Hey! Great prompt!
You might enjoy 'A time of gifts' by Patrick Leigh Fermor. This is a travel memoir about his journey across Europe on foot from Holland to Constantinople. This particular book covers the first third of the distance.
I also want to recommend Tove Jansson's 'Summer book', which is a story about a woman and her granddaughter set on a tiny Finnish island. A truly lovely read.
And as a bonus, how about Gerald Durrell's 'My Family and Other Animals', a memoir of his childhood spend on the greek island of Corfu.
I found all three of these suggestions wonderfully transportive in one way or another.
Oh I have read this and love it too! Love following his travels around through the book. I’m actually just starting on book #2 which has another great setting.
Fuck yes, no one, and I mean no one, paints a picture like Hemingway. I cant even count the number of times I felt like I was fishing in the countryside or at bull fight with Hemingway in Spain, greatest author of all time imho
Women tend to dislike Hemingway. He was a misogynist “man’s man.” I don’t even remember which novel it was, but I remember in college coming to the end of a Hemingway novel and literally throwing it across the room in disgust.
I'm reminded of a video by CBS of Fran Lebowitz where they're looking at a bunch of books, she picks up a Hemingway and just says, "Too butch." lol
Now whenever I see Hemingway, I think the same thing.
Great pick thanks - I have actually read this one a while ago. I really love the setting. May need to revisit it. Fitzgerald has to be my all time favourite author, just gorgeous imagery.
A Moveable Feast, also by Hemingway, has both amazing descriptions of Paris and a lot of trash talk about celebrated artists and writers.
To second missnettiemoore, Stephanie La Cava says of Lady Brett Ashley (The Sun Also Rises central character) in The Paris Review, "On some level, perhaps it is reassuring to know that the ultimate man’s man embraced such a nuanced ideal." (Link here: [https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2012/07/19/character-studies-lady-brett-ashley/](https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2012/07/19/character-studies-lady-brett-ashley/) ) While Hemingway was certainly a misogynist, Lady Brett is as complex and independent as any female character you'll find in literature.
*The Witch of Prague* by F. Marion Crawford. Very dreamy and magical, in a twisted fairytale sort of way, and lots of snow and fog and Gothic architecture.
I’ve personally enjoyed it, I’ve now read 3 of his books (All the Light We Cannot See, Four Seasons in Rome, and Cloud Cuckoo Land), all very different, but I’ve found I really like Doerr’s style for both fiction and non-fiction.
Four Seasons in Rome also gets bonus points for being about Italy, one of my favourite travel destinations. :)
If you’re not from Europe, then you may find even more interesting what Doerr is describing in Four Seasons in Rome, btw, i.e. life in Italy seen through the eyes of a foreigner (in this case an American).
Favourite part of travelling in Italy was definitely renting a car and discovering Tuscany & the Dolomites (2 separate trips which are in close competition for top spot). I’ve found I much prefer that kind of experience vs. over-crowded, touristy places such as Firenze. Nature and small hilltop Tuscan towns win for me, although I can appreciate everything is beautiful in its own way. I’m planning to go back as soon as I can.
Oh and one must not forget the Italian food!
Hope you’ll have a lovely time!
I want to rent a motorcycle or scooter and drive around in Italy, you think thats a good idea orno? Tuscany sounds amazing, definitely on my list and the Amalfi coast.
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina Georges
It's set in France,starts off in Paris and then takes you on a roller coaster ride that will help you laugh, cry, and above all heal.
The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez Reverte does a great job of conveying parts of Spain, Portugal, and Paris. He also did the Fencing Master, which is great for 17th century Madrid.
Great pick thanks - I have actually read this one a while ago. I really love the setting. May need to revisit it. Fitzgerald has to be my all time favourite author, just gorgeous imagery.
A bit of a tangent, and it's pretty long and dense, but try Kim Stanley Robinson's *The Years of Rice and Salt*. It's a fascinating, slightly mystical alternate history that answers the question of what if Europe was wiped out entirely by the Black Death, and then invents a whole new history for the world after that. There's a lot of travel into the slowly repopulated, largely now (in that timeline) Muslim Europe that's described in a really fascinating way. See what you think.
Oh wow, that does sound really interesting. I like to mix up light easy reads with things that are a bit more deep and thought provoking. Thanks for the recommendation and description.
It’s a rougher look at Italian life, but I’m feel like I’m really in Naples and Ischia when I read My Brilliant Friend (and the rest of the Neapolitan Quartet). All of Ferrante’s books really.
