Reading Recommendations: Wanderlust Travel Destinations
A new month means another batch of reading recommendations! June’s theme is Wanderlust Travel Destinations. Start off the Summertime with these novels that will take you places around the world and travel through the pages of a book!
Diana Gallagher-Cary is at a tipping point. As a Washington, DC, OB/GYN at a prestigious hospital, she uses her career to distract herself from her grief over her granny’s death and her breakup from her long-term boyfriend after her free-spirited mother moves in with her. But when she makes a medical decision that disparages the hospital, she is forced to go on a short sabbatical. Never one to wallow, Diana decides to use the break to put order in her life, when her mother, Margo, stumbles upon a box of letters from her grandfather, Antonio Cruz, to her grandmother from the 1940s. The two women always believed that Antonio died in World War II, but the letters reveal otherwise. When they learn that he lived through the war, and that they have surviving relatives in the Philippines, Diana becomes determined to connect with the family that she never knew existed, though Margo refuses to face her history.
This is a moving and heartwarming novel about family, love, and starting over. The book takes us through Diana and Margo’s healing process and how they navigate their own individual paths. Between each chapter, the reader gets to piece together the family’s mystery through letters from the past. The revelations bring newfound family into the mother and daughter’s life. The novel is infused with so much Filipino culture from the history of WWI to food and traditions. The scenery of the Philippines described in this novel is breathtaking.
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking journey Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their family, and themselves.
I appreciated the way this novel seamlessly introduces characters and events. Even though time is constantly shifting it’s so intriguing to watch the pieces of this family’s history. I appreciated that novel is steeped in culture and how the symbolism of the black cake and its layers tie into each character’s life. This is an intriguing family saga that was well-written. There are so many constant twists and turns as the reader weaves through the timeline. It’s so detailed and the author, Wilson, immerses in each time, place, and setting.
When bookshop owner Sarah Smith is offered the opportunity for a job exchange with her Parisian friend Sophie, saying yes is a no-brainer—after all, what kind of romantic would turn down six months in Paris? Sarah is sure she’s in for the experience of a lifetime—days spent surrounded by literature in a gorgeous bookshop, and the chance to watch the snow fall on the Eiffel Tower. Plus, now she can meet up with her journalist boyfriend, Ridge, when his job takes him around the globe.But her expectations cool faster than her café au lait soon after she lands in the City of Light—she’s a fish out of water in Paris. As Christmas approaches, Sarah is determined to get the shop—and her life—back in order…and make her dreams of a Parisian happily-ever-after come true.
A novel that explores the magic of reading that fills the reader with wanderlust and whimsy! As much as this novel is a swoon-worthy romance with a long-distance relationship plot, it’s also a story about discovering yourself and finding your way. Paris, in the novel, is described as the city of wanderers, and through Sarah’s journey of wandering she becomes more self-fulfilled. The novel is filled with so many fun details from descriptions of delectable macarons and cozy antique shops. The characters are entertaining and the story itself feels so comforting.
.When Nao returns to Tokyo to reconnect with her Japanese heritage, she books a yearlong stay at the Himawari sharehouse. There she meets Hyejung and Tina, two other girls who came to Japan to freely forge their own paths. The trio live together, share meals, and even attend the same Japanese-language school, which results in them becoming fast friends. But will they be able to hold one another up as life tests them with new loves, old heartbreaks, and the everyday challenges of being fish out of water.
Himawari House is a beautiful graphic novel about culture, sisterhood, and friendships. I grew to love the characters: Nao, Tina, and Hyejung, and when the story ended, I felt a satisfying closure but also alluded to what their futures might behold. The novel focuses on the women’s journey of heritage in a foreign country while trying to grow as individuals and it’s a story many readers can connect to. The novel is rich with Japanese culture and tradition (and too much good food)! There was a good mixture of romance, comedy, drama, and a lot of heart.
Everyone says that the wild stories Nana tells are big fibs. But she always tells the truth, as ridiculous as it sounds to hear about the troupe of circus squirrels stealing her teacher’s toupee. When another outlandish explanation lands her in hot water again, her parents announce that Nana will be spending the summer with her grandmother in Ghana. She isn’t happy to be missing the summer camp she’s looked forward to all year, or to be living with family that she barely knows, in a country where she can’t really speak the native language. But all her worries get a whole lot bigger—literally—when she comes face-to-face with Ananse, the trickster spider of legend.
This graphic novel was an absolute joy to read and I was engaged throughout reading the entire story. I think it’s a great read for middle-grade readers and older audiences as well. Reading Fibbed took me back to a simpler time of my own childhood when I constantly devoured stories and fables. I enjoyed how this novel showcases the beautiful art of storytelling and Ghanaian culture. The author, Agyemang, brings her own style to retelling some of the legendary Ananse tales. The illustrations were very vibrant and each picture brought the story to life.
When wealthy Blake Mulligan gets jilted at the altar, he breaks free of his ‘predictable’ reputation by going on the honeymoon cruise anyway—without his snobby, socialite fiancée. The last thing he expects is to meet beautiful songstress Jubilee Collazo with her honey-sweet voice. Jubilee is talented and passionate and doesn’t just march to the beat of her own drum—she dances to it. While she longs to do more than croon cover songs from a cruise ship stage, she enjoys seeing the world. Her love of travel makes her the perfect person to show Blake around each exotic stop of the Mediterranean cruise.
If you are looking for the quintessential beach read then For Vacation Only fits that category. It’s cute, fun, and romance-filled as it whisks readers on an idyllic vacation cruise to far off place. From the various locations of Barcelona and Greece to relaxing on the deck of the cruise ship, this novel was so entertaining. It’s a comfort read that offers a little bit of escape from the daily grind. The detailed settings were highly immersive and gives readers a lavish vacation!
That concludes my reading recommendations for books that will take you around the globe! What books do you recommend or what are your favorites? Comment below!
This is such a fun premise! And perfect time for some travel reads as I’m thinking about my travels this summer
Thank you Sam! I’ve done this theme once before but I wanted to change it up a bit and add some new elements for it. Hope you found some reads to add to your TBR.