Lazily sitting on a beach and reading few gripping novels in your beach bag… curled up on an airplane with clouds out the window and a good story in your lap. I love reading while traveling – these days, it’s some of the only times I get a chance to read a good book. Life these days is all go-go-go, but there is a lot of downtime on a trip, and that’s when I get to tackle books on my reading list! These are 10 good books to read while traveling this year (that aren’t Eat, Pray, Love lolz.)
Your reading style may be different from mine, but my favorite types of books to read while traveling are mysteries that grip me, quicker reads or light fantasy novels. Skip the heavy Pulitzer Prize novels, Vladimir Nabokov scripts and the prize winning nonfiction books for another time. Vacation is all about not making your head hurt too much, am I right? Plus, it sucks starting a book on a trip and not being able to finish it before that trip is over. A good travel book is hard to find, so I hunted for you! These are all the best books to read just for trips! Also, you can shop all of them on Amazon.
10 Best Books To Read While Traveling
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice
I’m obsessed with this fiction books series. It’s all about Mary Russell the young, smart wife of Sherlock Holmes! They solve mysteries together around the age of World War 1, but it’s told from the perspective of Mary and Sherlock is very much a secondary character, not the main focus. In some novels, he’s hardly there at all. It’s a refreshing take on the classic Holmes novels and I personally love how it’s all about girl power. There are * I think* 14 books in this series, so the perfect thing to tackle on a long adventure!
Red Tea
One of my friends wrote this book!!! Red Tea is a story about a woman from the United States who goes to live in a small village in Japan to teach English. Seems harmless until kids start popping up dead everywhere. My friend actually taught English in Japan years back and used her first-hand experience to write a tale that keeps you on your toes while educating you about Japanese culture. It’s a quicker read – perfect for a roundtrip flight
Red Alert: An NYPD Red Mystery
I read this book while on a plane to New York City! I actually finished it on the flight there – all of James Patterson’s books are fast reads. This story is about a bunch of rich guys in Manhattan getting murdered, and the cops who solve the crime. The mystery takes them literally all over New York, which was so fun to read right before I was heading there myself!
Great books to read while traveling can be ones set in the location you are traveling to!
Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’
“Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude” Our formal first lady has! it! going! on! This is a book about practical insights and empowerment about life, along with a true story or few from her past.
Harry Potter (audiobooks!)
If you’re going on a long road trip, I highly recommend listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks! Obviously, this series is a must read books, but you can’t read while driving. We listened to books 1-4 while on a road trip around the UK and they were so riveting and well produced. Made our long hours of traveling via car so much fun! It’s a must-read for road trips.
A Woman In The Window
I read this while camping and it couldn’t put it down! It starts off slow, but has such a dramatic ending. The main character is a woman who has agoraphobia and hasn’t left her house in over a year and she’s a ~bit~ of a drunk (hey, I would be too if I were trapped inside for a year.) One day, she witnesses a murder across the street … but nobody believes that it actually happened.
Crazy Rich Asians
They’re rich. Like, really really freaking rich. Now made into a major motion picture, this story follows the lives most of us could never even dream to live.
Anything by Jennifer Crusie
Sometimes when you’re traveling, you just need something really easy, light and quick to read…aka not the most well written or elaborate, mind-bending novel in the world. Anything by Jennifer Cruise fits that bill. Best part? They’re as low as $2 on Kindle say WHAAAA?! Put on that privacy notice, you’re reading them all!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
As one Amazon reviewer says “Imagine if Marilyn Monroe lived to be 79 years old, decided to write a tell-all book, and plucked you (assuming you’re an unknown 21st century journalist) out of obscurity to write it.” This book has all the old American Hollywood glam and a riveting story. Beautifully written & the greatest vacay read!
The Naturals
This story is all about a teenager who is really gifted at reading people. Picture Sherlock Holmes level of skill, so the FBI recruits her (and other teens with special gifts) to help solve cold cases. I haven’t read it yet (it’s on my list) but I’d be surprised if a teenager love triangle wasn’t tossed in there somewhere, too.
I hope this list of books helps you pack and an awesome story or two on your next trip!! I think these are all interesting books to read and have read (almost) all of them myself. If you have any good books to read that you want to add to the list, just leave a comment below. Also comment if you have questions, or you can DM me on Instagram @thewhimsysoul!
4 comments
You have a good taste in books, Kara.
And yeah, perhaps, traveling is some of the only times when most people get a chance to read a book.
Thank you for the awesome list, thanks.
Happy you like this list! With my busy daily life, a plane or long car ride is really the only time I can sit and read these days.
Happy holidays
Kara
Loved this list! I’m always on the lookout for new books to read on my travels. ‘A Walk in the Woods’ by Bill Bryson was a highlight from last year’s trip. Can’t wait to check out some of the other suggestions
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