I couldn't travel around the world, so I read around the world. A collection of books that transported me to different countries, cultures, and time periods. My favorite kind of travel, without the packing or airport lines!
Sections
3
My Top 10
My Teenager Made Me Read It
A Little Bit of Everything
My Top 10
The 10 books from my COVID reading year that I enjoyed the most.
I loved the mix of mystery, folklore, and a setting that felt completely different from anything I'd read before. Such a fun escape! (Affiliate Link)
The Night Tiger: A Novel
I traveled to South Korea! Loved learning about the women, their struggles and their incredible lives beneath the sea. (Affiliate Link)
The Island of Sea Women: A Novel
Magic, adventure, and a world I couldn't wait to explore. (Affiliate Link)
Shadow and Bone (Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1)
Back to the Grishaverse! I was already invested after Shadow and Bone, so of course I had to keep going. (Affiliate Link)
Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone Trilogy #2)
Book 3 in this trilogy. I loved these characters and their magical world, so of course I had to see how their story ended. (Affiliate Link)
Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone Trilogy #3)
Loved the mystery and the feeling of being dropped into a completely unfamiliar world. (Affiliate Link)
State of Wonder
A fascinating look at brotherhood, superstition, and Nigerian culture. (Affiliate Link)
The Fishermen: A Novel
I loved the fast pace and the fact that it kept me wanting to know what happened next. (Affiliate Link)
Legend (Legend Series #1)
This one felt like reading a modern-day fairy tale. (Affiliate Link)
Lights on the Sea
A quick little sci-fi adventure that took me somewhere completely different. (Affiliate Link)
Binti (Binti Series #1)
My Teenager Made Me Read It
Books I discovered because my teenager recommended them... or I borrowed them.
One I borrowed from my teenager. I loved how fun and easy this was to get lost in. (Affiliate Link)
The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo Series #1)
Another one I borrowed from my teenager. I loved how this one made me stop and think about my own dreams and where I'm headed. (Affiliate Link)
The Alchemist
Yep, another teenager recommendation! I loved the friendship in this one. (Affiliate Link)
Freak the Mighty
I read this one to see what my teenager loved so much about it. A little parent research project that turned into a fun read! (Affiliate Link)
The Wearle (The Erth Dragons Series #1)
A Little Bit of Everything
The rest of my reading adventure: fiction, memoirs, classics, fantasy, and books that took me somewhere completely different.
Read the book but still haven't seen the movie! (Affiliate Link)
Fahrenheit 451: A Novel
After reading The Alchemist, I wanted to try another Paulo Coelho book. I enjoyed the way it made me think about people and the choices we make. (Affiliate Link)
The Devil and Miss Prym
This was one of those books that completely pulled me into another time and place. I really enjoyed following the family's journey and watching how their lives changed. (Affiliate Link)
The Good Earth
A quick read that really made me think about what we give up when we try to create a perfect world. (Affiliate Link)
The Giver
Magic, adventure, and just the right amount of weird. (Affiliate Link)
Uprooted
Dreamy, magical, and totally different from anything I'd read before. (Affiliate Link)
The Star-Touched Queen (Star-Touched Series #1)
A reading trip to India with a glimpse into culture, family, and complicated relationships. (Affiliate Link)
The God of Small Things (Booker Prize Winner)
Loved continuing Binti's story and seeing what happened after the first book. (Affiliate Link)
Binti: Home (Binti Series #2)
A reading trip to coastal Maine! Loved getting to know the complicated, very memorable characters. (Affiliate Link)
Olive Kitteridge (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
Another fun escape into a world of magic and adventure. (Affiliate Link)
Akata Witch
A reading trip to Mississippi with a look at family, race, poverty, and incarceration. (Affiliate Link)
Sing, Unburied, Sing (National Book Award Winner)
Russia, but make it magical. Loved the folklore and that slightly creepy fairy-tale feeling. (Affiliate Link)
The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy #1)
A reading trip to 19th-century Malaya with a mix of Chinese folklore, ghosts, and family secrets. (Affiliate Link)
The Ghost Bride
A twisty little mystery set in coastal Maine. Loved the secrets and small-town drama. (Affiliate Link)
The Last House Guest (Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick)
Loved getting a feel for Bangkok and its history without having to pack a suitcase! (Affiliate Link)
Bangkok Wakes to Rain: A Novel
A powerful look at Native American lives and identity in Oakland. (Affiliate Link)
There There
I tried something completely different with this one. Poetry isn't usually my go-to, but I'm glad I stepped outside my usual reading comfort zone. (Affiliate Link)
The Tradition (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
Traveled to Spain for mysterious illness and desires. (Affiliate Link)
Hot Milk
A fascinating, unsettling look at control, freedom, and what happens when rights can be taken away. (Affiliate Link)
The Handmaid's Tale
Full of complicated family dynamics. (Affiliate Link)
Silver Sparrow
I loved hearing Michelle's story in her own words. It made me feel like I got to know the person behind the public image. (Affiliate Link)
