8 Books to Inspire Wanderlust

Escape for a little while or plan your next trip with these main characters.

Over my years of reading I know very well that I have come jaded in some aspects. Not only do most of the time I wish that I could be transported to another world, but sometimes the sort of wanderlust while reading hits a little closer to home.

From new books to old, some of the settings of novels and memoirs continue to make travel something on my must-list, just as these books should be on your must-read list.

But I’d love to know, do you have any that I’m missing?

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins — Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

I loved this book from the first page. I still reread it quite often and it may get another reread in very soon. It is a happy-maker and also inspires me to step out of my comfort—and time— zone.

After reading this book a few years ago, I seriously looked into schools and colleges based in the same area of Paris in hopes that I could live my Anna and the French Kiss love story. Alas… I only got to relive a few key moments like standing on Point Zero in front of Notre Dame when I studied abroad and took a last minute weekend to Paris.

But that was pretty sweet too.

Call You Mine by Kendra Mase — After a night of heartbreak, small-town childhood sweethearts reconnect for a second chance to finally have their holiday happily ever after.

Marshall Falls in small town Vermont feels like a dream destination when it comes to small towns a la Gilmore Girls etc. And not only do you get a lot of the small town life where everyone knows everyone, you also get a taste of the big city through this dual timeline, second chance love story that spans over 20 years.

Picnic in Provence by Elizabeth Bard — Ten years ago, New Yorker Elizabeth Bard followed a handsome Frenchman up a spiral staircase to a love nest in the heart of Paris. Now, with a baby on the way, Elizabeth takes another leap of faith with her husband when they move to Provence and open an artisanal ice cream shop.

Filled with enticing recipes such as stuffed zucchini flowers, fig tart, and honey-and-thyme ice cream, this is the story of everything that happens after the happily ever after. With wit, humor, and a scoop of wild strawberry sorbet, Bard reminds us that life-in and out of the kitchen-is a rendezvous with the unexpected.

I read this as one of my first books at college and it only made me not want to be there in freshman orientation even more. The first book is Lunch in Paris, but this second installment of Elizabeth Bard's life was even more fantastic than the last with descriptions of Provence, even in the winters, that made my heart pitter pat with hope that I may one day see the lavender fields and the gelato and the markets...everything that makes the south of France this magical place her family decided to escape to-- and the place I decided to escape to in the summer of 2019 as well.

This is the one travel inspiration I actually got to down on my lists of places I dream of going. Still, so many to go.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab — Following the story of a young woman in 18th-century France, she makes a desperate deal to escape an arranged marriage. The result? She becomes immortal but is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

As Addie navigates centuries of loneliness, her life changes when she encounters a man who remembers her name, challenging the terms of her curse and offering a glimmer of hope in her otherwise invisible existence.

Wait a second, I thought you said this was a travel list? It is… kind of. Escapism is a kind of wanderlust, isn’t it? The need to want to explore more and get out of your own world bubble?

I’m counting that as a yes.

The writing was gorgeous and I loved the overall plot that spanned centuries of history and places from Europe to American cities—even though for some reason whenever there is a romance involved, I always seem to root for the villain to get the girl! If you know this book, you know.

Definitely need a reread of this one soon since it’s been a few years since it came out. But it is also the perfect read for fall. If you need one more for this season.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry— Aka. my favorite Emily Henry where lifelong friends Poppy and Alex embark on a series of unforgettable summer trips across the globe that test their bond and reveal hidden feelings.

After a falling out, they decide to take one last (albeit quite awkward) vacation in Palm Springs together in hopes of rekindling their friendship.

As they navigate the complexities of their relationship, both the joyful memories and unresolved tensions come to the surface leading to a sweet and spicy HEA that only Emily Henry can bring with all the swoons and emotion.

The Good Girls Guide to Getting Lost by Rachael Friedman — Rachel Friedman has done well in school and plays it safe, so the college grad surprises no one more than herself when, on a whim (and in an effort to escape impending life decisions), she buys a ticket to Ireland, a place she has never visited, in. There she forms an unlikely bond with a free-spirited Australian girl, a born adventurer who spurs Rachel on to a yearlong odyssey that takes her to three continents, fills her life with newfound friends, and gives birth to a previously unrealized passion for adventure.

Along the way, she learns to do something she’s never done before: simply live for the moment.

I read this one when a few fabulous gals on twitter decided to start a travel book club way back when. I absolutely loved this story as we follow Rachael through her years of travel that take her to two continents that I have never thought of as being on my must-visit list. This book made me want to back up a single backpack and go.

Happy Place by Emily Henry — Longtime couple Harriet and Wyn find themselves in an unexpected situation: they’re pretending to still be together during a week-long getaway with friends in their favorite vacation spot in Maine. As they navigate the complexities of their past relationship and the façade they’re maintaining, both are forced to confront their true feelings and what happiness really means. With humor and heart, the novel explores themes of love, friendship, and the messiness of relationships, making it a poignant journey toward self-discovery and rekindled romance.

For some reason, I suddenly need to visit Maine after this one.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed — At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State— and she would do it alone.

Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Wild has been the topic of discussion for book clubs and Gilmore Girls since A Year in the Life, and no one should blame them.

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