Eight more books to spark your wanderlust (part 31)

In anticipation of upcoming trips I have been reading plenty of books. Here are eight more books to spark your wanderlust

You are awful (but I like you): travels through unloved Britain - Tim Moore

It began with an accidental daytrip to an intriguingly awful resort on the Thames Estuary, and ended 3,812 miles later: one man's journey through deep-fried, brownfield, poundshop Britain, a crash course in urban blight, deranged civic planning and commercial eccentricity. Following an itinerary drawn up from surveys, polls, reviews and lazy personal prejudice, Tim Moore goes to all the places that nobody wants to go to -- the bleakest towns, the shonkiest hotels, the scariest pubs, the silliest sea zoos. He visits the grid reference adjudged by the Ordnance Survey to be the least interesting point in Britain, and is chased out of the new town twice crowned Scotland's Most Dismal Place. His palate is flayed alive by horrific regional foodstuffs, his ears shrivelled by the 358 least loved tracks in the history of native popular music. With his progress entrusted to Britain's motor industry's fittingly hopeless finale, he comes to learn that the UK seems very much larger when you're driving around it in a Bulgarian-built Austin Maestro. Yet as the soggy, decrepit quest unfolds, so it evolves into something much more stirring: a nostalgic celebration of our magnificent mercantile pomp, and an angry requiem for a golden age of cheerily homespun crap culture being swept aside by the faceless, soul-stripping forces of Tesco-town globalisation.

Adventure Coordinators opinion: Tim Moore is a great narrator and you wonder sometimes how he finds the subjects he does: he has pushed a reluctant donkey along the Camino and cycled Italy on a 1920's bike. This time he travels through the rundown places of the UK in Britain's worst car, listening to Britain's most awful music. Each time you wonder if he can write anything else about bleak factory towns and seaside arcades, he keeps you enthralled with another story. 8 out of 10.

Peter Matthiessen - The birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes

In legend, cranes often figure as harbingers of heaven and omens of longevity and good fortune. And in nature, they are an “umbrella species” whose well-being assures that of the ecosystem at large. The Birds of Heaven chronicles Peter Matthiessen’s many journeys on five continents in search of the fifteen species of cranes. His telling captures the dilemmas of a planet in ecological crisis, and the deep loss to humankind if these beautiful and imposing creatures are allowed to disappear.

Adventure Coordinators opinion: An interesting read for those who have an affinity for birding. Also of interest are the descriptions of lesser visited countries, such as Bhutan, Mongolia and the DMZ in South Korea. At times, though, while beautifully written, the book feels a little long. 6.5 out of 10

Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself - Luke Russert

Look for Me There is Luke Russert’s deeply personal account of a journey across six continents—and into his own heart. After eight successful years in political journalism, Luke questioned why he was still chasing the legacy of his late father, news icon Tim Russert. Spurred by grief and a desire for clarity, he left his career to travel and reflect.

What began as a short break became a three-year quest to understand his identity, purpose, and the weight of family expectations. Along the way, Luke confronts loss, faith, and ambition with honesty and courage, ultimately forging his own path.

This vivid memoir blends travel, history, and self-discovery, offering solace and inspiration for anyone navigating change or searching for direction.

Adventure Coordinators opinion: an OK read with some nice parts, a little self-indulgent at times, infuriatingly obnoxious at others; some might say he does nothing to dispel certain stereotypes. 6 out of 10

Lonely Planet's Dream Trips of the World

Touted as the definitive bucket list travel guide featuring 100 dream trips across the world, this book is packed with insights and knowledge from Lonely Planet experts so you can make them happen.

Adventures throughout the book feature spectacular photography, the ideal itinerary, practical planning information, and tales from travellers who have experienced the trip, plus background coverage of the regional specialities. Travel themes include culture, history, activities, food and drink, and simply exploring an amazing new destination.

