Books to transcend time and place

Most of my favorite books are the ones that have transported me to another era, usually the past but sometimes to a dystopian future, and have given me the feeling that I’ve arrived in a completely different place. Whether it’s the streets of Paris or those of New York, I feel as if for a moment I have a glimpse into a different life, and nothing is more exciting to me than that.

Often when I travel I make plans to visit places I’ve read about, or I make sure to explore a certain neighborhood where a character or author lived. It makes everything more real, and the stories are inspiring. By reading, like traveling, I can explore and learn from the lives of others. Not just their love stories or their family background, but their daily lives and culture and viewpoint of the world, which is so often different from my own. A lot of the books on this list have inspired my own travels, or have me dreaming of future destinations I plan to visit when it’s safe.

Before I write a saga on why I love reading so much, I thought I would share my list with you. These are the books and series that have pulled at my heart strings and left me thinking. The ones that have made an impression and the ones I’ve booked flights and trains for. My personal favorites…and scroll to the end for my secret to ordering books.

individual books I love

Not only is this story historically accurate and true, but it gives beautiful descriptions of the country of Poland, its cities and its bountiful acres of preserved forest. (Diane Ackerman)

A Moveable Feast is basically a tell-all of struggling and making it in Paris in the 1920s. But, not only does Hemingway explain his Paris, but gives glimpses into active vacations spent in the alps every winter, reserved for hardy men like himself and his baby boy Bumby. Before reading this classic novel, start with The Paris Wife. This story outlines the life of Hemingway’s first (and often-noted favorite) wife Hadley, and much of the time is spent in Paris. (Ernest Hemingway, Paula McLain)

Following around a rising star through 1920’s London is nothing short of glamorous. (Hazel Gaynor)

Though this is a purely fictional novel, John F. Kennedy did in fact travel throughout Europe just before WWII, writing his senior thesis which would then become the novel Why England Slept. I loved this story, following a young JFK through Europe, often skirting danger. (Francine Mathews)

This is a biography about JFK’s younger sister, who went by the nickname Kick. It was very inspiring to me as a young Catholic woman who has traveled extensively. One of those books I took notes in the margins and will hold onto. (Paula Byrne)

I’ve always harbored a dream of living on a ranch somewhere remote and beautiful, like Montana, and reveling in the most simplistic life. Hattie Big Sky allowed me to live this life, if not but for a hundred years ago. (Kirby Larson)

Of course The Great Gatsby is an absolute classic. But to understand it better, I recommend reading Z first. It’s a novel all about Fitzgerald’s wife Zelda, and follows them through their whole lives, across the globe. Fitzgerald drew a lot from their real life for The Great Gatsby, and I found it easier to read after knowing their whole story. (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Therese Ann Fowler)

Both of these titles are by acclaimed author Jeannette Walls. And both were extremely moving and inspiring and also hit at my belief that I lived in the Southwest in another life. (Jeannette Walls)

A classic that I read once upon a time on a sunny bus ride to Venice. It’s a very petite book but a must-read nonetheless. (Truman Capote)

This book is a rather unusual read because it approaches time backwards. Nevertheless, the story was interesting and inspiring and sparked my dreams of living somewhere quiet near the Mediterranean. (Peter Nichols)

This is the perfect book for travelers. It’s the story of a girl who wants to experience the world, and was more insightful than I thought it would be. (Nicole Trilivas)

I haven’t received this book yet but I have a feeling I’m going to love it based on the Hulu adaptation I watched and obsessed over. It’s a complicated love story that spans years and countries and has you rooting for the characters to be together the whole time. (Sally Rooney)

After reading one book about Henry VIII, I had to know more. Carolly Erickson has written four novels about Henry’s wives, and I started by reading this one about the king’s third wife (he’s the one who famously had six). It is a tale of secrets and conflicting loyalty. (Carolly Erickson)

authors & series I love

I wrote a previous post on one of my favorite authors, Beatriz Williams. There you will find all of her books listed, in the order I recommend reading them.

I have another favorite author by the name of Adriana Trigiani, and her books fulfill all of my dreams about living in Italy and New York City. Her stories span decades and continents and are always so intricately woven with love and Italian-isms. Below is a list of the ones I’ve read so far.

• The Shoemaker’s Wife
• All the Stars in the Heavens
• The Supreme Macaroni Company
• Brava Valentine
• Lucia, Lucia
• Tony’s Wife
• The Queen of the Big Time
• Very Valentine

An author I love for historical fiction is Philippa Gregory. I am so curious about royalty in the past, and their stories which were real but often sound like a fairy tale or a nightmare, depending on the regime. Gregory writes of queens and princesses in a historically accurate way while giving life to their stories. She has written many novels, but I’ll just list the ones I’ve read.

• The Other Queen (Scotland and England)
• Three Queens, Three Sisters (Scotland, France, and England)

If you need a dystopian series to keep you up all night reading, then The Selection Series by Kiera Cass is perfect. I recently re-read the whole series after I heard it’s being adapted for Netflix, and it wrapped me up the second time as much as it did the first time (which was in high school, I vividly remember secretly reading during boring physics lectures). I have a feeling the version on screen will be just as addicting.

• The Selection
• The Elite
• The One
• The Heir
• The Crown
• The Betrothed (was just released May 5th!)

P.S. If you can’t go to your local bookstore, my secret to ordering used books online is a site called Thrift Books. They have most titles for around $4/book. Typically I order three at a time, and usually they ship for free.

Have any book suggestions for me? Leave them in the comments below!