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30 Best Travel Books to Inspire The Wanderer in You

Written By: The Planet D

Inspiration

Updated On: January 7, 2024

The best way I know how to spark my wanderlust is to get inspiration from great travel books. My favorite travel books cover everything from a life changing experience to overcoming adversity. They make me laugh out loud and inspire me to explore the world. These books don’t focus on one theme they focus on many. So get your Kindle ready and start downloading today!

Table of Contents

Best Travel Books to Explore the World

In this article, we wanted to share some of the best travel books that made me laugh, made me cry, and inspired me to get out and travel around the world.

Disclosure: If you click the links below and make a purchase from Amazon, we do receive a referral commission at no extra cost to you.

1. Masked Rider by Neil Peart

Many people know him as a massively talented drummer from  Rush . But what they do not realize is that Neil Peart was not only one of the greatest drummers in the history of music , he was also an avid cyclist. Sadly, Peart died of cancer, but through his music and travelogue and travel books his genius lives on. (yes he has more than )

Masked Rider is an honest and undisguised account of his time cycling in West Africa. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to go on a great adventure. Neil Peart lets us see the man behind the rock star and he makes us realize that superstars are people too. Purchase Masked Rider – Neil Peart on Amazon

2. Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard

If you love dogs, this is one of the best adventure travel books you’ll read to make you smile. Ultramarathon runner Dion Leonard traveled to China with one thing on his mind; to finish on the podium of a 155-mile race through the Gobi desert.

Follow the story of Leonard, whose heart is warmed by the persistence of a stray dog that kept pace through heat and exhaustion for 70 miles. See how Leonard is transformed from a focused veteran to a man that gives up what little food he has in his pack to share with the stray dog that he named, Gobi. Buy Finding Gobi – Dion Leonard on Amazon.com to see what happens next

3. American Shaolin by Matthew Polly

A regular American guy, Matthew Polly recounts his time living, studying, and performing with the Shaolin monks in China. This is one bizarre and hilarious travel memoir about fulfilling your dreams. Follow along as Matthew drops out of Princeton to pursue his ambitions of transforming his scrawny physique into that of a kung fu master.

He tells tales of breaking into the secret world of Shaolin Kung Fu which has strange disciplines like “The Iron Crotch” and other various indestructible body parts. I seriously think this is also one of the funnest travel books to read out there. Check out American Shaolin – Matthew Polly today.

4. Crazy Rich Asians – Kevin Kwan

The movie took the world by storm and it is one of the few travel books that translates to screen beautifully. Peek behind the looking glass of the secretive billionaire families that have more money than Vladimir Putin.

Follow along as Rachel joins her boyfriend in Singapore on a summer holiday only to find out that her humble boyfriend is Asia’s most eligible bachelor and everyone (including his mother) is out to tear them apart.

This is one of the best travel books based in Asia depicting the unique culture of Singaore. Read Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan now.

5. White Tiger – Aravind Adiga

White Tiger tells of a dirty and unforgiving India, an India that doesn’t allow people to claw their way out of their Caste. It is now a movie on Netflix. I haven’t watched it yet but if it’s good you can be sure I’ll add it to my favorite travel movies.

This was one of those travel books that neither of us could put down and a book that we feel is a must read for everyone  traveling to India.   Those who have spent their time in an Ashram or driving around the country in an organized tour isolated from the truth won’t like it. But, like one review said, “This is the book that India Tourism doesn’t want you to read.” Get White Tiger by Aravind Adiga on Amazon.

6. The Beach by Alex Garland

Let me set one thing straight, I hated the movie The Beach, but I loved the book by Alex Garland. The Beach captures what travel was like in Thailand way back in the 1990s. (trust me, we were there). This is one of the first travel books we read that really brought us back. toa place we had been to.

The rooms in Thai guesthouses were disgusting, and the streets were filled with backpackers seeking adventure while escaping the world drinking cheap beer. There were still undiscovered coves and beaches that nobody had heard of, and there were probably several drug kingpins running the land.

Visiting Thailand for the first time is still a great adventure and this is a must read anyone going to the land of Smiles for the very first time! The Beach by Alex Garland is available on Amazon.

7. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson is the king of writing travel books that make you laugh our loud. Anything by Bill Bryson is a winner, but my personal favorite memoir by Bryson is “In a Sunburned Country”. This was the first book I read by Bryson and it inspired me to read them all! I laughed out loud.

Written at a time when the world was still getting to know Australia, it shows the quirkiness of the island country and makes you want to book a ticket to see it for yourself. If you pick up any book by Bill Bryson, you won’t be sorry but, In a Sunburned Country is our favorite.

Go Around the World with Bill Bryson:

• A Walk in the Woods – Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail spanning the Eastern Coast.
• A Stranger to Myself – Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away
• The Best American Travel Writing
• The Road to Little Dribbling – An American in Britain

8. Dave Barry Does Japan

He may be old school when it comes to mentioning travel books and authors, but Dave Barry is hilarious. It was Dave Barry who sparked my love for travel writing and how powerful, funny, and inspiring it could be.

I never thought I’d become a travel writer, but I loved reading about his escapades around the world. He explains Japanese traditions through humor and experiences at karaoke bars, geisha encounters, kabuki theatre, and confusing comedy clubs. Japan is still very confusing even today so it is worth a read. Check out Dave Barry Does Japan and have a great laugh today.

9. Love Africa by Jeffrey Gettleman

Love Africa tells the story of Jeffry Gettleman the East Africa bureau chief for the New York Times. It begins with his first trip to Africa when he volunteered and fell in love with the continent.

But he kept being called back to the United States to his other love, his girlfriend Courtenay who is a criminal defense lawyer. Follow along as he navigates his career as a journalist, to his love for Africa and his true love relationship with Courtenay. We know how Africa can tug at your heart.

Can you have it all? Read and follow along on this travel memoir through Africa, because we’re not giving it away. Buy Love Africa by Jeffrey Gettleman on Amazon.

10. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

It’s an oldie but a goodie. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is the story of a shepherd boy named Santiago who sells his flock and purchases a ticket to Tangier, where he is robbed and must work at a shop to find his way home.

At the heart of the book lies Santiago who embarks on a quest to find his true purpose in life. As he encounters a series of characters and navigates the challenges of the journey, Santiago learns valuable lessons about faith and perseverance.

“The Alchemist” is a book that invites readers to reflect on their own lives and aspirations. Coelho’s emphasis on listening to one’s heart, embracing the unknown, and overcoming fear resonate deeply, inspiring readers to question their own paths and pursue their personal legends with courage and determination.

He ends up taking a great adventure across the Sahara and after all his adventures, discovers his fortune right back where he started. I read this book before we started traveling full time and it put me in the mood to wander. And to appreciate life.

I think The Alchemist was the catalyst for my dream of becoming a travel writer and taking the leap to explore the world. This book taught me that you don’t need to go far to discover the beauty in life. Buy the Alchemist on Amazon

11. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

This no-holds-barred autobiography of a child soldier, Ishmael Beah, is gripping.  A Long Way Gone tells how an innocent child can be forced into savage warfare in Sierra Leone. It may not belong in your typical travel books listing, but it is something that people should read and know about.

Having lost everything including his family, his home, and his soul, Ishmael tells of his journey to evade the military. For three years he hid in the jungle and half-starved to death. It recounts the fear and despair he felt each day until he was finally captured by the government army.

Hopped up on drugs, he was forced to commit unthinkable acts. This is a story of going to hell and back, living a life of revenge and violence. He was rescued by UNICEF but it was a long and painful rehabilitation. Read A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

12. The Bang Bang Club – Greg Marinovich & Jaoa Silva

Set in Apartheid-Era South Africa, the  Bang Bang Club  is a true account telling the tale of the four photojournalists that dared to enter the townships and document history as it was happening.

It was written by two surviving journalists Greg Marinovich & Jaoa Silva Heartbreaking and shocking, the Bang Bang Club doesn’t hold back when telling of the brutality of that time.

The photographers had to come to terms with their own demons and what they witnessed day in and day out as war correspondence reporters. Their photos made history and set new standards, earning a Pulitzer Prize for two of the photographers. Get Your Copy of The Bang Bang Club – Greg Marinovich & Jaoa Silva

13. The Girl in the Picture – Vietnam

During the Vietnam War, photographer Nick Ut captured the shocking photo of children running from a napalm blast. Kim Phuc was the center of that photograph, with her naked body covered in severe burns. It became known as “the photo of the century” winning the Pulitzer Prize

In her own words, Kim tells her story of what happened to “The Girl in the Picture” Read the fascinating tale as she journeys from Vietnam eventually landing in Canada where she faced many hardships along the way. This book not only showed me what it was like for Phuc, but taught me about communism in Vietnam and what it took to break away. The Girl in the Picture – Vietnam

14. Touching the Void – Joe Simpson

Joe Simpson recalls his harrowing climb of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes back in 1985 with Simon Yates. Disaster struck after their summit when Joe fell into a crevasse and broke his leg (very badly).

We love adventure travel, but this is an entirely new level. The book stands the test of time as Joe recalls the three days he spent trying to get down the mountain after a near fatal fall and what he had to endure along the say. It was also  made into a movie  in 2003. Touching the Void – Joe Simpson

15. Into Thin Air – Jon Krakauer

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is a gripping and harrowing firsthand account of the tragic 1996 Mount Everest disaster. As an acclaimed travel writer and mountaineer, Krakauer brings his expertise and storytelling prowess to this unforgettable true story that resonates with readers long after the final page.

Krakauer’s ability to convey the physical and emotional challenges faced by climbers on the world’s highest peak is unparalleled. I couldn’t put this book down. Krakauer captures the essence of the mountaineering experience, immersing readers in the awe-inspiring beauty and perilous nature of Everest that inspired us to visit Everest Base Camp.

Krakauer candidly reflects on his own role and decisions during the ill-fated expedition, providing a raw and introspective narrative that adds depth and authenticity to the book. His vulnerability and willingness to share the emotional toll of the tragedy make the story even more compelling.

We’ve been to  Mount Everest Base Camp  and it was exciting to read about a place that we’ve been to and retrace steps through Namche Bazaar, the Tengboche Monks, and the Sherpa monuments to those who have fallen. Into Thin Air – Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild by John Krakauer

We go directly to another John Krakauer. As a travel writer, Krakauer goes beyond mere adventure storytelling and has a knack for delving into the complexities of human nature and Into the Wild certainly does that.

Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer is a captivating and introspective exploration of the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who abandoned civilization to embark on a solitary adventure in the Alaskan wilderness. It begins with a typical road trip across the country and then takes a turn.

Through interviews, personal anecdotes, and McCandless’s own writings, Krakauer pieces together the motivations, struggles, and ideals that led him to seek solace and freedom in the untamed wilderness.examining his desire for self-discovery, his rejection of societal norms, and his yearning for a simpler existence. Krakauer offers insights into the allure of the wild and the inner turmoil of a young man searching for meaning and transcendence.

The book delves into the complexities of McCandless’s character, and Krakauer’s skillful storytelling and introspective analysis allow readers to appreciate the complexities of his subject, even if they do not completely align with McCandless’s actions. Read it now.

16. Dark Star Safari – Paul Theroux

Paul Theroux is one of the Greatest modern travel writers of our time. And he has written many classics such as Mosquito Coast and the Great Railway Bazaar, but our favorite travel book by Paul Theroux is Dark Star Safari.

Dave and I started our travel adventures cycling from Cairo to Cape Town and Dark Star Safari takes Theroux overland as he revisits the continent but he was on a road trip (not bicycle). This book took us back to Africa and brought back all the feelings we had – the good, bad, the ugly, and the depressing parts that we forget.

Through his vivid account, sharp wit, and introspective reflections he brings to life the people, places, and complexities he encounters along the way from Cairo to Cap Town. From bustling cities to remote villages, readers are transported to the heart of Africa, experiencing the triumphs, hardships, beauty and every day life that define the continent.

What we like about Dark Star Safar, is how he shows the less glamorous aspects of travel. He confronts the realities of poverty, political instability, and cultural clashes, providing a nuanced and balanced perspective of Africa. Through his encounters with locals, aid workers, and fellow travelers, he unveils the complexities and contradictions that exist within each country and challenges common stereotypes. See our Cairo to Cape Town adventures at It All Began in Egypt: Cycling a Continent

Get Dark Star Safari – Paul Theroux on Amazon

17. Wild – From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Adventure travel can be transformational. When taking on a challenge, it is an emotional roller coaster. I’ve definitely been there with negative and productive thoughts and regrets. But as at the end of any grand adventure, the struggle can be healing and you can come out triumphant.

One of the most successful travel books (it always is when turned into a movie right?) focuses on the journey of the author along the Pacific Crest Trail while she navigates the physical and emotional challenges of hiking over a thousand miles in search of healing and self-discovery.

At the heart of the book lies Strayed’s emotional and psychological journey. As she grapples with grief, loss, and personal demons, she confronts her own vulnerabilities and gradually finds strength and resilience. Her candid exploration and raw honesty of her past mistakes, relationships, and the complexities of human nature is both relatable and inspiring.

Follow along as Cheryl Strayed faces her demons and struggles her way along the way. You can purchase Wild – Lost and Found on The Pacific Crest Trail. On Amazon here.

18. A Woman Alone: Travel Tales from Around the Globe

A Woman Alone: Travel Tales from Around the Globe is an anthology that celebrates the spirit of solo female travel. Edited by Faith Conlon, Ingrid Emerick, and Christina Henry de Tessan, this collection of personal narratives showcases the empowering and transformative experiences of women who have ventured out into the world on their own.

Solo female travelers will love this travel book. The book features a diverse range of stories from women of various backgrounds and destinations, offering a mosaic of perspectives and travel experiences. From exploring bustling cities to traversing remote landscapes, readers are treated to a rich tapestry of cultures, encounters, and adventures.

The anthology captures the essence of travel, going beyond mere descriptions of destinations to delve into the transformative power of exploration. A Woman Alone: Travel Tales from Around the Globe is an empowering and inspirational read for both seasoned travelers and those dreaming of embarking on their first solo adventure.

Get it on Amazon

19. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz

1,000 Places to See Before You Die  is the original brainchild of the talented and wonderful Patricia Schultz. If you have a serious case of wanderlust to travel around the world, buy this travel book by Patricia Schultz. This travel book makes for a great gift!

Many travelers are always looking for inspiration and there is an endless supply here. I’ve taken my Sharpie Marker and gone through all the destinations around the globe that she recommends. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die is the world’s best selling travel book. I wish I had thought of this idea. If you are a collector of travel books, you need to have this in your library.

20. Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert while traveling through India, so it certainly reminds me of my travels there. It is the real life story of Elizabeth Gilbert finding herself after divorce.

I didn’t identify with India (pray) part of the book since I was there at the time, but I could definitely get on board with eating through Italy and finding love in Bali. Many travelers love following in the footsteps of Eat Pray Love and why not? Who doesn’t want to run away from it all, find themselves, fall in love and write a book about it?

21. Grand Adventures by Alastair Humphreys

Grand Adventures is written by National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Alastair Humphreys. We first heard of Alastair while he was cycling around the world and were inspired so much by him, we followed his bike peddles to cycling Africa. This book round up the world’s most grand adventures to inspire you to try your own. (We make an appearance or two from one of our adventures around the globe as well.)

22. Concierge Confidential by Michael Fazio

Concierge Confidential by Michael Fazio gives the inside scoop from behind the scenes of the rich and famous. He was New York’s top concierge and he shares stories and secrets from the madness of catering to the elite. From the ridiculous demands to having to get people in to anywhere possible, it’s an at times hilarious read.

I wouldn’t want his job for the world, but it is fun to take a peek inside the secret life of a concierge. One of the more unconventional travel books since it’s from the perspective of the Concierge getting travelers their every whim, it still transports you to another place.

23. Ontario Escapes by Jim Buyers

Ontario Escapes is written by Veteran journalist and top travel writer in Canada, Jim Byers. He shares his personal experiences and tips for traveling around Ontario Canada.

As a native Ontario resident, I found so many hidden gems in this book offering great Ontario travel tips and ideas. I love Jim’s writing style as he shares practical information with inspiring personal stories and recommendations.

24. Ultimate Journeys for Two by Mike and Anne Howard

Ultimate Journeys for Two was written by our friends Mike and Anne Howards Mike who are currently on the world’s longest honeymoon. And you can find us there too talking about Greenland travel!

This travel book is more of an account of a bunch of couples giving advice and snippits about a place. Its more of a travel reference giving people travel ideas to inspire couples to go out and see the world and have a great adventure. There are ideas for couples to travel on every continent!

