The summer holidays may be over, but that’s no reason to set your spirit of adventure to one side. Transport yourself in the pages of a story and quench your wanderlust with these globetrotting tales. Pack your bags as we take you around the world in 8* books.
*All respect to Jules Verne, but 80 just felt a little excessive…
USA
Family of Liars – E. Lockhart
Journey to a windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts – a hotbed of drama and intrigue surrounded by a hungry ocean. Join the All-American Sinclair family for a summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes (a lot more fun than it sounds, we promise/and all the juicy fun that entails), and discover the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come. The prequel to the all-conquering TikTok sensation We Were Liars.
Ireland
This Is My Sea – Miriam Mulcahy
An Irish bestseller that will instantly transport you into the bracing, healing waters of County Kerry. Mulcahy’s memoir is a poetic exploration of grief, memory and loss set amidst this stunning coastline, as the author takes to the sea to find solace and beat back the waves of pain that once threatened to overwhelm her. A story that will carry you along in its wise and poetic current.
Sweden
Rhubarb Lemonade – Oskar Kroon
We couldn’t travel the globe without a stop in Sweden and a nod to Bonnier’s roots… Oskar Kroon’s poetic novel finds Vinga wiling away the holidays on her grandad’s remote Swedish island. Here she meets Ruth, and a bond swiftly forms between these two very different young women. Over the seemingly endless days, as the sea crashes against the cliffs, and the heat hangs heavy in the skies, their friendship evolves into something deeper. As wistful and evocative as a hazy summer memory.
France
I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me – Jamison Shea
A whole new side to the City of Love… Jamison Shea’s unforgettable YA debut takes us deep into the catacombs beneath the French capital, as upcoming ballet star Laure Mesny makes a bargain with a primordial power in exchange for the centre stage billing she craves. Descend into the labyrinth, dip your toe into the twisting river of blood, and explore this thrilling horror hit.
Italy
Fair Rosaline – Natasha Solomons
See Verona from a different angle in Natasha Solomons’ subversive untelling of Shakespeare’s most famous tale. This fierce feminist novel rewrites Romeo and Juliet through the eyes of young Master Montague’s first love: Rosaline. Revisit the iconic Italian setting of the greatest love story of all-time – and ask yourself if it was all a lie. An irresistible new spin on an old classic. You’ll never read the Bard the same way again.
Egypt
Testament – Wilbur Smith with Mark Chadbourn
The latest Ancient-Egyptian epic from the master of adventure, Wilbur Smith. Taita the Magus summons his protégé, Play, to help solve a millennia-old riddle that has the power to secure Egypt’s future forever, but malevolent forces are also on the hunt for answers – with their own nefarious plans to usher in a new age of darkness. From the ruins of battle, a hero must rise… High-stakes historical fiction under the beating sun from one of the true greats of the genre.
Japan
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop – Satoshi Yagisawa
Books about, well, books are having a moment… And Satoshi Yagisawa’s internationally-bestselling Japanese sensation is the forefront of the charge. Countless readers have fallen for the tale of Takako and eccentric uncle Satoru, two lonely souls connecting amongst the dusty shelves of a second-hand bookstore on the backstreets of Tokyo. A comforting ode to the healing power of sharing stories and a love letter to the joy that sits between their pages.
Australia
We Come With This Place – Debra Dank
An award-winning literary juggernaut in Australia, Debra Dank’s We Come With This Place shattered records at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and landed on the Prime Minister’s Summer Reading List. As it unspools its treasures – passages of love and pain, anger and joy – it is easy to see why. A deeply personal and profound tribute to family and the Gudanji Country to which the author belongs, this is a remarkable book, every bit as rich and varied as the landscape in which it is set.
Art Academy: Travel Posters
And why not take in the whole world in a single book? Inspired by vintage travel posters for destinations around the globe and coming complete with pencils, graphite, eraser, and sharpener, you can make your mark on our planet’s most popular destinations and get some inspiration for your next adventure.
