Last updated on March 8th, 2023
Great Reads to Inspire Travel
JourneyWoman Book Club
Travel by Book

Six Women’s Writing Retreats in Magical Places
Five women’s writing retreats to help women share their stories in Italy, France, Japan, Spain and Morocco.
Join Our Monthly Book Club Meeting
We partner with TripFiction to present you with compelling reads set in incredible locations. The TripFiction database has thousands of location-based books set all around the world to transport you to a location of your dreams – or, perhaps one you are about to visit. Looking for book ideas? Visit TripFiction’s Great Reads page and use the map to find the book of your dreams.
Book Club meetings are hosted by Wendy, Sally and Carolyn and are held the third Wednesday of each month at 8 pm EDT. If you purchase a book, please use the links on our site. We recommend you order books in advance, check your local library, use audiobooks or share!
Please support our book club by buying your book or ebook using the links on our site.
2023 Book Club Selections
JourneyWoman Book Club: Six Inspiring Travel Books For Women in 2023
The JourneyWoman Book Club announces our next six reads, designed to spark your wanderlust and connect us as women.
Travel by Book to Tangier, Morocco with “Tangerine” by Christine Mangan
For our March 2023 book of the month, we return to Morocco, for a gripping psychological thriller set in 1950s Tangier.
Travel by Book to South America with Isabel Allende’s “Eva Luna”
Set in South America, our February Book is Isabel Allende’s “Eva Luna” which explores the transformative power of words and stories.
Previous Book Club Selections
The JourneyWoman Book Club Travels to Ukraine With Erin Litteken’s “The Memory Keeper of Kyiv”
JourneyWoman readers have chosen Erin Litteken’s “The Memory Keeper of Kyiv”, set in Ukraine, as our January 2023 Book of the Month.
Introducing the 2023 JourneyWoman Travel Book Club Selections
Introducing our first round of books for the 2023 JourneyWoman Travel Book Club, as chosen by our readers.
Laura Maya’s Memoir “Tell Them My Name” Celebrates Curiosity and Exploration
Laura Maya’s new memoir, “Tell Them My Name”, takes us to Nepal to explore the beauty of our differences and the joy of exploration.
Explore the World by Book
Grief and Solo Travel: A Mother’s Memoir to Heal Her Heart
Author Becky Livingston shares the story of losing her 23-year old daughter, Rachel, and the solo journey that helped her to start healing.
5 Books by Women About Women for International Women’s Day 2023
For International Women’s Day 2023, we feature five recently published books written by women, about women.
Discover the Wonders of Asia and India With These 10 Books
JourneyWoman travel book club partner TripFiction recommends 10 books to help solo women travelers discover the wonders of Asia.
Spark Your Curiosity With These 10 Books Set in South America
TripFiction’s Tina Hartas shares 10 books set in Central, Latin, and South America that capture the heart and soul of the countries in this incredibly culturally rich and beautiful part of the world.
Claudia Laroye’s New Book Features Heartwarming Family Travel Stories
Claudia Laroye’s book “A Gelato a Day” includes short stories from leading travel writers that show the true impact of family travel.
Five Inspiring Books Set in the Middle East
TripFiction’s Tina Hartas recommends five books set in the Middle East, a region overflowing with history, beauty and culture.
Five Great Books to Inspire Travel to New Zealand
TripFiction’s Tina Hartas shares her top picks for women to explore New Zealand with books that reflect this rural and bucolic country.
5 Great Books to Read Before a Trip to Australia
TripFiction’s Tina Hartas recommends five books that allow travellers to see Australia through an author’s eyes.
With “Travel Mania”, Karen Gershowitz Hopes to Inspire Women to Travel Solo
Karen Gershowitz’ new book, “Travel Mania”, shares a lifetime of travel stories as inspiration for solo women travellers to take the first step.
Need more travel inspiration?
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JourneyWoman Book Club: 2020-2021 Reads
Please check for upcoming book clubs on Eventbrite. All Book Clubs are recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Subscribe here.
GReeCE
A House in Corfu: A Sojourn in Greece
by Emma Tennant
ABOUT THE BOOK
Rating: 2 boots / 5 – below expectations
THE CARIBBEAN
An Embarrass-ment of Mangoes
by Ann Vanderhoof
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Rating: 4 boots / 5 – fun – made us want to live on a sailboat!
Morocco + Mali
Morocco to Timbuktu: An Arabian Adventure
by Alice Morrison
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Rating: 3.5 boots / 5 – loved its authenticity
Africa
Nervous Conditions
by Tsitsi Dangarembga
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Rating: 3 boots / 5 – Empowering and inspiring!
Egypt
Mistress of Nothing
by Kate Pullinger
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Rating: 3.5 boots / 5 – a step back into history
Portugal
300 Days of Sun
by Deborah Lawrenson
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Rating: 3.5 boots / 5 – learned about spies!
Iraq, Ethiopia, Egypt, Pakistan, Morocco
Travels with my Hat
by Christine Osborne
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Rating: 4.5 boots / 5 – a must-read for solo travellers
Ireland
By the Lake
by John McGahern
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Rating: 3.5 boots / 5 – a classic, beautifully written!
United States
The Kitchen House
by Kathleen Grissom
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Rating: 4.5 boots / 5 – illuminating and engaging
SPAIN
Driving Over Lemons
by Chris Stewart
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Rating: 3.5 boots / 5 – Fun and authentic
Italy
Lady in the Palazzo
by Marlena de Blasi
ABOUT THE BOOK
Rating: 3 boots / 5 – rambling but interesting
France
The Lost Vintage
by Ann Mah
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Rating: 3 boots / 5 – history + wine, a great combination
BALI, MEXICO + MORE
Tales of a Female Nomad
by Rita Golden Gelman
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Rating: 4.5 boots / 5 – loved it all!
Silk Route
Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road
by Kate Harris
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Rating: 4 boots / 5 – an unexpected ride
TANZANIA
Our House in Arusha
by Sara Tucker
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Rating: 3.5 boots / 5 – wanted more of her story
ARCTIC CIRCLE
The Magnetic North: Notes from the Arctic Circle
by Sara Wheeler
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Rating: 3 boots: an intellectual read!
CUBA
The Cuban Chronicles: A True Tale of Rascals, Rogues and Romance
by Wanda St. Hillaire
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SICILY
From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Healing and Finding Home
by Tembi Locke
ABOUT THE BOOK
“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth.
What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.”
– Anne Lamont, Bird by Bird
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