A Ranking of the Best Books by Murakami
I have to admit that the first Murakami novel I read, I hated. It was Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. But let me explain something: before I had read it, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I knew nothing about the kind of magical realism Murakami uses, so while I...
20 Great Books on Sri Lanka
20 Great Books on Sri Lanka Whether you’re looking for books on Sri Lanka for future travel or to escape from this pandemic, here is a list of the 20 books (yes 20!) that I have read on this fascinating and complex country. You’ll find a list of fiction and...
15 Great Books on Indonesia
15 Great Books on Indonesia I’ve wanted to visit Indonesia ever since I was a young girl in my twenties. There’s just something about a country of 17,000 islands that has always intrigued me. I even had a plane ticket heading to Denpasar, Bali in April. I...
Understanding Pandemics: A Reading List for Travelers
Understanding Pandemics: A Reading List for Travelers ”All it required was a mango or water apple tree, laden with ripe fruit, overhanging a pigsty. An infected bat feeds on a water apple, discarding the pulp, which is besmeared with virus; the pulp drops down among...
15 Great Books about Korea
15 Great Books about Korea I lived in South Korea from 1997 to 1998 and at that time Korea was NOT cool. Fast forward 18 years later and for some reason Korean culture is NOW cool. What the heck happened? I sort of get it, you know. I loved the movie, Parasite, and...
25 Great Books on Thailand
25 Great Books on Thailand I’ve been to Thailand many times, but I haven’t really read much on the country. So, I’ve decided that since I’m going back next year (2020), it’s going to be my mission to read more books about Thailand. Here is a lit of books...
10 Amazing Books about Singapore
10 Amazing Books about Singapore The first book I read about Singapore was Crazy Rich Asians. Loved it! Read the next two in the series, and I was not disappointed! Singapore intrigued me. Was everyone else on the island just as crazy rich as the people in these...
27 Great Books on Japan – Novels
27 Great Books on Japan – Novels In my latest books for the world traveler series of posts, I’m going to share with you my honest and unbiased review of 27 of my favorite and not-so-favorite novels about Japan and Japanese culture. By reading this list,...About Me
I’m Julie, a.k.a. the Bamboo Traveler. Like bamboo, I look weak on the outside (a short, bit overweight, and not very athletic 40 something traveler with poor eyesight, a bum knee and flat feet), but inside I’m strong, resilient, flexible, and open-minded. I write about how to travel to exotic locations around the world and what it’s like traveling solo as a middle-aged woman. I’m also a bookworm, food nerd, and amateur historian, so you’ll find lots of advice and info about what to read for your travels, where and what to eat, and where it all came from. Welcome to my travel blog! I’m so glad you made it here!
