Happy New Year everyone! Hopefully everyone had a great holiday season. My Christmas and New Years are always based around food, so it goes without saying that I had a great time.

Last year I put together a mental list of all the books that I really enjoyed throughout the year. This post is a little late, but I feel like the books are still very pertinent. The list of 2009 is a personal one, as you can see the books didn’t necessarily come on in 09; they did however inspire and entertain me this past year.

TRAVEL WRITING

Travel writing is a medium I greatly enjoy and often read. In a certain vain I strive to write like these authors I listed. They are no doubt some of my favorite authors, who all have a distinct voice, whether snarky or informative, and who constantly keep my attention, make me laugh, and change my perspective.

Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves – Travel as a Political Act is a must read for any person with a love of travel. Steves explores traveling as a means to finding out more about the world, your country, and yourself. While there is nothing wrong with travel where you relax with nothing more than a margarita and some sunblock, he reminds you that there are other forms of travel where you can learn something besides how to nurse a sunburn. He discusses and compares the way other countries handle issues such as drug abuse, war, globalization, and religious differences. No country has all the right answers, however we only benefit by understanding other cultures and experiencing them firsthand.

Road Fever by Tim Cahill – I read Road Fever while on the road in South America, therefore I had a very strong connection with the work. Cahill writes about his journey and quest to break the world record time for a road trip from the very tip of South America to Prudhoe Bay Alaska. Tim Cahill writes in a manner that is entertaining and infectious, where a 5′3 short girl like myself would consider the possibility of following in the footsteps of these two explorers clearly mad for trying.

Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson - Like all great storytellers, Bill Bryson makes his story of traveling around Europe that much more interesting than anybody else could. He has a snarky side which I always welcome and a definite British wit as he recounts his past, and muses about strange foreign customs.

Sand In My Bra and Other Misadventures: Funny Women Write From The Road by Jennifer L. Leo and Jessica Maxwell – This collection of short stories are written by a group of adventurous women who have at some point, put the open road before all else. I received this book as a gift from my cousin, who thought that the title aptly applied to my travels and misadventures. It was refreshing and fun to read a book from a female perspective in a genre, it seems, that is dominated by men. If anyone has any other suggestions, please contact me!

A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines by Anthony Bourdain – I’ve read A Cook’s Tour multiple times and returned to it again in 2009. The book really resonates with me, in particular the section when Bourdain is in Portugal, where certain memories and subsequent pig slaughter ceremonies, reminded me of my summer’s in Galicia as a child. This book sparked my interest in culinary travel, exploring new cultures, and finding other books of this nature. Anthony Bourdain’s writing style is funny and addicting like a Krispy Kreme donut that you would be willing to drive 20 miles to eat a bite of.

Smile, You’re Traveling by Henry Rollins – Reading this book is like slipping into a portal that leads to Rollins’ mind, except you don’t get tossed near the Jersey Turnpike when you’re finished. You experience his crazy adventures firsthand, right in the middle of his stream of consciousness. I admit that it was hard to keep up the first time around but after some outside coaxing I agreed to try again. Rollins’ thoughts are often scattered but they are never dull and they will always make you question your own perspective on the world.

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY

Travel photography, like all types of photography, tells a story of its subject and setting. I honestly haven’t read that many photography books, preferring to browse through picture albums and portfolios online. This year I’d like to read more about the craft of photography.

Travel Photography: Documenting the World’s Peoples & Places by Bob Krist – Bob Krist makes photography interesting and attainable in this book. His book doesn’t delve too much into the technicalities of taking a picture, the camera itself, or Photoshop, however that was exactly what I was looking for. He gives a more general approach to working with color, movement, composition, flash, and time of day. I especially liked his tips and anecdotes about taking pictures of people.

MARKETING AND LIFESTYLE DESIGN

Marketing and lifestyle design books are the source of many dreamers’ dreams. These books in particular got my creative juices flowing, and spurred a few grandiose views of the future.

Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable by Seth Godin – Seth Godin’s blog is a wealth of knowledge. Each post provides insight on how to spread your ideas or grow your business. He has opened a new way for me to look at marketing. In his book, Purple Cow, he talks about the way old ‘proven’ marketing tactics no longer apply, and how each and every company, employee, or website needs to be remarkable if they want to stand out from the heard. Basically you want to be a purple cows in the midst of the black and white ones.

The Big Moo: Stop Trying To Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable by Seth Godin – The Big Moo is a continuation of the ideas in Purple Cow. This book is edited by Seth Godin and has many different contributors tell a story or anecdote about being remarkable. The interesting thing is that you don’t know which author wrote what. If you need another push to buy it, know that all proceeds go to charity.

