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As you spread out your towel on the beach, and feel the warmth of the sun on your face, the sand between your toes, and listen to the gentle crashing of the waves, you need a good to inspire your next adventure. Travel memoirs make for the best summer beach reads taking you on an adventure to must-see destinations where you can almost see the sights, taste the food and immerse yourself in the author’s experiences.

Travels with Charley in Search of America

Travels with Charley in Search of America is a truly magnificent adventure through the eyes of John Steinbeck and his dog Charley, as they trail across the US in their pick-up truck.

Steinbeck, more commonly known for his novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’, explores America from Maine to California capturing the true beauty of the country and its people and making you feel you are on this adventure with him.

A perfect read for anyone wanting to get to know America, from the woodlands and wilderness to the great highways and large cities. 

Lunch in Paris

Paris is beloved for its culture, especially its delicious and rich food. From baguettes to cheese, macarons to croissants. Not to mention being hailed as the epicenter of romance.

Elizabeth Bard combines both food and love in her romantic memoir, Lunch in Paris

If you have ever fancied exploring the streets of Paris, Elizabeth encapsulates the essence of everything Paris has to offer through delicious recipes and her romance with a handsome Frenchman.

You’ll love her journey of self-discovery as an American woman in a new city, finding love, success, and a place to call home.

Love with a Chance of Drowning

Love with a Chance of Drowning is a hilarious and moving account from Torre DeRoche as she sets sail across the Pacific with her newfound love.

Never mind that Torre is terrified of the water and as a city girl, has no previous experience of sailing, let alone across the largest ocean in the world.

Her journey shares her account of meeting and falling in love with a man and having to make the difficult decision of joining him aboard his sailboat or watching him set sail without her.

Of course, love ruled and she risked it all, diving heart-first and to join him on this epic voyage.

The Worrier’s Guide to the End of the World

The Worrier’s Guide to the End of the World is another excellent read by Torre DeRoche only this time instead of sailing the Pacific, she finds herself on a 250-mile trek across India.

Following the end of a relationship and the loss of her father, Torre found herself lost and lacking in direction. Until she met Masha, a free-spirited woman with a passion and determination to walk across the world, inviting Torre along.

The story recounts Torre’s accounts journey to self-discovery during her pilgrimage to Rome and onto India.

In essence, this is a story of two women on a life-changing adventure and the challenges and dangers they encounter along the way, each one developing and strengthening their friendship.

Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table

Ruth Reichl is a restaurant critic in New York who goes on a quest for good food and companionship in Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table

In her book she visits China, France, and Los Angeles sharing her culinary experiences, intimate details of her personal life, encapsulating her journey as if talking with a friend over dinner.

The journey takes a few unexpected turns with the end of her marriage, a short-lived romance in Paris, and the devastating loss of an adopted child being returned to her birth mother. But throughout, there is a consistent theme of food and innate strength, with a bit of humor entwined.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail will certainly send your heart beating covering heartbreak, loss, strength, courage, and above anything else sheer will and determination.

Famed author and wildlife adventurer Cheryl Strayed shares with you the loss of her mother, the end of her marriage, and the difficulties of a spread-out family. With the challenges she faced, Cheryl was led down a path of finding herself again.

During this memoir, you’ll follow Cheryl during her arduous trek of 1000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, a quest alone she bravely faces alone, capturing our hearts with her daily struggles and triumphs. Her journey is raw, relatable, and written with love.

Around the World in 50 years

Around the World in 50 Years by Albert Podell is a truly magnificent story that will encourage any aspiring traveler to take a leap of faith and explore the world.

Albert Podell is the first man to visit every single country on earth and he shares his amazing adventures in this iconic book.

Prepare for your heart to race as Albert shares his close encounters with child soldiers, robbers, tsunamis, and earthquakes.

This is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat while simultaneously making your entire body crave adventure.

Sihpromatum: Backpacks and Bra Straps

Sihpromatum: Backpacks and Bra Straps is a traveling memoir written from the perspective of a 15-year-old Canadian girl, Savannah Grace. Though this book, which showcases the adventures of Savannah and her family during their four-year-long backpacking adventure, is part 2 of the series, it can be read and enjoyed without needing to read the first one. 

In the book, the family travels to Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tibet, and Nepal and this provides a humorous, raw, and engaging look at their adventure that will grasp your attention and appreciation for travel on a budget.

In her first book, I Grew My Books in China, Savannah shares her outlook on travel and you can see from this second book how the young teenager and her perspective of the world have grown.

A Thousand New Beginnings

A Thousand New Beginnings, as the title suggests, is a book that provides a snippet into a young 26-year-olds life leaving behind mundane 9-5 living to suddenly braving the world as a female solo traveler.

Kristin Addis shares a collection of her blog posts and diary excerpts during the first year of her travels, detailing leaving her job, home in California, and boyfriend behind, to embark on an adventure traveling through Southeast Asia.

Another excellent read that will take you straight to the heart of someone lost and on a journey to find who they truly are deep within.

How Not to Travel the World

How Not to Travel the World tells a true story of how Lauren Juliff embarked on a journey to travel the world despite suffering from crippling anxiety and experiencing extremely unfortunate mishaps.

The inspirational story is one of determination and perseverance as Lauen, whose anxiety was so bad was not able to leave the house for months on end, pushed through her fears and doubts, not to mention the doubts of those around her, to make her dream a reality and go on the greatest adventure of her life.

What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding

In What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding, humor, flirting, passion, and unforgettable adventures are all rolled into one book.

Kristin Newman is a successful sitcom writer who travels several weeks at a time each year during her time off. Unlike her fellow friends who have followed society’s expectations to get married and have kids, Kristin enjoys her independence, career, and the freedom to explore the world on her terms.

During her many adventures, Kristin introduces readers to the numerous men she meets around the world, flexing her freedom, whilst demonstrating the innate need for human connection and companionship.

Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback

Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback, by Robyn Davidson, is an absolute must-read for anyone wanting to feel empowered and by the inner strength and determination of women.

Trekking across 1,700 miles of the Australian outback with four camels and her dog, Robyn shares her journey in an informative, thought-provoking, and insightful way. Immerse yourself in her experiences of the rugged Australian landscape, meeting indigenous people, and her challenges adjusting from being alone with her thoughts in the wilderness to socializing with others in the many towns she visits.