Fancy a summer roadtrip?
Books that make you want to travel
Ever read a book and it just stays with you, making you itch to travel?
This post is inspired by that feeling, that longing - the one that makes you want to book that flight, hire a car, hit the road. Trips that capture the sweet sense of freedom and make you feel alive.
Here’s some travel suggestions for your summer, by way of great reads…
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Roadtrips / America —
If you like to explore America, then British travel writer Richard Grant is for you. A particular stand out is Dispatches from Pluto which had me wanting to move to the Mississippi Delta immediately. We have done a few roadtrips around the ‘Deep South’ of the US from Texas to Florida, by way of Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee (you get the idea). Richard’s writing perfectly sums up our experience: an interesting mix of hospitality, tension and utter beauty.
Food, love and art / Italy —
More of a fiction reader? Check out Still Life by Sarah Winters. I struggled through the first 80 pages if I’m honest, but it’s so worth sticking with. I cannot get this book out of my head and I am still dreaming of spending the summer in Florence. This book is utterly captivating and there is so much beauty at the heart of this story. Hoping for a trip to Florence soon… and, whilst there, perhaps popping to Sicily because the food writing in From Scratch by Tembi Locke is outstanding. See also: Taste by Stanley Tucci for a part cookbook, part memoir with great Italian food.
Swimming / Polynesia (or any islands!) —
Travel for me is typically sea-orientated. There is no greater joy than spending your time in water: swimming, exploring, relaxing. My ultimate hotel has both an amazing pool and sea access (and I’ve found some amazing ones that tick these boxes over the years… let me know if you want the list!). Christina Thompson’s Sea People was such a wondrous read, a part investigative story on who first settled the Polynesian islands and where they travelled from. This is real life Moana and remains at the top of my bucket list destinations.
For a lot of people, remoteness stokes the desire, interest and passion to travel. If this is the case for you, then have a look at The Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky. This is a beautiful book with illustrations and stories collected by the author from studying her parents’ old atlas.
Ancient Wisdom + Pilgrimages —
Searching for peace, quiet, spirituality takes Pico Iyer across some of the world’s most divided places. The Half Known Life is as much a spiritual journey as a physical one, wrapped up with beautiful writing and questions that stay with you and make you think. Similarly, Beth Kempton’s exploration of Japanese culture and wisdom in Wabi Sabi is a thought provoking book and would make a wonderful gift.
Following in 700 year old footsteps —
Landfalls by Tim Mackintosh-Smith is an inclusion via my husband. Based on The Travels of Ibn Battutah, the author recreates ‘IB’s journey (who out-travelled Marco Polo 3 times over). Once you’ve discovered one, I’m sure you’ll enjoy all his books. Travels with a Tangerine is a similar premise and is also a worthy read.
Here’s the list:
Dispatches from Pluto - Richard Grant
Still Life - Sarah Winters
From Scratch - Tembi Locke
Taste - Stanley Tucci
Sea People - Christina Thompson
The Atlas of Remote Islands - Judith Schalansky
The Half Known Life - Pico Iyer
Wabi Sabi - Beth Kempton
Landfalls - Tim Mackintosh-Smith (inspired by The Travels of Ibn Battutah)
Travels with a Tangerine - Tim Mackintosh-Smith
Other lists you might also like:
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