25. How to Travel the World on $50 a Day – Matt Kepnes

How to Travel the World on $50 a Day by Matt Kepnes shares money-saving tips on transportation, food, beverages, accommodation, and airline tickets, it’s the how-to guide for twenty-something budget travelers. Nomadic Matt has parlayed his highly successful travel blog into a best selling travel book on the New York Times’ best sellers list.

While I’m not sure if you really can travel for $50 a day in today’s world, it is still a good reference for budget travel and budget tips and advice.

26. Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023

If you are looking for good travel guide books while traveling we recommend Lonely Planet. It is still our go-to travel book to help plan our adventures.

Lonely Planet was once often referenced as “The Bible of Travel.” Dave and I never booked a trip without buying a lonely planet country guide. While travel blogs have taken away a lot of travel guide book revenue, the Lonely Planet is still highly regarded. And you can never Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel series. Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023 follows the formula of the previous Best in Travel series.

Published annually, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel showcases the top destinations, experiences, and trends around the world, curated by travel experts. What are the top destinations for 2023? You’ll have to purchase it to find out.

Here’s a cool fact, we named The Planet D after The Lonely Planet in 2007. We were so inspired by the Lonely Planet travel books that when trying to think of a name for our travel blog, we simply took off the lonely, and added a “D” Plus, the Lonely Planet is what inspired me to get into travel writing. It was my dream to write for them one day.

Get the Lonely Planet Best of 2023 on Amazon Here

27. The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s “Innocents Abroad” takes readers on a delightful through Europe and the Holy Land aboard his voyage in a retired Civil War ship (the USS Quaker City). Why do we love it? Well, this travelogue, first published in 1869, offers a unique perspective on the experiences of American tourists during the mid-19th century.

Twain’s witty and satirical writing style shines throughout the book, making it an enjoyable and entertaining read. While the book is primarily a humorous account of his journey, it also delves into deeper themes and critiques of society. Twain reflects on the idiosyncrasies of human nature, the follies of tourism, and the stark contrasts between cultures.

It is worth noting that Innocents Abroad can be a dense read at times, particularly for readers who are not familiar with the historical context or the locations mentioned. Twain occasionally includes lengthy digressions and references to classical literature, which might require additional effort from the reader to fully appreciate. Get it on Amazon

28. Right Turn at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams

Right Turn at Machu Picchu is a travel memoir by Mark Adams that weaves together history, archaeology, and personal discovery as Adams retraces the footsteps of Hiram Bingham III, the explorer who rediscovered the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.

Blending his own travel experiences and encounters with informative and fascinating insights into the history and culture of the Incas creates an infectious story where readers will find themselves eagerly turning the pages to uncover the secrets of Machu Picchu.

One of the book’s strengths lies in Adams’ ability to convey the awe-inspiring beauty and mystique of the Peruvian landscape. With a modern travel writing tone, Adams transports readers through the rugged terrain, lush jungles, and awe-inspiring ruins that make up the region surrounding Machu Picchu.

It even provides a wealth of historical and archaeological information, offering a deeper understanding of the site’s significance. See reviews and purchase it on Amazon

29. This Contested Land: The Storied Past and Uncertain Future of America’s National Monuments by McKenzie Long

A new addition to our best travel books article is This Contested Land: by Mckenzie Long delves into the history and complex issues surrounding America’s national monuments. (Shall we talk about Mount Rushmore anyone?)

Long sheds light on America’s national monuments including their creation, significance, and the ongoing debates surrounding their management. Through modern travel writing, Long explores the intertwined narratives of nature conservation, cultural preservation, and the conflicting interests that have shaped these sites.

This Contested Land does not shy away from exploring the controversies and conflicts surrounding national monuments. Long examines the various stakeholders involved, including local communities, indigenous groups, environmentalists, and commercial interests. By presenting multiple perspectives, the book encourages readers to contemplate the intricate balance between preservation, public access, and economic development.

This Contested Land serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in America’s national monuments and the broader debates surrounding land conservation and cultural heritage. Check it out

30. In The Kingdom of Men by Kim Barnes

Kim Barnes takes readers on a mesmerizing journey into the heart of Arabia with her novel, “In The Kingdom of Men.” Set in 1960s Saudi Arabia, Barnes’ paints vivid prose of the desert landscape, transporting readers to a world of contrasts and contradictions in the Middle East. From the vast expanses of sand dunes to the opulent palaces and bustling markets, the setting becomes as much a character as the individuals who navigate its complexities.

The protagonist, Gin McPhee, a young American woman thrown into the unfamiliar Saudi Arabian culture, brings a fresh perspective to the narrative. As she grapples with the oppressive societal norms and her own desires for independence, readers are drawn into her struggle and resilience.

Barnes skillfully explores the clash between tradition and modernity, particularly through the lens of gender dynamics and the stark divide between the Western expatriates and the local Saudi community of the Middle East. She delves into the intricate web of power, politics, and cultural tensions, illuminating the challenges faced by those who seek to bridge these divides. Get it on Amazon

So have these travel books inspired you to go around the globe? What is the best travel adventure you’ve ever read? If you have other travel books to share, leave them in the comments below, we are always looking for good reads.

Read Next: 

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Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling.

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About The Planet D

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine , the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

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65 thoughts on “30 Best Travel Books to Inspire The Wanderer in You”

Doing great job man… Keep it up.

Wonderful list. This is what I was searching for. Thanks for doing the hard research for me.

Awesome list. Thanks for sharing. It’s really very useful.

Thanks for sharing!

These are very interesting books about travel, I had the opportunity to read some of them. very nice

I can’t wait to read more of these books! Reading has always been one way that I keep my wanderlust alive and well.

I was just searching for some good books which can take me into the world of wanderlust. As expected, you are on the internet with your awesome experience. I would love to read all of them. The Alchemist I have done and I am approaching other ones from now onwards. Thanks for sharing this post.

Very useful thing for those who like traveling. Thanks for sharing this with us,

Love those books… thanks for sharing Regards! Thank You!

Michael Palin’s Pole to Pole and Levison Woods Walking the Himalayas!

The only book in this list that I have read (partly) is Eat Pray Love but I also didn’t love it! I was actually in Bali when I started it and it just didn’t grab me, but I’ll definitely be trying out some others on this list! A good book on holiday can do wonders!

I hope to get my hands on Eat, Pray, Love soon. It must be a great read coz it’s on every travel books list.

Wonderful collection. I was in deep search. Thanks a lot to write about these books.

Thanks, Actually I am searching these collection from so many times. Great !!

Thanks for sharing. I was actually not aware about Michael Crichton’s book. Great list of books, I better start reading.

Lot’s of new books for me to add to my list! Thank you! I loved In A Sunburned Country, I consider it one of my favourite travel books and it definitely encouraged me to travel to Australia where I am now!

Thanks, guys some great books there. Think I need to get my hands on Dave does Japan. I am hoping to visit next year.

My all time favourite travel book that I never seen included on any lists is called WorldWalk by Steven Newman. In his early 20s, over a period of 4 years, Steven walked around the world relying on the kindness of strangers. This was the mid-1980s well before the time of internet and mobile phones being common place. His book is inspirational and entertaining and eye-opening all at once. I can’t recommend it enough.

it is very helpful for me like a traveler

An amazing list of books. I watched the film Eat Pray Love (starring Julia Roberts, maybe) but never took the time to read the book. THis list inspired me.

I think one books may be worth adding is Vagabonding.

I just want to say “wow” you have an amazing collection of books.

I was looking for a list like this! I just finished reading a series of books for foodies and Eat Pray Love was one of them. Thanks for sharing yours! Concierge Confidential seems like an interesting read.

thanks for sharing

i have planning to travel 2or3 places.i read this article.it is very helpful it provide great ideas.amazing article thanks for sharing.

Great recommendations! Some of it are already on my list. I just pick some great additions on my list. Thanks!

I think i watched the movie American Shaolin like 20 years ago. I didn’t know it was from a book. Gonna check it for sure. Thanks for great post.

I really love “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer as well as his other book “Into the Wild”, The book and Sean Penn movie are amazing. I also love anything by Bill Bryson with my favorite being “A Walk in the Woods”

For something hot off the press, check out Oblivious; the story of a ride through Africa on a Royal Enfield. Lost teeth, hitchhiking on iron ore trains in the Sahara, romance… Check it out: obliviousthebook.com

Thank you for this! I’ve been into Kerouac lately because I love (and love to hate) his frantic writing style but I needed some other material =)

Hey Awesome List of books, I read eat pray love that is totally awesome and every traveler must read. Now I am going to add The Alchemist and American Shaolin in my bucket list.

Nice post! thanks for sharing.

I was searching for best travel books ad I found this. I have only Paulo Coelho from this list and i am definitely going to get myself a few. Thanks for the wonderful list. Really useful.

This is a great list – most of these I’ve not read so my reading list has just grown! A Long Way Gone is one book, though, that has been on my shelf for years – I’m a bit afraid to read it….

(I don’t admit this too loudly, but I couldn’t stand Eat Pray Love …)

Which is your favorite?? Obviously not Eat Pray Love! lol

The alchemist from the Paulo Coelho is very good book….i´m brazilian and like Paulo Coelho

Whenever I enter a bookstore, I always look for books pertaining travel, whether they are memoirs or a compilation of essays. I also made a post about these books that I have in my shelf. I can spot three of them here in your list. I’m interested in the other books you have cited here and I hope to get my own copies.

I am so happy to read this blog about 21 travel book. it is so much interesting and helpful for every person of the world who travel form one place to another. Canada is consider most visited place in the world. So Hamilton Airport Limo service is well known for Ground transportation medium to or from airport.

This is a great list… there’s also a lot of great poetry (Heights of Machu Picchu- Neruda) and Siddhartha by Herman Hesse really had me thinking Southeast Asia big time! Great post, guys!

I love to read travel books. This is a very resourceful list. I have read some of the books from this list. Very inspiring post. Loved it:)

This post has defiantly inspired me to get reading! please take the time to check out my travel blog: earthsmagicalplaces.com

All of these traveling books look amazing, especially if you’re on a long journey or waiting for your ride and need to kill time! Thank you for sharing these.

Awesome list, thanks for sharing with us

Many read and many added to the list. I’m neither a fan of books that paint a pretty picture of a country nor of the ones that put down a country altogether. But I still read them because there is no such thing as bad book 😉 We all learn a thing or two from a book anyway 🙂

I’m ashamed to admit that, of these, I’ve only read The Alchemist – although White Tiger is sitting waiting patiently on my bookshelf.

I do like to read books about / set in places I’m going to travel to, though. One of the best examples was before I went to Kansas last summer, I read all of the Little House on the Prairie books, and it actually really opened up the history of the area for me, and helped me to understand the formation of the state, and why it looks & is the way it is.

I’m currently reading Alain de Botton’s The Art of Travel, and it’s really making me think about how I write about my own travels, and how I tie together my travel blogging with my other writing (poetry & fiction).

All of Bill Bryson’s travel books make me want to just get off the couch and just go (and record my travels with dry wit and sarcasm), but aside from Bryson’s Road to Little Dribbling, I think my other favorite travel read of the last year was Mo Willems’ You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons: The World on One Cartoon a Day. Not only does one cartoon a day actually create a bizarrely interesting read, but it makes you start noticing the little moments that make your day. I also enjoyed Storybook Travels by Colleen Dunn Bates and Susan La Tempa. It’s a great book for parents traveling with children!

Awesome list, I will definitely be picking up a few of those, and read some of them again. Thank you Dave and Deb 🙂

Ha! I loved The Beach, the movie! Haven’t read the book but maybe I’ll put it on my list. 🙂 I did stopped reading Eat, Pray, Love in the India chapter but I went back to read it a second time and I’m glad I did. Her book, Big Magic, is really great for aspiring creatives so I would recommend that. 🙂

Interesting. I should maybe read Eat Pray Love again. The India chapter might be better for me since I’m no longer in India. Being removed from the location might put her writing into a different perspective

Great recommendations! I can’t wait to check a few of these titles out!

Kate | http://www.petiteadventures.org/

I’m saving this post in Bloglovin’ for as a future shopping reference, haha. I’ve gone through all my books and need more reading material. Thanks so much for sharing! I own and have already read Nomadic Matt’s book. It was super helpful!

Oh lordy my stack of books that I want to read is already sizable but I can see I’m going to add a few more to it….you have some great recommendations here. 🙂 .-= Trisha´s last blog .. PR-Blogger Relations Manifesto =-.

I agree – I loved White Tiger and couldn’t put it down. I read about five or six of the “must reads” that were popular for India travelers at the time and White Tiger and Shantaram were tops!

I have to read Shantaram. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of it before writing this post. That is what I love about posts like this, you can learn so much from other people.

White Tiger by Aravind Adiga is really cool and also Travels by Michael Crichton…great list D&D! .-= agentcikay´s last blog ..Hokkien Mee and its Cult status =-.

Thanks. I am glad that someone else has read travels. When we tell people that Michael Chricton had a travel book they think we are mistaken. But it is very good.

Hahaha, I am laughing because the two books I can’t stand about India are The White Tiger and Shantaram — and both are mentioned here, in your post and in the comments. I have read a lot of books about India and I think there are far better books, more balanced, more insightful, more honest. I find these two blow a lot of hot air.

I think there is a kind of reactionary response to the “shining” India of economists or the “magical” India of travel writers and spiritual seekers. In fact, India — like life — is all of these things. Magical, poor, spiritual, dirty, friendly, nerve-wracking. A lot depends on your perspective, attitude and perception.

I have said before that India is like the cave that Yoda sends Luke into. When Luke asks, “What will I find there?” Yoda answers, “Only what you bring in with you.”

Mariellen .-= Mariellen Ward´s last blog ..Photo of the Week- Naga Sadhu =-.

Well, we will agree to disagree on this subject. We enjoyed many parts of India and made friends with many wonderful people, but a book that talks about the negatives of any country is important. That is how change is made. The poor need a voice and White Tiger gives them one in a very entertaining way to let people know their side of the story. I would love to know the books that are more balanced and insightful, it would be great if you could list a couple of recommendations and I will check them out. And your Star Wars quote (while very profound) has nothing to do with the book and the point we are making. White Tiger is about the people that are living in India, not about what a tourist is supposed to get out of their spiritual journey to India. Thanks for your comment Mariellen, I know that you love India and this recommendation isn’t meant to offend people that do, it is just a book that we felt hit the nail on the head of a lot of what we saw and read in the papers while we were there.

I’m glad you replied to this Dave, the post made me feel stupid and ignorant when I first read it, but then I thought about it more and my point still stands – I read the book and it made me want to go to India. I will stand with the agreement to disagree – Shantaram is a work of fiction, which is a story with hints of lives and attitudes in India, but through extreme views. It’s like saying you’d never go to Virginia because of Patricia Cornwell’s books. If I wanted earnest travel writing with a true anthropological view, I’d have gone to the travel writing or the history section. Perhaps it’s even more impressive that a work of fiction can open your mind to a country. I get a better view of what it’s really like from Indian friends, but I’m also a literature fan and have many influences in my travel life.

I’m currently struggling through Open Veins of Latin America, which is a socio-historic view of the region, before travelling out to Costa Rica later this year. It’s very worthy and I would really like to understand more of the politics, history and culture before I go but I’m highly unlikely to finish it as history presented in fact is rarely inspirational and certainly more difficult to absorb. My partner bought me Costa Rica: A Traveller’s Literary Companion, which is a series of local, translated short stories and folklore. I’ve whizzed through it because it was enjoyable and accessible – far more inspiring than the worthier tome that will give me a ‘better’ view.

Sorry to rant – apparently I feel quite strongly about this!

Thanks for the comment and don’t be sorry at all. That is what we love about blogging, it encourages discussion. I think that your point is bang on. Books of extremes can make me want to go the a country even more. The Bang Bang Club is very unforgiving and yet, I think that it inspires people to go to South Africa. I read it while I was there and loved it even though it didn’t portray the country is a perfect light. I guess, a lot of the books we mentioned don’t paint a pretty picture of any country, but they all have inspired us to explore them more. And you are right, this is a book of fiction and it is impressive that a book can open your mind to a country and evoke such strong feelings on either side of the coin. That makes for great writing I think, when people feel passionate about it either way…absolutely loving it, or genuinely hating it.

Shantaram is also a very inspiring picture of India. Bittersweet, laugh out loud, exciting book. I’d never wanted to visit before reading this, now it’s definitely on my list.

Laura, I will definitely have to check out Shantaram thanks for the recommendation.

Oops, I replied to Trisha on the wrong post, that is supposed to be on Celebrities that inspire travel post. Taking it off now, but didn’t want you to think that I was a crazy person and going off on a tangent regarding celebrities:) Sorry Laura.

I must say it did confuse me!

