I’ve always wanted to travel the world, but life has a way of making us put our dreams in their proper order, so until now most of my adventurous visits to far-flung countries have happened between the pages of books. Even now as my children grow older and opportunities to indulge my wanderlust increase, I still can’t help but browse the shelves for stories that whisk me away to distant lands and faraway times without a TSA pat-down or skimpy bag of airline peanuts. So here’s my list of around the world in six amazing historical fiction books that I can’t wait to read.
This is my “I keep meaning to get to it List.” Everything on this list has been sitting in my TBR pile for no fewer than 3 months. I want to read them all, but life (in the form of blurbing coming-soon books, researching and writing my own books, and reading books to my daughter) keeps getting in the way! I’m preaching to the choir, I know.
So many books, so little time … . Neither of us maintain TBR piles as such. They take up too much space, and inspire far too much guilt. But we both read widely and try to keep an eye out for new books from writers we love or for anything that sounds intriguing. Here are a few of our top picks for Autumn 2019.
Many thanks to writer Stephanie Thornton for curating this week’s Can’t Wait To Read.
Thornton’s next work of historical fiction, And They Called It Camelot, which tells the story of Jacqueline Kennedy, comes out next March. If you’re a writer interested in curating an upcoming list, email Spine Authors Editor Susanna Baird, susanna@spinemagazine.co
Books and travel are twin passions for me, and I prepare for literary journeys the way I prepare for literal ones: by making a list of things not to miss. Sometimes, though, it’s the unexpected discoveries along the way—a jewel-like fresco in an obscure crypt, a museum of quirky objects, a neighborhood café—that are equally memorable in retrospect. Same with books: some loom large across the literary landscape, while others await a serendipitous discovery. So while hoping to chance upon some hidden gems, these are the books I am most eager to read right now.
Thanks to Spine Contributing Writer Tracie Mooneyham for pulling together this week’s Can’t Wait To Read.