4 Inspiring titles to add to your spring reading list

Having followed Matt’s column ‘The Frugal Traveller’ in the New York times for years, I couldn’t hold in my excitement when I heard about his first book.

The Turk Who Loved Apples is based on a collection of anecdotes that Matt has collected in 60 countries over his 30 years of travel.

Matt doesn’t shy away from sharing the low points of traveling solo on a budget – getting lost, sick, and feeling lonely, scared, poor, unprepared and naive. However, Matt manages to face these challenges face on and comes out smiling!

What others are saying:

“A vicariously entertaining whirlwind of scrapbook memories from an author who can’t sit still.” – Kirkus Reviews

“The Turk Who Loved Apples is exactly the travel book you should read while traveling. Filled with the kind of moments of absurdity, sadness, madness, wisdom, beauty, realization, and Weltschmerz familiar to the chronic, lifelong traveler.” – Anthony Bourdai

Matt is no longer the author of the NY Times column, but it’s still a great read.

Having grown up with a lonely planet guide always by my side, I’m excited to read about Lonely Planet’s origins story.

It all begins Maureen and Tony Wheeler (the creators of The Lonely Planet) arriving back to Australia after an epic adventure across Europe and Asia that left them with 27 cents to their names.

Post-adventure, Maureen and Tony were thrown continuous questions about their travels: How much, where did you go, what to avoid. This inspired them to create their first guide book ‘Across Asia on the Cheap’.

From this humble beginning, they’ve managed to build a empire and inspire travelers across the world.

What others are saying:

“[The creators live] the kind of life most people dream of living. And I found their story truly inspiring.” – Renee Estey

“The Lonely Planet Story is a unique mix of autobiography, business history and travel book.”

It’s always confronting to view your country and culture through someone else’s eyes and that is exactly what Bill Bryson is challenging Australians to do in this novel. ‘In a Sunburned Country’ is based on what Bryson observed in his three visits to Australia and countless mishaps along the way.

If Bryson’s other work is anything to go on, this read will be an insightful, funny and eye-opening journey of Australia through a traveler’s eyes.

Don’t get disheartened by the size of his books –  Bryson is a wordsmith like no other and they are always worth every page.

What people are saying:

“Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out”

“From the clean and congenial cities, to the rugged coastal regions and the largely uninhabited outback, Bryson takes us with him and we never, ever look back. It’s a delight to be included on any one of Bill Bryson’s journeys” – Sienna Powers, The January Magazine

This story has taken the world by storm, with close to 27 million copies sold worldwide,  and is currently available in 56 different languages. The story follows a young shepherd who begins a pilgrimage across the Mediterranean and the Sahara to discover the meaning of a recurring dream. Along the way, the boy meets a range of characters who shape and define the young boy’s journey.

This book is perfect for two types of people:

• Those who are wanting to take a pilgrimage
• Those who don’t understand why anyone would want to

What others are saying about it:

“Every few decades a book comes along that changes the lives of it’s readers forever”

“For anyone who reads not only to escape reality but also to understand reality, The Alchemist can offer the best of both worlds” – The Guardian

Check out our calendar for our latest adventures.