Oh how I love to travel! And how I love to read as well! To hold a book or two while embarking on a journey – whether far or near, long or short! To feed my mind with a recommended dose of literature! And to exercise my brain in tip-top shape with new vocabularies at every turn of a page!

While we all know how great of an indulgence traveling is – reading is also, in fact, a great indulgence for the mind. Learning new things and accumulating knowledge is what makes people rich in experience. I just relish holding a book, touching the words with my hand and leafing the paper page-after-page. I’m sure you do too!

Every time I go out of town or take a trip overseas, there’s always a must-read tome packed in to keep me company. So much so, that if I were to ask myself what I couldn’t live without when stuck in a deserted island, I would say a good book would be one of them. You might ask why… Well, in the event that I get rescued back to civilization, at least my reading comprehension would still be intact. Smart, eh?

Typically, my literary genre of choice falls under eclectic. I am a voracious reader of various topics of interest – from history, travel (of course!), suspense thriller, pop culture (yes please!) and everything in between whether fact or fiction. One of the earlier books that I hang on to was Lit Riffs by Tom Perrotta and Matthew Miele not to mention a host of others. This is a collection of stories with inspiration taken from hit songs of contemporary musicians. One thing though - this may not be for the faint of heart but a great example of fusing musical history and songwriting with imaginative storytelling.

Sadly, with my incessant movement from place to place back then, I lost that precious, precious book. So if anyone of you got hold of my personal piece of treasure, kindly take good care of it. ☺

Another book I’ve taken on the road (or in the plane) a few times is The Kindness of Strangers, another short story collection, edited by Don George. I got this at a Lonely Planet shop at Kingsford-Smith airport during my trip to Sydney. It’s a hearty read from renowned travel scribes the likes of Pico Iyer, Rolf Potts and even a preface written by The Dalai Lama. Yes, The Dalai Lama – betcha didn't see that coming?

However, in an unfortunate twist of fate (sigh!), the book almost got ruined after a powerful storm hit the region where I lived. Though it was completely soaked with rainwater, I managed to keep it dry a few days after. The storm may have faded the look and feel of the book but it still can withstand wear and tear. I suppose kindness is on my side! 

While I like to read and re-read books when I travel, one thing I like doing when I’m on the road is visit the local bookshop. Or even better, a second-hand shop or book exchange which houses the best finds that people have long forgotten about… stories waiting to be discovered and read… writers with a distinct perspective and knack for storytelling. The thrill of uncovering those literary fly-on-the-wall types. Oh, it’s like a playground of sorts – so much enriching experience that awaits the mind! 

Amazing how your mind just submits to reckless abandon during a reading session? And even more amazing is how travel takes you to places the same way a book does? I couldn’t agree more!

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Photos via Greg Roberts, Publishers Weekly, Amazon