Travel Books & Book Club
I love to read and listen to books. I love fiction and non-fiction. I’ll read books steeped in history, as well as books that take me on a journey. I also love biographies, entrepreneurial books, and books focused on self-improvement.
Wifi is not always an option when traveling, so I always have a book or my iphone or Kindle with downloaded books when I travel. I also love to listen to stories on the planes, it drowns out the hum of the engine and it even helps me fall asleep.
I also love listening to books on road trips. It’s fun to choose books written by authors that lived in the city or state we are headed as well as books that take place in locations we plan to visit.
Now that many of us are living with a stay at home order, reading allows us all a chance to be armchair travelers!
I thought it would be fun to share a few books each month and have you read along with me! If you are looking for more reading ideas and suggestions that are travel/destination-focused, join my monthly club and get a few new book ideas sent once a month! It’s totally free and you’ll only receive one email per month!
NEXT GIVEAWAY: Will be posted Friday, May 15th
May 2020 Travel Book of the Month: The Road to Delano by John DeSimone
Winners: ludwigman12 and joeannsview
Cesar Chavez was hardly the first to dream of creating a labor union to improve the lives of impoverished migrant farmworkers. He knew the history of the unionizing efforts in California agriculture was dismal. This historical novel set in Delano during the grape strike led by Cesar Chavez is about personal heroism over political convenience, moral choices that run against the grain of community standards, and unique opportunities the characters encounter to forge their own path in the midst of politically tumultuous times. This is a book is about a high school senior, Jack Duncan dreams of playing college baseball and leaving the political turmoil of the agricultural town Delano behind. The book blends politics, history, sense of place, and heroism.
Find The Road to Delano on Amazon
MOST RECENT GIVEAWAY!
Win one of two author-signed copies of The Road to Delano. Enter to win through May 12th @ 12PM pacific time.
Winners: ludwigman12 and joeannsview
The Road to Delano Reviews by John DeSimone
“This whole story is an absolute triumph!”
―_The Hauntedfae Book Blog_
“…a fast-paced thriller with a social conscience.”
―_Online Book Club_
“_The Road to Delano_ is a compelling story that will leave readers
thinking about its surprise ending long after the final
confrontation comes to a head.”―
_California Bookwatch_
“Five Stars. Outstanding writing, fast-paced. A must-read for people
who love history…”
―_Reedsy Discovery_
“It’s more than a little Steinbeck, in a very good way….”
—_Leigh Ann, Book Sirens_
About John DeSimone: John DeSimone is a professional memoir ghostwriter, editor, and novelist. He helps develop and provide copy editing for both novelists and non-fiction writers. He guides authors through the developmental process of refining their voice and subject matter for publication. He has edited over a hundred books, both fiction and nonfiction.
Sign up below or bookmark this page to get my latest book suggestions & enter future giveaways!
Previous Book Club Selections & Giveaway Winners
June 2019 Travel Book of the Month: Chinese Street Food by Frank Kasell
Street food is a way of life in China, with western hot dogs and beef burgers being replaced with all manner of exotic (and sometimes shocking) offerings that change from city to city. In every Chinese city, adventurous travelers seeking a deeper understanding of authentic Chinese culture can find unique local street foods unavailable anywhere else in the world.
In his new book, aptly titled ‘Chinese Street Food‘, Kasell takes readers on a journey across the country, onto the streets and into a world of edible delights unlike anything else on the planet.
If you want to sample these treasures but don’t know where to start, look no further. With full-color pictures, taste descriptions, Chinese characters and pinyin names of hundreds of foods from 53 Chinese cities, this book gives you all the information you need to find the most delicious local dishes China can offer.
“The book actually started life as a blog,” explains the author. “As my posts grew, there was greater scope to expand into a book unlike anything else on the market. It’s a true cross-country adventure that will broaden readers’ palates, show them what local lettering to look out for so they can try the foods and teach them how to enjoy each dish the most. Even if you never get a chance to visit, the photographs alone will get your taste buds buzzing.”
Find Chinese Street Food on Amazon
Win one of three copies of Chinese Street Food. Winner must be located in the United States or Canada. Enter to win through June 12th @ 3PM pacific time.
Winners: Will be posted here!
Previous Book Club Selections & Giveaway Winners
May Book of the Month
Strange Tales of World Travel by Gina & Scott Gaille with a foreword by Don George
This book club selection is sponsored by Travelers Tales.
Gina and Scott Gaille have traveled to more than 100 countries, and wherever they go they ask local people what’s the strangest experience they’ve ever had there. Strange Tales of World Travel presents 50 of these amazing stories. A few snippets of these stories are a death-defying Instagrammer, who stepped on the tail of the world’s sixth most venomous snake in Australia to take a better photo, a human pet, who became a prince’s prisoner in Qatar and many sightings of UFO’s around the world. This is just a small taste of what Tim Cahill, author of Jaguars Ripped My Flesh says “some of the most astonishing tales I’ve ever encountered. One after another. They make for obsessive reading.”
Winners: Cassandra Darensbourg, Penny Williams, and Eric Gamble
Find Strange Tales of World Travel on Amazon
Read more about Strange Tales of World Travel at TravelersTales.com
April Book of the Month
The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton
This book club selection is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Harlequin
The Perfect Girlfriend is a psychological thriller that spans the globe. Ex-girlfriend, Jessica becomes a flight attendant to keep tabs on an ex-boyfriend who happens to be a pilot! Her new job has her bopping around the world as a newly hired flight attendant for the same airline as her unsuspecting ex. There are twists and turns as Jessica tries to win back her pilot. Some may say she is the ultimate portrayal of a crazy ex-girlfriend!
Winner: (signed copy of The Perfect Girlfriend!): Penny Williams
Buy The Perfect Girlfriend on Amazon
March Book of the Month
Atlas Obscura: An Explorers Guide to the Wonders of the World by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras & Ella Morton
February Book of the Month
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
This story tells the tale of a journalist who writes for a travel magazine. She is invited on a boutique cruise ship in the picturesque North Sea for a routine media trip. Shortly after arriving, she begins having a terrifying nightmare of a woman being thrown overboard. After investigating, she finds all passengers are accounted for. This is a fun story about the life of a travel writer mixed up in a mysterious adventure on the high seas!
Pin Our Current Giveaway!