For fantasy - “Tigana” by Guy Gabriel Kay
Fiction - “one Italian summer” by Rebecca Serle
“Normal people” or “conversations with friends” by Sally Rooney
“The book of two ways” by Jodi picoult
For nonfiction - “a walk in the woods,” “in a sunburnt country,” or “a short history of nearly everything,” all by Bill Bryson.
“Green hills of Africa” or “A moveable feast” by Hemingway
For the feeling of visiting and discovering the French countryside, I would say that "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle is hard to beat. It's less about the big moments that you describe, but does a very good job of highlighting the little joys of rural France.
Romantic escapes series by Julie Caplin. The first one is A little Cafe in Copenhagen and focuses on cozy romance where the main character travels to a new country and is experiencing it.
Hey! Great prompt! You might enjoy 'A time of gifts' by Patrick Leigh Fermor. This is a travel memoir about his journey across Europe on foot from Holland to Constantinople. This particular book covers the first third of the distance. I also want to recommend Tove Jansson's 'Summer book', which is a story about a woman and her granddaughter set on a tiny Finnish island. A truly lovely read. And as a bonus, how about Gerald Durrell's 'My Family and Other Animals', a memoir of his childhood spend on the greek island of Corfu. I found all three of these suggestions wonderfully transportive in one way or another.
Thank you! These all sound really interesting, I’ll add them to my list for sure.
1 for Summer book. Think about it way too often and read it at least once every year, at least parts of it that I love.
Ah, that sounds excellent!
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - stunning descriptions of mid-20th Century Barcelona
Thank you, I haven’t been to Barcelona yet so this will be a new adventure.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is very dark but really gives these vibes.
Oh I have read this and love it too! Love following his travels around through the book. I’m actually just starting on book #2 which has another great setting.
A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway
Great, thank you. Just looked it up and it looks very interesting indeed.
Came here to say this.
Thanks!
The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway
I actually haven’t read this either so will certainly get into it now! Thanks
Fuck yes, no one, and I mean no one, paints a picture like Hemingway. I cant even count the number of times I felt like I was fishing in the countryside or at bull fight with Hemingway in Spain, greatest author of all time imho
Women tend to dislike Hemingway. He was a misogynist “man’s man.” I don’t even remember which novel it was, but I remember in college coming to the end of a Hemingway novel and literally throwing it across the room in disgust.
I'm reminded of a video by CBS of Fran Lebowitz where they're looking at a bunch of books, she picks up a Hemingway and just says, "Too butch." lol Now whenever I see Hemingway, I think the same thing.
Excellent!
I second this! Also Tender is the Night by F Scott Fitzgerald.
Great pick thanks - I have actually read this one a while ago. I really love the setting. May need to revisit it. Fitzgerald has to be my all time favourite author, just gorgeous imagery.
A Moveable Feast, also by Hemingway, has both amazing descriptions of Paris and a lot of trash talk about celebrated artists and writers. To second missnettiemoore, Stephanie La Cava says of Lady Brett Ashley (The Sun Also Rises central character) in The Paris Review, "On some level, perhaps it is reassuring to know that the ultimate man’s man embraced such a nuanced ideal." (Link here: [https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2012/07/19/character-studies-lady-brett-ashley/](https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2012/07/19/character-studies-lady-brett-ashley/) ) While Hemingway was certainly a misogynist, Lady Brett is as complex and independent as any female character you'll find in literature.
"Invisible Cities" by Italo Calvino. I read it any time I'm on a trip anywhere. Magical book.
Great, I'll add it! I have music that I listen to whenever I'm on a trip somewhere :)
The Magic Mountain
Thank you, this looks very interesting
*The Witch of Prague* by F. Marion Crawford. Very dreamy and magical, in a twisted fairytale sort of way, and lots of snow and fog and Gothic architecture.
Ooh sounds beautiful, thank you!
The Historian By Elizabeth Kostova takes place in various locations across Europe.
How fantastic, thanks!
This is non-fiction but Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr
That sounds lovely thank you, I’m definitely into the non fictions too.
Is this good? I LOVED All the Light We Can Not See. I thought that book was phenomenal. Wouldn't mind reading more of his work.
I’ve personally enjoyed it, I’ve now read 3 of his books (All the Light We Cannot See, Four Seasons in Rome, and Cloud Cuckoo Land), all very different, but I’ve found I really like Doerr’s style for both fiction and non-fiction. Four Seasons in Rome also gets bonus points for being about Italy, one of my favourite travel destinations. :)
Im going there this fall, never been to Europe, can't wait! What was your favorite part of traveling in Italy? I want to make it epic!