Haha, sorry about that. If you didn’t reply back, I would have never known and we would have had an odd message on our books post about celebrities. 🙂

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15 Travel Books That Will Give You Serious Wanderlust

The end of the year is just that time for favorites lists – and I’ve written about the best travel books many times over! I love talking about travel books. Why? Because part of the tool belt of any traveler is a good book. Long bus, train, or plane rides can get pretty boring and can give you a lot of “dead” time if you haven’t mastered the art of the 10-hour blank stare. Additionally, reading travel books helps you learn about the destinations you are visiting. The more you know about a place, the more you can understand a place.

I am a voracious reader and even used to have a book club on this website where I shared all the books I read. Today is another one of those days where I share some of the books I’ve read recently! If you’re looking for some great reads, here are my current list of the best travel books to inspire you to travel to far-off lands:  

1. The Alchemist , by Paulo Coelho

2. Love With a Chance of Drowning , by Torre DeRoche

3. The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca  by Tahir Shah

4. On the Road , by Jack Kerouac

5. Looking for Transwonderland , by Noo Saro-Wiwa

6. The Lost City of Z , by David Grann

7. The Beach , by Alex Garland

8. Vagabonding , by Rolf Potts

9. In A Sunburned Country , by Bill Bryson

10. Dispatches from Pluto , by Richard Grant

11. Turn Right at Machu Picchu , by Mark Adams

12. A Year of Living Danishly , by Helen Russell

13. The Art of Travel , by Alain de Botton

14. From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home , by Tembi Locke

BONUS: Ten Years a Nomad: A Traveler’s Journey Home , by me!

Books about travel inspire us to go visit far-off lands and imagine us doing incredible things. Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country inspired me to visit Australia! I hope these travel books inspire you to travel the world and feed your wanderlust. If you have any suggestions that I can add to this best travel books list, leave them in the comments.

If you’d like to see some of the other books I’ve recommended (or are currently reading), check out this page I created on Amazon that lists them all!

You can also find them listed in our Bookshop store, which helps support locally-owned bookstores. If you’re in the US, click here to check out my Bookshop store!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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45 of the Best Travel Books That Inspire Wanderlust

I love reading a great book especially if it takes place somewhere that I dream of traveling to . I am always looking for the best travel books that inspire wanderlust so I asked my fellow travel bloggers to name their favorite inspirational books about travel.

Whether looking for books that inspire you to travel or the best books to read while traveling, here are 45 of the best travel books every traveler needs to have on their reading list.

Best Travel Books

The ultimate travel book is the nomad’s bible. I’m talking about On the Road by Jack Kerouac. This book is fast-paced (some might say rambling) but no other piece of travel literature so evokes the spirit of adventure and excitement that travel brings. It is especially descriptive and inspiring with regards to the quintessential American road trip . Follow Sal Paradise and his kooky, often drug-addled friends in a cross-country quest for something deep, spiritual, and unforgettable.

There are few pieces of modern travel literature that has captivated readers around the world in quite the same way as Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. The part-truth, part-fiction novel tells the story of an Australian convict named Lin who escapes prison and ends up in Bombay, India. His journey is both poetic and chaotic as he learns about his new environment and surrounding culture while living in the slums. Roberts’ writing is breathtaking, and his descriptive and elegant style transports the reader directly into the heart of bustling Indian society.

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

When it comes to book that will make you want to pack your bags and chase your dreams, you really won’t find anything better than Paulo Coelho’s legendary tale found in “The Alchemist”.  It’s a quick and easy read (less than 200 pages), but it’s chalk full of inspirational travel quotes , life lessons, and thought provoking questions.  It was recommended to me by a friend, and once I finished it — I was only mad at myself for not reading it sooner.  It may be one of the most famous travel books out there, and it’s for good reason.  If you haven’t read this one yet, than don’t wait any longer!  It’s truly something special!

We are inundated with advice on where to travel to, but we hear little of why and how we should go, even though the art of travel seems naturally to sustain a number of questions neither so simple nor so trivial…” writes Alain De Botton in ‘The Art of Travel’ . The book is neither a guide book nor an account of experience in far away places. Rather it is journal about how our thoughts and our very being is affected by the ‘not so simple’ act of travel. The book definitely creates a craving to leave everything and travel to far off places. But what it does better is being a companion who that helps you put in words exactly what you felt while travelling.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail  by Cheryl Strayed

If there is one ‘wild’ travel book you should read this year, it’s Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. While the travel movie starring Reese Witherspoon is good, the book goes a mountain canyon beyond. Cheryl Strayed’s gritty portrayal of herself as a broken woman seeking redemption through nature and physical challenge is both a nail-biting travel adventure and a literary masterstroke. The way she entwines her inner journey with the harsh awe-inspiring landscape is, to my mind, inspiring. You won’t just find yourself rooting for her through every snowy pass and rocky trail, you’ll want to get out there and do it yourself.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Gabor Kovacs, Surfing the Planet

Into the Wild is probably one of the best motivational books for those who want to travel with the objective of finding themselves. In Jon Krakauer’s book we can read about Christopher McCandless’ real story, who after his university graduation decided to get rid of all his material possessions and set out on a great adventure completely alone. McCandless was found dead in Alaska and this book tells us his tragic adventure based on his diary and the author’s investigations. Into the Wild teaches us a lot about life and makes us reflect on what we really want from it. Despite the tragic end, I enjoyed reading every bit of this adventure, which made me desire to live something like that.

The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho

Claudia Tavani, My Adventures Across the World

The Pilgrimage tells the story of Paulo as he walks his way to Santiago in what is both a journey and a self-discovery experience. To this date, it is still one of the books that most inspired me to travel, not only to discover new, beautiful places but also to better understand myself.  While traveling became a way of life for me – as a result of a long trip across Central and South America in which I had plenty of time to think and figure out what I wanted to do with my life – it actually took me much longer to eventually walk the Camino de Santiago. I walked the Camino del Norte (the Northern route) to Santiago de Compostela last summer and, needless to say, it was an incredible, enlightening experience.

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino

Allison, Eternal Arrival

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino is a masterpiece, somewhere between poetry and fiction. The narrator, a young Marco Polo, entertains Kublai Khan with stories of intriguing cities, each more impossible sounding than the next. As the book goes on, it becomes more and more fantastical, leaving you wondering whether or not any of these cities exist at all — or whether they’re all one city described in various ways from the vivid imagination of a young traveler. Calvino’s lush prose makes this question almost irrelevant, and after reading this short but sweet novella you’ll be left wanderlusting for all these impossibly beautiful cities. To be able to describe a city the way Calvino does these “invisible cities” is a lifelong pursuit.

A Fortune Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzani

Barbara Wagner, Jet-Settera

Tiziano Terzani’s A Fortune Teller Told Me is a book about an Italian journalist who travels across Asia and consults some of the most famous fortune-tellers of Asia along the journey. He consulted shamans, soothsayers and sorcerers during his travels. One of the fortune tellers in Hong Kong told him that he should not get on a plane for a year, because the plane would crash, so he ended up traveling across Asia taking trains, boats, cars. The book describes his journey across Burma, Thailand , Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore , and Malaysia over land.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Samantha, There She Goes Again

This incredibly complex book takes place over the decades, with the two main threads taking place during the sixties in southern Italy and present day Hollywood. The whole book is rife with nods to the entertainment industry, both in the height of its glamourous days to a sarcastic view of its current reality-ridden state. Walter is great at invoking the various settings, and this is best seen in his descriptions of southern Italy. It’s so beautiful, so nostalgic, you want to book your ticket to Positano as soon as you’re done reading!

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

They say most good books are based on a true story, and Eat, Pray, Love is exactly that and one each person can identify with.

It is a story of a woman who decides to end her marriage and go on a journey of discovery around the world and food for her soul. Set in three beautiful locations of the world Italy (Eat), India (Pray) and Bali (Love). We follow Elizabeth on her travels while she eats bowls of pasta and gelato which leave one instantly hungry and craving all the things she goes searching for in this book. Each part of the journey literally inspires one to book a ticket and go do their own Eat, Pray, Love trip. India a land of miracles and temples gives us a glimpse of the arranged marriage ceremonies while in Bali one learns to open their heart and love again.

The book not only inspires one to travel but also to follow their dreams. Life is too short not to eat that gelato or fall in love with a tall dark stranger.

Verushka Ramasami, Spice Goddess Blog

The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara

Himanshu, Everything Candid

The Motor Cycle Diaries written by Che Guevara is a cult book and thus a must read for every travel loving soul. It has all the elements to ignite wander thirst within you and put you in a whirlwind of thoughts that will make you travel. It’s a frank account of an inquisitive traveler who experiences the amusing world and that changes himself forever.

This book is a travel journal written by revolutionary hero Che Guevara when he was 23 years old and decided to travel the world with his friend Alberto riding their old motorcycle they christened “the Mighty One”. During their 9 months of travel on battered road of Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela to do their medical residency and serve at leprosy colonies of Latin America. His narration of his experiences are free-spirited and original to the core just like his shaping-up rebellion nature.

This book has all the elements that define a perfect road trip and make you realize how you can explore your true self by traveling across geographies and meeting different people. This journey, thus, transformed Che and by the end of journey it was clear what would be his destiny. This high-spirited book is an impactful read and an inspiring tale of a great legend in the making. A truly iconic book by a larger than life icon from last century.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

Nisha Jha, Lemonicks

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson has to be my book which inspires wanderlust. If you are into hiking or love outdoors, this book is for you. The author Bill Bryson tries to take the Appalachian Trail stretching from Georgia and has a hilarious take on it. The book is written in a humorous style, with more serious discussions and curiosity relating to the trail.

The book teaches us about our co-travelers and how it could be, in some cases, a daunting experience. The goals, outlook could be different. At times, you need to discard many things which are really not needed. He has wonderfully described the natural beauty of majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes.

The Places Inbetween by Rory Stewart

Alice, Teacake Travels

There’s nothing I love more than going to countries people tell you you shouldn’t go to. There are a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions out there about what a country is really like, how the people are and your level of safety once you’re there. Understandably, some countries are more dangerous than others but I feel we shouldn’t leave them alone and books like The Places Inbetween keep my wanderlust for these countries pulsing. Rory Stewart’s amazing account of his walk across Afghanistan in 2002 following the US invasion is a unique insight into this fascinating country and I love how personal it is. Like all good stories, it’s the local people that really make it.

In Xanadu – A Quest by William Dalrymple

Maria, Maria Abroad

In Xanadu – A Quest  is a personal travel memoir of William Dalrymple’s journey along Marco Polo’s footsteps from Jerusalem to Xanadu, the summer palace of Kubla Khan. As an avid traveler, Dalrymple spends his summer break from Cambridge to take an overland journey from Jerusalem to Aleppo, to Eastern Turkey, across Iran and Pakistan, and finally through China until his final destination – Xanadu. Along the way he shares his encounters with locals and other travelers, funny stories, bureaucratic hurdles and historic insights on the places he visits.

Can We Live Here?: Finding a Home in Paradise by Sarah Alderson

Jolene and Andrzej Ejmont, Wanderlust Storytellers

‘’In 2009, Sarah and John Alderson quit their full-time jobs in London and headed off, with Alula, their three-year-old daughter, on a global adventure to find a new home.’’

It is easy to connect with Sarah as you read her witty novel about what it is like to give up your job and to chase adventure in life!  Her story is honest and real; one can’t help but feel inspired to chase a similar lifestyle! But mostly to simply be brave enough to follow your dreams! Destinations you will read about include: London, India, Australia, USA , Bali and more!

Rohan Cahill-Fleury, Travels of a Bookpacker

The story of a man determined to visit all the countries in the former Soviet Union. Some are popular tourist destinations e.g.  Czech Republic but he also travels to some more ‘off the beaten track’ locations such as Kyrgyzstan and Moldova.

It provides interesting account of local life in these countries as well as the practicalities and issues traveling there as a tourist. There is some simple, easy to follow history of each country explained as well as interesting anecdotes. You’ll find yourself adding countries to your travel list you’d never considered before!

A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History’s Greatest Traveler by Jason Roberts

This biography follows the life of James Holman, a British guy who went blind during the course of his life but wasn’t discouraged by it and travelled the world anyway. Known in the 19th century as the “Blind Traveller”, he hopped on sailing boats across the oceans, crossed Siberia until he overstayed his welcome, and got invited to explore South America . His books were both despised and celebrated by his contemporaries. Unfortunately, many works have not survived to this day – hence the man’s obscurity. This budget-minded, nifty and unstoppable fellow is one to read about. After picking up your jaw, you’ll likely travel with a changed perspective.

Iris, Mind of a Hitchhiker

The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé

Inma,  A World to Travel

As a very visual person , the first books I read – if you want to call them that – were indeed comics. I would literally read one or two daily as the local library was a few steps away from my home and – newsflash! – travel ones were my favorite of them all. The Adventures of Tintin by Belgian cartoonist Hergé was a comic series that took me to Egypt, Congo, Tibet and even the Moon before I turned 8. Such great memories!

Around the World in 50 Years: My Adventure to Every Country on Earth by Albert Poddel

Megan and Mike from  Mapping Megan  and  Waking Up Wild

This is an inspiring story of an ordinary guy who visited every country on Earth. He survived riots, revolutions, civil wars, trigger-happy child soldiers, robbers, pickpockets, corrupt cops, voodoo priests and Cape buffalo. He went around, under, or through every kind of earthquake, cyclone, tsunami, volcanic eruption, snowstorm, and sandstorm that nature threw at him. He ate everything from old camel meat, rats, dung beetles and the brain of a live monkey.  And he overcame attacks by crocodiles, hippos, anacondas and several girlfriends who insisted he stop this nonsense and marry them.

This is a remarkable and meaningful tale of quiet courage, dogged persistence, undying determination, and an uncanny ability to escape from one perilous situation after another and return with some of the most memorable, frightening and hilarious adventure stories you have ever read.

The World by hitchhiking: 5 years at the University of Life by Ludovic Hubler

After business school, Ludovic decided to get on the road to get a Life PhD. His hitchhiking tour of the world ended up lasting for 5 years during which he also experimented with boat-hitching and  ice-breaker hitching  – A story full of beautiful life lessons in kindness and inspirational meetings, including one with the Dalaï-lama.

Covering 59 countries around the world and people of all background, this book inspires wanderlust not only to seek new landscapes but new connections and understanding of life. It is a book that makes you want to meet all mankind. But be careful, after reading it you will have a strong urge to pack a bag and lift your thumb!

Claire,  ZigZag On Earth Travel Blog

Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach

Penny Sadler,  Adventures of a Carry-on

Without Reservations, by Alice Steinbach, is THE book that I credit with giving me a chronic case of wanderlust. Perhaps because I suspect she and I are close in age, I could relate to her observations of the people she met in her travels, and her self observations. Her writing is so sensual, I always felt I was right there with her — in Paris, Italy and England. This paragraph is beautifully descriptive it made me want to go and have my own adventures.

“Last night on the way home from a concert at Sainte-Chapelle, I stopped on the Pont Royal to watch the moon struggle through a cloudy night sky.

From the bridge my eyes followed the lights of a tourist boat as it moved like a glowworm across the water.  Here in Paris, I have no agenda; here I can fall into step with whatever rhythm presents itself. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to stand on a bridge and catch the scent of rain in the air. I had forgotten how much I need to be a part of water, wind, sky.”

Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche

Liz, Lizzie Meets World

Even if you’re not a fan of chick lit, you’ll love Torre DeRoche’s “Love with a Chance of Drowning.” It’s a love story wrapped in adventure, delivered with a healthy dose of humor and innuendos. DeRoche takes you through the gorgeous remote islands of the Pacific while riding on a leaky boat, as she shares her greatest fears and how she conquers them. This book will have you laughing and crying (cry-laughing even) and dreaming of palm trees and blue seas.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlo Ruiz Zafón

Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s most acclaimed novel, The Shadows of the Wind, is a magnificent book about a young boy whose life revolved around Barcelona where he eventually found himself in a tangle of mystery and drama. I can’t tell much because you have to read it actually to feel what I’m talking about.

So, how did this particular book inspired me to travel? It made me intrigued about Barcelona. So intrigued that I invited myself to join my friends who already planned their trip to the mystery city – they had to change plans to fit me in, but they were a real sport about it. Also, my visit to Barcelona ignited my passion for travel and also it is the place where I swore I’ll make it a goal to enjoy whatever our pretty wild world can offer us.

Evan, Pretty Wild World

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

In an era today where we mostly go to work for around 9 hours a day, and spend another few hours preparing for work, and even commuting to/from it, Tim Ferris gives us a chance to open our mindset that we can actually have a 4 hour work week instead of a 40 hour one. Four hours a week to work anywhere we want. Sounds too good to be true? It really isn’t. By working remotely, creating businesses and putting systems in place, you, as a business owner/worker, can actually do whatever you want. Most people who want to travel full time but are just wondering how to fund their travels can definitely pick up this book to become inspired, and eventually become a full time nomad.

