The Best American Travel Writing 2008: Armchair Travel at its Finest

Writing about the differences between in-flight magazines got me to thinking about how often I really do read long-form travel writing, compared with the staccato bursts of stylized news briefs one might find on, say, a travel blog. The truth is, I don't often read all the great feature stories published every month, even in magazines I subscribe to. But when I finally make the time to read a lush and descriptive feature by one of today's best travel writers, I'm always glad I did. That's why anthologies like the Best American Travel Writing series are so great. I recently finished reading this year's edition - which has stories originally published in 2008 - and enjoyed it immensely.

Travel and food writer Anthony Bourdain did a fine job as editor, selecting stories that capture the essence of the destinations they describe. Among the highlights, a memoir of Brighton Beach by Simon Doonan, who describes his longtime friendship with his father (and gets pooped on by a seagull), Peter Hessler's account of driving in China (complete with remedial driving school lessons), and Gary Shteyngart's To Russia for Love, about the peculiar wedding traditions in St. Petersburg. (According to one local, only love is matter.)

If you missed out on some of last year's biggest travel stories, this book is a good place to catch up, but be warned: you'll pine for your own weird adventures, and regular life may become slightly more tedious.

[Photo: Victor Ozols]

Related Stories:
· Best American Travel Writing [Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]
· Book Coverage [Jaunted]

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