The Buzz...About Books

For me, this is one of the easier categories to cross off for the Reading Challenge. I love reading books about other places, especially cities and countries on my travel wish list. The books could be travelogues or memoirs about living somewhere, but they could also be novels or short stories that help me learn about a culture and get some insight into how people live or think in another part of the world. Any genre of books can open a window to a culture and society. Though, it's important to remember that one book can never represent all aspects of a place or people.

It's easy to broaden and expand this category depending on what you like to read. Would a science fiction book that takes place on Mars count? Sure, if that's a land you want to explore! (I'm quite fine on Earth, thank you very much.) What about a fictional island in our world where dinosaurs still exist? Once again, that wouldn't be my thing, but you do you! My recommendations ended up being basic, but creativity is also encouraged when interpreting the categories.

These are my recommendations for lands I would like to explore:

Super Sushi Ramen Express by Michael Booth

This book scratches two itches for me because it is both a travelogue and a food memoir. The journalist Michael Booth recounts a madcap couple of weeks travelling around Japan and learning all about the food culture of the country, providing a fascinating way of understanding the country through food. What gives this book its depth are the interviews that Booth does with people in the food industry — farmers, sake brewers, chefs — offering an insider's view of Japanese cuisine one would not get if visiting the country on their own.

If you watch Anthony Bourdain shows for the travel as much as the food, you will love reading this!

Other categories:

• a book that makes you happy
• a book with a food item in the title
• a book of investigative nonfiction

Americana by Luke Healy

There was a brief time in February 2021 when I wanted to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I knew it was a lockdown-influenced daydream, but for a week or two I was borrowing books on long-distance hiking and casually trying to enlist friends to join me. (They all said no.) The culprit for this brief bit of escapist fantasy was Americana by Luke Healy.

This graphic memoir follows Healy's journey hiking the PCT with (admittedly) little preparation. It's not just about the grueling, arduous journey, but also about the community spirit and culture behind long-distance hiking. Healy is  Irish, so the book is informed by his view of America as an outsider. Healy's narrative demystifies the PCT and implies that anyone with enough determination could complete the trek.

Though illustrations could never fully capture the wonder of the PCT, the graphic novel format does help to provide some visuals to at least give a sense of the glory witnessed along the way. While my dream to hike the full trail has faded into the background, it is still a place I would like to explore — just in shorter chunks! 

Other categories:

• a nonfiction graphic novel
• a book about sports

Staff Recommendations

These books were picked by our staff for "a book about a land you would like to explore."

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

A love story between a Greek Cypriot man and a Turkish Cypriot woman during the years of conflict between the two cultures living on the same island of Cyprus. Lovely descriptions of the land and accurate descriptions of the unfortunate time of conflict.

Cyprus is connected to me because of the Greek culture in the south part and my friends who left there to escape the war in 1974. I have never had the pleasure of visiting this land that I hear is paradise.

-Despina, Branch Head

On the Curry Trail : Chasing the Flavor That Seduced the World by Raghvan Iyer

This book kicked up the hunger pangs in me with its colourful 50 recipes that are actually beginner friendly with an easily available list of ingredients. Being South Asian, I admit that I had a few false assumptions about the origins and evolution of curry. The author takes us on a delicious journey across Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, highlighting the signature dishes of each region. What better way to satisfy both my hunger pangs and my travel itch!

Other categories:

• A book that makes me happy

-Radha, Branch Head

Little Blue Truck Makes a Friend by Alice Schertle

Paren'tal warning: I have been asked to read this book to my toddler in the morning and at bedtime for 3 weeks straight!

This simple and heartwarming story tells the reader that meeting new people can be intimidating (for everyone), but that creating a welcoming atmosphere for newcomers is the right thing to do. What has kept my interest going, after approximately 7 million read-throughs, is the beautiful countryside that is illustrated throughout the book. The landscapes are colourful and the beauty of the natural world never ends with lush vegetation and hints of farmland! Enhanced by rhyming language that my son (who can't read yet) knows word for word, this book deserves a spot on your kid's bookshelf.

Other categories:

• A book about friendship
• A book that makes you happy
• A book about an optimistic future
• A book you've read more than once (lol)

-Reagan, Librarian

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

I've wanted to go to Corfu ever since reading Gerald Durrell's books about his childhood on the island. His descriptions of the countryside, the people and the animals paint amazing mental pictures.

-Linda, Requirements & Quality Assurance Analyst

We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama

A wonderfully descriptive book about a Tibetan family escaping to Nepal due to the Chinese invasion in the 1950s. It describes their difficult journey through the landscape and across the Himalayas to Nepal and even describes parts of Toronto as part of the journey. Tibet, Nepal and the Himalayas remain a far-reaching wonder to me.

-Catherine, Librarian

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

Deliciously funny, fact-filled and adventurous, this read takes you on a random tour of Australia. It's a place where interesting things happen all the time, from a Prime Minister lost — yes, lost — while swimming at sea to Japanese cult members who may have set off an atomic bomb (entirely unnoticed) on their 500,000-acre property in the desert. Bill Bryson shows a full spectrum of emotions on this trip, from wonder to anger, and confusion to wit. He goes into hilarious detail about the many things that can kill you in Australia, but it's still one of his favourite places in the world.

Other categories:

• a book that makes you happy

-Debra, Librarian

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk

Okay, mine is a bit odd and I am interpreting the category more broadly. A land I would like to explore (more) is a rare books library!

I am currently reading The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk. It sounds like a dream to poke around the basement exploring the rare and beautiful collection. The story revolves around Liesl, who got temporarily promoted because her boss had a stroke. Things are not going well. Barely a few weeks into the job and a new acquisition, which costs upwards of six figures, has gone missing. What to tell the donors who eagerly want to see the newly purchased book? How do you find a missing rare book? I love that the book is set in Toronto in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. As a library worker, some parts of it are relatable. It is a fun read in and a good distraction.

Other categories:

• a book that makes you happy

-Pauline, Librarian

The Magic of Japan by Héctor García

The Magic of Japan is a great book that looks at the different aspects of Japanese life. The writer has lived in Japan for over 15 years and has experienced a lot while living there. The author wanted to pass his learnings to people who either want to live in Japan or visit. The book spans a variety of topics from history to Japanese manners and touches on unique locations that the author has visited. If Japan or the Japanese culture is of any interest to you, I recommend this book.

-Silvia, Senior Library Assistant

Recommendations from the Facebook Group

These are just some of the suggested titles from our Facebook TPL Reading Challenge 2023 discussion group. You can read all of the responses in the original post. You do not need a Facebook account to read the suggestions.

• Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad
• The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
• Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
• The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
• Island Time by Georgia Clark
• As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
• A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
• The Way of the Gardener: Lost in the Weeds Among the Camino de Santiago by Lyndon Penner
• The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko
• The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

French Recommendations

If you like to read in French, check out the list of recommended books for "un endroit que vous aimeriez explorer." There's a mix of books, ebooks and digital audiobooks to try!

What did you read for "a book about a land you would like to explore"? Do you have other recommendations? Share in the comments below!