Ruby,  A Journey We Love

Delaying The Real World by Colleen Kinder

I read this book by Colleen Kinder towards the end of my college career. This book was immensely responsible for a change in my beliefs of how life worked after graduation. Delaying The Real World is “a twentysomething’s guide to seeking adventure.” Within its pages, you will find hundreds of suggestions for things you could do around the world, other than heading straight into a cubicle. Suggestions include wanderlust-inspiring options such as teaching English abroad, working on a cruise ship, building homes in villages, or leading tour groups. There are also tons of helpful websites and inspiring anecdotes from real people living out adventurous lives. I highly recommend this book to anyone bitten by the travel bug, and looking for a way to make life an adventure.

Brianna,  Archives of Adventure

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts

In 2013, my boyfriend and I planned to quit our jobs and go for a RTW trip for a year. We were reading dozens of travel guides, found some travel blogs and hosted lots of people from different countries via Couchsurfing community so we could learn about their lands and traditions.

And then we discovered the Vagabonding. Without any exaggeration, the book changed our lives. It gave us not only necessary courage to leave our comfortable life in Germany and set off for an adventure, but it also proved that long-term travel is a lifestyle. A fascinating lifestyle!

Rolf Potts will guide you, he will warn you, he’ll give you plenty of practical advice, and he’ll definitely inspire you to hit the road.

Ivana Greslikova & Gianni Bianchini, Nomad is Beautiful

It’s Only the Himalayas: And Other Tales of Miscalculation from an Overconfident Backpacker by S. Bedford

One of the most recent books that inspired wanderlust was “It’s Only the Himalayas: And Other Tales of Miscalculation from an Overconfident Backpacker”. This laugh-out-loud travel memoir by Sue Bedford chronicles her year long adventures and misadventures with her best friend.

In her book, Sue details her close encounters with a lion, epic fails and triumphs trekking to Annapurna Base Camp with her dad, and her steamy romances in Asia. Since I’ve never backpacked across the world, this book gave me a lot of insight on both the challenges and amazing experiences to have on this type of journey.

This book also inspired me to travel with my mom. Since reading this book, we’ve traveled to Bermuda, Italy and Switzerland together. As Sue describes in the “It’s Only the Himalayas” author interview, traveling with your parents builds on your friendship and strengthens your bond.

Danielle,  The Thought Card

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

A book that completely captured my imagination and wandering spirit and inspired me to explore regions of the earth I never thought I would surf in was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The tale of adventure and discovery helped inspire me to go surfing in places like Iceland, Africa and numerous small islands in the Pacific. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea goes into the underwater exploration of almost every region of the globe it describes an underwater world that is almost impossible to comprehend yet drove my imagination wild. From navigating under ice in the Antarctica to fending off natives off the islands of Papua New Guinea and exploring the Corals of the Red Sea it is a tale of travel and adventure that has transcended centuries and stays relevant today.

Dane,  Holidayfromwhere

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Heart of Darkness might sound like an odd choice when naming books that inspire wanderlust, but for me it did just that. It reminded me of the raw, real, tough travel that backpackers make through developing countries, getting right into the middle of the unknown and making their own pathway through. In the book the subjects are travelling by boat through the jungles of Congo, and the further down stream they get the higher the sense of danger. Things just keep getting weirder and weirder and you begin to feel as if they are descending into a madness. The book is dirty and gritty, but so eloquently written that it transports you deep into the heart of Congo and sits you right next to the authors alter ego – Marlow.

Crystal, Castaway With Crystal

Around India in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh

Less a travel guide than an odyssey of self-discovery, Around India in 80 Trains is the account of a British woman of Indian origin who returns to travel the country she left as a child.

In a largely unplanned journey she visits the four corners of India’s train network by taking as many different trains as possible, from the crush of Mumbai’s commuter trains to a truly special hospital carriage.

While Monisha doesn’t have the easiest of journeys, the sheer variety of the places she sees and the effervescent people she meets puts India near the top of my travel list.  I’ll definitely be taking the train when I visit.  And if a spiritual awakening is thrown in too, so much the better.

Emily, from Kids and Compass

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure is a hilarious memoir about a journalist’s unanticipated return to India; the country she hated and vowed never to visit again.

The book follows Sarah as she tries to settle into a new life in Delhi and documents all the culture shock and frustrations that go with it. Having already visited India , I found myself laughing out loud because I could completely relate to her story.

Sarah does a great job of bringing all the smells, colours, sounds and chaos of India straight to the hands of the reader, while also thoughtfully and light-heartedly explaining the many faiths and religions that embody the country.

This book makes the eccentricities of India seem so endearing that you’ll want to book your flight and experience them for yourself!

Nicole. Wee Gypsy Girl

The Beach by Alex Garland

The Beach is a story of American and European backpackers who found a paradise in an island in Thailand. The island features an untouched beach and lagoon. It is part of a huge marine park, making it inaccessible to tourists. There they lived in a secret small community, doing idyllic chores everyday – planting, fishing and construction – until this thin slice of civilization crumbles through a series of incidents. The Beach is written in 1996 but remains a classic. It fulfills the wish of every modern backpacker: getting out of the race for an authentic experience and finding a beautiful, unspoilt paradise that’s in no danger of turning into a typical commercialized tourist attraction.

Katherine,  Tara Lets Anywhere

The Promise of Iceland by Kari Gislason

Long before I traveled to Iceland, it was a destination which fascinated me for its unknownness and unusualness. I read everything I could, but my favourite was a memoir by half-Australian, half-Icelandic author Kari Gislason , called The Promise of Iceland. Gislason was born in Reykjavik but left at age ten; he returned in his late twenties to track down his father and his regular explorations of many significant parts of Iceland convinced me that it was a place I absolutely had to visit. The book is the perfect mix of intriguing story and sightseeing, and will definitely get you booking an Iceland trip as soon as possible.

Amanda, Not a Ballerina

The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna

The book that sparked my interest about Finland is The Year of the Hare written by Arto Paasilinna, one of the most famous Finnish novels. It’s the story of a frustrated journalist who hits a hare with his car, then decides to rescue it and moves to the countryside together with the hare. It inspired me because it’s a fun story, and it talks about the love that Finnish people have for their nature. Visit Helsinki in winter  and you’ll see what I mean – Finns like to enjoy nature even when it’s -30 outside!

Margherita Ragg, The Crowded Planet

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

For anyone who has read The Millennium Trilogy, which includes The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, you would be aware it is a crime book that is rather dark, which then opens the question, why would this book inspire wanderlust? Well for me, the book obviously did but for a slightly strange and odd reason. As an Aussie, snow is foreign and rare to us down in the sunburnt country. Reading this book, however, opened my mind to the beauty of snow and what I could experience. Since then I have been attracted to the cold and the cool white fluffy stuff. I have fallen in love with it so much I will be embarking on a trip to Antarctica.

Lauren,  The Traveller’s Guide By #ljojlo

A Year in Provence  by Peter Mayle

Amy, A Traveling Broad

Whether you’ve been to France or not, you’ll be drawn into this best-selling memoir by Peter Mayle. In it, he regales readers with tales of his year he lived in a 200 year old stone farmhouse in southeastern France with his wife and dogs. His wit and humor make the book an easy and enjoyable read. His vivid descriptions of people, places and things makes it easy for readers to see things through his eyes. His stories include his first experience with “le mistral” (a violent, cold northwesterly wind); his initial resistance to French customs such as kissing hello; and his interactions with a local construction crew. “A Year in Provence” offers readers a glimpse of life in this beautiful region of France, making you want to buy a ticket when you’re done.

My Life in France by Julia Child

This will not inspire you to take the road and travel but it will definitely make you curious about how the French eat, cook, sleep and cook. It really is true — France is a country that will teach you how to cook. When Julia arrived in France, she didn’t know anything about cooking (nor spoke a single French word) and I kind of resemble to that experience. I did a culinary trip in South America for 3.5 years and when I came back home, my mother was surprised that I already know how to fry an egg properly. Believe me, I never learned to cook back home because my grandmother and mother are pretty good at it. My siblings and I didn’t bother learning at all.

That trip also made me very fluent in Spanish — something I never thought I will be capable of. In Julia’s book, it is highlighted that when you are surrounded by a certain culture for a long time, you will definitely know how to adapt and adjust to its setting. I think this is one of the best reasons to travel and to keep traveling.

Trisha,  PS I’m On My Way

Shopping for Buddhas: An Adventure in Nepal by Jeff Greenwald

Lance and Laura Longwell, Travel Addicts

Over 25 years ago, I discovered the Jeff Greenwald book, Shopping for Buddhas:  An Adventure in Nepal.  I would soon be moving to Nepal for a study abroad program and was riveted by the story of shopping for the perfect Buddha statue.  Less than a year later, I would find myself in Nepal exploring the back alleys of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur in the early days of the civil war .

The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen

Peter Matthiessen was a CIA agent and a co-founder of the literary magazine The Paris Review. He was also a student of Zen Buddhism, which he explores in this classic travel book. In 1973 Matthiessen trekked in the remote mountains of Nepal with a field biologist friend, who was there to study the Himalayan blue sheep. During this trek they hoped to see the rare snow leopard. He writes about the harsh physical challenges of the trip, and on life and death, and practicing Buddhism. Even though they travel through such challenging conditions, this book really made me want to go to Nepal .

James Clark, Nomadic Notes

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai

One of our favourite books that inspired wanderlust, specifically for Sri Lanka, was “Funny Boy”, written by Shyam Selvadurai. It is almost an autobiographical story about a young Tamil gay boy growing up in 1980s Sri Lanka during the civil war era, struggling to come to grips with his homosexuality in a very religious and traditional family and society.

It’s a really good insight into what it was like in the country during these awful civil war years. In addition for LGBT travellers, it is particularly insightful to read, mainly because since the 1980s, the country has not changed at all with regards to LGBT rights. It’s still illegal to be gay in Sri Lanka and many of the issues faced by Arjy are still the case today.

Stefan and Sebastien, Nomadic Boys

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The book is set in Afghanistan and talks about an unlikely friendship between a wealthy Pashtun kid, Amir and his servant Hassan and their relationship growing up. The book traverses through the past and present with Amir making a decision to travel back to his homeland from the United States, his current adopted home to save the life of his friend’s son. The story is fascinating, not just for its strong characterization but also for the vivid portrayal of life growing up in this vastly unexplored country. The country has been in the news for all the wrong reasons but this book makes sure every reader is transported back to the beautiful country it was before the conflict tore it apart and made it what it is in now – a picture of warzone ruin. It remains one of our favorite books and incites wanderlust for the simple reason, the beauty we take for granted today, might not be available to see tomorrow.

Rishabh Shah, Gypsy Couple

The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah

This travel book is about culture, traditions and challenges faced by an Afghan person who convinced his wife to escape the stable life in UK and shift with the whole family to unpredictable Morocco. The main hero buys one of the posh old houses “Dar Khalifa” in Casablanca. As the house was missing residents for many years it started slowly falling into pieces. The hero decides to return the glory and the prosperity to the house. To achieve this goal he needs to confront local peculiarities of lifestyle and working culture. Tahir Shah describes different sides of Morocco: its colors, feelings, history and, of course, superstitions.

Natalia, mytriphack

A House in Fez by Suzanna Clarke

Tamason,  Travelling Book Junkie

Have you ever fell in love with a country so much that you imagine one day moving there?  This is exactly what happened to Suzanna and her husband. During a trip to Morocco they fell in love with the African country enough to purchase a property and rather than just using it as a holiday home, they decided to immerse themselves completely into the Moroccan way of life.

Without being able to speak Arabic, they move to the city of Fez, a city not necessarily known for its touristic pull, purchase a tired riad in need of serious renovation and spend a year transforming it into a beautiful home.

This is a story about courage and conviction,  Suzanna and her husband don’t linger on the consequences of such a move, they simply follow their hearts.

Wanderlust is all about following your heart and making decisions that will enrich your life for the better whilst exploring a different part of the world and for me this is a book that highlights just that.  It also led to us jumping on a plane to explore Fez for ourselves, highlighting that it is a book that inspires wanderlust in others as well.

Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux

Mar, Once in a Lifetime Journey

Dark Star Safari by Paul Thereoux is my all-time most favourite travel book. Brilliantly sarcastic and no-bullshit, Theroux recounts the adventures and misadventures of his overland trip from Cairo to Cape Town 30 years after he spent time as a teacher in Malawi. This book was the most beautiful way for me to remember all the places I worked in Africa and it was also slightly sad to realize that, for some of them, those 30 years Theroux talks about were actually detrimental to their development. Dark Star Safari is a poignant and honest view of the continent from the point of view of an outsider. Theroux has no qualms in being to the point and very honest, sometimes bordering insulting, when describing the people and places. There are no taboos in his vocabulary and no holy cows he tells it how it is.

If you are still looking for more travel inspiration, here are  other travel books for the book lover on your list. What are your picks for the best travel books to inspire wanderlust?

Related Posts

savvyglobetrotter

25 comments.

This is a great list of travel books and I have read few of them like kite runner, alchemist etc. Others I am going to grab soon.

LOADS of great books in there 🙂 🙂

This is a great list of travel books, have definitely added a few of these to my list!

Such inspiring reads! I’ve only read a couple but excited to download more to my Kindle. Cue the wanderlust!

Lovely compilation indeed. Given my passion for books and travel, I found this post really enjoyable. Before travel, books were the vehicles that I traveled the world on the wings of imagination. The books are great and each unique in its own way, My pick of the lot are, Shantaram and The Motorcycle Diaries.

Extensive list. I’ve read Eat, Pray, Love. And I’m reading the Alchemist. I’m on my way! Lol

Wow! What a fantastic compilation of books. There are so many gems that I’m adding to my reading list!

That’s a great list to fill up the evenings for the whole year 🙂 I love books about travel especially with a cultural twist))) Thank you for putting this post!

Ah wow, absolute go-to reading list here 🙂 I can see a fair few I need to get hold of 🙂

What a great list! So happy to see my favorite novel of all time on there: The Shadow of the Wind. I have read 12 of these books… which means you ahve given me a LOT of great reading ahead. Thank you.

Wow, epic list of travel books! I’ll have to refer back to this one when I’m looking for my next book. I love books, both fiction and non-fiction, that take you on a journey to new places and stirs that wanderlust to travel somewhere new!

I’d add Alastair Humphries’ “Microadventures” and “203 Travel Challenges. Travel the World. Discover Your Inner Self” – both are inspiring in a way that makes you act and improve yourself while having fun on the road.

Thanks for the suggestions! I’m putting them on my reading list.

At the risk of being spammy (sorry!), try my novel set in Greece: “Girl Gone Greek” – you might like it. Check out the Amazon reviews first (on COM and CO dot UK) and see if you like the sound of it. Enjoy!

Hi Rebecca, I lived in Greece a few years when I was younger so this book sounds really interesting. Adding it to my reading list!

These are definitely the absolute classics for travel!

I recommend An Embarrassment of Mangoes. Sailing and cooking in the Caribbean. Will have to check out some of your recommendations!

That’s a great list, found so many of my favourites in here including Alain de Botton’s Art of Travel that I dared to criticise in an article – he is my favourite contemporary philosopher but on the travel topic I reckon he could do a lot better 😉 Thanks for sharing, will download a couple about nomadic families to cheer myself up from fever and chest infection. Greetings from London!

So Darcee & I are heading to Morocco this year so I was looking for some great books to dive into the world of the area. I have never even heard of A House in Fez or The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca! We are hoping to head to Casablanca so I may start with The Caliph’s House! Thanks for this list. Many of the books are already on my list! Love Jack Kerouac!

wow, it`s huge! Noted. about ”Shantaram”

Very good performance but what a long story! Full of tragedy violence drugs and sadnesses. Makes you realize how people live in the rest of the world! Fighting for everything just to survive! An intimate look at life in India!

Thanks for this list! I’ll be checking out several of these titles. The interesting part about this blog post is the highlights about each book and how each book may be relevant. Great post.

So many of my trips have been inspired by reading novels! Last year, I took a January teaching job in Hawaii, after reading Honolulu and other fiction set on Oahu. I’m most interested in the fortune-teller book, I wonder if that will be my next trip…

Looks like some awesome reads to me. Anything by Paula Coelho absolutely rocks. Ryan

Great post/list and book review. I am placing Beautiful Ruins and a Walk in the Woods on my list.

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The 69 Greatest Fiction Travel Books of All Time

By Boris Kachka

First things first, you may be thinking: What is a fiction travel book, anyway? Well, here's what we think: It's a book in which a place is as important a character as the protagonist; it's a book so informed by the writer's culture that it's impossible to read it without uncovering the life of the author behind it; it's a book that has shaped the way we see a certain place; it's a book whose events and characters could be set nowhere else. So for everyone who, like Michael Ondaatje, got his first glimpse of Japan through Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country; or, like Nathan Englander, found India in Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance; or discovered the world through Homer's Odyssey—this is the list to have. Read on.

