The summer may be over, but personally, I am already planning my 2025 holiday! I love to travel, and I love to read, so combining these two is a match made in heaven! Read on for my recommendations of bookish breaks based on your favourite genres!
Bookish Breaks for the Romance Reader
Yes, it is cliche, but of course we have to speak about Paris: the city of love! Paris is undeniably a romantic city, there is a reason that so many romance books, shows and films are set there. Whether you are a fan on Moulin Rouge, Emily in Paris or Thirty Days in Paris by Veronica Henry, there is a Parisian romance for you!
Top things to do in Paris
First off the classics: visit the Eiffel Tower, take a walk along the Seine, wander in Montmatre. These will make you really feel the love
Then, to hit all the Bookish Vibes, visit Shakespeare and Co. where you can spend the night in exchange for working in the shop! Sleeping in a bookshop and working with books? Where’s the catch!?
Parisian reading list
- Thirty Days in Paris by Veronica Henry
- The Paris Connection by Lorraine Brown
- Paris is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay
- One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan
- Paris for One by Jojo Moyes
Bookish Breaks for the Fantasy Reader
OK, I can’t actually send you to Middle Earth, Prythian or Narnia, but I can do the next best thing and suggest you visit Scotland! The highlands of Scotland have the wild, rugged beauty where you can absolutely believe no human has stepped foot. Not to mention the myths and legends surrounding the country: Skye has the fairy pools, Orkney has selkies and lets not even get started on the Loch Ness Monster!
Top things to do in Scotland
First off, you have to explore Edinburgh. If you don’t already believe in witches, magic and the occult, a couple days in Edinburgh will absolutely convert you! Then, depending on your fantasy tribe you need to visit the highlands to do an Outlander pilgrimage, the Isle of Skye to see if you can find faeries (Illyrian warriors not guaranteed), or do a castle tour imagining you’re in a magical school.
We can’t forget the bookshops of course! There is the new Book Lovers Bookshop– the UK’s first romance book shop! Or visit Rare Birds Book Shop for a lively fun atmosphere or The Wyrd Shop for all your witchy needs!
Scottish Reading List
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
- House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
- Lady MacBeth by Ava Reid
- Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater
- A Pocketful of Crows by Joanne Harris
Bookish Breaks for the Dark Academia Reader
We’re staying in the UK for this one with Oxford! Walking the alleys of Oxford, seeing the spires of the University and being engrossed in the history of the city you can really believe that you are in a Dark Academia or thriller novel.
Top things to do in Oxford
Getting lost in Oxford’s streets and exploring the University is an absolute must do. The city is steeped in literary history, from St Mary’s Passage and the lamp post that inspired CL Lewis , to the Eagle and Child pub where CL Lewis and JRR Tolkein used to drink. There is also the Christchurch gardens and boating on the Thames that inspired Lewis Carroll’s Alice books. The Radcliffe Camera & Bodleian Library are of course must visit locations for any bookworms.
Oxford Reading List
- Babel by R F Kuang
- The It Girl by Ruth Ware
- The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez
- Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates
- Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
Bookish Breaks for the Horror Reader
If you’re a horror fan there is really only one place that can fit here. Think ghost stories, witches, supernatural beings….Of course I’m talking about New Orleans! New Orleans has all the supernatural vibes, and this vibrant city makes an incredible backdrop for horror and supernatural stories. Walking the streets you could believe that the supernatural creatures you read about are real, and if you enter the bayou, you might just meet them.
Top things to do in New Orleans
There are so many ghost, voodoo, or vampire tours in New Orleans that you absolutely have to scare yourself silly on one! In terms of sight seeing, you have to go to the French Quarter and the Garden Quarter. It may seem ghoulish, but the New Orleans cemeteries are also well worth a visit (just, not after dark!) Finally, head out of the city to the bayou and experience the magic and mystery out there.
We can’t forget the book shops of course! If you are a foodie (and who isn’t after the food here!) Visit Kitchen Witch, a bookshop famed for its cook books. Or there is Faulkner House Books where William Faulkner once lived and worked.
New Orleans Reading List
- Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
- Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs
- Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw
- The Elementals by Michael McDowell
- My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
Bookish Breaks for the Memoir Reader
Memoir, of course is incredibly personal. However, I have chosen Goa to represent Memoir on this list. I find that a lot of memoirs have an element of “finding yourself” or personal development- which for a lot of people can be meditation or yoga. Both of these are practices that are incredible popular in Southern India, particularly Goa.
Top things to do in Goa
As we are discussing memoir and a journey of self discovery, I have to mention yoga and meditation retreats. You could go for a day, week or a month, but make sure you experience these retreats! The beaches in Kerala are stunning, so get your rest and relaxation in on the beach too.
As always, there has to be a list of bookshops to visit too. Check out Literati Bookshop & Cafe, Calangute a gorgeous store to escape the hustle and bustle. Or, if you want a vibrant shop, try Crossword, Panjim for a fun store.
Goa Reading List
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Broken Threads: My Family From Empire to Independence by Mishal Husain
- Gathering Rosebuds in Kerala: A Memoir About Storing Life’s Special Moments Paperback by Peter Billingham
- Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents by Elisabeth Eaves
- Journey through India by Mark Probert
If this blog post has inspired you to travel, check out our post on translated fiction to get a further reading list!
