Our Favorite Stay at Home Reads

There is nothing like a good book to keep you company, transport you to far off places, teach you something you didn't know before while keeping you entertained & stimulated. This week, our team put together a list of some of our favorite non-fiction reads for staying at home. Check them out below and keep your eyes peeled for more reading recommendations from our team in the coming week.

If you have never read any of the late, great, Anthony Bourdain's written work, now is as a good a time as any to dive into his work. While Kitchen Confidential is without a doubt the book that shot Anthony Bourdain to stardom, A Cook's Tour set the tone for the work he would do on shows like Parts Unknown for the rest of his adult life - travel the world with an empty stomach & open mind as his guide.

A Cook's Tour documents Bourdain's first travels outside of the professional kitchen: from hallowed culinary destinations such as Thomas Keller's French Laundry to the low plastic stools and steaming bowls of hot noodles on street corners in Vietnam.

Perhaps the best part about the book, and much of Bourdain's work, is that food is only the beginning of exploration and conversation with people from all over the world. For Bourdain, the kitchen table was the starting point for discussions about family, culture, and much more with people around the world. Not only does A Cook's Tour provide an entertaining travelogue for readers at home, but it also gives great insights into how to travel with an open mind and an open heart, something we all need more than ever.

The Voyage Of The Cormorant is the story of sailor, surfer, shaper, and writer Christian Beamish's voyage down the coast of Baja, California, in an 18ft wooden boat, the Cormorant, which he built himself over the course of two years. Beamish's boat, modeled after the vessels favored by Shetland Island fishermen, takes him far down the coast of California, both in nautical miles and in time. Beamish details the highs and lows of his voyage, laying bare the realities of solo travel and human-powered travel. His trip, funded by a normal day job and made possible by his own skill as a sailor and carpenter, is sure to inspire the armchair adventurer and tinkerer to start a DIY project destined for adventure - whether its a van, boat or adventure bike. Get your copy here.

Fly fishing is one of the oldest sports in the world, and as long as anglers have used flies, they've spent equal amounts of time trying new patterns and tying flies. In this comprehensive history of fifty of the most iconic flies, Ian Whitelaw paints a picture of the growth and change from the 15th century to the present day in fly fishing. While the book mentions 50 flies, Whitelaw actually describes over 200 flies, as well as the evolution of tackle, rods, reels, and lines. If you need inspiration to start tying flies while stuck at home, this book will help out. The beautiful illustrations by Julie Spyropoulos really make each fly, and the story behind it, stand out. You can get The History of Fly Fishing in Fifty Flies here.

The last two books on our list, Cabin Porn & Cabin Porn Inside, are the only coffee table offerings on this list. Still, they are much more than just a collection of cabin related photos, which is impressive, given that the whole Cabin Porn Project began on Instagram. Interspersed through the images of cabins throughout the world are the stories of the people who built them, and their reasons for doing so. From cabins in the Ventana Wilderness of California to the Lofoten Islands of Norway, Cabin Porn is sure to inspire you to actually want to self isolate.

Cabin Porn Inside focuses on the interior decor of cabins around the world. Modern, rustic, and glamping - all kinds of interiors are covered, and the resplendent photography is sure to inspire you for your latest home improvement project, even if you aren't living in an idyllic cabin.

We hope our reading recommendations will keep you entertained while you stay home. Just remember to take a break from binging Netflix and read a book! Let us know your favorite book to curl up with by shooting an email to thenomadic@nomadgoods.com!