Absurdistan

Gary Shteyngart (2006)

"It's probably the best contemporary travel novel," says Darin Strauss. "Certainly the most fun." The Russian immigrant's second book tops his first novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook, in screwball inventiveness, with a gluttonous character in the slothful tradition of Oblomov who (sometimes literally) flies over the Bronx and hails from an autonomous ex-Soviet republic that could exist only in Shteyngart's mind. "The sweep," Strauss says, "is matched only by the humor and exuberance of the prose" (Random House, $14).

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain (1885)

Huck and Jim's "downstream education," as Jonathan Raban puts it, is important for numerous reasons, but alongside its lessons in the American vernacular and the history of race, there is the canonization of the Mississippi. "The idea of the river as America's first great interstate arterial highway, at once a place of magical solitude in nature and of fraught encounters with society, survives even now," says Raban (Bantam, $6).

The Alexandria Quartet

Lawrence Durrell (1957-1960)

These four novels come as a set, with different perspectives on essentially the same forlorn story. They "play with time and point of view like a Charlie Kaufman script," says Darin Strauss, but "are worth reading not for their gimmickry—supposedly based on the theories of Einstein and Freud—but for their lush descriptions of Egypt. Durell was more famous as a poet than a novelist, and his pointillist evocations of Alexandria are breathtaking" (Penguin; set, $45).

Jim Crace (1992)

Inspired by London, the unnamed city of the master novelist's morality tale about a self-made millionaire and his utopian dreams almost upstages the Dickensian struggles at its heart. "There is so much life and strife and detail," says Amy Bloom. "An entire world has been conjured up, street by street, an imagined city with every cobblestone and desire and character made real" (out-of-print).

The Baron in the Trees

Italo Calvino (1977)

Imagine John Cheever's swimmer traveling via tree instead of suburban pool—for his entire life—and you have Calvino's fairy tale of an eighteenth-century Italian boy who climbs a tree one day and never comes down. Michael Ondaatje calls this world "a thrilling, unforgettable universe, beautifully evoked, completely real and believable—a landscape where there are great adventures and love affairs and politics and wars" (Harvest, $14).

The Big Sleep

Raymond Chandler (1939)

This caper redefined the city that W. H. Auden called "the great wrong place" and which Phillip Lopate dubs "the city that didn't want to be a city." Lopate loves that, contrary to its bright reputation, Chandler's Los Angeles is "portrayed as a very occult, secretive place." "Don't expect sunshine and palm trees," seconds David Ebershoff. "His L.A. is a shadowland—damp with fog, dark with night, and peopled with killers and cons" (Vintage, $14).

Prosper Mérimée (1841)

In the lamentably obscure French writer's most accomplished novel, a jaded colonel and his daughter journey to Corsica in search of untouched paradise, only to become immersed in international intrigue, culture clash, and a still-thriving ancient tradition of the vendetta. Fernanda Eberstadt calls it "a shrewd, dispassionate portrait of nineteenth-century Corsica" (Kessinger, $21).

Come to Africa and Save Your Marriage

Maria Thomas (1987)

This story collection is one of only three books by Thomas, who died in a 1989 plane crash en route to an Ethiopian refugee camp. Thomas wrote, "A language you don't understand reminds you how vulnerable you are," and it's through her writing and our own journeys, says Julia Alvarez, that "we discover that it is precisely this vulnerability which connects us with one another—a good enough reason to travel if nothing else" (Soho, $12).

Cousin Bette

Honoré de Balzac (1846)

Phillip Lopate says that his favorite Balzac novel, and what it has to say about life, are summarized in a single sentence from the book: "In the heart of Paris the close alliance between squalor and splendor…characterizes the queen of capitals." There's also Balzac's use of the courtesan, "the figure who threads her way through Paris and unites wealth and poverty by beauty." For this "cartographer of cities and societies," as Lopate calls him, the geography is just as important as the social intrigue (Oxford, $12).

Crime and Punishment

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1866)

This map of the soul of modern man is also not too shabby at nailing St. Petersburg's crooked canals and alleyways. It inspires daily tours in the city, which has changed tremendously since the fall of communism—though not as much as you'd think. Francine Prose says that, beyond Nevsky Prospect and its Versace stores, "it's still the same. You feel Crime and Punishment all over the place" (Vintage, $16).

Jessica Puckett

Cassie Shortsleeve

Arati Menon

The Day of Judgment

Salvatorre Satta (1979)

Satta's posthumously published novel gets deep inside Sardinia at a time (a century ago) when it was a backwater, and his depiction of its "demoniacal sadness" is hardly the stuff of tourist brochures. Such inertia means a listless plot, but for Colin Thubron, the author's observations of "timeless, eccentric lives" make it worthy on its own terms (FSG, $14).

The Day of the Locust

Nathanael West (1939)

Drawing on West's stint as a screenwriter in Depression-era Hollywood, this iconic farce was fated to be repeated as noir in the Chandler era. "His L.A. is a hysteric pleasure dome that teems with grotesqueries and perversity," says Nathaniel Rich. "Ever since I read it, I can't go to L.A. without thinking of cockfighting" (Signet, $7).

Dead Lagoon

Michael Dibdin (1995)

This is the fifth in Dibdin's Aurelio Zen mystery series but the first in which the investigator from Rome revisits his native town. "Venice is a marvel," says Jonathan Raban. "A familiar place rendered strange and foreboding by the author's intimate familiarity with its streets—no gondolas for the pedestrian Zen. I greatly admire Thomas Mann, but it's the Venice of Dead Lagoon that I walk in my Italian dreams" (Vintage, $14).

Death in Venice

Thomas Mann (1912)

Tied for second place on our list of most-nominated books, this dark classic of pederast obsession resonates brilliantly with its setting. "Gray Venice in the high season, with its humid air and empty corridors, amplifies the story's meaning by a thousand," says David Ebershoff. "This small book is both a warning and a love letter to Venice and all who long to travel there. Heartbreak, decay, lethal regret? Sign me up." Also nominated by: Francine Prose, Jennifer Belle (HarperPerennial, $13).

Don Quixote

Miguel de Cervantes (1605)

How many travelers, seduced by fictional narratives, have flown to exotic destinations only to discover how comically pedestrian and daunting life can be no matter where they go? Quixote, besotted as he was with tales of chivalry, was the first to do that—even if it took a bit longer, in his case, for disillusion to set in. Nominated by: Matthew Sharpe (Penguin, $12).

The Epic of Gilgamesh

(circa 2500 B.C.)

There are many translations of the world's oldest epic poem (sorry, Homer), but Julia Alvarez recommends Herbert Mason's version of the story, in which the titular great king, inconsolable over a friend's death, goes off in search of "immortality and a way to keep loss at bay." Alvarez likes the tip he gets from a barmaid, "good advice for any traveler: 'Fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice' " (Mariner, $9).

Far Tortuga

Peter Matthiessen (1975)

Perhaps better known as a phenomenal travel memoirist, Matthiessen also wrote fiction as adventurous as its hardscrabble characters. In this elegy for a dying ecology and a dying livelihood, a boatful of turtle fishermen roam across the overfished Bahamas, riffing one another in pidgin dialects between encounters with near disaster and modern pirates. Nominated by: Michael Ondaatje (Vintage, $17).

A Fine Balance

Rohinton Mistry (1995)

Mistry manages his own fine balance between detail and scope in this Mumbai-set novel. "Few have taken us beneath India's intense surfaces and into its forgotten streets with the quiet, patient care of its native son," says Pico Iyer. "Going on a train ride with Mistry is amazing," adds Nathan Englander. "You can feel the people packed in and the lunch tins and the swarming city. It could be among my top five books of the last 25 years" (Vintage, $16).

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ernest Hemingway (1940)

This taciturn tale of stoic warriors ground down by the Spanish Civil War reminds us, says Peter Hessler, that "Hemingway was a remarkable landscape writer. Sometimes this can be forgotten because we tend to focus on other—and more easily parodied—subjects and interests" (Scribner, $15).

Good Morning, Midnight

Jean Rhys (1939)

Decades before the Caribbean-born British writer became acclaimed for Wide Sargasso Sea, she evoked Paris through a glass very darkly in this first-person tale of a woman's melancholy return to the city. "This book transports me to Paris like no other book can," says Jennifer Belle. "In fact, I feel more like I'm in Paris when reading this book than when I'm actually in Paris" (Norton, $14).

A Hazard of New Fortunes

William Dean Howells (1890)

The critic Alfred Kazin credited Howells, onetime editor of Boston's Atlantic Monthly, with tilting the axis of literature south, to New York, when he moved there in the 1880s. His fictionalized account of the move was "about a city at a moment when it's bursting with promise," says Phillip Lopate, who wrote the introduction to this edition. Protagonist Basil March's encounters with teeming immigrant New York shift his politics, just as it turned Howells into a champion of the masses (Modern Library, $15).

Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad (1902)

Not enough can be said of the influence of this imagined trip to the Congo. "Conrad established a genre in this novel," says Alexander McCall Smith, "and since then many writers have contributed to the canon of spiritually bleak, uncomfortable journeys into dark places. Unfortunately, it has established a mold for many a subsequent despairing literary vision of Africa" (Norton, $12).

A High Wind in Jamaica

Richard Hughes (1929)

Hughes's tale of warped children set upon by pirates reads like Lord of the Flies, but with irony. Nathaniel Rich relishes its depictions of Jamaica as "a country in the last throes of a losing battle with nature," while Jesse Ball loves what happens after the kids leave the island and hit the waters: "This book of books invests everything it touches with an indefinite but shimmering brilliance. Do you want to be hauled off by force along with your brothers and sisters? I do!" (NYRB, $14).

Julio Cortázar (1963)

The Argentine-Parisian novelist's very strangely structured novel—complete with contradictory instructions on how to read it—boils down to an evocative story of a man's obsession with a disappeared lover. Horacio Castellanos Moya reports that several generations of Latin American readers have gone to Paris primarily "to repeat the enchanting journey of Cortázar's fictional characters through the city. Warning: That journey ends in the cemetery of Montparnasse, where the author is buried" (Pantheon, $17).

A House for Mr. Biswas

V. S. Naipaul (1961)

Naipaul's breakthrough book, and arguably his best, is a travel novel writ large in that it tracks a whole culture in diaspora. Naipaul's Trinidad "kept reminding me of the India I grew up in," says Manil Suri. "And yet, it was different in so many ways—a tantalizing new universe waiting to be explored, to see how Indian culture had taken root and evolved on this faraway shore" (Vintage, $16).

The Inheritance of Loss

Kiran Desai (2006)

Desai's Booker Prize-winning novel of two generations straddling continents struck Phillip Lopate for its scenes of New York kitchens, "the new melting pot" of the city where struggling immigrants rub soiled shoulders. "It's really about two places," he says—New York City and an Indian backwater. "And so she keeps going back and forth between these two, and she's really writing about globalization" (Grove, $14).

Journey to the End of the Night

Louis-Ferdinand Céline (1934)

Wherever anti-hero Ferdinand Bardamu goes—World War I battlefields, French West Africa, the United States—Céline's unforgettably dark, caustic voice is there. Matthew Sharpe prefers the novel's less realistic moments: "There is, in Manhattan, a subterranean club where people go to defecate out in the open while conversing, smoking cigars, etc. Were some generous soul in real life to make the initial capital outlay for such a club, I would gladly be a founding member" (New Directions, $16).

D. H. Lawrence (1923)

Lawrence wrote this novel about a British émigré's encounter Down Under with a secret Fascist army after visiting for only a few weeks. "Lawrence is famously, furiously unfair at every turn—impatient, subjective, all over the place," says Pico Iyer. "Yet no writer had a keener nose or feel for place. Even now, when I return to Australia, the best guidebook I can find is this excessive and inflamed novel" (Cambridge, $60).

Banana Yoshimoto (1988)

Yoshimoto's interwoven family narratives make a new generation of Japanese life accessible to the rest of us. "If someone asks me if I've ever been to Japan, I have to think for a moment," says Jennifer Belle. "Thanks to Yoshimoto, I could swear I've been there. I could almost feel the tonkatsu between my chopsticks, see it sloshing into the dark brown sauce, taste it between my lips" (Black Cat, $13).

Lady Chatterley's Lover

D. H. Lawrence (1929)

Fernanda Eberstadt couldn't resist including Lawrence's novel, which, you must admit, goes places few others dare. She calls the author "the Van Gogh of travel writers, virulently moralistic, every nerve ending hallucinogenically receptive to light, landscape, vegetation, and the human characteristics forged by climate. It's not just a novel about anal sex: It's a great love poem to that most unloved of regions, the British Midlands" (Penguin, $14).

Life and Fate

Vasily Grossman (1959)

The dissident Soviet novelist's take on the Battle of Stalingrad—a book considered so dangerous that authorities destroyed the typewriter ribbons along with the manuscript—is "a very complex and ambitious novel," says Horacio Castellanos Moya, "but I think that the Volga River region itself is the main character." Reading it inspired him to find the Volga on Google Earth, "the first time I did that because of a novel" (NYRB, $23).

Little Infamies

Panos Karnezis (2002)

Karnezis, who moved from Greece to England 16 years ago, manages in these stories to skewer his homeland's inhabitants with a light touch. "He depicts the intricately and hilariously knitted world of a small Greek village so well," says Marisa Silver, "that it makes me want to find such a village and spend time there, meeting the priest and the doctor, the town whore and the barber" (Picador, $14).

The Little Sister

Raymond Chandler (1949)

California was an endless fount of "metaphors and parables" for Chandler, says Pico Iyer, but he likes this underrated caper because it's here that "his chivalric impulse leads him to Hollywood, and the ultimate palace of illusions and similes, which was for him an emblem of a grasping and seductive new world" (Vintage, $13).

Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

Once you get over the shock and the word games and the descriptive genius of this masterwork, you're ready for its cross-country trip into a land as dazzlingly innocent to Humbert as his young charge. "We often forget that the second half of this book is a road-trip novel," says Darin Strauss, "with the old foreign perv and the young nymphet discovering America" (Vintage, $14).

Marguerite Duras (1984)

What is it with travel and age-inappropriate relationships? Duras's novel about a French girl's seduction of a gentleman in '30s Saigon was Marisa Silver's ultimate travel fantasy: "The sensual, palpable languor of a city filled with secrets makes me want to hunt for modern Vietnam's hidden seductions" (Pantheon, $10).

Jamaica Kincaid (1990)

This spare novel about an au pair from the West Indies in an unnamed city that's unmistakably New York made Jennifer Belle see her town "as if for the first time. Through fresh eyes we see an elevator, a bridge, the winter sun." And in Lucy's memories, Barbados shimmers too. "By showing us the artificial smell of lemon-scented shampoo in America, we experience the freshness of a real lemon in her native land" (FSG, $13).

The Makioka Sisters

Junichiro Tanizaki (1948)

"It has a last line so bad that it's amazing," Nathan Englander warns about Tanizaki's chronicle of a declining noble Osaka family on the brink of both personal and national disaster. "But in terms of Osaka, it's just gorgeous. A beautiful wooden city that you know is going to be bombed [during World War II]. . . . It's this idea of reading a book set right before the end of the world" (Vintage, $16).

The Man Without Qualities

Robert Musil (1930-1942)

Some trips are longer than others, but Musil's never-finished 1,700-plus-page masterwork is worth the slog for its deep (yet funny) study of a shallow world. "To Musil, nothing was as absurd as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Vienna was the whipped cream heart of its absurdity," says Fernanda Eberstadt. "A zany tour of turn-of-the-century Vienna's bluestocking suburbs, its imperial hunting lodges, its working-class beer halls" (Vintage, Vol. 1: $22; Vol. 2: $26).

James Galvin (1992)

Heavily based in fact, Galvin's description of what four men did to tame an inaccessible piece of wilderness on the Wyoming-Colorado border is "an extended ode to an American West that is by now largely gone," says Jonathan Burnham Schwartz. The land is the main subject, and "Galvin knows it with an intimacy so deep it can only be imagined; he knows it like family, all its buried pains and stories" (Owl, $14).

Midnight's Children

Salman Rushdie (1980)

So many things are extraordinary about Rushdie's masterpiece of magical realism, in which fantasy and metaphor speak for a giant nation's post-colonial history, but Junot Díaz takes from it the lesson that the highest flights of imagination start with making places real. "Who can match Rushdie's fictional evocation of Bombay?" he asks. "In his lying is found much truth" (Random House, $15).

