Last updated on June 12th, 2023
Great Reads to Inspire Travel
JourneyWoman Book Club
Travel by Book
Six New Travel Books for the 2023-24 JourneyWoman Book Club
Our JourneyWoman Book Club members have spoken! Announcing six new book selections to help women learn and travel by book.
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
Maria Dueñas’ Wartime Spy Novel “The Time In Between” Travels Back to 1930s Tangiers
In Maria Duenas’ “The Time In Between”, we learn about the Spanish Civil War from the perspective of a seamstress turned skillful spy.
Sarah Winman’s “Still Life”: A Love Letter to Florence, Italy
Sarah Winman’s captivating novel “Still Life”, set in Florence, Italy, brings the magic of chance encounters and kindred spirits to life.
Getting Real About Spain’s Camino with Jane Christmas and “What the Psychic Told The Pilgrim”
Jane Christmas’s funny memoir of her 780-kilometre trek across Spain on the Camino de Santiago to celebrate her 50th birthday and midlife.
Previous Book Club Selections
Abi Daré’s Book “The Girl With the Louding Voice” Inspires Hope
Abi Daré’s debut novel, “The Girl With the Louding Voice”, is the unforgettable story of Adunni, a 14-year-old Nigerian girl.
Travel to Japan with Rebecca Copeland’s Suspenseful Novel “The Kimono Tattoo”
Set in Kyoto, Japan, Rebecca Copeland’s thriller “The Kimono Tattoo” shows a deep reverence for Japanese culture.
Set in New Zealand, “Remember Me” Asks ‘Are Some Secrets Best Left Buried?’
Charity Norman’s latest book “Remember Me”, set in New Zealand’s mystical Ruahine Range, is a suspenseful story of love, secrets and loss.
Explore the World by Book
Six New Travel Books for the 2023-24 JourneyWoman Book Club
Our JourneyWoman Book Club members have spoken! Announcing six new book selections to help women learn and travel by book.
“Brightening My Corner”: Ruth Malloy’s Memoir Shares Dreams Fulfilled
Chinese-Canadian journalist Ruth Lor Malloy, 91, shares her life’s work to foster intercultural dialogue and justice for marginalized groups.
Never Too Old to Travel Solo: At 86, Joyce Perrin is Still Making Connections
You’re never too old to travel solo, says 86-year old author Joyce Perrin in her memoir, “Ants in My Pants”. Join Joyce and other 80+ authors on our September 28 webinar.
Female Solo Travel: 10 Books to Inspire Your Next Adventure
Ten books by women that will have you planning your next solo adventures, from Dervla Murphy to Cheryl Strayed.
Ten Great Books with Books at Their Heart
What better way to appreciate the world of books than to pick up one of these ten great books that are, essentially, about other books.
Travel By Book: 12 Countries Solo Women Love
TripFiction’s Tina Hartas helps us travel by book to 12 countries that solo women plan to visit in 2023, from Africa to Peru.
Karen Gershowitz Sparks “Wanderlust” and Curiosity With New Travel Book
With her new book, “Wanderlust”, Karen Gershowitz embraces curiosity to step into the unknown for more meaningful travel experiences.
Ten Great Books Set in The Mediterranean
These ten books set in the Mediterranean will have you planning travels to less-travelled islands like Alba, Crete and Sardinia in no time!
Women’s Travel Memoirs: Women Authors Share Their Solo Journeys
Join us on May 25 to learn about these four inspiring solo travel memoirs written by women from the JourneyWoman community.
Need more travel inspiration?
Listen to our JourneyWoman TravelReady Playlist on Spotify and add your own songs.
Click here to listen!
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
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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
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“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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We only recommend things that are suggested by our community or through our own experience that we believe will be practical and helpful for you. We welcome your questions and feedback about any articles published on our site.
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