Books That Made Me Fall in Love with the World

I got on my first plane at age seven, bound for Ibiza with jelly shoes, a purple shell suit, and a copy of Sweet Valley High in my carry-on. I didn’t know it then, but that flight wasn’t the beginning of my love for travel.

Books were.

Stories were my first real passport. They dropped me into unfamiliar worlds, sparked my curiosity, and shaped the map of where I hoped to go one day.

This week on A Writer Abroad, I’m sharing how fiction reignited my creativity, inspired my travels, and helped me reconnect with wonder during the messiest, busiest seasons of life.

I’m also sharing six novels that transported me more powerfully than any flight—and for paid subscribers, I’ve included my exclusive 2025 Summer Reading Guide, filled with thrillers, historical gems, uplifting fiction, and more.

You can read the full article and access the 2025 Summer Reading Guide here.