Top 20 Travel and Adventure Books to Add to Your Reading List

As you know, my husband and I spend our lives living abroad in various countries around the world.  We read while we’re in the airport, at the gym in headphones, at home in our downtime, and before bed.  One of our favorite genres is travel and adventure. 

Last year, I hit my goal of reading 50 books and at the end of the year, I noticed many of them were in the travel and adventure category.

Why are travel and adventure books so interesting? Maybe it’s because they allow you to travel the world while standing still.  Some take you on daring adventures you could never attempt in real life.  Some touch on the incredible & challenging aspects of living abroad.  Some elicit a yearning for understanding different cultures.  Some even inspire us to do more with our lives than stay inside our bubble.  I love this genre because each book reminds me there is so much more to learn about ourselves and the world around us.

This is an attempt to catalog these books in one place for the wanderers & adventurers who are bound to reach this page.  Beside each book is a short summary I put together so you can get a taste of the book’s flavor.  Although the first six are my personal recommendations, I figured a more useful approach would be to utilize our travel community of over 20,000 to see what their favorites are as well!  I haven’t read these yet, so they are listed in no particular order, although  I can’t wait to dive into them this year. Let’s do it together!

The Cubans: Ordinary Lives in Extraordinary Times, Anthony DePalma – A first time look at life for Cubans through the interwoven stories of five ordinary citizens; helps to understand both the Cuban and American perspectives by storytelling the major events of the Cuban/U.S. relationship over the last two decades; written by a foreign correspondent and reporter for the New York Times for decades who knows how to write an engaging piece.

The Mountains Sing, Que Mai Phan Nguyen – A multigenerational tale of the impact the Vietnam war had upon the Vietnamese people through the story of a little girl who grew up during the war. Written by an author who understands both Vietnamese + Western perspectives.

To Shake the Sleeping Self, Jedidiah Jenkins – Embracing the feeling that there’s “more out there,” the author wakes from his old life by bike riding from Oregon to Patagonia.

Never, Ken Follett – Fiction; foreign affairs, diplomacy, nuclear war

At Home Anywhere by Rachael Lynn – A memoir helping women who move abroad gain their independence

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho – Through medieval mysticism, the voice of the desert meets dreams, symbols, signs, and adventure. One of my favorite books. I’m listing this last because if you are here, you’ve likely already read this.

Little Coffee Shop of Kabul, Deborah Rodriguez – In a little coffee shop in one of the most dangerous places on earth, five very different women come together.

West with the Night, Beryl Markham – A memoir of an English girl who grows up in East Africa and becomes the first person to fly from Europe to the U.S.

Beyond the Sky and Earth, Jamie Zeppa – A 24 y.o journeys to a Buddhist hermit kingdom to teach.

Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts –  A journey through the life of an escaped convict, slum dweller, and prisoner in a crowded Indian jail. This is also one of my very favorite books!

Four Seasons in Rome, Anthony Doerr – Adventures through piazzas, temples, and ancient cisterns in Rome.

Two O’clock on a Tuesday at Trevi, Helene Sula – New release; traveling and living abroad without sacrificing stability and comfort.

The Same River Twice, Pam Mandel – Memoir, backpacking, rugged travel.

Beyond the Trees & Where the Falcon Flies, Adam Shoalts –  A journey alone across Canada’s arctic.

The Long Hitch Home, Jamie Maslin – A hitchhiking adventure from Tasmania to London

Not Afraid of the Fall, Kyle James – 114 Days Through 38 Cities in 15 Countries

Sovietistan, Erika Fatland – Travels in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

Contents May Have Shifted, Pam Houston – One women’s travelogue toward a life rich in love and freedom.

Round Ireland with a Fridge, Tony Hawks – Hitchhiking around Ireland after losing a bet.

Wild, Cheryl Strayed – Memoir; 1,100-mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail.

I was also sent a link to “Strong Sense of Place” which is a website and podcast dedicated to delivering weekly travel and adventure books.  I can see myself spending many hours here in the future so I recommend checking them out here.

Let me know what you enjoyed and if you have any additions!