Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: books featuring travel

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week the participants post their top ten to a specific topic.


So this week is allll about books featuring travel in some way, be it a road trip or a quest or some other type of journey. I love road trip books but I've read way too few of them. I have easily half a dozen sitting on my TBR list though!

Anyway, here are, in no particular order, some books that I've actually read and enjoyed:


The Dark Tower series, by Stephen King
Maybe THE most epic travel/quest/journey book ever! Roland, on his decade-long way to the Dark Tower, following the beam. A story between worlds that, for me, erases the borders between fiction and reality.


The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien
Duh. No explanation needed.


Dracula, by Bram Stoker
Don't laugh. The beginning of the novel in particular is basically Harker's traveling account, and the country/modes of travel are used to compare and contrast England and Transylvania.


His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman
Lyra's journey to the north kept me engrossed for days! I especially loved the time she spends on the ship with the gyptians. It also fed my desire to see the northern lights :)


Drawing Blood, by Poppy Z. Brite
It's a horror story I guess, but it's also about getting away... or going home and confronting the past. I remember that I enjoyed the part where Zach gets into the car and leaves New Orleans to escape the feds.


Just One Day, by Gayle Forman
All about travel and (self)discovery. It's interesting to see Europe through an American 'lense'!


The Iron Knight, by Julie Kagawa
Actually all of Julie's books feature travel in some way, but I guess Ash's journey to the end of the earth stands out anyway.


The Daresh series by Katja Brandis
I don't think they've been translated into English but it's a fantastic German fantasy series that I've re-read at least 4 times! To this date, one of my favorite worlds. There are four provinces, each inhabited by a different guild of people who have abilities tied to one of the elements. And travel is an important part of all the books.


Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake
Not so much a road trip book but one about... being uprooted? Cas and his mum are moving constantly. Sometimes he doesn't even bother to unpack. The sense of restlessness and never being home, not having a 'haven', really stuck with me.


Angel & Angel Fire, by L.A. Weatherly
Both books feature road trips, the first one through the US and the second one in Mexico. The characters have to be constantly on the run and don't really have a safe place to stay or go back to anymore.


That's it... it's 1:30 a.m. here so I'm sure I forgot a lot of awesome books with travel! So please link me up to yours, and tell me what you think of my selection :)

16 comments:

  1. I loved Dracula, and you're right, there is quite a lot of traveling going on in that one.

    Just One Day is on my list as well, and others I could have added, but included others instead...

    Here's my TTT post for this week. Happy reading :)

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  2. Lord of the Rings, love those books! Great top ten:)

    My TTT:
    http://evelinesbooks.blogspot.nl/2013/06/top-ten-tuesday-teaser-tuesday-2.html

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  3. Interesting how lots of classic books use travel as a theme.

    Here's my Top Ten post. Hope you'll stop by!

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  4. I really cannot believe I forgot LOTR and The Iron Knight. Like, really. LOL. L.A. Weatherly and Kendare's books are both on my TBR! Great list Carmen!

    My TTT

    Jessica@Lovin' Los Libros

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  5. I regretted not doing top ten for fantasy books as I've read amazing ones! :) From this list I've read majority and many of them are my faves. I've got Just One Day on my list too :) Great picks :)

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  6. I have LotR on my list, too. Love. I've heard great things about Just One Day, but haven't read it yet. Great list!
    Natflix&Books

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  7. I love that you included The Dark Tower, LOTR, and The Golden Compass. I love a good epic quest, and these books are all excellent. Nice list!

    Lisa
    My TTT

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  8. Yay - so glad to see The Dark Tower on here and you're so right - that was an epic travel adventure!

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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  9. I can't believe I forgot about all of Tolkien's books for this list. It was a hard topic! Great list!

    My TTT

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  10. I went with another SK book, Talisman this week, but I loved The Dark Tower series as well! So much!! (not the last book though...)
    The Lord of the Rings - duh - exactly.
    Hmmm...I might read Just One Day one day :)

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  11. I really need to read the Iron Fae books, they look so awesome!!

    <a href="http://www.onstarshipsanddragonwings.com/2013/06/04/top-ten-quest-books/>Here's my list!</a>

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  12. Should have used Pullman myself but changed my mind at the last minute. 10 is not enough :D
    And I need to start with King's books, they look awesome.

    Thanks for stopping by :)

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  13. Yay for Just One Day, a book I saw on most lists! :D
    And ohhh, I've never thought of Anna Dressed In Blood in that way before, but it works!
    Great list Carmen & thanks for stopping by my TTT! (:

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  14. YAY, I've actually read some of these XD YES to Lord of the Rings AND since I *just* finished the third book in the His Dark Materials series I can definitely agree with that one too!! The Iron Fey series is one I'll be reading soon I think (hope)! And I really need to read the Dakr Tower & Anna Dressed in Blood. Sweet TTT post!

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  15. I haven't read very many of your picks, but I have to say, I just love books featuring quests. But that's probably because those are usually fantasies. ;0) His Dark Materials is still one of my favorite series ever. :D

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  16. I wanted to add all of Tolkien's work, but that would have been too extensive. I went with the Hobbit, instead. I almost added Anna Dressed in Blood, but changed my mind. I feel like I'm the only one who hasn't read the Iron Fey series! I have it, I just need to get started. Thanks for sharing your picks and also for stopping by my blog! Cheers!

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