We wouldn’t call ourselves a travel blog, but there’s nothing better than a good book on a long flight or train ride. The end of the pandemic is coming (hopefully?) and we are tentatively starting to plan trips again! While we’re waiting for clearance to take off, check out this list of some of our favorite locations in the United States paired with some of our favorite books!
Stay tuned for part two featuring our favorite international travel destinations paired with our reading recommendations!
1. Charleston, South Carolina
Growing up, E had relatives who lived near Charleston, and our family went down almost every summer and rented a house on Folly Beach. It’s such a relaxed little beach town, and super close to Charleston which has amazing shopping and restaurants. And the houses are so beautiful! For a taste of the natural beauty in the area, ready Where the Crawdads Sing (one of E’s all time favorites!) before you visit.
2. Coastal Maine
The coast of Maine is one of our favorite places, and is luckily somewhere we can potentially visit this summer. Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again, are iconic Maine books, and the beauty of Maine plays a role in both novels. We even think that Olive’s unique personality and quirks are more relatable to people from New England (plus Olive is one of our favorite female characters in literature!). The Guest Book is one of those books A likes to describe as “rich people doing things,” but it’s set on a picturesque island in Maine. The book follows siblings trying to determine what they want to do with their money pit vacation home as they sort through their family history. A enjoyed this book, and was pleasantly surprised by the ambitious historical plot the author wove in. The descriptions of summer in Maine are also not to be missed. E also loved Evvie Drake Starts Over which is about a young widow living in small town Maine. Plan your trip to Maine now and get ready for plenty of Lobster, hiking, and sunsets!
3. Seattle
Even though it’s a pretty long flight, Seattle is such a fun city! We recommend wandering around Pike Place Market, taking a ferry at sunset, and eating all the delicious food! To go along with your Seattle adventure, pick up Today Tonight Tomorrow, a cute contemporary YA that’s also a love letter to the city. It’s about two high-school rivals falling for each other on the last night of their senior year when the whole class competes in a scavenger hunt throughout Seattle. Another great option is This is How It Always Is, which is also set in the city.
4. Cleveland, OH
E has a soft spot for Cleveland, so we couldn’t leave it off the list! One of the most underrated cities in the U.S., Cleveland has great (affordable) food, so many breweries, museums, and sports. Make sure you check out West Side Market and Great Lakes Brewing, and try to get cheap tickets to a baseball game if you go in season. To get you excited, you can read (and watch) Little Fires Everywhere, set in the picturesque suburb of Shaker Heights.
5. Boston
On your trip to Boston, don’t miss the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and make sure you take a long walk along the Charles River. Go in the summer or fall for optimal weather. E lived in Boston for a couple years, and these books always make her nostalgic. White Ivy is a psychological thriller about a Chinese-American girl striving to gain access to the elite old-money Boston world. Writers and Lovers is about a struggling writer living near Harvard Square in Cambridge. Both books make E so nostalgic for her Boston days!
7. Vermont
We love Vermont so much, and for such a small state there really are a lot of books set there. While you’re planning your foliage trip next fall, pick up a few of these books. Radio Free Vermont, by famed environmentalist and Vermont resident Bill McKibben, imagines what a secessionist attempt would look like in the Green Mountain State. This book is funny, littered with fun Vermont appearances, and makes you want to visit ASAP. A Stranger in the Kingdom is one of A’s favorite books, and it deserves more love. Set in the Northeast Kingdom, the book tells the story of a brutal murder in a small town and the devastating impact on the community. For those of us who love thrillers, Colleen Hoover’s masterpiece Verity will keep you on your toes. A struggling ghost writer gets the offer of a lifetime and uproots her life to move to rural Vermont to help a best selling author’s husband finish his sick wife’s novel. The Secret History, by Donna Tartt of Goldfinch fame, is actually our favorite of her novels, and about a group of friends in a secret society at an elite New England college (modeled on Bennington College in Bennington, VT). The book is the unusual combination of being incredibly written and a crazy plot driven thriller.
8. New York City
Of course, we can’t forget New York. Despite what the media says, New York is not dead and you should definitely book a trip ASAP for early fall (one of the best times to visit!). Enjoy a walk around Central Park and over the Brooklyn Bridge. Take advantage of all the amazing outdoor dining setups and shop without the crowds! Maybe you’ll even decide to move here while rents are at records lows. We have a whole post on books set in New York to inspire you.
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