Reading List to Make You Say, Damn, I LOVE Travel!

Are you looking for travel inspiration? Settle in and be inspired as you discover my favourite travel books.

Maybe my favourite travel books will become yours too; maybe they’ll provide travel inspiration; maybe they’ll just entertain you. There’s a mix of fiction and non-fiction, but without doubt, each of them has inspired my love for travel in some new way. So, in no particular order… get a cup of your favourite beverage and snuggle in for the ride.

Travel Books 1.

A Thousand New Beginnings, by Kristen Addis

This autobiographical book holds a special place in my heart. It was the start of my journey into experiencing solo travel, which led to this blog and the life I now live. Kristen takes us on her first solo travel adventure, across Asia with a brief hiatus in Australia (spoiler alert – it was a boy that caused the hiatus. It’s always a boy!) Her descriptions and joy in her travels oozes from the pages. In her 20’s at the time, Kristen went onto build the globally renowned ‘Be My Travel Muse Blog,’ which I discovered as a result of reading her book. I would recommend any woman contemplating dipping their toe into solo travel for the first time to visit her blog: it has so much information and experience to offer. Check it out at https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/

Travel Books 2.

The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, by Peter Frankopan

When you read that this book is non-fiction and is a detailed history of the ancient network of roads linking West to the East, you might be forgiven for thinking it sounds a bit dry. You would be wrong though! Frankopan takes us on a fascinating journey that tells us of the rise and fall of empires, the ….. exchange of ideas and education took place and where religions were born. Although it is a big book, it is totally worth getting stuck into.  I found myself having maps open on Google to trace the modern day equivalent of cities and regions he was discussing, and I learned so much.  It inspired me to put a Silk Road trip high on my bucket list. I bet it will do the same for you.

Travel Books 3.

Can We Live Here? by Sarah Alderson

I love Sarah Alderton’s writing style, you will feel as if a friend is telling you amazing travel stories of their quest to find the perfect place they could settle and live. Plot spoiler, they end up in Bali. This was another early travel memoir that I read. Her journey was therefore, also instrumental in me starting to believe that I could explore the world on my own. I am totally confident that you will be entertained and inspired by the travels of Sarah and her family. Maybe her travel writing will inspire you to do a world trip?

Travel books 4.

Summer at Willow Lake, by Susan Wiggs

The Lakeshore Chronicles series is not a travel book, it’s fiction, set in a small, fictional New England town. However, I fell in love with the setting so much. It suggests that idyllic small town life is there to be experienced by newcomers moving into the town. There is always love and community spirit and happy ever afters 🙂 Susan Wigg’s series has put New York State on my radar to visit, alongside New England, when I eventually make it to the US of A. I defy you not to feel the same!

Travel Books 5.

Wild Women and their Amazing Adventures over Land, Sea & Air, ed. Mariella Frostrup

This book is an anthology of extracts from journals and travel book. It inspires us with travel adventures, not only from women in recent times, but reaching back to as long ago as the 1700’s. These women explorers escaped from stifling societal expectations to forge their own paths. From Aloah Wanderwell, (what a fabulous name!) who, whilst still a teenager, drove a car across 75 countries! To Lady Hester Stanhope who, in 1809, fled a scandalous love affair by moving to the Middle East, wearing male clothing and becoming mistaken for royalty. These women will fill you with awe at their bravery.

Travel Books 6.

The Backpacking Housewife, Jane Horton

If you are looking for an easy read, with such a feel good vibe, then The Backpacking Housewife is for you. Initially, I was a bit sceptical about it, it looks very ‘chick-lit’ but I am soooo glad I gave it a go. Jane Horton completely drew me into her story. It’s a classic searching for who we are story following dealing with a crisis in your life. The female protagonist Lorraine, heads off to Thailand following a betrayal by her husband. Expect laughs, soul searching and most of all a happy ending for Lorraine.

Travel Books 7.

This Book Belongs To, Nick Levy

This was my favourite travel book from last year. I absolutely LOVE this book. I only read it the other week, so am still super enthusiastic about it. The female protagonist has gone off to explore South America. One of her first nights she discovers a copy of a Rough Guide that has annotations in by the previous owner. Thinking she is writing to a women, she emails to say how helpful she is finding the extra notes. I won’t plot spoil this one, but suffice to say everyone has a happy ever after. This is the kind of book that sucks you right in and you want to just carry on reading about the characters’ lives. (Or maybe that’s just me!). This is the travel book for you if you are looking for travel inspiration for South America.

Travel Books 8.

Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found, Cheryl Strayed

Wild is a famous book these days after being made into a film starring Reese Witherspoon. I first read Wild a long time ago, pre-film, when I was still reeling from an unexpected and brutal divorced. I wanted nothing more to run off and have nothing else to think of than just walking every day. Cheryl Strayed visited out local bookshop and I was so in awe, I couldn’t even bring myself to talk to her. She definitely began my interest into long distance and through hiking. I haven’t done one yet, but I will… Strayed is open and vulnerable about her reasons for hiking and the impact it had on her. I found this book profound and moving, I hope you will too.

