Besides actually visiting a country, there is nothing better than curling up with a brilliant book and being transported to a far away place. Reading about other countries is a great way to get and handle on their history and culture before you visit and also helps keep your reading list diverse and interesting.
When we travelled the world for two years I attempted to read books from all of the countries we visited and have kept lists to share with you all as you plan real or imaginary adventures to other lands.
This is a collection of books about Georgia, one of our favourite countries! We were surprised by the presence and importance of literature in Georgian culture and even wrote a dedicated book-lovers guide to visiting Tbilisi.
So if you’re planning to head to the Caucasus or just looking to learn more about another country, here is a reading list of books about Georgia that you should definitely try!
The Eighth Life, Nino Haratischvili
At over 900 pages this isn’t a light read but it is so worth it. I first came across this incredible book when we were hiking from Mestia to Ushguli with some German friends. One of them was reading it and said it was amazing but at the time it was only available in German and unfortunately, my German isn’t good enough for novels!
But in 2019 my luck was in and the book was finally translated into English. I spent my summer holidays enthralled in the lives of the Jashi family and the stories which linked them stretching across 100 years of Georgian and world history.
A beautifully told and totally captivating story that is well worth seeing through the end!
Ali and Nino, Kurban Said
This is known as the ‘Romeo and Juliet of the Caucasus’ and is a true love story set across cultural and religious divides. The book was written in 1937 so is set far away from the current conflicts of the Caucasus but much of it still rings true.
Ali and Nino tells the story of a Muslim boy from Azerbaijan who falls in love with a Christian girl from Georgia. The story follows their attempts to find a way to be together despite being separated by religion, culture and war.
If you’re visiting Batumi make sure to head to the waterfront to see the Ali and Nino statue. It’s a huge metal depiction of the two main characters which lights up at night. If you’re there at the right time the figures (made of stacked metal discs) turn and get closer together before sliding through each other, a representation of their relationship.
Waiting for the Electricity, Christina Nichol
This one took me a bit longer to get in to and some parts still left me a little confused but the storyline is humorous and well written. The story is told through a series of letters from the main character, Slims Achmed Makashvili to Hilary Clinton in the hope of winning a place on a small business internship programme.
It follows him from Georgia to the USA where he finds the grass isn’t necessarily greener and there are some wonderful, if slightly chaotic, things to love about home in Georgia.
Flight from the USSR, Dato Turashvili
Unless you speak Georgian you’re unlikely to find a copy of this book outside of Georgia. But at some of the English book shops in Tbilisi, you might chance upon this intriguing true story of Georgia during Soviet rule.
It follows the story of some students who attempted to hijack a plane and escape from the Soviet Union and is an incredibly interesting insight into life in Georgia during this era. Unfortunately, the translation isn’t great and there are quite a few spelling and grammatical errors throughout the book but they don’t detract from the story being told.
Stories I Stole, Wendell Steavenson
This is a really interesting book written by an English journalist who spent time living in Georgia during the 90s. It consists of twenty stories about her time there which capture the beauty, warmth, controversy and hardship of life in post-Soviet Georgia.
I read it early into our first trip to Georgia and while I enjoyed it I feel it would have much more meaning now that we know the country, culture and history much better.
Bread and Ashes
This is one I haven’t got around to reading yet but it comes highly recommended. This book documents the epic journey of Tony Anderson who walked from Azerbaijan to Svaneti in the late 1990s.
It tells about the mountain tribes and their traditions and customs that link them. It also touches on other Georgian history from Soviet times to Abkhazia and Ossetia. I imagine this is a great book to get a rundown on Georgian history before travelling there.
Looking for more Georgia inspiration? Check out our friend Joan’s ebook about travelling Georgia - check it out here
Or read our other posts about travelling in Georgia:
Looking for some great books on Georgia (country)? This is a reading list of all the best novels set in Georgia to inspire your travels or teach you more about Georgian history and culture. #books #reading #readinglist #booklist #georgia #caucasus #travel #travelinspiration #traveltips
Looking for some great books on Georgia (country)? This is a reading list of all the best novels set in Georgia to inspire your travels or teach you more about Georgian history and culture. #books #reading #readinglist #booklist #georgia #caucasus #travel #travelinspiration #traveltips
you might also like…
Looking for some great books on Georgia (country)? This is a reading list of all the best novels set in Georgia to inspire your travels or teach you more about Georgian history and culture.