Adventure Coordinators opinion: A good reference book for those looking for bucket list worthy destinations. Even experienced travellers may find some gems. 7.5 out of 10

Roger Deakin - Waterlog: A Swimmer's Journey Through Britain

In 1996 Roger Deakin, the late, great nature writer, set out to swim through the British Isles. From the sea, from rock pools, from rivers and streams, tarns, lakes, lochs, ponds, lidos, swimming pools and spas, from fens, dykes, moats, aqueducts, waterfalls, flooded quarries, even canals, Deakin gains a fascinating perspective on modern Britain.

Detained by water bailiffs in Winchester, intercepted in the Fowey estuary by coastguards, mistaken as suicidal on Camber sands, confronting the Corryvreckan whirlpool in the Hebrides, he discovers just how much of an outsider the native swimmer is to his landlocked, fully-dressed fellow citizens.

This is a personal journey, a bold assertion of the native swimmer's right to roam, and an unforgettable celebration of the magic of water.

Adventure Coordinators opinion: A delightful read full of beautiful descriptions of the English countryside and a cast f interesting characters. An inspiring book for those wanting to go beyond the bounds of the lake at their cottage. 8.5 out of 10

A Death in Malta: An Assassination and a Family’s Quest for Justice - Paul Caruana Galizia

An archipelago off the southern coast of Italy, Malta is a picturesque gem eroded by a climate of corruption, polarization, inequality, and a virtual absence of civic spirit. In this unpromising soil, a fearless journalist took root. Daphne Caruana Galizia fashioned herself into the country’s lonely voice of conscience, her muckraking and editorializing sending shock waves that threatened to topple those in power and made her at once the island’s best-known figure and its most reviled. In 2017, a campaign of intimidation against her culminated in a car bombing that took her life.

Daphne was also he devoted and inspiring mother to three sons, who with their father have carried on the quest for justice and transparency after her death. Spellbindingly narrated by the youngest of them, the award-winning journalist Paul Caruana Galizia, A Death in Malta is at once a study in heroism and the powerful story of a family’s crusade for accountability in a society built on lies, with reverberations far beyond their homeland.

Adventure Coordinators opinion: it was upsetting to see how callous people can be in the pursuit of money and to know this happened in an EU country. A riveting read, 8 out of 10

Wildwood. A journey through trees - Roger Deakin

From the walnut tree at his Suffolk home, Roger Deakin embarks upon a quest that takes him through Britain, across Europe, to Central Asia and Australia, in search of what lies behind man’s profound and enduring connection with wood and with trees. Meeting woodlanders of all kinds, he lives in shacks and cabins, builds hazel benders, and hunts bush-plums with aboriginal women. At once autobiography, history, a traveller’s tale and a work of natural history, Wildwood is a lyrical and fiercely intimate evocation of the spirit of in nature, in our souls, in our culture, and in our lives.

Adventure Coordinators opinion: After reading Waterlog (see above), I couldn't wait to read this book. It was another hit, especially his writing about his trip to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. I am already planning my next trip! 8 out of 10

Every Trail Has a Story: Heritage Travel in Canada - Bob Henderson

Canada is packed with intriguing places for travel where heritage and landscape interact to create stories that fire our imagination. Scattered across the land are incredible tales of human life over the centuries. From the Majorville rock formation (dated as being older than Stonehenge), through the systems of walking trails developed by pre-contact Native Peoples, and the fur trade routes, to the more recent grand stories of the Chilkoot Gold Rush of 1897, Bob Henderson captures our living history in its relationship to the land – best expressed through the Norwegian quote "nature is the true home of culture."

The diversity of fascinating content includes the ancient James Bay landmark (the "Wonderful" Stone); the mountain treks of naturalist Mary Schaffer Warren; the west coast observations of George Vancouver; practices such as dog sledding, warm winter camping and canoeing that allow for heritage insights; the trails of Dundas, Ontario; the exploits of missionary Gabriel Sagard; the recluse Louis Gamache of Anticosti Island; the abandoned gravesites along the coast of Newfoundland – to name but a few.

Adventure Coordinators opinion: A fascinating read leaving me want to explore more in my own backyard. 7 out of 10