Travel books 9.

First They Killed my Father, Loung Ung

This is a difficult book to read, but an important one, especially if you are planning a visit to Vietnam. It is an autobiographical account of what happened to one family when Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge army stormed into Phnom Penh in April 1975. Loung Ung’s family fled their home and were eventually forced to disperse to survive. Ung was trained as a child soldier, while her brothers and sisters were sent to labour camps. The surviving siblings were only finally reunited after the Vietnamese penetrated Cambodia and started to destroy the Khmer Rouge. The book gives a first hand account of what it was like to grow up under the Khmer Rouge regime.

Travel Books 10.

Walking to the End of the World: a thousand miles on the Camino de Santiage, Beth Jusino

If you’re in search of a little travel inspiration, this record of walking the Camino might just be what you are looking for. I’ve been just a little obsessed with the Camino de Santiago ever since I discovered it. It seemed a much more manageable hike that the Pacific Crest Trail – only 500miles instead of a mammoth 2,653 miles! And it has hostels or Alburges along the way for weary pilgrims. So no having to carry tents and `camping gear with me – another massive bonus! There are many routs to Santiago, but this book follows the most popular: The Way of St James. Whilst Beth doesn’t walk as a solo female 9she is in the company of her husband) it is still a compelling account of the experience. For anyone who has been thinking about tackling the Camino, this book is an excellent resource.

Travel Books 11.

How not to Travel the World: Adventures of a disaster-prone backpacker, Lauren Juliff

I love Lauren Juliff’s Blog: https://www.neverendingfootsteps.com/ so much so that I joined her Patreon. Lauren is so open and honest about her struggles with anxiety, her seemingly never ending disasters (be honest, do you know anyone who has actualiy been anywhere near a tidal wave?!) and her initial struggles with food. Yet she has now been travelling and living a nomadic life for 10 years, and on top of this met the love of her life. So when she released her travel book, I knew I had to read it and she didn’t disappoint. I’m confident you will fall in love with Lauren and her adventures, just as I did.

Travel Books 12.

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at large in the world, Rita Golden Gelman

Tales of Female Nomad is now a classic solo female travel text, it must be the most famous of all the solo female travel books. Rita became a nomad in 1986 and has a style of travel that immerses her in the culture of the local people she stays with. Fascinating to read, yet I don’t feel I could travel in her way, I’m way too self-conscious and struggle with conversations with people I don’t know – hopefully travelling more will help me lose some of these anxieties. Reading about someone who approaches travel so differently though was eye-opening and inspiring. This is a book all female travellers should read at some point.

Travel Books 13.

A Year in the World: Journeys of a passionate traveler, Frances Mayes

Travel inspiration around EuropeFrances Mayes is a travel writer in the true sense, in that her words transport you to wherever she is. Her descriptions bring places to life, so much so that you can literally feel the sun scorching you as she explores Seville. The premise of this book is that she spends the year moving across and living in different counties. She begins in Andalucía in Spring, moves onto Portugal, Italy, Morocco, Greece and Scotland (amongst others).

Mayes’ prose made me decide that I wanted to visit Seville and Andalucía for my 50th – unfortunately Covid had other ideas, but I will be there soon. I need to smell the oranges for myself, enjoy evenings drifting between bars drinking red wine and nibbling on Tapas and explore the famous palaces and churches. I am 100% sure she will both transport you to her location and make you decide you must visit at least one of the places she visits.

Travel Books 14.

Around the World in 80 Trains: a 45,000 mile adventure, Monisha Rajesh

Do you like to travel by train? I absolutely love it. It’s so much more relaxing than driving, you get all the views and sometimes yo can even sleep on them overnight and arrive somewhere completely new by the dawn light. Monisha obviously loves trains too as she embarks on an amitious 7 month expedition to circumnavigate the world. I love Monisha’s style of writing, her dry humour and her exquisite prose. This is a good one. I bet at least one of you is tempted to try and recreate Monisha’s journey on reading this book. If you enjoy this then Monisha has written other travel books you can check out.

Travel Books 15.

Wild Swans, Jung Chang

Wild Swans is the account of 3 generations of Chinese women who live before and during the Communist Revolution. Chang’s grandmother was given to a warlord as a concubine and had her feet bound. Chang’s mother had roles within the Communist party and Chang herself, who eventually made her home in the West. This book, which covers China’s history of the twentieth century, has sold over 13 million copies. It is at times deeply disturbing, but throughout we see the strength of the women and the family to cope.

Bonus pick: travel books for travel inspiration winner- All the DK travel Guides

My favourite travel books for browsing and dreaming about travel are the DK Eyewitness Guides. The colour pictures, the detail about the history of the country, the city walks it recommends, all help me to immediately fall in love with whichever country I am reading about. My library travel section has been scoured for so many of these and may have to admit to owning more than a few.

I hope at least one of these travel books has helped with some travel inspiration.

Let me know in the comments below if you also love any of these books, or which travel books you would recommend I check out next.

Love this Post? Save for later

Love this post?

Read more informative travel related blog posts here.

Like the recommendations? Save for later