Travel books are a great way to take yourself off far away and there are some fabulous ones waiting to be published once lockdown is lifted.
From setting off into the unknown, to testing every part of your inner strength to complete a challenge, the following three books are a must buy for any avid reader, when life returns to normal.
Tough Women by Jenny Tough
Adventurer and author Jenny Tough is no stranger to challenges. She likes to go solo whether it be on expeditions or to explore destinations. And she is always in awe of other females who are prepared to break down the boundaries, think out of the box and work hard to achieve the unachievable.
‘Tough Women’ will have you itching to leave your armchair as you unravel tales of heroic adventures.
The book is dedicated to telling 22 extraordinary stories of women who have leapt out of their comfort zones and into the unknown in search of adventure.
Mother of four and polar explorer Ann Daniels joined male counterparts Pen Hadow and Martin Hartley on an Artic adventure in 2009. Ann was chosen to join the team as a pathfinder, camp cook and day-to-day manager on the 73 day trip and as time went on she became to love the calm confidence of the snow covered Arctic and combat the numb biting cold.
An exhausting trip pulling heavy sledges along. needed every ounce of Ann’s grit and determination to survive and survive she did, taking in some magical moments as she went along.
Professional athlete Rea Kolbl has spent her whole life competing, from obstacle course racing to gymnastics and her story is of how she competed and won the 2017 title of World ‘s Toughest Mudder Champion.
Born and raised in Slovenia, at 17, Rea had the chance to represent her country in the Olympics, but on the qualifying day, she fell to pieces and her dream disappeared.
There followed years of comfort eating and sadness for Rea and it was only when she moved to the USA for college did Rea’s life change for the better.
She began to train and then signed up for the World’s Toughest Mudder contest. The race changed Rea’s attitude to life, once fearful, after completing the mammoth tasks ahead from running over 100 miles and tackling major obstacles, Rea knew she could do anything if she pushed herself and today she is in the best shape of her life, both physically and mentally.
Tough’s tales are there to inspire you, not perhaps to hit the heights that Ann and Rea did, but to never give up and take the challenge.
Tough Women, edited by Jenny Tough, costs £9.99, and is due to be published in August 2020 by www.summersdale.com
I am an Island by Tamsin Calidas
What a tough cookie Tamsin is or has had to become to survive the harsh reality of living on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides. Her romantic outlook of escaping the London smoke for the beauty of a virtually uninhabited and unnamed island is short lived.
Underestimating how hard it is to integrate in a tight knit community, work without skill on a derelict croft, Tamsin’s marriage collapses, her hopes of motherhood disappear and she is left with a challenge of how to cope.
Sheer determination is needed to succeed, and Tamsin has to dig deep to win over people and establish herself, but slowly she recovers and as the book reveals, her inner strength comes out and she starts to live again.
This book has been featured much in the national press over the last few weeks causing much division between Tamsin and the community she lives in, with people there upset that they have been portrayed as unfriendly and unwilling to welcome newcomers.
They cite that the island is now home to many who were not born there, and it is actually a strong and welcoming community.
But that aside, the book is a must for all who are thinking of swopping safety for sanctuary. As Tasmin tells you so powerfully, you need incredible courage and strength just to survive, never mind succeed!
I am an Island by Tamsin Calidas, costs £16.99, and is due to be published on July 23rd 2020 by Doubleday www.penguin.co.uk
Slow Trains to Venice by Tom Chesshyre
This delightful book takes you on a slow journey from London to Venice on a 4,000-mile adventure.
Writer Tom Chesshyre is no stranger to trains, his travels have taken him on a 11,000-mile jaunt around Europe.
The book is a chance to follow Chesshyre as he escapes the rat race for a few weeks and just heads off on the tracks.
It is a love letter to Europe, which takes you through France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and Poland, travelling as far east as Odessa by The Black Sea in Ukraine.
There is no travel plan, just a chance to meander and head back via Hungary, The Balkans and Austria, picking up friendships and enjoying adventures and enduring disasters along the way.
A lovely, escapism book!
Slow Trains to Venice by Tom Chesshyre, paperback version costs £9.99, and is due for publication in August 2020 by www.summersdale.com
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Main image by Aline Dassel from Pixabay
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