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferris – The 4-Hour Workweek was one of those books that started it all for me. If got me thinking, dreaming, and being outright delusional about my future. A four hour work week is something that most people aspire to, and Timothy Ferris explains how it can be possible. Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean you will be sitting around doing nothing all day, what it does mean is that you have more available time to work on your own ventures, instead of wasting time dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s. He just came out with an expanded edition that I haven’t been able to check out yet but I am excited to read soon.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

After reading a few marketing books, I got the itch so to speak, of turning ideas into something more. I don’t usually read business type books because I think I may be slightly allergic, however these books were interesting and quite insightful.

Awakening The Entrepreneur Within: How Ordinary People Can Create Extraordinary Companies by Michael E. Gerber – I picked up this book after reading about it on Timothy Ferris’ blog (a must read as well). Although I haven’t finished it yet (I am somewhere in the middle) I would recommend this book for people who are looking to start their own business, or expand on their own ideas. Gerber talks about the process that innovative entrepreneurs take to follow their dreams and see them to fruition.

The E-Myth Enterprise: How To Turn a Great Idea Into a Thriving Business by Michael E. Gerber – The E-Myth Enterprise expands upon the ideas of Gerber’s previous books and it also gives more of a personal perspective and tells the success stories of people that the reader can relate to. These people were able to create businesses and make their business thrive.

NEW MEDIA

New media is blanket term to describe the emergent digital and computerized information that has grown dramatically in the past decade. Online publications, blogs, social networking sites, and digital technology are all a part of new media. Print publications and television are not. If you have a blog or site of your own, you are already aware of new media, in fact you are a part of it.

The New Influencers: A Marketer’s Guide to the New Social Media by Paul Gillin – Gillin’s book provided the insight I needed to really understand the influence of new media today. More companies are developing blogs and switching their marketing strategies and the all important advertising dollars in order to keep up with the changes. The book also illustrates the tremendous power that bloggers and new media insiders have over the market.

[Updated Jan 5th]

EBOOKS

EBooks are becoming much more popular. I have been a little reserved about them, but this past year I have bought a couple that I felt were helpful and informative. People tend to be more careful when buying eBooks because they can be more expensive than a book you pick up at Barnes & Noble. Let’s just say they shouldn’t be impulse buys. When buying an eBook I always take a look at the reviews and see what others have said about them. If an author offers a free book, you can test out and see if you like his style and topic choices.

Make Money With Your Blog by Nomadic Matt - This eBook was a great deal of help for me when I wanted to delve into the world of ‘monetizing’ my websites. For full disclosure I am an affiliate of this eBook, and I decided to do so because of how helpful it was for me. When I started my sites I had a drive to write and explore, but I also had little experience with actually ‘building a site.’ If you are knowledgeable about blogging and creating websites then this eBook may not be helpful because you will know a lot of its content. This eBook is for anyone new to creating blogs, or the ways of new media. It will teach you the basics of starting a blog, getting traffic, figuring out SEO, and monetizing your site. Matt gives you the foundation that you can build upon with dedication and hard work.

279 Days to Overnight Success by Chris Guillebeau – The great thing about this eBook is that it is completely free! It is an encouraging manifesto written by the creator of The Art of Non-Comformity site. It is a great way to become acquainted with his site, which is truly as a home for unconventional people doing remarkable things. In the manifesto he discusses the steps he took to become a full time writer and entrepreneur of the web.Unconventional Guide to Working For Yourself by Chris Guillebeau – If you enjoyed Guillebeau’s free manifesto then you should really look into his other products. They are pricey, but I believe the content is well worth it. This eBook goes more in depth into the life of creating a business on the internet. He discusses important factors such as the mistakes that many entrepreneurs make when building their business. When you buy this eBook you also get bonuses about SEO and affiliate marketing. As with most things, remember that these strategies are never a quick fix. Working for yourself requires lots of hard work and dedication. UG workingself Unconventional Guide to Art and Money by Chris Guillebeau – I purchased this eBook in a deal with the Guide to Working for Yourself. The topic is very interesting and the eBook is thorough and easy to follow. Basically it discusses the way artists have been supporting themselves through their artwork and new media. It is interesting because while artists can be taught technique in art school, they are not often taught how to make money doing so. The eBook discusses ways artists can promote themselves and gain a following that can lead to success in their field. 30 Ways in 30 Days to Redesign Your Life and Travel the World by Christine Gilbert – Christine Gilbert created the popular travel site Almost Fearless, a site that I check on a frequent basis in order to gain insight into travel and the digital world. This year Gilbert concluded a series she was working on called 30 Ways in 30 Days to Redesign Your Life and Travel the World. The series went further into the world of travel and conquered such topics as budgeting, turning your job digital, telling your family and friends, and getting a job when you return from travel. You can check out the series on her site, and you can also download a free eBook of the series by subscribing to her site.