A Novel Way to Find Travel Inspiration

If I have the chance to sit quietly for an hour and read, I’ll take it. Reading is one of my favorite things to do and I love reading books by travel writers or destinations that I am interested in visiting. It doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or nonfiction, reading about the destination, the culture, the people, the history is such a fun way to prepare for a trip. And I often seek out books about a particular destination after I’ve been there - I love being able to revisit my own travel experience or dive deeper into something I learned while traveling.

Let yourself be inspired by one of these books! If you’re thinking about a specific destination for travel in 2024 (or 2025) or if you’re just looking for a good book to read as the weather gets cooler, take a peek through the selection below. There were so many to share I couldn't fit them all in! 

And if you’re not much of a reader, you’ll be pleased to know that many of the suggestions below have been turned into movies or TV shows…or you can always opt for an audiobook!

ASIA

Korea

Pachinko by Minh Jin Lee

Spanning several decades, the novel delves into themes of identity, discrimination, and resilience. The story begins in the early 20th century with Sunja, a young woman who becomes pregnant by a wealthy married man, leading her to marry a young minister who offers her a chance at a new life in Japan. The novel traces the family's struggles and triumphs as they grapple with their Korean heritage in an often-hostile Japanese society. Through its rich character development and historical context, Pachinko explores the enduring human spirit in the face of adversity, making it a compelling and emotionally resonant read.

Vietnam

The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguen

The follow up to Nguyen’s debut novel, the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Sympathizer, is a gripping sequel. Set in the 1980s, it continues the journey of the anonymous narrator, a conflicted communist spy and double agent, as he flees to Paris. The story delves into themes of identity, politics, and the immigrant experience as the protagonist becomes embroiled in the Parisian underworld and the drug trade. Nguyen's sharp prose and dark humor explore the complexities of post-colonialism and cultural displacement. The Committed is a thought-provoking exploration of personal and political struggles, offering a deep and nuanced look at the enduring impact of war and didactic ideology.

Thailand

Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad

This is a favorite of mine! I stumbled upon it after I came home from traveling through SE Asia. Sudbanthad’s story follows various characters, from a missionary doctor in the 19th century to teenagers negotiating the city’s flooded future. These narratives are linked by a common thread of urban transformation, love, loss, and the enduring spirit of Bangkok. The novel paints a vivid portrait of the city's evolution and the emotional landscapes of its inhabitants, showcasing the city as a dynamic, living entity. Sudbanthad's poetic prose invites readers to explore the rich tapestry of Bangkok's past, present, and imagined future.

EUROPE

Italy

Pasta Pane Vino by Matt Goulding

A must-read for any foodie visiting Italy. Goulding guides you through Italy with the stories of regional Italian foods, traditional dishes, and the artisans and Nonas who prepare them.

His descriptions transport you to Italy through taste and smell, delighting the senses through words. You will visit everywhere from Lake Como to Sicily, Blogona, Rome, Puglia, Sardinia, and more. You will stretch pizza and mozzarella, meet the medicine man, and learn to drink like an Italian.

Perhaps even more importantly, this book is filled with helpful tips and things you need to know before you visit Italy. You’ll learn the Italian restaurant, trattoria, and osteria hierarchy, tips for visiting the markets, and valuable food culture norms.

Greece

Circe by Madeline Miller

This is a really cool read if you’d like to dive into Greek mythology, but written in a very accessible and modern way. Circe is the retelling of the life of the book’s namesake, Circe. Most of us only know her as the witch on the island that Odysseus visited who turned sailors into pigs. But Miller gives her a much larger role in Greek mythology than just that. As the daughter of Helios, the mightiest of the Titans, Circe is destined to live an extraordinary but difficult life. After Zeus banishes her to a remote island, Circe hones her skill in witchcraft and crosses paths with some of the most famous figures in Greek mythology – the Minotaur, Daedalus and his son Icarus, and, of course, Odysseus.

As a lone woman who stands against the wrath of the gods and refuses to conform to their will, Circe constantly finds herself having to make difficult choices to protect what she cares about. Madeline Miller’s story is beautiful, moving, and unlike any other retelling done before.

SOUTH AMERICA

Colombia

The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Juan Gabriel Vásquez is one of Colombia’s thriving current generation of writers. This is his third novel and it tells the story of a crumbling Bogotá in the 1990s. The city suffered the consequences of the drug wars, which touched everyone’s lives, even if they were not personally involved with the drug trade and neither were their families. Vásquez explores the complexity of this situation from a very personal perspective: he explains that this book takes him back to when he was growing up, back to many of the things he himself lived in in the capital city.

If you want context about the Colombian drug war and to understand the consequences that touched every single life in the country, skip Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar and read this one instead.

Chile

Love Poems by Pablo Neruda

I first fell in love with this book in a poetry class in college and love to pull it off the shelf every once in a while. 

Neruda's love poems, like many of his works, explore all forms of love from the romantic to the love of nature and humanity. He often compares the intensity of love to the beauty and vitality of nature, drawing parallels between human emotions and the rhythms of the natural environment. Through these comparisons, he expresses the interconnectedness of love, humanity, and the larger world. His reflections on the complexities of relationships, vulnerability, longing, loss, and the transient nature of romantic connections is inextricably relatable. The reader is often left with a deeper understanding of love as a collective human experience.