Top 5 Travel Reads in May
1. 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye by Nick Alexander
St. Christopher�s like to cater to all tastes and this month we�re taking a look at Nick Alexander, one of the most talented writers around. 50 Reasons to Say goodbye is a candid collection of dreadful dates, seedy nightclubs and relationships that suffer the wrath of modern day life. If you�ve never read anything like this before, 50 Reasons is the perfect introduction to a lifestyle that isn�t written about enough. If you like what you read be sure to check out Sottopassaggio and Good Thing Bad Thing.
All three titles by Nick Alexander are published by Lightening Source UK / BIGfib (paperback; £3.45). They are also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
2. A Lizard in my Luggage by Anna Nicholas
This is the rather interesting tale of what happens when a corporate city lady turns to the modern day stresses of living in London and tells them to get stuffed. Anna moves to Mallorca, runs her PR company remotely and buys donkeys in between. This is a travel book that explores the temptation ignored by so many suits in the city � to get back to basics and look after the important people. If you prefer a rural retreat to the hustle of an over populated city then you will get something out of this book. You will also get an education about the finer things on the Mallorca calendar.
A Lizard in my Luggage by Anna Nicholas is published by Summersdale (paperback; £7.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
3. Cinder by Albert French
If you ever got hooked on Mildred Taylor�s Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry during your teen years, then this is an adult equivalent which will provoke the same response. Cinder is a tale of racism, warfare and kinship in America during the 1940s. The pace of life in Banes has always run at the same rate, but after Pearl Harbour the way things work in Mississippi, change forever. For added emphasis the book is written in a colloquial style which helps to transport you to the places where our central character, Cinder, spends her time. This has just been reissued so make sure you get your paws on a brand new copy.
Cinder by Albert French is published by Random House (paperback; £11.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
4. For God, Country and Coca-Cola: The History of the World's Most Popular Soft Drink by Mark Pendergrast
Globalisation is a funny thing. One day the world is united by the end of world war two and the next Coca Cola is being used by the American government to strengthen its European resistance against communism. This is just one of the informative, interesting and slightly disconcerting things that this book will teach you about Coca Cola. It was invented as a medicine with a cocaine chaser and now it�s 99 per cent sugar water. It�s 100 years of evolution told in way that will make you reflect on life in a similar, but not identical way, to Vernon God Little.
For God, Country and Coca-Cola: The History of the World's Most Popular Soft Drink by Mark Pendergrast is published by Texere Publishing (paperback; £10.50) It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
5. Editor's Choice - A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
This month we have a special treat for you and it is this wonderful book by the wonderfully articulate Mark Haddon. You might think the life of a retired, 61-year-old man might be a tad dull but thanks to Mr Hadden�s literary stylings, it isn�t. Haddon takes the quiet family dynamics that cement parents to children and fumigates all that is exhausting, insane and down right rude. It�s fun to see the world through the eyes of an insular and disapproving hypochondriac. It�s even more fun when everyone who reads it is able to recognise their father in this role. Expect sheds, skin cancer and dysfunctional children.
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon is published by Random House (paperback; £7.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
- Rob Savage
