If you’re looking for a new book that you can take with you as you travel the world this year, you’ve come to the right place. Of course, new ones come out every year, but few reads manage to stay with you over time. For today’s article, we made a list of three books you might enjoy reading when you’re stuck in transit, sipping on a cocktail on the beach, or laying in bed after an exhausting day.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
One of the things that first crossed our mind when we read the description of this book is that it resembles the plot of that movie that was 2000’s sensation, Amelie. In this novel, the main female character, Keiko Furukura, finds a job at a department store while she’s at university just because it is what people her age do. Her parents had been concerned with her because she didn’t seem interested in anything in particular.
While that was great for when she was 18, it might not be the same for when she reaches the age of 36. The department store where she works has become a sort of safe haven for her, a place where she feels protected by the routine tasks she needs to complete every day. She’s never had a boyfriend and she only has a handful of friends. Even if for some people, this might not be the ideal situation, Keiko finds comfort in the little things.
But everything changes when a man that’s just as bitter and cynical as she is comes to work at the same store.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson has written a lot of books, but the thing that makes the difference between him and other writers is that his style is funny and witty; somehow, he always manages to end up being an entertaining guide for the people who can’t rediscover America on the Appalachian Trail themselves or whatever place he describes in some of his other books.
Bryson is a type of unique Bear Grylls in that he doesn’t push it by trying to survive in the wild, but he does get into plenty of accidents and mishaps while he’s strolling through the woods. His descriptions of the locals, who are said to be hardy, are both funny and admirable, and the fact that several bears show up along the way, some of whom might not have the best of intentions, just adds a bit of extra charm to everything.
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Philosophy can help us live our lives better, but stoicism, one of its sub-domains, can do a lot more. Marcus Aurelius, one of the best-known stoics ever to have been existed, teaches us that having a general perspective on things can help us build meaningful personal and business relationships.
Aside from its philosophical concepts, this book also gives you plenty of practical advice, such as the idea that it’s good to know that lives are ephemeral and that we should enjoy as much of them as we can. Being kind and understanding that we might not be here tomorrow is one of the values that should guide us throughout our path.
If you find yourself pressed for time and can’t spare several hours to go through this book, you can at least watch an online animation to see whether it might interest you or not.
