What are good books to read on a train? [more inside]
posted by timory on Dec 23, 2009 - 40 answers

Suggestions for books on Maine history and culture, non fiction preferred but not a necessity. This would be for a person traveling to Maine in the near future, will be spending time on the coast and in the great north woods.
posted by flummox on Aug 31, 2009 - 15 answers

I'll be speaking at a conference in New York City, and I'd like to figure out how best to get there. [more inside]
posted by fake on Aug 28, 2009 - 16 answers

Will be living between Joshua Tree and LA county for 3 months...how do I get a library card? [more inside]
posted by Jesus Malverde on Jul 6, 2009 - 12 answers

What are some books I can read before my trip to Europe that will help me get in the mood? [more inside]
posted by Dilemma on Jun 23, 2009 - 24 answers

Help me find just the right book for a week spent rebuilding the Appalachian trail... [more inside]
posted by WidgetAlley on Feb 21, 2009 - 13 answers

I would like to know a superior form of backpack. It should be primarily appropriate for day to day backpack and school usage but also useful for light travel use or light camping use. I am ~6'4", usually weigh about 185 pounds, and male. [more inside]
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim on Feb 1, 2009 - 22 answers

What are some small towns in the Adirondacks (NY)- with nice community, local food, and art? [more inside]
posted by Nillocsoc on Aug 29, 2008 - 16 answers

I need a longish, interesting, well-written book (fiction) to read on an upcoming trip. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by mosessis on Aug 21, 2008 - 58 answers

What are some good, light-hearted, humorous travel books? [more inside]
posted by nitsuj on Jun 5, 2008 - 26 answers

Reading yesterday’s Tales of the City post, I got to wondering: are there any books set in Southeast Asian locations that “sell” their settings the way Tales of the City does for San Francisco, or The Number One Ladies Detective Agency does for Botswana? [more inside]
posted by micketymoc on May 4, 2008 - 7 answers

How can I reconcile two different and conflicting plans for my future? (long-ish explanation) [more inside]
posted by brynna on Apr 28, 2008 - 11 answers

how can I ship my books from the UK to North America without spending a fortune? [more inside]
posted by arcadia on Apr 3, 2008 - 6 answers

I'm looking for books where the author immerses himself in an experience and then writes about it [more inside]
posted by reenum on Feb 7, 2008 - 54 answers

I'm looking for recommendations for books, movies and even music that might be relevant for a group of middle school (7th & 8th grade, ages 12-14) kids who are going to Rome over spring break. [more inside]
posted by bjennings on Feb 3, 2008 - 8 answers

Please recommend books about China and the Chinese. [more inside]
posted by ClanvidHorse on Jan 13, 2008 - 28 answers

I need a cute catchphrase for a gift I'm giving. [more inside]
posted by thebrokedown on Jan 6, 2008 - 5 answers

Looking for books about or by female travelers/adventurers/volunteers abroad. [more inside]
posted by zhivota on Sep 17, 2007 - 26 answers

I'm looking for quality information about medicine, life in Third World countries, Doctors Without Borders and similar organizations, travel, expat experiences, etc. [more inside]
posted by snoogles on Apr 22, 2007 - 8 answers

I need help putting together a book about my Peace Corps experiences, though I have no idea where to even begin. Any ideas? [more inside]
posted by brokekid on Feb 23, 2007 - 15 answers

I just finished an excellent book-- An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie-- which details an Togolese man's interactions with the Inuit. I was wondering if anyone could recommend other books which are one non-Western culture's take on another. (To me, at least, the more apparently unrelated the two cultures the better.)
posted by bethm on Dec 24, 2006 - 8 answers

In a while I will be going on a round the world trip to do a bit of soul searching (and to have a lot of fun of course). I'm looking for books on the subject of travel, not the pragmatically oriented genre, but philosophically and spiritually inclined ones. I'd like to read true stories about open-minded people backpacking around the globe and learning something about themselves and the world. I'd like to taste their joys as well as their disappointments, their insights as well as their confusion experienced during long-term world-wide travel. [more inside]
posted by koenie on Mar 20, 2006 - 20 answers

Good books to read before wandering about Central and South America for a few months? [more inside]
posted by airguitar on Nov 11, 2005 - 19 answers

Can anyone recommend some good books on Indian (particularly South Indian) culture/history/politics/etc? [more inside]
posted by introcosm on Jul 28, 2005 - 8 answers

I'm thinking about going to South-East Asia this fall. I'll probably be there for 5-6 weeks. Are there any books (besides the basic travel guides) that I should read before I go? [more inside]
posted by einarorn on Jun 26, 2005 - 12 answers

All things considered, I'd rather be in Philadelphia--and soon I will be. Please share your recommendations for used book stores, record stores, and vegetarian food (cheap to moderate, with moderate being entrees under $20). Also, as a bonus, if you know if any yummy restaurants near the Jersey Turnpike that would allow one to avoid the nastiness of the rest stop, that would be totally awesome.
posted by dame on May 25, 2005 - 40 answers

Need help with a gift for my spouse. She likes to read memoirs (not biographies) focused on food and/or travel. She's mined this category heaviliy, so titles published this year are a plus.
posted by mojohand on Dec 7, 2004 - 27 answers

What is the best travel book series? You know -- Frommer's, Rough Guide, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, etc. I'm finally getting of my duff and going somwhere (Costa Rica) and I want a reliable guide book to take with me. Something that I will actually find quite useful and not rip it into shreds out of pure frustration.
posted by beatnik808 on Aug 17, 2004 - 28 answers

Do we have any travel writers in the house? Is it really the life of glamour and ease that thetravelwriterslife.com claims?

Since I suspect it's not as easy as one might suppose after digesting that page, I have more questions: Can you tell me what it's like? How you got started? What kind of money you pull in? [more inside]
posted by Irontom on Jun 15, 2004 - 9 answers

My wife and I are going to London soon. I've lived there before, but it will be her first time. What are some good books that will bring the city's history and landmarks alive for her? Fiction and non-fiction are fine, as long as they are good reads (not dry or academic). I'm looking for the type of thing that will really make you appreciate the Tower or Camden Town or whatever when you're there.
posted by grumblebee on Mar 9, 2004 - 23 answers