10 YA books to get your travel kicks from this summer

So it looks like travel abroad is still going to remain a distant memory. Hopping on a plane… Exploring a new city… Swimming in the warm Italian seas… It’s all a just a dream right now. But better believe that as soon as it’s safe and realistic to travel, we’ll be out there.

Until then, I guess we’ll have to quench our wanderlust thirst through reading. So here’s some books that I think capture that sense of adventure and vacation. Road trip, anyone?

‘The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue’ by Mackenzi Lee

I mean, it’s the O.G. tour. A rite of passage for well-off English snoots back in the day; it was fashionable to spend a season, or even a year, abroad either studying (girls would often be more restricted to things like art residencies and the like) or just spending all of daddy’s money across Europe.

But don’t be fooled by ‘The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue’ it is every bit a romp, and queer to boot. We stan.

‘Sunkissed’ by Jenny McLachlan

I fell so hard for this book. It’s part of a series, but you can easily read them separate from each other, and that’s exactly what I unwittingly did with ‘Sunkissed’. Kat is shipped off to Sweden for the summer and what a summer it is! Just trust me, you’ll be jonesing for your own Swedish adventure after reading this.

‘Wayward Son’ by Rainbow Rowell

I picked book two in the Simon Snow books because I haven’t read the most recent release, and ‘Wayward Son’ is the most epic and fantastical U.S. road trip scenario I’ve ever read. I LOVED this one, and I was fairly ambivalent about ‘Carry On’.

‘One Italian Summer’ by Keris Stainton

I dare you not to fall in love with this book. Exactly what it says on the tin. The story follows Milly as she travels to Italy with her sisters, all freshly feeling the grief of losing their father. It’s so full of heart. Such a softly evocative read. Plus, hot Italian boys. Maneskin, who?

‘Love & Gelato’ by Jenna Evans Welch

Think ‘One Italian Summer’ but flip the script. This gives me ‘Mamma Mia’ vibes (the sequel especially) and if you’ve ever watched the teen CLASSIC ‘What A Girl Wants’ then you’ll know exactly what you’re signing up for with this book. Plus, again, it’s Italy. What more do you need?

‘Loveboat, Taipei’ by Abigail Hing Wen

I started this book and really enjoyed it… But then got distracted! Bookworm problems, am I right? I am going to finish it though and I’m looking forward to doing so. It’s like… those reality TV shows that tell the contestants it’s one thing and then it turns out to be something completely different (I mean, it’s not not ‘Too Hot to Handle’ but for teens). Own voices, really fun concept, just grab it up.

‘The Summer of U's’ by Cecilia Vinesse

The modern upgrade of the European tour. Exploring friendship, the harder lessons about growing up and growing apart, how complicated relationships can be… Set across 5 cities. Get into it.

‘Dear Haiti, Love Alaine’ by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

I cannot WAIT to read this book. It’s been slapped towards the top of my TBR as soon as I heard about it. Alaine finds herself being packed off to Haiti where she’ll spend the next couple of months on a "spring volunteer immersion project.” While also exploring her family history and flirting with he intern, and experiencing Haiti. Need. To. Read.

‘Anna and the French Kiss’ by Stephanie Perkins

Oh we’re going real classic YA for this list, didn’t you know? And can we just talk about this trend of shipping off your teenage daughter to some far-flung part of the world… Anna finds herself, unsurprisingly from the title, in Paris, France. Meeting one the first book boyfriends to gain serious traction in the book community, I wonder if Etienne still lives up to the hype? Either way, explore and experience Paris alongside Anna. That part is still fab.

‘Just One Day’ by Gayle Forman

Now THIS is old school. Still an absolute whirlwind of a story. My heart aches a little bit just thinking about it. If you haven’t read it (or even heard about it) then I implore you to give it a go. It’s one epic tale of love and heartbreak and travel and adventure and self discovery. Period.

What are you reading this summer?

Written by Sarah