Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's theme? Top ten books featuring travel

On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

Okay, so maybe this isn't exactly what TTT had in mind, but there is travel... the main characters just happen to crash land on an island. Right? Right? But seriously, this book blended an amazing romance story with something reminiscent of the TV show LOST and I could not get enough.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

An American girl at a boarding school abroad, a charmingly sexy British boy, and Paris... How can you go wrong? I've said it once and I'll say it again - Stephanie Perkins made Paris feel like an actual character... it had such presence. And dropping Anna down in the middle of it? This is one of my favorite novels featuring travel.

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Once again, I may be stretching the theme here... and perhaps I should call it "Favorite Books Featuring American Girls in Foreign Countries" - but technically there is travel in it. This time, the main character lives abroad in Scotland... Let me repeat that, Scotland. Yummy Scottish men? Sign me up. Unlike Anna, this romance is incredibly steamy and probably shouldn't be read by the YA generation.... 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Ah, yes. Space travel. I've only read this book once (but LOVED the movie), so I'm mainly adding this title in for my boyfriend who adores Douglas Adams. But I can remember some of the plot and I found the quirk to be incredibly charming. Isn't there a depressed spaceship? Am I remembering that wrong?

Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Nothing says "chick lit" like throwing recent pre-college exes in to a car and telling them to drive cross-country to attend their freshman orientation. I loved this book. Barnholdt uses the whole "Help! I'm trapped in a car with my ex-boyfriend and I'm seriously considering homicide!" in such an amazing way. Both characters are forced to spend time with each other, resolve their issues, and go through some personal growth. This is such a fun and light read - if you're looking for a quick (think: one day) summer read, check this one out.

The Cure by Sonia Levitin

This book was one of my favorite reads from middle school. The main character lives in a futuristic society that values stoicism, emotional apathy, and zero deviation from the rules above all else. As you may have expected, our MC does just that and as a "cure" for his emotions, the government sends him back in time to live as a young Jewish man in the 1300's. Time travel... get it?! 

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

In this graphic novel, teen Garth is sent to Ghostopolis via a portal. There, he is forced to face the powers that threaten Ghostopolis's survival and help restore it to its natural state. The art in this book is absolutely beautiful and I've never encountered a story line quite like it. If you're looking to get into graphic novels, or are even just looking for another to read, definitely pick up Doug TenNapel's Ghostopolis.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

So, this book may be a bit more of what TTT was going for. Our main character, Jane, is going through a rough patch in her life and self-medicating via a serious addiction to Pride and Prejudice - er, Mr. Darcy. As an attempt to help Jane out, a wealthy relative sends her on a trip to a recreated Regency era resort... so that women can live out their wildest Austen fantasies. 

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

I fell in love with all of the sites that Brown took us on while Langdon and Sophie attempted to find out the truth behind the curator's murder. 

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Patillo
I wouldn't be Alyssa if I didn't include more than one P&P related books. Much like in Austenland, the main character of this novel (Claire) is sent to Oxford to attend an Austen seminar in the middle of her very own quarter life crisis. There, she is forced to take a close look at her own life and question whether or not she actually is unhappy.





Well, there you have it. "Actual" travel, time travel, space travel... This list was surprisingly hard to compile!
-Alyssa