Women Who Travel Book Club: 11 Books to Read On Your Winter Trips
There’s nothing quite like cracking into a book you’ve been dying to read while on vacation—we all know the feeling.
That’s why Women Who Travel is launching our first-ever book club. Every few months, expect a list of the newest and most engaging reads; the books you'll struggle to put down, even in a new place. For our first installment, we asked our editors and contributors to share the books they’re currently packing in their carryons. You'll find a nice mix of new releases—from murder mysteries to romances to surreal Kafka-esque novels—that are worth bringing on your next trip. And if you can't wait until then? Don't worry—many of these volumes will transport you all by themselves.
Below, 11 books written by women authors to read on your next trip, whether it’s a dreamy Paris vacation or an adventurous journey to Zion. We'd love to hear which you're reading, or which fantastic new books we missed, on Instagram or Facebook. (Your picks might make it into the next roundup.)
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Exiles by Jane Harper
Lately I’ve been reading books, nonfiction and fiction, that deal with current events or touch on today’s myriad of social issues (race, gender, economics), so I’m not totally sure what it says that I’m finding my escape in a murder mystery! I love all of Jane Harper’s books, especially those that feature Detective Aaron Falk, as this one does. In a genre that often feels formulaic and/or too easily solvable, her books are smart and surprising and always well written. Her characters are great and her stories are often set in the Australian bush and small Aussie towns. Bonus: listen to the audiobook, the accents and slang are transporting! —Rebecca Misner, senior features editor
Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America's National Parks by Emily Pennington
I am just about to dive into this one—Emily Pennington has written about America’s national parks for Condé Nast Traveler for years, so I’m thrilled she just released her first book, which recounts her journey to visit every single park in the U.S. The excerpt we ran about her time in Alaska’s Gate of the Arctic National Park has already given me a glimpse of her raw encounters with the flora and fauna that makes up our country’s park system, and the way those landscapes have shaped her as a traveler. (It also inspired me to bump Gates of the Arctic up on my must-visit list.) —Megan Spurrell, senior editor
The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn
I read the debut novel The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn in my tent while backpacking alone in the Swedish Arctic, burning finished chapters to save weight. (Drama!) It’s a juicy family saga and a clear-eyed war story; there’s a crumbling old house, amateur Shakespeare, and parachuting spies. This book is something delicious to sink your teeth into. —Maggie Shipstead, contributor
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
I’m a sucker for romance novels. Stories that build on tension, conflict, and desire. Although this second-chance romance book started out slow, I couldn’t put it down as I became more invested in the relationship between Josiah and Yasmen and who they once were. Kennedy Ryan captures so many topics in this book from grief, loss, community, and friendship to learning how to forgive yourself, speak your truth, and ask for what you want. It’s a book where you can easily find glimpses of yourself among the pages. —Kayla Brock, associate social media manager
Ghost Music by An Yu
An Yu’s dreamy novel follows a former concert pianist searching for the truth about a vanished musician. Like all quest-y books, it's as much about the inner journey as the outward mission. This contemplative piece, with magical realism, food, secrets, and family woven throughout, made me think about what it means to be alive. —Pallavi Kumar, senior visuals editor
Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou
I must admit—I came for the cover. But once I got into it, I fell for Ingrid Yang as she attempts to make sense of academia through a wild whirlwind of frustrating activism, poetry, and her thorny relationships to white institutions after finding a curious note tied to her grueling PhD dissertation. It's funny and satirical and identity-driven in the most electric way. —Laura Delarato, contributor
Out There: Stories by Kate Folk
I’m a big fan of any story—long or short—that can completely take me out of my world and drop me right into another character. Kate Folk’s stories are more often than not surreal and absurd with just a touch of “wait, could that happen?” to each plot. If you’re a fan of “Black Mirror,” consider this required reading—each one is a little Kafka-esque treat. —Erika Owen, contributor
The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader
There’s something dramatic and shocking about unexpected family secrets unfolding in a novel—and this one has just that. It’s also about strong female friendships and how they evolve over time, taking place over 50 years beginning in the late 1960s in Iowa and leading up to present day. Plus, I love any book that has a little Hollywood glamour. —Meaghan Kenny, associate commerce editor
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Set in 1990s Colombia, Fruit of the Drunken Tree follows two young girls of different economic statuses whose stories intertwine in increasingly tense ways as they grapple with the ripple effects of the country's decades-long civil war. I'm looking forward to delving into the book for author Ingrid Rojas Contreras's lush descriptions of Colombia and the story's sense of place and pervading sense of magical realism.—Jessica Puckett, senior editor of transportation and travel news
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
I've lost count of the number of people who have recommended Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow to me over the past few months. A novel centered around two childhood friends who become creative partners (and find fame and fortune) in video game design, I wasn't sure if it was going to be the book for me—I've never really been a gamer. But by the end of my five-hour flight to St. Kitts last week I was utterly immersed, not just in the emotional intensity that comes with the close friendship the book is centered around, but in the virtual worlds these characters were creating together. I'll be thinking about the Ichigo universe, and the beautiful and flawed characters of Sam Masur and Sadie Green, for some time to come. —Lale Arikoglu, articles director
Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie
This is a coming-of-age novel that explores the bonds of female friendship from adolescence to middle age. The political backdrop at the start is a turbulent time in Pakistan’s history—dictatorship gives way to Benazir Bhutto’s rise to power, which spurs on the protagonists' dreams, while 80s Western pop culture fuels their teenage naïveté. The novel follows them into adulthood, and a vastly different—and global—stage. The latter half of the book doesn’t have the charm or the sharpness of the first half, but I still enjoyed what is essentially a riveting study of friendship. —Arati Menon, global digital director