Martin Amis (1985)

Of all the writers to capture what was so very fast, exciting, and wrong about the eighties, Londoner Amis had one odd advantage: He was a self-styled outsider, like his ad-man narrator, John Self. Darin Strauss believes Self "understands New York in the eighties—and gets even those timeless qualities about the city's energy and indifference—in a way that only someone who's looking at it with a foreigner's peeled-eyeball curiosity could" (Penguin, $15).

André Breton (1928)

Breton's work of high surrealism, about a Parisian psychiatric patient with a serious identity crisis, has inspired many writers, including Jesse Ball. "Of books that circle Paris, that define it, that lay it on a thin spoon beside a dram of poison, there are a few," he says. "This book invests it with a great feeling of life, of chance—the whispering of curtains, footsteps, lights in the street, the calling out of voices in the night—in reply to what?" (Grove, $13).

Don DeLillo (1982)

DeLillo's first truly paranoid novel is also his first serious venture abroad—to Greece and the Middle East, where "businesspeople in transit" collude with intelligence services to make sure things go their way. Geoff Dyer calls it "a great and prophetic novel" but also "a fantastic travel essay, dense with amazed delight at the incidents and textures of this ancient and rapidly modernizing world" (Vintage, $15).

Joseph Conrad (1904)

Peter Hessler praises this book for giving "a remarkable sense of the Sulaco landscape"—its rocky peninsula and silent gulf ringed by mountains. It's an entirely made-up place, in a fictional South American country on the verge of revolution. But Hessler considers it "probably the most famous instance of how travel can inspire the creation of a place that feels more authentic than anything we see as tourists" (Penguin, $14).

The Odessa Tales

Isaac Babel (1920s)

The great Russian Jewish writer wrote fantastic war stories before he was killed by Stalin, but these tales of Jewish gangsters in Babel's birthplace make Nathan Englander feel almost certain he's been there. "I can see the overturned market or the guy in his wheelchair," he says. "The highest compliment a writer can get is when you recognize something in your memory but don't remember whether you've ever been to that place" (in Collected Stories; Penguin, $17).

The Odyssey

Homer (circa 750 B.C.)

Unsurprisingly, the book that made travel synonymous with literature when both were in their prehistory earns the most nominations from our writers. For Matthew Sharpe, it brings to mind a cascade of cultural successors: "Hansel and Gretel," E.T., and his favorite number by Steely Dan, which he quotes ("Still I remain tied to the mast . . ."). David Ebershoff simply calls it "the greatest work of travel literature. Period. Without this book, would we have any of the books on this list?" Also nominated by: Jonathan Raban, Marisa Silver (Penguin, $15).

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Gabriel García Márquez (1967)

Macondo, the fictional setting of García Márquez's magical-realist magnum opus spanning Colombian history, has become such a vivid location in the minds of millions of readers—"everybody's fictional place," as Francine Prose puts it—that García Márquez's hometown actually tried to add Macondo to its name two years ago. Colum McCann says, "The imagination feels awakened with every word" (Harper Perennial, $15).

On the Road

Jack Kerouac (1957)

Alexander McCall Smith calls Kerouac's stream-of-consciousness road novel "a book to read when one is about eighteen," but here's a good reason for another look: last year's release of the even more unbridled "scroll" version, drawn from the 120-foot roll of paper on which Kerouac originally wrote it out. "The physical manuscript came to stand for the journey itself—long and rolling," says Smith. "This novel goes to the very heart of American restlessness" (Penguin, $15).

The Passion

Jeanette Winterson (1987)

Napoleon's cook, not at all thrilled with his posting in bleak wintertime Russia, falls in love with a mysterious Venetian web-footed female gondolier in the British writer's surreal and dazzling second novel. Myla Goldberg says it "made me want to go to Venice more than anything, and once I got there, Winterson's fantastical version added invaluable, invisible dimensions to the experience" (Grove, $13).

John Steinbeck (1947)

Steinbeck's otherwise timeless and placeless fable, in which an impoverished Mexican pearl diver unwittingly brings ruin on his family after pulling up the largest pearl known to man, is grounded in its beautiful landscape. "Yellow, brown, orange, white—these are the colors of Baja California," says David Ebershoff. "Their purity, their earthiness, are reflected in Steinbeck's simple prose and simple, devastating tale" (Penguin, $14).

Albert Camus (1947)

The Oran of Camus's novel, whose inhabitants are tested in the worst ways by a gruesome epidemic, is an actual Algerian city but feels so archetypal that Nathan Englander originally thought it was fictional. "It's a holy place to me, it's in my pantheon," says Englander, despite the horrors Camus depicts. "To literally lock the gates of the city—that's wonderful to me as a reader, and an excellent education as a novelist" (Vintage, $13).

The Professor's House

Willa Cather (1925)

Jane Hamilton treasures Cather because she "doesn't know another writer who has that power to transport us to the natural world," in this case America's great prairies. But it's the setting of Colorado's Mesa Verde in her melancholy seventh novel, "before it was discovered, before it was a destination," that appeals most. "She makes plain the grace of solitude in a place that is at once the loneliest spot and yet so strangely peopled" (Vintage, $13).

The Quiet American

Graham Greene (1955)

Greene's prescient Vietnam novel "captures the beauty, loneliness, and moral complexity of the expat experience," says Myla Goldberg, "and presents pre-war Vietnam as a fascinating and terrifying triangle of geography, politics, and history." Pico Iyer believes the place "brought out the heartbroken poet" in Greene, who "caught much in the country that might move a traveler today. Saigon, for all its new-generation motorbikes and frenzy, in its shadows and corners remains part of the Greene zone" (Penguin, $14).

The Raj Quartet

Paul Scott (1966-1974)

One way to understand India would be to look back at how it was constructed—and deconstructed—on the eve of independence, and Paul Scott's four epic novels fix and dramatize the lost world of British India like no others. "They provoke interest in a culture that no longer exists but in a place that does," says Ann Packer (Everyman's; each two-volume set, $33).

Redburn, White-Jacket, Moby-Dick

Herman Melville (1849-1851)

In three years, Melville produced possibly the world's three greatest seagoing novels. But aside from Bartleby, his work isn't generally associated with his home port of New York. Phillip Lopate finds astonishing detail in the Manhattan-based openings of both Moby-Dick and his lesser-known novel, Redburn, which has the added bonus of "great scenes in Liverpool" (Library of America, $40).

The Savage Detectives

Roberto Bolaño (1998)

Like W. G. Sebald, Bolaño died in middle age on the verge of enormous international acclaim. But his equally mind-bending fictional journeys are shaggier and more exuberant. Here, a radical group of Mexico City literati calling themselves Visceral Realists threaten the social order before scattering across the world—to Barcelona, Perpignan, Nicaragua—and later returning to their native country. Francine Prose says that she can no longer visit Mexico City without seeing writer-revolutionaries everywhere (Picador, $15).

The Sheltering Sky

Paul Bowles (1949)

One of the three books our authors cited most, Bowles's hallucinatory novel is "a journey into the primeval heart of Morocco, but really into the furthest reaches of the Other, the Unknown," says Manil Suri. Despite the book's being "not exactly a call to tourism," Suri was moved to travel there six months after reading it. Anthony Doerr believes that "Bowles explores, perhaps as well as Conrad or Camus, what it means to be a stranger," while Pico Iyer calls him "the greatest poet laureate of a traveler's dissolution" (HarperPerennial, $15).

The Shipping News

Annie Proulx (1993)

The writer of hard, spare modern-day Westerns (e.g., "Brokeback Mountain") may be at her best on entirely different terrain. Lara Vapnyar always marvels at "her ability to endow a place with the most complex personality," but slightly prefers her Newfoundland: "cold and gloomy, where the weather is dangerous and the best delicacy is the seal-flipper pie" (Scribner, $15).

Snow Country

Yasunari Kawabata (1948)

The northern reaches of Japan sometimes get as much wintertime snow as Buffalo, but there the comparisons end. In Kawabata's classic, the region's lonely beauty is the third party in a doomed love affair between a sophisticated Tokyo dilettante and a lowly backwater geisha, who stands in for Japan's neglected but enduring native culture. Nominated by: Michael Ondaatje (Vintage, $13).

A Sport and a Pastime

James Salter (1967)

Shades of Lolita (the erotic road-trip part) pass over what Salter has said is his best novel, the charged chronicle of an affair between a privileged Yale dropout and a French shopgirl, consummated in motels dotting the French countryside and observed by an admittedly unreliable voyeur. Nominated by: Michael Ondaatje (FSG, $13).

Cormac McCarthy (1979)

McCarthy's fourth novel is inextricably rooted in its place, namely the roughest parts of fifties Knoxville, seen by an ex-con drinking his life away. Anthony Doerr finds it "a funny, tragic, shocking, beautiful, and dirty portrait," one that "traces the collisions of industry and countryside, privilege and poverty, goatmen and policemen, humidity and snow, drinking and witchcraft—and the Tennessee River twists through all of it" (Vintage, $15).

Patrick Chamoiseau (1992)

Junot Díaz praises this "brilliant blaze of a novel" for encompassing the tangled history of Martinique (as Díaz did for the Dominican Republic in his recent Pulitzer Prize-winning novel). "In these pages and through these words," he says, "you can taste the shark, smell the burning fields of cane, wince under the sun, and feel the black riptide of Caribbean history, pulling, pulling. All that plus the finest evocation of Caribbean shantytown life ever put to paper" (Vintage, $16).

To the Slaughterhouse

Jean Giono (1931)

Better known for his best seller The Man Who Planted Trees, the French writer created some of the most horrific scenes of World War I ever seen in print and contrasted them with evidence of a subtler deterioration back in arid Haute Provence. Fernanda Eberstadt says, "This wildly poetic evocation of a pastoral people about to get decimated makes you love every rocky field and antiquated ram of his chosen homeland" (Peter Owen, $24).

The Tree of Man

Patrick White (1955)

A pioneer of literature from his pioneer country—and a winner of the Nobel Prize—White set the tenor of Australian literature as a constant clash between Western culture and the barren landscape beyond its shores. His saga of one family's attempt to domesticate the bush (only to later see it become suburbs) is "surely Australia's Book of Genesis," says Colin Thubron, and "has the rich sweep of a nineteenth-century Russian novel" (out-of-print).

James Joyce (1922)

How did a chaotically layered, almost impenetrable modernist masterpiece become the book that launched a thousand pub crawls? " Ulysses is an encyclopedic map of human nature, but it also maps Dublin in a perfect way," says Dubliner Colum McCann. Thus, McCann's ambivalence toward the "James Joyce tours and pubs and towels and snow globes": They're hokey but "better than the alternative of silence" (Vintage, $17).

Tony D'Souza (2006)

The most recent novelist to approach the well-trod terrain of Western aid work, D'Souza complicates his narrative by having do-gooder Jack Diaz, marooned on the Ivory Coast, sleep with a succession of natives. Peter Hessler praises D'Souza's handling of "the long-familiar relationships that shape a village, the way an outsider feels when he tries to penetrate this world, and the interplay between traditional folk beliefs and elements of modern city life" (Harcourt, $13).

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Haruki Murakami (1995)

Murakami's vacillations between realism and fable are generally aimed at making sense of contemporary Japan, but this essential novel also encompasses the atrocities of a previous generation. Those are the parts Peter Hessler likes best—"beautifully written set pieces of the Japanese occupation of China and northern Asia. They are really the most haunting chapters of the book" (Vintage, $16).

A Woman in Jerusalem

A. B. Yehoshua (2006)

Yulia, the woman in question, has died in a terrorist bombing, and the quest to clear her name and bury her properly sends characters through traumatized Jerusalem streets and later to the forlorn former Soviet republic where she was born. "I love people who can draw Israel for me," says Nathan Englander, who lived in the same Jerusalem neighborhood during that troubled period. "This book captured a very hard time really well" (Harvest, $14).

Zeno's Conscience

Italo Svevo (1923)

Svevo's comic study of a morally compromised man's Freudian rationalizations—and urban discoveries—was rescued from obscurity by James Joyce. So, thanks to this novel, was decrepit Austro-Hungarian Trieste, which Nathaniel Rich says "feels like a living organism" in this novel: "neurotic, conniving, sophisticated, and deranged—a mirror image of Zeno himself" (Vintage, $15).

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Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! Paperback – Illustrated, October 28, 2008

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Food Network star Guy Fieri takes you on a tour of America's most colorful diners, drive-ins, and dives in this tie-in to his enormously popular television show, complete with recipes, photos, and memorabilia.

Packed with Guy's iconic personality, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives follows his hot-rod trips around the country, mapping out the best places most of us have never heard of. From digging in at legendary burger joint the Squeeze Inn in Sacramento, California, baking Peanut Pie from Virginia Diner in Wakefield, Virginia, or kicking back with Pete's "Rubbed and Almost Fried" Turkey Sandwich from Panini Pete's in Fairhope, Alabama, Guy showcases the amazing personalities, fascinating stories, and outrageously good food offered by these American treasures.

• Book 1 of 3 Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives
• Print length 256 pages
• Language English
• Publisher William Morrow Cookbooks
• Publication date October 28, 2008
• Dimensions 7.38 x 0.56 x 9.12 inches
• ISBN-10 9780061724886
• ISBN-13 978-0061724886
• See all details

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Editorial Reviews

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A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER —

“Rounded out with plenty of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and local color, this tour of off-the-beaten-path establishments has enough regional entries to keep culinary road-trippers busy (and full) for many, many miles. ” — Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Guy Fieri is the culinary rock star of Food Network, hosting the top-rated Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives , Guy's Grocery Games , Guy's Big Bite , and Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off . His four books— Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives ; More Diners , Drive-Ins and Dives ; Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: The Funky Finds in Flavortown ; and Guy Fieri Food —were major New York Times bestsellers. Guy is the co-owner of Johnny Garlic's California Pasta Grill, Tex Wasabi's, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar, Guy's Burger Joint, and GFOC (Guy Fieri on Campus). He lives in Northern California with his wife, Lori, and their two boys, Hunter and Ryder.

Ann Volkwein is a food and lifestyle writer based in New York City and Austin, Texas, who also collaborated with Guy on his four previous books.

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0061724882
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Cookbooks; Illustrated edition (October 28, 2008)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780061724886
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061724886
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.38 x 0.56 x 9.12 inches
• #4 in General Northeast US Travel Guides
• #21 in Travel Dining Reference
• #264 in Celebrity & TV Show Cookbooks

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About the authors

Ann volkwein.

My first books, the Arthur Avenue Cookbook and Chinatown New York, brought together my love for food, culture, everyday people's stories, and the exploration of constantly evolving New York City neighborhoods. Since then I've enjoyed highly successful collaborations with chefs, helping them find their voice on the page, sharing countless adventures and great dishes along the way.

In 2006, Guy Fieri premiered his first show, Guy’s Big Bite, on Food Network after winning season two of The Next Food Network Star. Today, this “culinary rock star” hosts two additional top-rated shows on the network: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Tail¬gate Warriors. And on March 14, 2010, Guy made his debut as a game show host on the NBC prime¬time series Minute to Win It.

In 2011, Guy officially launched CWK (Cook¬ing with Kids; www.cwkfoundation.org), a program that encourages developing healthy eating habits to address the childhood obesity crisis, strengthen the family unit by sharing quality time in the kitchen, and as a result increase our children’s self-esteem in a fun and positive way.

Guy’s first two books were the New York Times bestselling Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! and More Din¬ers, Drive-ins and Dives: Another Drop-Top Culinary Cruise Through America’s Finest and Funkiest Joints.

Guy owns five restaurants in Northern Califor¬nia, including three Johnny Garlic’s and two Tex Wasabi’s, and resides in Northern California with his wife, Lori, and two boys, Hunter and Ryder.

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20 Must-Read Time Travel Books

Dana lives in East Haven, CT. She works for that Ivy League institution down the street and tries to read as many books as possible in her free time. Audiobooks and print books get equal love. Also, she unapologetically judges books by their covers and makes way too many playlists (c'mon, books need a soundtrack too!). Follow her on Twitter @lucyhenley115 .

View All posts by Dana Lee

Hear me out, there’s a sub-genre of sci-fi that that has a touch of anything you could ever want: time travel books. The best time travel books come in all packages: adventure, historical fiction, romance, social commentary, mystery, humor, poetry. It really has it all. So, if you can still recite the opening credits of Quantum Leap from memory, this list is for you. Enjoy these must-read time travel books.

Here and Now and Then  by Mike Chen

Kin is a time-traveling agent from the year 2142 who gets stuck in 1990s San Francisco after a botched mission, and his rescue team shows up 18 years too late after he’s already built a life for himself. Here and Now and Then has all those warm and fuzzy sci-fi feels with just the right amount of Doctor Who level angst . Kin dealing with the circumstances of time travel and the consequences it brings about is super compelling and emotional and so, so worthy of a Murray Gold score.

