These 21 Amazing Books Will Inspire You To Explore The World

Adventure is out there!

Page Turners is a BuzzFeed reading group that picks a theme each month, and invites people to choose any book that fits the theme and join in. In August, everyone read a book that inspires you to travel. Here are some of our members' favorites:

1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

HarperCollins

"I read this book for the second time. It's about a boy named Santiago who travels to the pyramids in search of a treasure and finds something much more valuable.

This book is very surreal and at times it feels like a dream. It has huge wanderlust vibes and it's one of those novels that restores your faith in humanity."

—Hussein Chammout, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $10.19+, Barnes & Noble for $10.90+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

2. Florida by Lauren Groff

Penguin Random House

"It's a collection of short stories with Florida as the common theme. Groff writes so beautifully with amazing descriptions that make you feel like you're standing in the middle of Jacksonville or Tallahassee. Her story about the hurricane has some haunting imagery."

—Tracey Richardson McDaniel, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $16.20+, Barnes & Noble for $20.25+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

3. Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

Simon and Schuster

"It's set in Ireland and every time the book mentioned a place, I looked it up on Google and it looked as beautiful as the way Jenna Evans Welch describes it. The story itself is really cute — it's about a brother and sister who constantly fight with each other as they travel Ireland with an Irish guy in a Volkswagen. I never thought I wanted to go Ireland until I read this book. "

—Wina Widianti, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $13.29+, Barnes & Noble for $16.14+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

4. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Nikki Francois/Warner Bros.

"This book is quick, fun, and holds your attention. Think a Gossip Girl-type story that's set in Singapore — but the characters are even richer. There's a lot of characters, which can be hard to keep track of, but I love how dynamic and funny they all can be. After reading the book and watching the film, Singapore is definitely next on my travel bucket list."

—Nikki Francois

Get it on Amazon for $9.60+, Barnes & Noble for $10.27+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

5. Siracusa by Delia Ephron

Blue Rider Press

"It really makes me want to explore Italy and its coastal regions, and my eyes were also glued to the pages of this intense interpersonal drama that ends in a chilling conclusion. The plot involves two couples who go on vacation together. Two of the people in the respective relationships used to date each other and their underlying residual chemistry simmers through the story.

The setting of Italy is very present throughout the novel — from the characters debating tourist traps vs. exploring local hidden treasures and plot points taking place in spots like the Trevi fountain and the Pantheon. You feel like you’re exploring the country with the group and feel their tensions, laughter, and moments of pleasure right along with them. It’s so well written. I highly recommend if you like thrillers and contemporary fiction."

—Jess Squires, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $10.27+, Barnes & Noble for $14.40+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

6. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Dial Press

"I read this book during my commutes this month! I like how easy it was to pick up and read where I left off, due to its epistolary format (written in the form of letters). I enjoy the different tones in every character’s letters and how the authors seamlessly developed the story. I started to watch the Netflix adaptation and I really like it so far."

—Lovely Chavez, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $10.72+, Barnes & Noble for $10.93+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

7. The Dry by Jane Harper

Macmillan - Macmillan Publishers

"It's about a murder mystery that's set in the dry lands of Kiewarra, Australia. The language that portrays the setting, the heat, and the the drought of the farming lands is mesmerizing and hooks you from the start. You could feel the sweat trickling down your neck and the flies buzzing around your head as you stood next to Aaron Falk in the blistering heat of Kiewarra. Would highly recommend this book if you're into murder mystery and crime."

—Fatima Seraj Alam, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $9.48+, Barnes & Noble for $11.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

8. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Alfred A. Knopf

"It takes place primarily in Ethiopia. It's about a talented surgeon who gets a nun working at his hospital pregnant and no one knows until she dies giving birth to twins. The father then flees the country, and the twins are raised by two other doctors at the hospital. The story is from the point of view of one of the twins, Marion, and follows their lives and their eventual reunion with their father."

—Liz Boccolini, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $12.75+, Barnes & Noble for $12.75+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

9. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Penguin Random House

"Almost the entire book takes place within a single hotel in Moscow while the world changes around the main character. But because the descriptions are so vivid, and the main character describes the world that he used to live in before being confined to the hotel with such fondness and nostalgia, it really makes me want to travel to Russia and see it all for myself. It's beautifully rendered and the characters are lively and interesting. It's a really enjoyable book."

—Ellen Rackley, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $16.20+, Barnes & Noble for $20.25+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

10. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Penguin House

"Although it's about an actual murder trial, and not a book specifically about traveling, the author used amazing descriptions of real-life people and places in Savannah, Georgia. I have only been to Savannah once for a day, so I didn't get to see much. However, because everything written in the book is brought to life so well, I could imagine walking through Forsyth Park or down River Street again. This book definitely makes me want to travel back to Savannah soon!"

—April Elizabeth, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $11.52+, Barnes & Noble for $12.71+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

11. French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour de France by Tim Moore

St. Martin's Griffin

"Tim, who has little cycling experience, decides he will acquire a bicycle and cycling apparel and to cycle the Tour De France route that particular year. It's a fantastic book — there's some interesting descriptions of the towns he passes through. He does make light on the toll it physically took on him early on. Fantastic read! Not sure I'd cycle the route, but I would definitely visit some of the towns he did."

