The Bahblog

Anyone that truly knows me knows that I love to read. I will happily spend hours absorbed in a book and part of the reason that I love the traveling aspect of my job is that it allows me to read on planes (aren't many other things you can do while the plane is taking off and landing). Anyways, as we were planning the trip I decided that I wanted to read at least two books from each country we're visiting. Below is my reading list for Great Britain, South Africa, and Spain, including summaries. As you can see, I didn't perfectly stick to the "two books per country" rule, but I would say it's a well-rounded reading list. A post for Portugal and Italy will come in the future

Great Britain

A Column of Fire by Ken Follett: This is actually the third book in the Kingsbridge trilogy. I read the first two books last fall and was on the wait list for the third book, so it was convenient that I got off the wait list right as we left for our trip. The book spans 1558 to 1605 and, like the other two books in the series, is filled with different characters and their interweaving stories. It goes into the politics of England, France, and Scotland at the time and the tension between the Catholic Church and the Protestant movement. Parts of the book also take place in Spain and Italy, so that was a bonus. The books in the trilogy are long, but the characters are very well developed and the stories are captivating.

London by Edward Rutherford: London follows the history of the city of London from 54 B.C. to 1997. Like A Column of Fire, it follows a series of well-developed characters through generations as their stories interweave. It's a long book (it does span thousands of years), but it's fascinating and worth a read if you enjoy history or are planning to go to London (or both).

South Africa

Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux: I confess, I actually read this book for the first time back in 2013 and it played a role in my strong desire to visit South Africa. In the book, Theoroux travels overland from Cairo to Cape Town. It remains one of my favorite books and I reread this book in December in preparation for our trip. After seeing Africa and the bureaucratic and infrastructure issues, I'm even more impressed Theoroux made it.

The Last Train to Zona Verde by Paul Theroux: Once again, I confess that I actually read this book for the first time when it came out in 2013 but I did reread it right before we left. In this book, Theroux intends to travel overland up the western coast of Africa but only makes it as far as Angola. It is an interesting read and, given its semi-recent publish date, I recognized many of the inefficiencies, quirks, and aspects of African life that he called out.

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay: The Power of One takes place in South Africa in the 1940s and is told from the perspective of an English-speaking South African boy, nicknamed Peekay. It is a coming-of-age novel and follows his adventures in boarding school, relationship with his Zulu nanny, love of boxing, and determination to push himself. I somehow managed to check out the young adult version of the book (it's the only copy the library had), so it felt a bit short to me, but the story is fascinating and it provided a good understanding of South Africa in the 1940s.

Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane: This is a fascinating autobiography that follows Mathabane as he grows up in Apartheid South Africa. He grew up in Alexandra (a township close to Johannesburg) and ultimately came to college in the United States on a tennis scholarship. His stories of his upbringing were a mixture of appalling and informative and he does a wonderful job weaving in the historical context. I was so happy I read this book before our Johannesburg tour (when we went to the Apartheid Museum, Soweto, and the Hector Pieterson Museum) as it provided me with a personal account and historical context that made everything more meaningful. If you're going to South Africa, specifically Johannesburg, I recommend this book.

Spain

The Time In Between by Maria Duenas: Set in Spain, Morocco, and Portugal during the time of the Spanish Civil War, it follows the journey of Sira Quiroga as she faces heartache, uncertainty, and success and ultimately becomes involved in a conspiracy to provide information to the British Secret Service. I didn't know much about the Spanish Civil War before reading this book and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Fans of the Maisie Dobbs series will like this book.

_The Shadow of the Wind _by Carlos Ruiz Zafón: This book is set in Barcelona right after the Spanish Civil War. It follows the adventure of Daniel Sempere after he comes across a book and becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to its author and unraveling its story. It's a captivating read and has now been turned into a TV series.