almost a character in his books, this book in particular gives readers a sense of Edinburgh. The 12th in his Inspector Rebus series, Rebus tries to track down a missing young woman who may or may not be the victim of a serial killer but following clues left scavenger-hunt style throughout the city. Rankin is a master of both plot and place; you may come for the mystery, but you’ll stay to feel like an Edinburgh native.
French Milk by Lucy Knisley
Knisely is a graphic memoirist who gives life to her stories by illustrating them. Don’t let the cartoon-like drawings fool you; the simple style belies the heart and insight in her stories. This one is a delightful exploration of Paris (and her love of the rich, dense, unpasteurized milk that simply doesn’t compare to what you can find in the States) as she spends a month in the City of Light with her mother. They hit landmarks, wonderful restaurants and occasionally binge on Netflix when the city seems overwhelming. This book is also punctuated with photos taken during that time that ground the narrative in both place and time. (Also, as detailed as it was, her drawing of her Paris-acquired coat didn’t do that lovely article of clothing justice; you just have to see in in the photographs.)
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
Who says that when you travel by book you have to go someplace attainable? Our love for Pratchett’s Discworld series is fairly well-established on the blog, but that’s no reason not to evangelize this great series in a slightly different context. This hysterical novel satirizes the tourist experience as Twoflower, Discworld’s first tourist, voyages to Ankh-Morpork, where he doesn’t speak the language, has no concept of their currency or customs and is blindly trusting of anyone who seems willing to help him. If you’ve ever felt adrift in an unfamiliar place, desired luggage that can’t get lost, or if you simply want to have a laugh at an “ugly tourist’s” expense, this book will instantly strike a chord. If you want to get a solid feel of Discworld, in particular its capital city, then this book is sure to convince you that Discworld is no less real than those places to which you can actually travel.
Tell next week, dear readers, whatever gives you your best sense of place, feel free to enjoy it! You’re never far from adventure when you travel by book.