The Future of Another Timeline  by Annalee Newitz

In the world of Another Timeline , time travel has been around since forever in the form of a geologic phenomena known as the “Machines.” Tess belongs to a group called the Daughters of Harriett, determined to make the future better for women by editing the timeline at key moments in history. They run up against the misogynistic group called the Comstockers working towards the opposite goal. There’s time travel, murder, punk rock concerts, nerd references, and an edit war. As Newitz recently said in an extra of their podcast, Our Opinions Are Correct , history is a  “synthesis of good fuckery” and I can’t think of a better phrase to describe this book than that.

An Ocean of Minutes  by Thea Lim

There is a deadly flu pandemic in America. Polly’s boyfriend Frank gets sick and she signs up for a one-way ticket to the future to work off the cost of Frank’s cure. They agree to meet up in the future, but Polly is rerouted to a later time where America is divided and she has no connections and no money. This is a really gorgeously written and heart-wrenching story about time travel, dystopian society, the brutality of survival in an unfamiliar world, and a character study of a normal person dealing with it all.

Kindred  by Octavia Butler

Dana is an African American woman celebrating her birthday in 1976 California when she is pulled through time to Antebellum Maryland. She saves a young white boy named Rufus from drowning and finds herself staring down the barrel of his father’s rifle. She is pulled back to her present just in time to save her life, appearing back in her living room soaked and muddy. She is repeatedly pulled back to the past encountering the same young man.  Over the course of these harrowing episodes, Dana realizes her connection to Rufus and the challenge she is faced with. This is a brilliant, thought-provoking, and intense book that is required reading for so many reasons least of which is time travel.

Alice Payne Arrives  by Kate Heartfield

Alice Payne Arrives is a quick romp through time with some truly amazing female characters. Alice Payne is a half-black queer woman in 1788 England living in her father’s deteriorating mansion. She’s also a notorious masked highway robber and her partner is an inventor. Prudence is a professional time traveler from the 22nd century working fruitlessly to try and change one small event in 1884. The two women cross paths and work together to put Prudence’s plan to end time travel in motion. This novella packs a lot of action and time travel goodness and there’s a sequel called Alice Payne Rides . It also contains one of the realest lines of any of the time travel books I’ve read: “2016’s completely fucked.”

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe  by Charles Yu

Charles Yu is a time machine repairman searching for his missing father, “accompanied by TAMMY, an operating system with low self-esteem, and Ed, a nonexistent but ontologically valid dog.” He receives a book from his future self that could help him locate his father. The book is called How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe and he wrote it. Hi, this book is super cool, fun, clever, and weird in the best ways. It has the highest distinction I can give a sci-fi book and that is warm and fuzzy.

The Psychology of Time Travel  by Kate Mascarenhas

Four female scientists invent time travel in 1967. One of the scientists, Bee,  suffers a mental breakdown just before they’re about to go public with their findings. The other three exile Bee from the project to save face. Fifty years later time travel is a normal part of life and a huge business. It’s regulated by the Conclave, founded by three of the original scientists, which seeks to self govern all aspects of time travel. The Psychology of Time Travel  serves up time travel with a locked-door mystery and the payoff of alternating perspectives and timelines slowly coming together.

The River of No Return  by Bee Ridgeway

At the moment of his death on a Napoleonic battlefield, Lord Nicholas Falcott wakes up in the 21st century. He’s recruited by a time travel agency known as The Guild for training. Julia Percy lives in 1815 England and after the death of her grandfather seeks to find her place in a world where meddling with time is commonplace. There’s a whole lot going on here: romance, betrayal, double-agents, and drawing on emotion to facilitate time jumps, leading to my favorite line: “Though really they were probably both insane. Two grown men dressed up like Mr. Darcy, holding hands behind a tree, trying to pull themselves by the heart strings back to the long ago.”

This is How You Lose the Time War  by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Blue and Red are fighting on opposite sides of an endless time war. They begin to exchange letters on the battlefield, first as a boast, then as an exploration of friendship across enemy lines, and finally as a romance. I have previously described this as “poetic sci-fi realness.” I could be more professional and say that this is an epistolary work of rival agents forming a bond despite their opposition, but like I can’t okay. This book is so intricate and beautiful and the letters are not on paper, they could be in the dregs of a teacup or the rings of a tree, and I’m not crying you’re crying.

All Our Wrong Todays  by Elan Mastai

Tom is a misfit in a utopian world, and he goes back in time and accidentally screws up the future. This mishap leaves him stranded in our 2016, but what we think of as the real world is a dystopian wasteland to Tom. He eventually finds different versions of everything he knows and maybe even his soulmate. Tom has to decide whether to fix the timeline and bring back utopia or live in this new version of the world he’s created. Probably me as a time traveler, tbh.

The Fire Opal Mechanism by Fran Wilde

The Fire Opal Mechanism  is technically a sequel to The Jewel and Her Lapidary , but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone. Ania is a librarian at the last university desperately trying to save as many books as she can. All the other universities have fallen to the Pressman, an extremist group bent on destroying all the world’s books and replacing them with a generic, self-updating compendium available to everyone regardless of economic class. Jorit, branded a thief, is on the run just trying to survive long enough to afford passage on a ship away from all these problems. They team up and inadvertently discover time travel, but will it help them fix the present? This is really beautifully written, especially the passages about books: “Touching a book, for Ania, was like touching a person’s fingertips across the years. She could feel a pulse, a passion for the knowledge the book contained.”

The Silver Wind  by Nina Allan

The Silver Wind  is a series of stories linked by the character Martin Newland. Each story is like an alternate universe brought about by time machines and time travel. As Allan describes on her website : “While the overarching theme of this book might properly be found in Martin’s struggle with infinity, its individual chapters deal with those small acts of creative defiance that determine our transcendence of ordinary mortality.” A thoroughly thought-provoking déjà vu experience.

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon

Anne Gallagher travels to Ireland to scatter the ashes of her beloved grandfather. She is pulled back in time to the Ireland of 1921 and is mistaken as the long-lost mother of a young boy. She assumes this identity and is drawn into the lives of those around her and the political unrest of the time. It’s a historical romance perfect for fans of Outlander.

The Shining Girls  by Lauren Beukes

What if time travel fell into the hands of a criminal?  The Shining Girls  is the story of serial killer named Harper Curtis who stumbles upon an abandoned house in Depression-era Chicago that allows him to travel in time. He chooses his victims and visits them at different times of their lives before returning for the kill. Kirby survives Harper’s attack and, along with a former homicide reporter, tries to unravel the mystery before anyone else dies. This book is wild, W-I-L-D. There’s a lot of violence, so it might not be for everyone, but it’s such an interesting take on the time travel story.

Version Control  by Dexter Palmer

Set in the near-future, Rebecca works in the customer support department of the dating site where she met her husband Phillip. He is a scientist building a causality violation device (definitely not a time machine!). But Rebecca can’t help but feel that there’s something wrong with the present. So, this is kind of about living with technology and kind of about relationships and overcoming tragedy and also time travel. Intelligent and poignant but make it sci-fi.

How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler  by Ryan North

Starting out with an FAQ guide to your rented time machine, How to Invent Everything humorously goes through the history of well, everything. From how to determine what time period you have landed and are now stuck in to inventing language and electricity it’s a very Hitchhiker’s Guide -ish look at history presented as a guide for creating the things you’ll miss when you’re stranded in an earlier timeline than your own.

Time After Time  by Lisa Grunwald

It’s 1937 and Joe Reynolds is a hard-working railroad man at Grand Central Station. Nora Lansing is an aspiring artist and the last thing she remembers is her train crashing in 1925. They meet at the big clock and Joe walks Nora home, but she disappears in the street. She reappears one year later and meets Joe again. Realizing she’s jumping in time and trapped in Grand Central for mysterious reasons that might have something to do with Manhattanhenge, Nora and Joe try to unravel the mystery before she disappears again. For me this was a time travel books mashup of The Clock meets Kate & Leopold meets Gentleman in Moscow and I was very about it.

TimeKeeper  by Tara Sim

TimeKeeper takes place in an alternate Victorian world where time is controlled by clock towers. Danny is a young clock mechanic enamored with his new apprentice, who turns out to be the Enfield clock spirit, Colton. Bombings at other towers start to occur and broken clocks mean the towns they oversee will be frozen in time. The romance between Danny and Colton is very adorable and the race against literal time is an exciting backdrop. It’s the first in a trilogy.

Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick

If you’re a time travel fan then this sentence from the publisher’s summary is sure to get you excited, “World-renowned paleontologist Richard Leyster’s universe changed forever the day a stranger named Griffin walked into his office with a remarkable job offer…and an ice cooler containing the head of a freshly killed Stegosaurus.” Time travel allows a group of scientists to go back and study dinosaurs up close in their natural environment. If you are now humming the Jurassic Park theme, please know, So. Am. I.

Just One Damned Thing After Another (Chronicles of St. Mary’s) by Jodi Taylor

There is so much going on in this whirlwind adventure that if you blink you’ll miss a major plot point.  Just One Damned Thing After Another  is just the first book in a series of the adventures of St. Mary’s Institute of Historical Research as they rattle around through time trying to answer history’s unanswered questions. There are currently 11 books published and forthcoming and a ton of short stories that fill in the blanks between adventures. Taylor also has a spinoff time travel series, The Time Police, with the first book just out called Doing Time .  It follows three hapless new time police recruits as they try to keep the timeline straight.

Looking for more of the best time travel books? Check out these timey-wimey posts:

Time Travel Romances

7 of the Best Alternate Timeline Books

The Lack of Black Characters in Time Travel Romance

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A decade after his last book, Todd Selby has a new one. It’s all about creatives who, like he, now have kids.

Todd Selby became a phenomenon when he launched his website, The Selby , in 2008. He photographed interiors in a way that we hadn’t seen before; they were messy and un-zhuzhed: documents of how we really live. And they had a sense of humor. In 2010, he published first book, The Selby in Your Place , followed by Edible Selby (2012) and Fashionable Selby (2014). And then, nothing for a decade, until now, with the arrival of The Selby Comes Home this month from Abrams Books.

In its introduction, he recalls how he found his voice as a photographer in 2007, while taking a portrait of Tom Wolfe in his apartment: “On the desk in his study, he had a lamp with a hat on top of it. I was fascinated by that lamp. It said something about him that words could not describe. My portrait of Tom Wolfe was okay. But my photograph of Tom Wolfe’s lamp was spectacular. At least to me. I realized that people’s spaces and possessions have stories to tell, and all of my books can be traced back to this moment.”

So what has he been up to over the last decade since his last book? He started a production company making TV commercials and ad photoshoots. But like the 41 families from around the world he features in the book, he’s also been busy with creating, and raising, his own family.

“I have two kids; an 8-year-old and a 6-year-old,” he says when we spoke over Zoom. (He lives in Los Angeles.) “So basically once I had kids, I put the books on the shelf as you will, you know? Then it was time to get back out there and at that point my whole life had been transformed, as you can see, from the little ones” — here he points to bulletin board of his kid’s art on the wall behind him — “the children, so I thought that is really what I should do, something about families and homes, because I hadn’t really seen that.” When he had started doing photography, “it was always my nightmare to shoot kids,” he says, laughing. They just added to the chaos of a shoot. “It was like, Oh God, oh … I had to become better at my craft, and I think that challenge and being ready for that, the total unexpected, just going, and not knowing.”

But his photography was always more spontaneous-feeling than typical interior shoots, I remind him. “It’s true,” he says. “I was always unhinged, totally running around, no sign of a tripod!”

This book was the product of four years of research and two years of shooting. It exudes joy. An excerpt:

Bérénice Eveno and Serban Ionescu with Zélie and Azure in Brooklyn

“Bérénice and I built this apartment together, and it was parallel to us assembling our relationship,” says Ionescu.

“This place is like a metaphor for our relationship,” says designer Serban Ionescu . “Originally it was going to be my bachelor pad, and during that time I fell in love with Bear. By her second day here in the apartment, she was helping me put polyurethane on the bare pine floor. We had two children here, two home births. It’s changed as we changed.”

Their Brooklyn apartment lives on the border of Red Hook, Cobble Hill, and the Columbia Street Waterfront District. “It’s a small apartment, but there are always activities. We build things with blocks, clay, and paint. We love to draw. We love to play games and dance. I hope the kids will be inspired — all we can do is create a world where it feels like there’s always something 62 unique and exciting for them and for us.”

“We had children here, two home births. I gave up on my past in design, architecture, and more functional ideas up until I started making chairs, walls, and tables for the apartment. It arose again; I felt complete,” he says.

“We moved in fairly quickly, like we rushed in and discovered ourselves after. And the house started shaping us as we were shaping it. It is rare to find a space that you can sculpt as you are changing and evolving.”

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Salman Rushdie on coming to terms with the attempt on his life

P rolific author Salman Rushdie doesn't like to think about the man who almost stabbed him to death at a literary festival in Chautauqua, New York in August 2022.

In less than half a minute, Rushdie was stabbed and slashed in the face, neck, chest, abdomen, thigh and hand. He lost an eye in the attack and is still adjusting to the change. Rushdie doesn't use his attacker's name and it doesn't appear in his newest book, "Knife," hitting bookshelves Tuesday.

"He and I had 27 seconds together, you know? That's it," Rushdie, now 76, told 60 Minutes correspondent Anderson Cooper. "I don't need to give him any more of my time."

"Knife," Rushdie's 22nd book, is one he initially did not want to write. The book, however, felt unavoidable, and it became an opportunity for Rushdie to come to terms with the attack. 

"I need to focus on, you know, to use the cliché, the elephant in the room," Rushdie said. "And the moment I thought that, kinda something changed in my head. And it then became a book I really very much wanted to write."

Rushdie's previous brushes with death

For years, no place was safe for Salman Rushdie, whose sprawling 600-page novel "The Satanic Verses" offended some Muslims for its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. Iran's then-Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa—a religious decree— calling for Rushdie's death in 1989. There were worldwide protests from London to Lahore. "The Satanic Verses" was burned and 12 people died in violent clashes with police. The book's Japanese translator was murdered, and others associated with the tome were attacked.

Rushdie had no idea then that his book would lead to such a violent backlash. 

"I thought probably some conservative religious people wouldn't like it. But they didn't like anything I wrote anyway," he said. "So I thought, 'Well, they don't have to read it.'"

Rushdie, who was born in India, was living in London when he went into hiding to evade the assassins sent to kill him. The British government provided him with 24-hour police protection for 10 years. Over that period, Rushdie said there were as many as half a dozen serious assassination attempts from state-sponsored terrorism professionals.

The Iranian state called off its assassins in 1998 after diplomatic negotiations, but the bounty on his head remained.

What happened during the attack

Rushdie moved to New York in the early 2000s and for the next two decades lived openly. He continued writing and publishing books and became a celebrated advocate for freedom of expression. 

In 2022, Rushdie was invited to speak at a literary festival in Chautauqua, New York about a subject he knows all too well: the importance of protecting writers whose lives are under threat. 

Two days before the event, Rushdie had a dream in which he was being attacked, what he calls "a premonition."

"And it was just somebody with a spear stabbing downwards, and I was rolling around on the floor trying to get away from him," Rushdie said. "And I woke up and was quite shaken by it."

Rushdie almost pulled out of going to Chautauqua, but brushed off his concerns as he'd presented at many events in his years living in America. Rushdie hadn't had security detail in a long time, but the venues he spoke at usually had venue security. In this case, he said, there wasn't any.

Rushdie was seated at stage right before the attack, and writes about what happened next in his book "Knife."

"Then, in the corner of my right eye — the last thing my right eye would ever see — I saw the man in black running towards me down the right-hand side of the seating area," Rushdie writes. 

He describes his attacker as a "squat missile" wearing black clothes and a black mask.

"I confess, I had sometimes imagined my assassin rising up in some public forum or other, and coming for me in just this way." Rushdie writes. "So my first thought when I saw this murderous shape rushing towards me was, 'So it's you. Here you are.'"

Rushdie didn't see the knife and thought, at first, that he'd just been punched. Then he saw the blood. 

"I think he was just wildly, you know, flailing around," Rushdie said about his attacker. 

Rushdie doesn't remember being stabbed in the eye. 

"I remember falling. Then I remember not knowing what had happened to my eye ," Rushdie said. 

The attack lasted 27 seconds.

"That's quite a long time," Rushdie said. "That's the extraordinary half-minute of intimacy, you know, in which life meets death."

Rushdie's attacker was a 24-year-old Muslim man from New Jersey who lived in his mother's basement. He's believed to be a lone wolf. He has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and is awaiting trial.

In an interview, he told the "New York Post" he'd only read a couple of pages of "The Satanic Verses" and seen some clips of Rushdie on YouTube. He said he "didn't like him very much" because Rushdie had "attacked Islam." 

