5 of the Best Travel Books To Read During COVID-19 Isolation

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I love to read. I think it boils down to my love for travel. Both reading and travel bring me to a different place. I get to experience a different life, a different story when reading and traveling. So when I am not traveling and find a good book that combines a good story with travel, I am in my happy place. Since we can’t be traveling right now, it is the perfect time to dig into a lot of good travel books. I put together a list of seven travel books you should read, but I’d love to add more to my list. Let me know what travel books you love to read in the comments. 

Here are the best travel books to read during the COVID-19 isolation! 

Travel Book #1
The Yellow Envelope by Kim Dinan

This may be one of my favorite travel books. It’s definitely a feel-good book about the power of travel and giving. A couple decides to pack up and sell all their belongings and go travel the world. Before they leave, a neighbor gives them a yellow envelope with money inside. Their instructions are to give the money away to those they encounter on their journey. The story is about learning money isn’t always the most important thing you can give another person. The Yellow Envelope is a story about how travel stretches and pushes a person and the power of giving more than just money. It will definitely give you a different perspective on the world and those around you the next time you travel.

Travel Book #2
The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

Ok, this is my second favorite travel book. Instead of the normal self-help and research books out there, this one is written by a journalist. Eric Weiner takes on a different perspective when searching for what makes someone happy. He travels through many different countries, that are all on different parts of the happiness scale. It’s interesting to see what makes people happy in Iceland is completely different than what makes people happy in Switzerland. Is there really a “right” answer to finding happiness? This book makes me want to go on my own journey around the world of finding out what makes each country’s people happy!

Travel Book #3
A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout & Sara Corbett

This one is darker and a heavier read than the first two I recommended. It is based on a true story of a woman’s experience being captured and held hostage in Somalia for 460 days. It is amazing to read of this woman’s true experience and what helped her get through an incredibly horrific experience.

Travel Book #4
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

You have probably heard of this book and/or seen the movie created based on the novel, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I actually read the book and then watched the movie on the plane ride to Italy! This book is a memoir of the author’s trip to Italy, India, and Indonesia after her divorce. Travel is an incredible gift that can help anyone going through a difficult time or change in their life. Read this story to see the journey Elizabeth Gilbert goes on while searching for her own true happiness. It will also probably make you want to go visit at least one of the three countries she visits throughout the book!

Travel Book #5
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

This is another book that has been turned into a movie and another book about going on a personal journey after great loss. Wild is a memoir about Chery Strayed’s journey of losing her mother, then her marriage and family and going on a trek on the Pacific Crest Trail to heal. It’s a pretty good book filled with suspense, sorrow, and laughter and makes you feel like anything is possible. After reading this book, you will feel like you can overcome any obstacles thrown your way

Bonus! Travel Book #6
The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett, Amanda Pressner

I haven’t read this book yet, but I have heard so many good things about it that I had to add it to my list. This is a story about three girls coming up on their 30th birthday and decide to leave everything to travel the world for a year. They travel to four continents and push themselves out of their comfort zone in hopes of finding inspiration and direction. Traveling and exploring the world with some best friends sounds like an amazing book to me. I can’t wait to read it! 

When we can’t physically be traveling, books are a great way to be taken to a new place and a new world. What books have you read that inspires you to travel or visit a new place? I’m always looking for new books to add to my list.