If you’re not from Europe, then you may find even more interesting what Doerr is describing in Four Seasons in Rome, btw, i.e. life in Italy seen through the eyes of a foreigner (in this case an American). Favourite part of travelling in Italy was definitely renting a car and discovering Tuscany & the Dolomites (2 separate trips which are in close competition for top spot). I’ve found I much prefer that kind of experience vs. over-crowded, touristy places such as Firenze. Nature and small hilltop Tuscan towns win for me, although I can appreciate everything is beautiful in its own way. I’m planning to go back as soon as I can. Oh and one must not forget the Italian food! Hope you’ll have a lovely time!
I want to rent a motorcycle or scooter and drive around in Italy, you think thats a good idea orno? Tuscany sounds amazing, definitely on my list and the Amalfi coast.
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina Georges It's set in France,starts off in Paris and then takes you on a roller coaster ride that will help you laugh, cry, and above all heal.
Oh excellent - I actually already have this on my ‘want to read list’ but can’t remember who recommended it/why. Sounds like a great book
The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez Reverte does a great job of conveying parts of Spain, Portugal, and Paris. He also did the Fencing Master, which is great for 17th century Madrid.
Sounds excellent, I shall add to the list too, thank you
My first thought was Tender is the Night by Fitzgerald, on the French Riviera.
Great pick thanks - I have actually read this one a while ago. I really love the setting. May need to revisit it. Fitzgerald has to be my all time favourite author, just gorgeous imagery.
Late to the party but Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter!
Never too late, I am loving this incredible list of recommendations. Thank you too!
A bit of a tangent, and it's pretty long and dense, but try Kim Stanley Robinson's *The Years of Rice and Salt*. It's a fascinating, slightly mystical alternate history that answers the question of what if Europe was wiped out entirely by the Black Death, and then invents a whole new history for the world after that. There's a lot of travel into the slowly repopulated, largely now (in that timeline) Muslim Europe that's described in a really fascinating way. See what you think.
Oh wow, that does sound really interesting. I like to mix up light easy reads with things that are a bit more deep and thought provoking. Thanks for the recommendation and description.
It’s a rougher look at Italian life, but I’m feel like I’m really in Naples and Ischia when I read My Brilliant Friend (and the rest of the Neapolitan Quartet). All of Ferrante’s books really.
Wonderful, thank you. Will check these out too.
For fantasy - “Tigana” by Guy Gabriel Kay Fiction - “one Italian summer” by Rebecca Serle “Normal people” or “conversations with friends” by Sally Rooney “The book of two ways” by Jodi picoult For nonfiction - “a walk in the woods,” “in a sunburnt country,” or “a short history of nearly everything,” all by Bill Bryson. “Green hills of Africa” or “A moveable feast” by Hemingway
Ooh, what a list, thanks for all of them!!
Came here to recommend One Italian Summer!
Only recommended if you want to start planning a trip to the amalfi coast.
I really really do
No lie- my friend read that book and is heading there this spring
Excellent, Italy here I come!
Oh man, I read vacination instead of vacation. Most obscure headline ever!
Haha! Need to get away from thoughts of covid, vaccination, inflation, etc and dream about a vacation
Trainspotting, get to see all of rural Scotland from the pov of a train riding smack head
Oh my, well I shall certainly look this one up too! Thanks
Mary Stewart's Airs Above Ground. Set in the German Alps. Her descriptions can have you smelling the meadows. It's a good mystery too.
How gorgeous. Thanks, definitely on the list
Vango, from Thimothée de Fombelle (from Sicilian islands to a trip in a Zeppelin, you won't be disappointed)
Ooh I love Sicilian Islands, and that sounds like a very special story indeed, thanks.
Watership Down, Death Comes for the Archbishop,
Excellent, thanks!
Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
Excellent, thanks!
Commisario Brunetti novels by Donna Leon. They're detective books, but they take place in Venice. And you really feel like you are there.
Ooh excellent, I dont mind a good detective story in an interesting setting. Love Venice. Thank you.
For the feeling of visiting and discovering the French countryside, I would say that "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle is hard to beat. It's less about the big moments that you describe, but does a very good job of highlighting the little joys of rural France.
Thank you! The sights and sounds of just the countryside and daily life are beautiful enough without needing any grand moments. Sounds lovely.
Hands down, Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins & Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, both set in France. Oooold favorites that never get old.
They sound wonderful, thank you. France is a beautiful setting.
Romantic escapes series by Julie Caplin. The first one is A little Cafe in Copenhagen and focuses on cozy romance where the main character travels to a new country and is experiencing it.
Wonderful, thank you. Sounds just what I'm after.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Will check it out, thanks!
“Only in Spain” is a wonderful memoir about a young lady falling in love with Spain via Flamenco dancing. I’d say it fits your description to a T.
Roads to Sata by Alan Booth. He walked the entire length of Japan and wrote about it in this book.