His motive remains something of a mystery to Rushdie, who feels that if he'd written a character who knew so little about his proposed victim, his publishers would tell him the character was "under-motivated."

Aftermath of the attack on Rushdie

Audience members pulled the attacker off Rushdie while others desperately tried to stem the flow of his blood.

"I remember thinking that I was probably dying. And it was interesting because it was quite matter of fact…It wasn't, it wasn't like I was terrified of it or whatever," Rushdie said.

Rushdie's near-death experience hasn't left him with any revelations about what comes after death, "except that there's no revelation to be had."

Paramedics flew Rushdie to a hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, 40 miles away, where a team of doctors battled for eight hours to save his life. When he finally came out of surgery, his wife Eliza Griffiths, a poet and novelist, was waiting.

"He was a different color. He was cold," she said. "His face was stapled. Just staples holding his face together."

Rushdie was on a ventilator, unable to speak. After 18 days in the hospital and three weeks in rehab, Rushdie was discharged. One of the surgeons told Rushdie he was both really unlucky and really lucky. 

"I said, 'What's the lucky part?' And he said, 'Well, the lucky part is that the man who attacked you had no idea how to kill a man with a knife," Rushdie said.

Have brushes with death changed Rushdie?

After "The Satanic Verses" was published, Rushdie felt the only thing people knew about him was the death threat against him and he doesn't want the 2022 attack to be yet another defining incident.

For Rushdie, the worst part of the attack two years ago beyond the physical wounds, was the feeling of being dragged into the past.  

"That sense of time warp, you know, of being dragged into a narrative that I thought had concluded," he said, "and then it turned out had not."

While Rushdie was attacked with a physical knife, he fought back with one that's more metaphorical: his writing. Rushdie thought he could use his book to take charge of what happened to him. 

"I mean, language is a way of breaking open the world," Rushdie said. "I don't have any other weapons."

He says he feels the presence of death more than he did before.

"I think that shadow is just there," Rushdie said. "And some days it's dark and some days it's not."

Almost 25 years ago, Rushdie, addressing the fatwa, said that he wanted to find an "and to this story. It is the one story I must find an end to." He thought he had found that ending until he was attacked in 2022.

"I'm hoping this is just a last twitch of that story," he said. "I don't know. I'll let you know."

Airfare shouldn’t spike again this summer, but don’t expect steep discounts either

After a volatile few years for airfare, prices this summer should be a bit more steady thanks to stabilizing supply and demand, experts say.

In fact, whether you're planning to fly within the U.S. or internationally, you may have better luck finding a good deal than you did a year or two ago.

At the same time, those hoping for smaller crowds at airports and tourist hot spots may be waiting awhile, as all signs point to another busy summer travel season — both at U.S. airports and overseas.

Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free biweekly Aviation newsletter .

'Roller coaster' may be subsiding

Domestic airfare has been on something of a roller coaster ever since the start of the coronavirus pandemic more than four years ago.

In 2020 and early 2021, fares dropped as airports emptied out, with travelers staying home. Then, prices surged as demand, fuel costs and overall inflation did the same in 2022. At the same time, demand from travelers exceeded the supply — of flights and seats — airlines could offer.

But if you found yourself booking a trip late last year to North America's most popular leisure destinations like Orlando, Las Vegas or Cancun, Mexico, you may have found a bargain.

In fact, airlines added so many flights to those cities and some others — too many, in the eyes of some industry analysts — that competition drove fares down , prompting some carriers (like Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines) to pivot in recent months, shifting planes to other parts of the country in search of higher profits.

Will flights be cheaper this summer?

When it comes to the domestic airfare picture this summer, how does a little stability sound?

"We expect summer 2024 to be similar to last year in terms of demand and pricing," Hayley Berg, lead economist at booking app Hopper, told TPG.

Domestic airfare

Average domestic, round-trip airfare for June currently sits at roughly $303, Hopper noted in its most recent consumer travel index published last week. Average round-trip routes are trending lower for July ($282) and August ($267).

In keeping with recent months' trends, you may be able to score an even cheaper deal if you're headed to Walt Disney World or South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, or if you're planning to take advantage of Marriott Bonvoy's growing presence along the Las Vegas Strip.

"Current airfare as of this week to Orlando, Miami, Las Vegas and most other top domestic destinations remains lower than at this time last year, and in 2022," Berg said.

Don't expect summer 2024 fares to drop significantly, either

At the same time, ultra-cheap fares to Orlando or Las Vegas are of little help if you're planning a trip to, say, Chicago or Seattle.

To that end, when taking the whole country into account, experts don't expect overall fares to drop much more, either — at least not significantly. Again, the expectation is that fares will generally stay fairly consistent from last summer, although that can certainly vary from one destination to another.

Part of that stability comes from airline capacity.

Numerous airlines are growing their flight schedules, but at a much slower pace than they did in the first years after the height of the pandemic.

Collectively, airlines this June, July and August will offer a modest 6% more seats on domestic flights versus last summer, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

For perspective, domestic seats grew about 15% from 2021 to 2023.

"We shouldn't expect a significant reduction in [fares] this summer as airlines both manage capacity and also have to work their way through issues of aircraft availability in some cases," said John Grant, analyst at travel data firm OAG.

To his point, some airlines would love to add more flights but can't. Aircraft delivery delays, engine problems and air traffic control shortages could limit more significant growth.

That could prevent the overall supply and demand equation from tilting too much further in customers' favor. After all, consumers benefit when supply (flights and seats, in the case of air travel) solidly exceeds demand.

Also a factor in capping stronger growth: Hundreds of regional jets remain parked amid a still-festering pilot shortage that's continued to limit flights at many of the nation's smallest airports.

Broader trends encouraging for consumers

Still, bigger-picture signs do point in an encouraging direction for consumers with respect to airfare.

Adjusted for inflation, the cost of airfare is as low as it's been in recent memory, Scott Keyes, founder and cheap flight expert at Going.com , pointed out in a post last week on the social platform X.

"By historical standards, we are living in the golden age of cheap flights," Keyes wrote, citing March Federal Reserve data, noting that inflation-adjusted airfare is around 33% cheaper than it was a decade ago.

How expensive will summer 2024 international flights be?

There's also promising news for travelers hoping to plan an overseas trip for this summer.

Round-trip airfare to several of the most popular European destinations has dropped since last year , according to data from FCM and Corporate Traveler, the flagship business travel divisions of Flight Centre Travel Group, shared exclusively with TPG.

The first three months of 2024 featured round-trip price drops of roughly 12% to the United Kingdom and France versus last year. Fares to Spain were also down 9%, while those to Italy were down nearly 4%. Not to mention, there was a 6.5% drop for transpacific flights to Japan.

As usual, prices over the summer will surely be more expensive than the lower-demand winter months. However, the overall trends this year point in a positive direction for consumers, Berg said — particularly after a couple of expensive summers for international flying.

"For travelers priced out of Europe in 2023, you may be in luck for a 2024 trip," Berg said. "Prices to Europe are down [roughly] 10% compared to this time last year already."

Collectively, seats to Europe on the "Big Three" U.S. carriers — American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines — this June, July and August will be up roughly 13% from 2019, Cirium data shows — though the vast majority of that growth is aboard two airlines: Delta and, most significantly, United.

Another busy summer expected

Wherever you're flying, all signs point to another busy summer at U.S. airports.

So far in 2024, Transportation Security Administration checkpoints have seen passenger traffic up about 6% from this time last year, according to data analyzed by TPG.

On March 28, the Thursday leading into Easter weekend, the TSA recorded its 10th busiest day of all time. That follows all-time single-day passenger traffic records broken on two occasions last year.

Meanwhile, U.S. Customs and Border Protection received an unprecedented crush of Global Entry applications in February, a top program official told TPG this month — far exceeding the record rate of applications witnessed in 2023.

Airlines have similarly noted the intense desire to travel witnessed since 2022 hasn't waned in 2024.

"Everything we see from a bookings perspective is solid now," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said at an industry conference in March. "I do think that this is a trend that we will continue to see long into the future."

"Consumer demand is robust and premium trends remain strong," Delta president Glen Hauenstein echoed on the carrier's first-quarter earnings call last week.

Finding the cheapest summer 2024 airfare

Here are some things to consider if you're planning to book a flight this summer.

Search using Google Flights, but book directly with the airline

Unless you're in hot pursuit of elite status on a particular airline, using Google Flights to search fares across a broad list of airlines will help you find the cheapest fares. And don't limit yourself: search as many airlines, airports and dates as your schedule and travel preferences allow.

Then, your best bet is typically to go and book the trip directly with your airline of choice.

Tip: Don't forget to check Southwest.

Southwest Airlines itineraries don't populate in Google Flights, so you'll need to check that carrier's website separately.

Though our guide to finding the cheapest airfare gets more specific on how early you should book domestic and international flights, your best bet is, generally, to book as early as possible.

That's especially true if you're booking an international trip.

Tip: Cancel and rebook if you find a better deal.

Remember, the larger carriers' main cabin fares typically allow you to cancel a flight and, at a minimum, retain the difference in airline credit. That means that if you book early and later realize the price dropped, you can often cancel your trip and rebook at the lower price point.

This is also true (even more so, in fact) for award flights booked using airline miles . Most loyalty programs will redeposit your miles and refund taxes and fees if you need to cancel, which can help you get a better redemption if the points price drops after you book.

Travel in shoulder season

If your schedule allows you to travel close to, but not in, the peak summer months, do it.

"For the best deals, plan to travel in May or September when prices will be lowest for bucket list trips," Berg said.

Tip: Be ready to plan a fall trip, too.

Last year, we saw numerous airfare deals pop up toward the end of summer, and those prices lasted through the autumn months.

Enroll in Global Entry now (but wait for the kids)

Global Entry application fees are set to jump from $100 to $120 for a five-year membership in October.

So, if you're an adult applicant, now is the time to apply before the price increases. Keep in mind that several travel credit cards have historically come with perks that include reimbursing the cardholder's $100 application fee. Citi just announced two of its cards will fully reimburse the higher $120 fee as of October.

One bit of good news is that kids of Global Entry members or applicants can join for free as of Oct. 1. Because of this, it may be best to hold off on enrolling your kids who are younger than 18 until fall.

Tip: Use Mobile Passport Control for non-members.

If you're not a frequent international traveler or are holding off on enrolling kids for Global Entry, CBP has a free time-saving option for non-Global Entry members you'll want to consider.

The Mobile Passport Control app makes it possible to handle a good portion of your customs requirements on your smartphone before deplaning so you can head to a shorter line at passport control.

The app has been around for years but is used by far too few travelers, said Marc Calixte, CBP's area port director for the area port of Washington, D.C.

"It's not Global Entry," he said, "but it's pretty close. And it's free."

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MSC Cruises' Latest Sale Has Voyages Starting at $179 — When to Book

The sale is running until April 18.

Courtesy of MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises is offering monumental savings on sailings to warm weather destinations starting at less than $200 per person.

The sale, which was extended and must be booked by April 18, offers cruises starting at just $179 per person, according to MSC. The sale rate is based on double occupancy and does not include the taxes, fees, or port expenses.

Travelers who take advantage of this deeply-discounted rate can sail on three and four night journeys from Miami for just $179, or from Orlando starting at just $189, MSC shared with Travel + Leisure .

“It’s a great opportunity, whether you’re curious about cruising for the first time or you’re an avid cruiser looking to book your next sailing,” Koreen McNutt, the senior vice president and commercial sales officer for MSC Cruises USA, told T+L. “These quick getaways let guests discover everything we have to offer from world-class onboard entertainment and outstanding family programming to a variety of delicious dining venues and wonderful amenities. Plus, these short cruises all visit our private island in The Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, with beautiful white-sand beaches and pristine water brimming with vibrant marine life.” 

The sale also includes MSC’s cruises from Galveston , which the company plans to introduce as its newest homeport in the United States in 2025. The cruise line expects to sail 7-night trips to Mexico and Central America on the MSC Seascape out of Galveston, which start at just $459 per person during the sale.

In addition, MSC is offering savings on its newest ship, the MSC World America , which the company plans to launch next year complete with a thrilling over-water swing ride, 13 different restaurants, an 11-deck-high dry slide, and more. Cruises on this ship start at just $649 per person as part of the sale.

“Cruising offers an unbeatable value proposition for vacations and we’re offering more itinerary options from a larger selection of embarkation ports than ever before, which makes it even easier for more people to discover what MSC Cruises is all about,” McNutt added.

Beyond the cruise fare, MSC is offering the option for travelers to add a drink package and Wi-FI to their booking starting at just $329.

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Frugal Traveler

To Protect Your Miles, Be Careful How You Book

American Airlines recently announced new restrictions on point allocation based on how you book a flight. What does that mean for loyalty members?

By Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist, focusing on budget-friendly tips and journeys.

Earlier this month, American Airlines announced that beginning May 1, it will require travelers to book directly with the airline, partner airlines or “preferred travel agencies” in order to receive points in its loyalty program.

The unprecedented move confused many travelers eager to protect their mileage currency, prompting posts like this one on X: “@AmericanAir your news about earning miles/loyalty points is a bit concerning — we’re loyal to you no matter who we book through!”

In an email, a representative of the airline said that the approved list of travel agencies would not be published until April.

While there is much to be determined about the new policy, a battle for customers between the airline and third-party ticket sellers, which includes online travel agencies like Orbitz, has emerged. Here’s what travelers should know before booking their next flight.

What are the new points rules at American?

Currently, the biggest domestic carriers — including Delta Air Lines , United Airlines , Southwest Airlines and American — award points and miles to members of their loyalty programs on most tickets regardless of where they are sold.

American’s new rules state that in order to receive miles and points, travelers must book through its website, a Oneworld partner airline or approved travel agencies (with exceptions for those enrolled in its business program, which targets small companies, or with a corporate contract).

Also beginning May 1, fliers booking basic economy fares, the airline’s cheapest fares, may only earn points by booking through American’s website or its airline partners.

What’s behind the switch?

According to analysts, this is largely a behind-the-scenes fight over technology.

Travel agencies have long used distribution systems like Sabre and Amadeus to sell airline tickets. But many airlines are interested in using an emerging channel developed by the International Air Transport Association called New Distribution Capability . It offers airlines a more direct means of communicating with passengers, whom they can target with personalized fares or bundled offers not available in the traditional systems, providing opportunities to sell more services.

The “preferred” agencies that American said it will announce in April will be those making a substantial number of bookings on the new platform.

“American is dead set on being a more efficient airline and reducing its cost of sales, so they have issued this new edict and travel agents who choose not to follow along will find themselves on the losing end of the battle,” said Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and the founder of the Atmosphere Research Group.

Many travel agents object to the speed of adopting a technology they say still has bugs. In a recent letter to the 18,000 member agencies of the American Society of Travel Advisors , the president and chief executive of the trade organization Zane Kerby called it “an underdeveloped technology,” with “basic servicing” issues that include problems with cancellations, booking multiple people on the same itinerary and rebooking.

Mr. Kerby cited a heightened risk to most business travelers using external agencies to make their bookings. “It feels like American Airlines is disenfranchising or willing to disenfranchise its most profitable and lucrative segment, which is the frequent business traveler,” he said.

In American’s new requirement that basic economy fliers book directly with the airline to earn miles, Brian Sumers, who writes the Airline Observer newsletter, sees a play for greater loyalty from thrifty travelers at a time when many airlines have abandoned them. Delta , for instance, no longer awards points to its basic economy passengers. United restricts basic economy fliers to one personal item carried aboard when flying domestically.

American wants those basic economy passengers, Mr. Sumers said. “The end goal is to get people so excited about having AAdvantage points and using them all the time, because that’s where they’re making money.”

How should I book to ensure I’m awarded miles for American flights?

If you are accustomed to booking online with the airline directly, earning miles is not endangered.

If you use a travel agency, including online sites like Expedia or Orbitz, check the list of approved agencies when it is published in April.

But even for travelers who are accustomed to D.I.Y. bookings, the new American policy poses some threat to earning miles. If you use a travel agent to plan a more complicated trip — say, an African safari or a trek to Machu Picchu in Peru — make sure the agent is approved by American or be prepared to make the booking yourself to earn miles.

“American is counting on the fact that travelers engaged with AAdvantage will want to remain engaged, so that if their travel agent is not onboard, the customer will find a different travel agent or opt to book directly,” Mr. Harteveldt said.

Will other airlines follow suit?

Experts say commercial aviation is a copycat industry; if a policy is successful, others are likely to follow. But it may not happen quickly in this case.

“There are some very expensive tickets that go through using the older system,” Mr. Sumers said, describing other airlines as “taking a watch-and-wait approach” to see if any defections from former American customers boost their business.

“By no means has this play reached its conclusions,” Mr. Harteveldt said. “We are in the first part of the first act.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .