I jumped on the bandwagon late and am just now starting to read Crazy Rich Asians, mostly because I want to see the movie, but before seeing the movie, I have to read the book and ultimately the series. Of course, once I read the book, I usually then hate the movie but here’s hoping that won't be the case.
I’ve also been reading about how Crazy Rich Asians the movie has been somewhat of an unofficial marketing campaign for Singapore. It's predicted that interest in Singapore will increase quite a lot due to the way it's beautifully displayed in the film. This got me thinking of books I’ve read in the past (some of which have turned into movies or TV shows) that have sparked my wanderlust. Honestly, there are many, but here are five in particular that immediately come to mind:
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
I wouldn’t classify myself as a hiker by any means, but I do like to do the occasional hike, especially if the scenery is beautiful. Reading Wild gave me some serious urges to one day do at least a part of the Pacific Crest Trail (with more preparation than Cheryl Strayed, of course). At minimum, I neeeed to see Crater Lake!
Anything by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Namesake was my first Jhumpa Lahiri book. Since then I’ve read several of her other novels, which are often based in Calcutta at some point in the story. Though I've visited some places in India, I've never been to Calcutta, and because of Jhumpa Lahiri and her beautiful way of immersing you in her novels, I'd like to.
Big Little Lies
This is sort of cheating because I watched the television series first (and loooved the soundtrack) and then I read the book. After reading the novel, which takes place in Australia, not California, I now want to head back to both Oz and central California, preferably with the Big Little Lies soundtrack playing all around me (and maybe Meryl will want to join).
The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World.
This book about three women quitting their jobs in New York to travel the world is literally wanderlust in a book. You immediately become hooked as they jump from country to country, and continent to continent. Be warned: you’ll want to book a flight ASAP after reading this.
Eat Pray Love
Yeah yeah yeah, I know it’s cliche but whatever. I don’t think there’s a person out there who read the book (or at least watched the movie) and did not want to have their own Eat Pray Love adventure. Even if you hated the book and/or movie, you know you wanted to do your own Eat Pray Love. Admit it.
As I said before, there are so many other books I've read that have sparked my interest in a certain destination, particularly when the writing is exceptional. It's why I love reading and traveling and reading while traveling and traveling while reading :)
Which books have sparked your wanderlust?
