Touring holiday reading

[Cathryn]

Okay, I need some advice. We're off to India on Friday and I need some recommendations for holiday reading. I'm after something ideally cycling inspired, but nothing too racing focussed. I've got a new Josie Dew to read and I'm after one more touring inspired book to get me up any hills in 35 degree heat!!

 

[Dayvo]

Hello Cathryn!

I've recently finished three travel books, all cycling related. 'Johnny Ginger's Last Ride' by Tom Fremantle, 'Discovery Road' by Tim Garratt and Andy Brown, and 'French Revolutions'by Tim Moore.
Three enjoyable tales of long-distance cycling. I would have sent them to you, but they were snapped up by three other forumers when I put out a thread for them.

 

[tomb1960]

I was going to recommend 'French Revolutions' too, it's very funny, and far from a taxing read!

 

[gadge]

Thirded

 

[AndrewClark]

French Revolutions did nothing for me I'm afraid. Discovery Road was good. I'd recommend "Mood of Future Joys" by Alistair Humphries , the first part of his round the world trip http://tinyurl.com/3dqxng . Not cycling but motorcycling "Jupiters Travels" by Ted Simon is very good.

Or as you are going to India try "Full Tilt" by Dervla Murphy.

Have a good trip.

 

[Abitrary]

I novel will put on about 4 - 500 grams of unwanted weight, well if you don't finish it that it is

Get the Sunday Times before you go, and rip out all the interesting looking bits and fold them up.

30 grammes, max

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I dragged a book all over east anglia...never read a single page I am told it is good though....something about a bloke and a donkey and a sapnish pilgramidge

 

[rich p]

Michael Hutchison's 'The Hour' is an amusing, interesting read writen in a nice self-deprecating style.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

I don't think I would ever read an account of someone else's trip whilst on a tour of my own. You should be fully immersed in your own, full on challenge and experience. Make the most of where you are and who you are with; don't escape into someone else's world.

If I thought I would have any time for reading, I would take something that might enhance my time there. Maybe something that will give you an insight into the area or its history. There's plenty of contemporary books about India that came out to coincide with the 50th anniversary of independence.

 

[John Ponting]

Cathryn

You MUST be all packed up and ready to go by now as you leave on Friday but ...


a coupke of non cycling books is you see them

'A Piano in the Pyrenees' by Tony Hawks was IMO far better than 'Round Ireland with a Fridge'; maybe because I had been to most of the villages and mountains only the previous year.

'A Year in the Merde' by Stephen Clarke.


Do have a Grand Tour and bring back loads of piccies and words.

 

[rich p]

Cathryn, do you just pop back to England every now and then for tax reasons or do I just imagine that you're always just back or just off somewhere

 

[Oldlegs]

Have you got an MP3 player? You can about 15 unabridged books (from Audible.co uk) on 1 Gig - a lot lighter than paper!

 

[Cathryn]

Rich, unfortunately yes I do have to work somewhere in the UK most of the time...I just spend as much time as possible either planning my holidays, being on holidays or dreaming of holidays.

Thanks everyone for the great ideas!! I've got a mix of a Josie Dew to encourage me up some hills and a fab Indian novel to reread to get me in the Indian spirit!! I do read a lot on hols so will probably pick up another novel at the airport!! We have a SAG wagon on this trip and I intend to load the poor van down as much as possible!!

I'm SO excited now...and so far the anti malarials haven't caused mouth ulcers, hair loss or hallucinations, so we're good!!!

 

[vernon]

Okay, I need some advice. We're off to India on Friday and I need some recommendations for holiday reading. I'm after something ideally cycling inspired, but nothing too racing focussed. I've got a new Josie Dew to read and I'm after one more touring inspired book to get me up any hills in 35 degree heat!!

Downhill All The Way by Edward Enfield (Harry 'loadsa mony' Enfield's dad) is a good read. It's an account of his Channel to The Med ride and is entertaining and informative. I took it on my Channel to the Med ride and only got to read it when I got back home.

 

[JC4LAB]

For India it has to be City of Joy... The story of a cyclo in Calcutta..What else?