I read a lot of adventurous travelers’ travelogues and inspiring and intriguing memoirs each year. Here is my top ten list of the best that I read in 2019.

Two Dads and Three Girls by Nick (Yu) He

I found this memoir fascinating in providing details on his life in China and being gay. It was an interesting journey from his hiding being gay to finding himself when he comes to the US. He, of course, goes through the trials and tribulations of dating and then finding his way to a life long relationship family.

When he speaks about starting a family I can relate to this since we have started our own with a son. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it to anyone considering having a family or finding their way once they accept themselves being gay.

Blue Latitudes by Tony Horwitz

It was a longer travelogue than I’ve read recently topping at almost 500 pages. Yet, I enjoyed the details of the author’s journey and his research of Captain Cook. He weaved a tale of his following Captain Cook’s explorations and Cook’s own diary entries. I really enjoyed seeing how the discovery of the islands by Western Europeans had changed the original inhabitants’ lives, most of the time for the worse.

The best part he tried to show both sides of their meetings, which I didn’t always gain from my history books. Usually, they would show the discoverers and not those they discovered. When he went into those details the book really shined. It was also enlightening to learn all that happened before Cook met his end. If you want to learn about the age of discovery, this is the book for you!

We’ll Always Have Paris: A Mother/Daughter Memoir by Jennifer Coburn

The author has always had a fear of dying young due to her past. She decides it is important to enjoy life and take trips in the summer with her daughter to Europe. Her husband cannot always join them, so this allows her to build a strong bond with her daughter.

The book shares some of her struggles with her father who also traveled in Europe and was a free spirit. The author works to weave how her relationship with her father affected her and how she wants a different relationship with her daughter.

This was not so much a travelogue but more of a memoir and I think it really worked well. There were a few times the narrative shifting from the past with her father and back to her and her daughter was not perfect, but overall I loved how she really built a story.

By the end, I really think she did an excellent job of relating how she began to let go of the past and truly live.

Catfish and Mandala By Andrew X. Pham

Andrew X. Pham shares his life story. He was born in Vietnam and his family left with the fall of Saigon as one of the many “boat people.”

His sister commits suicide and this prompts him to take some time to think about who he is and reconcile his past life.

He embarks upon a bicycle journey through Vietnam and revisiting Saigon, Hanoi, and villages he once lived in. His past life was sometimes brutal and other times idyllic before the fall.

Pham learns what life is like now in the country and what is was life then, a country still dealing with its ghosts of the past.

He goes into great detail describing the people, the places and land scarred by war.

It was not an easy read, but a fascinating journey as man explores the country of his youth by bicycle, which is not a safe thing to do.

He is both Vietnamese and American, but neither at the same time, which makes it that much harder for him to find his true self.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

The book was a fast read and encouraged me to keep finding my muse when it comes to writing. Sometimes I get downhearted about writing and this book gave me encouragement. I think from time to time I will go back to it and reread it again just to push myself to keep writing. I found this book enjoyable and would recommend it for writers who want an occasional pick-me-up.

The Foremost Good Fortune by Susan Conley

This book was vividly rewritten. She spent a lot of time detailing her time in China, in which the book was about. Yet, it was more than when her cancer diagnosis and her treatment. This was the real emotional heart of the book as she found her way back to normalcy after beating breast cancer. I think this has been one of the better – written books I’ve read in a while. The details of life in China and what she went through will stay with me for a while.

Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole

In this book, I learned firsthand what life is like for a woman airline flight attendant. She spoke about unruly passengers, celebrity encounters and the ins and outs of flying. After reading this book I won’t be able to look at a flight attendant the same. I will have a watchful eye on what they are doing and saying. It was eye-opening and fun a read. If you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes on a flight this is the book to read.

Living in a Foreign Language by Michael Tucker

A memoir by Michael Tucker, who was in the TV show “LA Law” with his wife Jill Eikenberry.

In the book, he talks about purchasing a home in the Italian area of Umbria. The kids were off to college and it was time for them to spend more time together. In reading the book you learn about Umbria, the meals they had and the village they live near. It is a fun and short read and if you are heading to the area of Umbria, you might take this book with you to gain a sense and flavor of the region.

Tune in Tokyo: The Gaijin Diaries by Tim Anderson

The author escapes to Japan to alter his life. There he will teach English to the Japanese. He learns about Japanese culture and what it is to be an American in Japan.

I felt the book was a little slow at first, then really picked up towards the end. The book can be funny at times, which made it an enjoyable journey. I also loved learning what he faced on a daily basis when it came to overcrowded trains to food choices. I think if you are headed to Japan for a few weeks this would be a really great book to read.

More Ketchup than Salsa

Author Joe Cawley gives quite a lot of insight into running a bar in the Canary Islands. He and his girlfriend along with his wife and brother head for these islands leaving life in England where they sold fish in a market. They learn that managing a bar and grille under Spanish regulations can be quite demanding and crazy.

At times the book is funny and he does a good job of showing the ups and downs of living in this faraway place. There are occasions in the book that it drags a bit, but overall it was a fun read.

Honorable Mention (Memories)

Just Kids from the Bronx

The book is a collection of memories of growing up in the Bronx, some celebrities and others who went on to become doctors or lawyers or even rap artists.

I liked learning how each person was affected by living there, including playing in the streets, exploring the buildings or just hanging out with their friends. There were dangers along with fun times here and magical moments that they will never forget.

You really gain a sense of place and how through the decades the Bronx has changed much like America and we all hope there is still a bright future ahead.

I hope to do a story on David’s father’s time living in the Bronx from the 1930s-1940s in the future.

NOTE: I originally had this section that this post appears in for Travelogue/Memoir Reviews per book. I’ve decided to change this section and do the ten best memoirs/travelogues I’ve read for the year for a longer blog post and keeping the reviews concise.

Feel free to share your favorite travelogues/memoirs in comments