Books to inspire travel

Aside from travel photos on social media, the best way to inspire travel is through reading. Here is a list of 12 books (many of which are on my wish list) that will surely inspire a passion for travel:

Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders

The quintessential travel book of 2016. For those seeking uncharted destinations, this nonfiction travel guide will undoubtedly spark the desire to get on a plane and discover marvelous natural wonders of the world. A book for travel adventurers.

Buy the Kindle version or Hardcover here

 

A Year in Provence

Many can only dream of moving to a foreign countryside to bask in a slower pace of life. Peter Mayle did just that and wrote a deliciously detailed book about life and gastronomical pleasures in Provence, France. A book for food lovers and Francophiles.

Buy the Kindle version here

 

Paris Letters

Much like A Year in Provence, Paris Letters details Janice MacLeod’s journey from the daily routine of corporate American life to the spontaneity and romance of Paris. A book for inspiring travelers who want a change in their lives, for travelers who can relate to misadventures on the road, and for Francophiles.

Buy the Kindle version or Paperback here

 

Travels with Charley in Search of America

A classic read from John Steinbeck’s journey across America in 1960. Through the eyes of Steinbeck, discover the countryside of America during the time of racial struggle which remains relevant decades later. A book for inspiring cross-country road trippers, for American history fans, and for Steinbeck fans.

Buy the Kindle version or Hardcover here

 

The Sun Also Rises

A classical literary novel that launched the career of Ernest Hemingway. The novel portrays post-World War I Europe in the 1920s through the escapism adventures of the two main characters. A book for Europe fans and for Hemingway fans.

Buy the Kindle version, Hardcover, or Paperback here

 

The Great Railway Bazaar

A classic travel narrative vividly detailing Paul Theroux’s epic railway adventures from London to Tokyo and then looping around back through the Trans-Siberia. A book for adventurers and for train travelers.

Buy the Kindle version here

 

The Road to Oxiana

Set in 1933, Robert Byron takes us through his travels through the Middle East from Beirut, Jerusalem, Baghdad, Teheran, and to Oxiana. A book for adventurers and for those curious about the Middle East.

Buy the Paperback here

 

The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu

One of my favorite reads of the year. A journey uncovering language and its relations to the history of food. Dan Jurafsky details how certain foods originated and transformed to where and what they are today on our daily food menus. A book for food lovers and for food travel lovers.

Buy the Kindle version or Hardcover here

 

Heat: An Amateur Cook in a Professional Kitchen

One of my favorite food books. From a prestigious editor position at The New Yorker into the depths of Mario Batali’s kitchen at Babbo in New York City, Bill Buford takes the next step in his inquisitive culinary journey to cooking in the countryside of Italy. A wonderfully delicious book about Buford’s entire journey from his humorous point of view. A book for food lovers and for food travel lovers.

Buy the Kindle version or Hardcover here

 

Ten Restaurants That Changed America

A food and social history of America’s legendary restaurants from Delmonico’s on the east coast to Chez Panisse on the west coast. Photos and original menus supplement Paul Freedman’s book which was released this year. A book for food lovers and for food travel lovers.

Buy the Kindle version or Hardcover here

 

Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

While this book may not inspire travel, it will make you fully appreciate dining in a restaurant. Danny Meyer, one of America’s finest restaurateurs with restaurants like Gramercy Tavern and the world-famous Shake Shack, details the ins and outs of proper business manners in the hospitality industry. A book for those in the hospitality industry and for food lovers.

Buy the Kindle version, Hardcover, or Paperback here

 

The 4-Hour Workweek

A book recommended by travelers who earn while on the road. Timothy Ferriss details how to live more and work less while earning an income. A book for those in need of a vacation and for those wanting to take more vacations.

Buy the Kindle version or Hardcover here

 
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