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YA Books to Inspire and Satisfy Wanderlust
Why do people leave their homes and travel the world?
People travel for a variety of reasons, each of which is unique to them. They may travel to learn a specific skill, such as a new language, a new cuisine, or the features of a different culture.
Conquering new terrain is thrilling, and it’s just one of the many reasons people enjoy travelling.
Or, if you’re like me, traveling is one of the lights at the end of the tunnel. Numerous pinterest boards on places I want to visit, explore, and embrace, keep me going when I’m effortlessly… struggling over math equations or biology lessons.
However, it comes as no surprise that the majority of people who want to travel can’t for a variety of reasons. [Again, like me!]
During the lockdown, my family and I traveled through Rick Steves’ famous European Travel Diaries. I explored Rome, The Cinque Terre, the French countryside, and so much more using a rectangular lens. Besides Rick Steves’ show, I traveled through books.
Following is a list of YA books I loved that are sure to sweep you away on a literary voyage!
Wanderlost by Jen Malone
Genres/Categories
Contemporary Romance, YA
Triggers Warnings for Wanderlost
Death
Synopsis/Summary
Not all those who wander are lost, but Aubree Sadler most definitely is on this novel’s whirlwind trip through Europe.
Aubree can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe.
Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan unravels, leaving her with no phone, no carefully prepared binder full of helpful facts, and an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story.
But her relationship with Sam is threatening to ruin her relationship with her sister, and she feels like she’s letting both of them down. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is—she just hopes she likes where she ends up.
My Review of Wanderlost
Wanderlost was one of the first books I picked up where a character travelled and through Europe, no less. Aubree, despite not wanting to go in her sister’s stead, discovers her love for adventure with all her old-of-body-young-of-mind friends. It is a very light-hearted and fun book.
If you’re not a fan of traveling, or are wondering what the hype behind tourism is, reading this novel will give you a glimpse into how romantic (in the poetic sense) and enlightening it can be to uncover something so many have done before but the fact that you, as a fellow human, do so for the first time makes it all the more special.
Wanderlost is opens your eyes to the different aspects of traveling—culture, community, friendship, family, love, humanity, self-discovery—so if you are just starting, I couldn’t recommend it more!
The Paper Girl Of Paris By Jordyn Taylor
Genres/Categories
YA, Historical Fiction, Romance (Dual Timelines)
Trigger Warnings for The Paper Girl Of Paris
Death, anti-semitism, mental illness, nazi occupancy
Synopsis/Summary
Now:
Sixteen-year-old Alice is spending the summer in Paris, but she isn’t there for pastries and walks along the Seine. When her grandmother passed away two months ago, she left Alice an apartment in France that no one knew existed. An apartment that has been locked for more than seventy years.
Alice is determined to find out why the apartment was abandoned and why her grandmother never once mentioned the family she left behind when she moved to America after World War II. With the help of Paul, a charming Parisian student, she sets out to uncover the truth. However, the more time she spends digging through the mysteries of the past, the more she realizes there are secrets in the present that her family is still refusing to talk about.
Then:
Sixteen-year-old Adalyn doesn’t recognize Paris anymore. Everywhere she looks, there are Nazis, and every day brings a new horror of life under the Occupation. When she meets Luc, the dashing and enigmatic leader of a resistance group, Adalyn feels she finally has a chance to fight back. But keeping up the appearance of being a much-admired socialite while working to undermine the Nazis is more complicated than she could have imagined. As the war goes on, Adalyn finds herself having to make more and more compromises—to her safety, to her reputation, and to her relationships with the people she loves the most.
My Review of The Paper Girl Of Paris
Warning: The book is beautifully written and will make you cry. It’s a deep dive into the Nazi occupancy of France and its ramifications on Jewish and Non-Jewish members of the society.
My history textbooks have glossed over many important topics such as this, and it always makes me angry how sometimes textbooks tend to reduce significant moments to insignificant ones by devoting only a single sentence to them.
Jordyn Taylor crafted an intense and authentic novel that I love. Despite being fiction, her writing derives from actual diary entries of fierce women who served in resistance movements—women who gave up their lives for the next generation. It’s clear the author wants to inspire girls to do what is right. She’s inspired me, all right.
The Paper Girl of Paris is a great book with two beautiful romances in the past and the present and a mystery to keep you on your toes.
Love And Gelato By Jenna Evans Welch
Genres/Categories
Contemporary Romance
Trigger Warnings for Love And Gelato
Death (cancer), neglect by parent
Synopsis/Summary
“I made the wrong choice.”
Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is go back home.
But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires her, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.
People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.
My Review of Love And Gelato
This book didn’t feel long enough! It has stunning imagery, is perfect for the summer, and it’s been turned into a Netflix movie. Love and Gelato is one of my favorite books.
The emotions that Carolina wades through, her budding romance with Lorenzo, and her relationship with her late mother’s “friend” sent me reeling. Never has a book made me feel so raw.
It also implores you to think about what family means to you. Is family always defined by blood? While I’m grateful for my own blood relations, my friends, the unexpected people who show up for me, and even my cats, are family to me.
Love and Gelato is the perfect read. It’s warm and comforting. The mystery behind Lina’s mother is super compelling. And the romance is just perfect.
If you loved this, check out Jenna Evans Welch’s other books: Love and Luck and Love and Olives. They follow similar themes of travel and will keep you on your toes until the end.
Check out these movies to watch if you love Love and Gelato!
13 Little Blue Envelopes By Maureen Johnson
Genres/Categories
Contemporary Romance
Trigger Warnings for 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Ableism, attempted sexual assault, death, mention of young age pregnancy.
Synopsis/summary
When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life.
My Review of 13 little blue envelopes
I’m a big puzzle and quest fan. This explains why I ate this book up like it was a cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven.
There were some hard-topics explored in this book though—which I wasn’t expecting since I read this a lot younger than I am now—exposing me to the reality and imperfections of humanity.
The novel’s use of envelopes as a plot device and the gaggle of eccentric characters made 13 Little Blue Envelopes one of the best books I’ve read.
The book also has a sequel—The Last Little Blue Envelope—even more enjoyable!
A Castle In The Clouds By Kerstin Gier
Genres/Categories
Cozy mystery, Romance
Trigger Warnings for A Castle In The Clouds
Death, kidnapping attempt, bullying
Synopsis/Summary
A Castle in the Clouds follows a girl as she navigates secrets, romance, and danger in an aging grand hotel.
Way up in the Swiss mountains, there’s an old grand hotel steeped in tradition and faded splendor. Once a year, when the famous New Year’s Eve Ball takes place and guests from all over the world arrive, excitement returns to the vast hallways.
Sophie, who works at the hotel as an intern, is busy making sure that everything goes according to plan. But unexpected problems keep arising, and some of the guests are not who they pretend to be. Very soon, Sophie finds herself right in the middle of a perilous adventure–and at risk of losing not only her job, but also her heart.
My Review of A Castle In The Clouds
Despite having some “dangerous, murderous” chapters, this one is hilarious. And I’m a big supporter of character’s taking gap years to figure things out—which is what Sophie does. It deeply resonated with me considering I took a gap year too.
Unfortunately, I can’t give a review of this one without spoiling the plot—you’ll just have to read it! All I can write is crazy stuff aside, this book is the epitome of a thrilling vacation.
Field Notes On Love By Jennifer E. Smith
Genres/Categories
Contemporary romance
Synopsis
Having just been dumped by his girlfriend, British-born Hugo is still determined to take his last-hurrah-before-college train trip across the United States. One snag: the companion ticket is already booked under the name of his ex, Margaret Campbell. Nontransferable, no exceptions.
Enter the new Margaret C. (Mae for short), an aspiring filmmaker with big dreams. After finding Hugo’s spare ticket offer online, she’s convinced it’s the perfect opportunity to expand her horizons.
When the two meet, the attraction is undeniable, and both find more than they bargained for. As Mae pushes Hugo to explore his dreams for his future, he’ll encourage her to channel a new, vulnerable side of her art. But when life off the train threatens the bubble they’ve created for themselves, will they manage to keep their love on track?
My Review of Field Notes on Love
You know that feeling when you find someone who understands all the parts of you: the broken parts, the joyful parts, the crazy parts. That’s love. And this book was love for me.
I cannot begin to describe the emotions I encountered when soaring through the pages. It brought me both sadness and happiness at the same time. Jennifer E. Smith has done it yet again. She’s unlocked the door to my heart.
If you haven’t read her other books, you should! Maybe I’ll make a separate post about them.
Besides the sizzling chemistry between our protagonists, the stunning setting, the book highlights what it means to write your on destiny. And is it really your destiny if you let someone else influence it?
Field Notes On Love checks off all the boxes for a perfect book for armchair travelling.
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What are some of your favorite books for armchair travelling? Let me know in the comments!
