Nomadic Matt's February Book Club

{NAME}, Greetings from Mexico City! January was a good month for reading. I managed to read six books and, this month, I'm hoping to get to seven. I love traveling because I get a lot of reading time in! Here are this month's suggestions: [Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain]( - This memoir by Lori Tharps follows her as she grows up, dreams of Spain, travels there, and ends up back there falling in love with the man that becomes her husband. But the country has a particular attitude towards Blackness that unsettles her so she sets off to learn more about her adoptive home and what it means to be Black in Spain. It was a wonderful book on travel, history, and Spanish culture. Get it on [Amazon]( | [Bookshop]( [Northland: A 4,000-Mile Journey Along America's Forgotten Border]( - Porter Fox grew up in Maine and, after a life of travel, decides to learn more about the US / Canada border. So, starting in Maine, he heads west tracing the border, learning about its history and meeting interesting people all the way to Washington. With a lot of vivid descriptions and historical background, Fox weaves together a really wonderful travel book. Get it on [Amazon]( | [Bookshop]( [The Song of Achilles]( - Last year, I read Circe by Madeline Miller and many of you recommended picking up her first book, The Song of Achilles, which tells the tale of Achilles from the perspective of his love, Patroclus. While I didn't like this as much as Circe (mostly because she advanced as a writer in her second book), this book was phenomenally written. If you loved Circe, read this. If you haven't read anything by Miller, definitely pick up both because you won't be disappointed. Get it on [Amazon]( | [Bookshop]( [Lost on Planet China]( - J. Maarteen Troost is one of my favorite travel writers. His books are witty, self-deprecating, and uplifting to read. (It's a shame he hasn't written a new book in a decade.) This was the last book of his I hadn't read so when I saw it in a bookstore, I grabbed it. Taking place in 2008, Troost travels to China to learn about this economic giant. Reading this book is like reading a history book — there are a lot of dated references to "the Facebook," the housing bubble, and the Bush years. That said, if you like his other works, you'll really like this one too. Get it on [Amazon]( | [Bookshop]( OUR NEXT BOOK CLUB PICK IS... In between studying at Oxford and MIT, Kate Harris set off by bicycle down the fabled Silk Road with her childhood friend Mel. Pedaling mile upon mile in some of the most remote places on earth, she realized that an explorer, in any day and age, is the kind of person who refuses to live between the lines. "Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road" is the chronicle of Kate’s odyssey and an exploration of the importance of breaking the boundaries we set ourselves; an examination of the stories borders tell, and the restrictions they place on nature and humanity. Weaving adventure and philosophy with the history of science and exploration, this book celebrates our connection as humans to the natural world, and ultimately to each other—a belonging that transcends any fences or stories that may divide us. [Click here to join our live Q&A with Kate on February 23rd!]( **** If you’re looking for even MORE suggested reading, be sure to [check out all my favorites on Bookshop](. It's not as cheap as Amazon but the money helps small, independent books. If you're in the US and UK, buy from them! (But, if you only use Kindle or live elsewhere, here's the Amazon [l]( Best, Nomadic Matt P.S. - While I appreciate everyone sending me their books, I have a long, long, long reading list and I can't accept any books. I appreciate you offering but, if the universe wills it, I will find your book and read it. Thanks! Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Nomadic Matt Inc., 207 E. 9th St. , Georgetown, Texas 78626, United States