Last night we held the first #TravelBookChat on twitter to discuss our loves and hates in the world of travel literature. The theme was India and over 50 travel loving book worms came together to share their advice and gain ideas of titles to add their reading list.

Top Tweets

Thank you for everyone’s invlauable contribution. To give those that couldn’t take part an idea of what happened here are some of the discussions that took place.

Q1 What 1 book must everyone read before going to India?

A1. The God of Small Things is an old favourite and recently enjoyed Tiger Hills too #Travelbookchat

— Lucy Dodsworth (@lucydodsworth) January 16, 2013

Q2 Who are your favourite fictional characters?

I really love Pi Patel…curious, brave and so totally captivating as a character #travelbookchat

— Elle Croft (@elle_croft) January 16, 2013

Q3 Is there a non-fiction must-read based in India?

A3 If you’re heading to the capital you can’t go wrong with Sam Miller’s Delhi: stanfords.co.uk/Home/Product-D… #TravelBookChat

— Stanfords Travel (@StanfordsTravel) January 16, 2013

Q4 Biggest India based tearjerker?

A4: Eat Pray Love. Tears of sadness for how terrible that book was. Ugh. #travelbookchat

— Elle Croft (@elle_croft) January 16, 2013

A4 The scale of reportage in Maximum City is at times tear-inducing: stanfords.co.uk/Home/Product-D… #TravelBookChat
— Stanfords Travel (@StanfordsTravel) January 16, 2013

Q5 What’s your most memorable read?

A5: Are You Experienced by William Sutcliffe. Very funny book about people on a gap year; I cried with laughter. #travelbookchat

— Macca Sherifi (@maccathegapper) January 16, 2013

@jayneytravels A5 Has to be The God of Small Things, set in Kerala of the 90s and 60s. A touching tale of fraternal twins. #travelbookchat

— Rushikesh Kulkarni (@rushikeshgk) January 16, 2013

Q6 Best #India guidebook? Print or online?

@jayneytravels Not a guidebook but indiamike.com – awesome forum with lots of information on all things India Travel #travelbookchat

— Neelima V (@i_WanderingSoul) January 16, 2013

Q7 What’s the best or worst film adaptation? Life of Pi? Slumdog?

A7: I thought the #lifeofpi film lost SO much of the book, but that was to be expected. At least it was visually spectacular #travelbookchat

— Elle Croft (@elle_croft) January 16, 2013

Q8 And finally. The great divider. Shantaram – yay or nay?

A8. Yay! It’s a great story even if it is fictional, certainly captured my imagination & interest in travelling to India #Travelbookchat

— Natalie (@missnatwilliams) January 16, 2013

Regarding Shantaram, please see my blog “10 books about India that are better than Shantaram” bit.ly/UFW4nL #travelbookchat

— Mariellen Ward (@Breathedreamgo) January 16, 2013

The Reading List

Here is a list of all of the titles that were mentioned during the chat in case you wanted to read them next. (Apologies if I missed something – please just add it in the comments section if so!)

Freedom at Midnight
Shantaram
Around India in 80 Trains
Holy Cow
Midnight’s Children
The God of Small Thing’s
Tiger Hills
City of Djinns
Maximum City
Bombay Meri Jaan
The Hungry Tide
India Becoming
A Fine Balance
Chai Chai
Beautiful Country – Stories from Another India
Highway on my plate
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Cracking India by Bapsi Sidhwa
The Body Remembered
Kim
Sam Miller’s Delhi
My India by Jim Corbett
Are You Experienced by William Sutcliffe
everything by Mayank Austen Soofi – the Delhiwalla
The Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond

And The Winner Is…

Stanfords Travel shared their expert travel literature knowledge in the chat but also kindly agreed to select a participant at random to win a £15 book voucher. And the winner is @Maccathegapper! Well done Macca – I hope you enjoy spending the funds on the reading list above! For more information on Stanfords or to buy many of the titles mentioned in #TravelBookChat please visit the Stanfords Travel website.

The Next One?

Many of you asked when the next #TravelBookChat will take place. We’re just working on a date at the moment so be sure to subscribe to the blog or follow me on twitter @jayneytravels for the next update. In the meantime I would love to know what theme you would like to cover next. Please leave your suggestion in the comments below.

Thanks again for taking part. I looking forward to chatting travel books with you again soon.