The Best Books for Travel Inspiration in 2020

The Best Books for Travel Inspiration in 2020

If you love to travel, there’s a good chance you also enjoy reading about travel. From coffee table books that showcase breathtaking photography (and make the best gifts) to memoirs and travelogues, books about travel never fail to inspire wanderlust.

Plus, there’s no better travel accessory than a book. A good book is a must-have in any carry-on bag. Luckily for you, we’ve rounded up eight new travel books that will provide just the right inspiration to book a trip in the new year.

Literary Places Book by Sarah Baxter

This book is not your typical city guide. Travel journalist Sarah Baxter focuses on destinations that have been heavily featured in literature and makes the places described on the page come to life. Baxter includes a wide variety of locations, including New York City through the lens of “The Catcher in the Rye” and Naples as told by Elena Ferrantein “My Brilliant Friend.”

Turquoise Coast Book by Kinay

This book will not only look beautiful on your coffee table, but the stunning photos will take your breath away. You won’t be able to help getting lost in the rich colors of the Turkish Riviera, and you might even want to book a trip to the coast after reading.

Wild Horses of the Summer Sun Book by Tory Bilski

Iceland is a hot spot for outdoor and adventure travel. If you’ve been curious about booking a trip, pick up Tory Bilski’smemoir, which follows the author and a group of female travelers bound together by their love of Icelandic horses as they make their way through the northern region of the country.

Wherever You Go: A Guide to Mindful, Sustainable, and Life-Changing Travel by Daniel Houghton

For those interested in the travel industry, this book by a former CEO of Lonely Planet offers fascinating insight into what it’s like when it becomes your job to travel the world.

Wanderlust USA: The Great American Hike by Cam Honan

Many of us daydream about traveling all over the world, but there’s always plenty to see right here in the US. This photography book showcases gorgeous images of landscapes across the country, including redwoods in California and Atlantic cliffs in Maine, all of which will make you want to take a hike immediately.

How to Be a Family: The Year I Dragged My Kids Around the World to Find a New Way to Be Together by Dan Kois

Lauded as a funny and relatable memoir, “How to Be a Family” follows Dan Kois, his wife, and two pre-teen daughters on a global adventure, as they leave their everyday lives in Washington, DC and move to New Zealand, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, and Kansas, all in one year.

A Month in Siena by Hisham Matar

If you are dreaming of traveling to Italy, Hisham Matar’smemoir about Siena is a must-read. His month-long stay in the Tuscan city focuses on art, specifically works from the Sienese School of Painting, and the book follows the relationship between the author, the city, and the art that surrounds him.

The Art of Looking Up by Catherine McCormack

This book features beautiful photography of unique ceilings all over the world and the art that adorns them. Art historian Catherine McCormack provides an in-depth guide to 40 of these ceilings, from the Vatican Palace in Italy to the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.

BY MADELINE DIAMOND DECEMBER 31, 2019