Written during the height of the pandemic and a time when travel wasn’t an option, Around the world in 80 books is an exploration, a travel guide to the world around us. Starting where Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg began in Around the world in 80 days, you will journey through books old and new.
As someone who works within the travel industry, I know first hand how difficult the last few years have been for many. The toll that quarantine and isolation has taken on our social and mental health. That’s why I was so excited when I read about Around the World in 80 Books. Huge Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Press, and David Damrosch for an advanced copy of it!!
I’m not much of a tv person. I know that I can easily travel all over the world through tv shows or on youtube, but books are my thing. I love the premise of being able to wander the globe through books. I know we already do this naturally when we read, but would you go travel a foreign country without a plan? That’s what makes this book so unique. It’s a map. A plan of travel. When I read that David had previously had a facebook group focused on this journey, I was quite sad to have missed out on it. I have definitely added some books to my TBR list (as if that wasn’t already long enough) thanks to this wonderful journey I’ve been on.
Sadly the delivery of the premise here wasn’t for me. While I can appreciate the intention behind the breakdown and expanse on why each book was chosen and how it goes into the next book, I felt that it was a bit long and drawn out and found myself skipping ahead in parts. I could definitely blame this on my ADHD but it happened far too many times for that to have been the cause. While I really did enjoy exploring the literature, the testbook style just isn’t for me.
I would recommend this book to any literary fanatic who wants to take a journey outside of their comfort zone, with the warning that it may seem more like reading a textbook, but the books offered up inside, are well worth the read.
⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars for this expedition
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