If I am at home, the best thing is I like to dream about distant countries and foreign cultures. An excellent way to do this is by reading about people who do. In this blog post, I present some of my favorite books about life in very different countries.
Without You, There Is No Us: Undercover Among the Sons of North Korea’s Elite [ENG]
Suki Kim lived in North Korea for 3.5 months, and there she taught the young male-Elite of the country English at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. It gives a glimpse into the minds of people who are usually impossible to observe and interact with.
Kim und Struppi: Ferien in Nordkorea [GER]
Compared to Suki Kim, he spends only two weeks in North Korea on a booked tour. Therefore, he gives an entirely different view of the culture and shows how tourists can experience this isolated country.
Couchsurfing series [GER] and [ENG]
Stephan Orth’s favorite way to travel is Couchsurfing because he gets a closer look into how the people in the countries he visits live. This is especially interesting because they are always countries the general public usually does not see.
Born a Crime Stories from a South African Childhood: [GER] and [ENG]
Although this is not a travel book per see, it gives a glimpse into the South African culture from the perspective of Trevor Noah and his extraordinary Mother. It shows how this unusual family lived during the time of apartheid and which struggles the people had.
Robert Langdon series [ENG/GER]
In Dan Brown’s series Robert Langdon travels to historical places all over the Western World. Meanwhile, Langdon uncovers secrets and historical artifacts.
The author spent a lot of time researching his stories, and he placed his story in a realistic-sounding setting. I first started reading this series while I was traveling through Italy by train with two friends. It was interesting to research the correct parts of the story and see the main character’s places in Rome and Florence.