—Becky Brown, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $12.17+, Barnes & Noble for $18.89+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

12. Passenger and Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Harper Collins

"This series is about time travel and world travels, so it works in numerous ways with the theme! Etta, the main character, discovers that she can time travel and she works together with Nicholas to put together clues in search of an heirloom that will save her future. It's an interesting story with adventure, romance, and the discovery of inner strength."

—Kayla Ross-Carr, Facebook

Get Passenger on Amazon for $7.99+, Barnes & Noble for $9.38+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

Get Wayfarer on Amazon for $7.40+, Barnes & Noble for $8.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

13. The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

Grand Central Publishing

"It's a story about a 20-year-old girl escaping her life and traveling across the country with a boy who's determined to show her how to let go of her fears and insecurities. This book is thrilling, heart-wrenching, and squeal-worthy all in one. The first half of the book is slow and left me wondering where the story was going, but the second half blows it completely out of the water. I finished in hours, and I'm so glad I stuck with it. It's easily become one of my favorite books."

—Mia Faith Ingallina, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $7.04+, Barnes & Noble for $11.90+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

14. Hello Sunshine by Laura Dave

Simon and Schuster

"This is not a book about travel — however, it does make me want to visit Montauk. The book is about a famous chef, who, after being outed as a fraud, is forced to return to the childhood home in Montauk that harbors many negative memories. Although the book is mostly about self-discovery and rebuilding your life after a major setback, the author throws in some vivid descriptions of Montauk. The characters visit the Montauk lighthouse, and there are a few scenes at the beach and on a fishing boat. It makes me want to visit Montauk desperately, especially because I was reading it in the summer. I could hear the sounds of the beach!"

—Danielle Denenberg, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $9.22+, Barnes & Noble for $13.59+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

15. Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Lee Boudreaux Books

"How far would you go to avoid attending an ex-lover’s wedding (or, even worse, decline the invite without good reason)? In Arthur Less’ case, he traipses around the world hoping to avoid the secondary rejection and further embarrassment of watching his ex exchange vows. From Mexico to Europe to Africa to India and back to the United States, Arthur tries his best to turn a blind eye to his broken heart. This book is delightful and funny with a very satisfying conclusion — an unexpected bright light that left me smiling for days."

—Rebecca Wiens, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $9.64+, Barnes & Noble for $9.89+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

16. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Astrid Felicia Lim/Penguin Random House

"Although this is not a typical travel book, and it discusses more serious issues like immigrants and borders, I feel like I really want to see more of the world after reading this book. Especially through the mysterious doors that could take us anywhere — from the hot desert in Africa to the magnificent beach in Greece. Traveling is not always pretty, and not all places are full of beauty, but Exit West touched the essence of true wandering — to actually see the differences (and similarities) of places all over the world."

—Astrid Felicia Lim, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $14.40+, Barnes & Noble for $15.12+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

17. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Simon & Schuster

"It's a light and fun read — I especially enjoy the addition of playlists and doodles in the book which enhance the whole experience of reading. I feel the characters need to be more well-developed, but that's be me being too critical. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book."

—Sughandh Hira Abbasi, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $8.79+, Barnes & Noble for $9.67+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

18. Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Elizabeth Bessette

"This book is beautiful. It's a memoir by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry which describes many events in his life, primarily his travels as an air mail carrier and a near-fatal plane crash he experienced. As with his story The Little Prince, Saint-Exupéry gives the reader wonderful life lessons throughout the book. The themes of this book focus on friendships, humanity, and the meaning of life."

—Elizabeth Bessette, Facebook

Get it from Amazon from $11.91+, Barnes & Noble for $13.49+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

19. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Nikki Francois

"A classic blast from my middle school past! I re-read this book on the beach in one day, and boy did it bring up so many memories (yes, I wanted a magic pair of pants just like the Sisterhood and a hot Greek boyfriend like Lena when I was 12). When I think of a book that inspires me to travel, my mind immediately goes to Lena's adventure in Greece and Bee's soccer camp in Baja California. I've always and forever wanted to go to Greece and draw on a hillside like Lena does since I first read the book — and hopefully some day this dream will come true!"

—Nikki Francois, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $4.79+, Barnes & Noble for $8.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

20. Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

Berkly

"I'm going to Cuba in February with my salsa dance class. NYiH is one of Reese Witherspoon's book club picks and it looked like a good beach read. It's dual timeline and too often in this type of book, the characters and plot pale in comparison to the other. However, Cleeton avoids that. There's going to be a second book featuring some of the characters from this and I'm really looking forward to that one."

—Amy Cookson, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $10.20+, Barnes & Noble for $10.91, or from a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

21. And of course, Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Alfred A. Knopf

"I finally got around to reading this book. Not only have I never felt inclined to backpack before this, but I’ve also never wanted a Snapple brand lemonade more in my life. This book is poetic, engaging, and all-encompassing. You really feel how healing and life-changing her journey was. Now I want to go backpacking through Oregon — but maybe only for a week."

—Meaghan Flaherty, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $7.66+, Barnes & Noble for $12.71+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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Page Turners is our book group where you get to suggest and choose your own books each month. Join the Facebook group to get in on the discussion, or tell us what you're reading in the comments below!

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