The 2026 Summer Bookies reading list: Books about journeys

This is our 14th Fast Forward Bookies reading list of your book recommendations, and once again, you’ve come through with some really terrific suggestions. Our theme this summer is books about journeys of all types.

If you prefer to read this online (where you can also post a comment if you wish), you can find it on the FF homepage here. That’s also where you can find the previous Bookies lists, on the right side of the page. Some of them still are Boston Globe links, but I am gradually moving them over to Substack.

Meanwhile, lots of organizations have published their summer reading lists, and I’ve included links to some of those at the bottom.

But now, to our list. Here are your recommendations for our Fast Forward 2026 Summer Bookies, listed in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. Enjoy.

By Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Helen Sprecher of Columbia, Maryland: Many associate this writer with funny romances about women who have adventures and who are based in and around Georgia and various points in the Southeast. But in “The High Tide Club,” she has a much more serious take as she follows a group of friends (some who are high society, some who are more middle class, and one who works on the housekeeping staff) and their journey from being teenagers to being elderly. It has several good mysteries and plot twists. It’s the kind of book that, once you read it, you want to reread it to find the Easter eggs that Andrews has buried in the text, that somehow you missed in your race to get to the end of the story. You could ID it as a beach read, but that’s really selling it short.

By Fredrik Backman

Andrea Daniels of Eastham, Cape Cod, Mass.: This book tells the story of an amazing group of friends, who have very little more than each other. It explores their relationships as they age, and how art played an important part in their lives. The story weaves back and forth in time to get to know the characters as they travel from childhood to adults, and ultimately leads to a very satisfying conclusion, showing how their paths led to changing another new friend’s life for the better. To reveal any specifics would spoil this epic journey, which needs to be savored as each chapter reveals a new part of their shared history.

By Dave Barry

Stephanie Fraser of West Yarmouth, Cape Cod, Mass. and Sarasota, Florida: If you are a fan of Dave Barry’s humor, whether you have direct knowledge of Florida or have only heard the crazy stories, this book will not disappoint. Written in 2016 (before Mar-a-Lago jumped into the national spotlight, so it is not mentioned in the book), Dave travels to various parts of the state, sharing his thoughts and experiences at the different locations. Some are well-known destinations, while others are off-the-beaten-path kitschy take-ins.

Far from being a travelogue, “Best. State. Ever.” is a fast-paced, fun summer read. However, I don’t suggest reading it at the beach, as you may attract unwanted attention from people who wonder what, exactly, you are doing when you are sitting by yourself and randomly burst into laughter!

By Richard Henry Dana Jr.

Denault Donovan of Lynnfield, Mass.: This is a first-hand account, by Boston’s own Mr. Dana, of an 1834 voyage around Cape Horn to California (a foreign land at the time) to acquire cowhides for the shoe mills in Massachusetts. Amazing descriptions of life aboard a working tall ship and the early days of the California coast. Anyone who sails or spends any time on the water will enjoy this book. Boy, does he get homesick for Boston!!

By Dennard Dayle

Mo Mehlsak of South Portland, Me.: Come along with Anders, a white teenager from Illinois whose Civil War journey begins as a Union flag-bearer, takes a twirl (for the better?) when he is captured and decides to embrace the Confederacy, and comes (sort of) full circle when he survives his Southern platoon’s slaughter at Gettysburg and switches sides again by stealing the uniform of a dead Union soldier — who happened to be Black. Dayle’s novel of historical fiction, and Anders’ survival as a self-declared octoroon in a “colored” Union regiment that travels from East to West across America, satirizes our national inability to come to grips with race, war, and identity.

By James Dickey

Larry D’Oench of Montville, New Jersey: A physical journey by four men down a wild river, but also a journey from followership to leadership.

By Ivan Doig

Linda Karmen of Falmouth, Mass.: This the story of Donal Cameron, “Donny,” a redheaded 11-year-old orphan raised by his grandmother, who is a ranch cook in the Montana Rockies in the early 1950s. When his grandmother has to have surgery, she sends Donny off by himself on a bus to grandmother’s sister, Kate, in Wisconsin. His solo journey takes him to meet Aunt Kate, who is a bossy tyrant and impossible to please; even her poor husband, Herman the German, has trouble making her happy.

When Aunt Kate has had enough of Donny, she puts him on a bus back to the authorities in Montana. Herman the German escapes on the bus with Donny, and the two meet some wonderful characters and have some glorious misadventures along the way. I laughed out loud and cried at the strange and wonderful encounters of these two unlikely traveling companions. It was a delightfully wild and funny, sweet and tender ride.

This book is not one of Ivan Doig’s series of books about the West; it is a standalone and stands well.

By Patrick Leigh Fermor

Joel Abrams of Lexington, Mass.: This is the memoir of Fermor’s year as a teen hiking through Central Europe in 1933, on the eve of a war. But it was not written until 1977, so you get the dual perspective of an older man looking back through young eyes. And Fermor is one of those polymath Englishmen straight out of Brideshead Revisited (but less posh).

David Vossbrink of Sunnyvale, California: It’s the mid-1930s, and an 18-year-old English kid decides to walk from Holland to Turkey, alone, with little money but with an open heart and the unbounded confidence of youth. This book is the first of three depicting Fermor’s adventures on the road and takes him to Vienna (the next two get him eventually to Istanbul). He meets friendly and generous people including innkeepers, strangers, and the remnants of European nobility, and he takes side trips to receive unexpected hospitality.

I can’t imagine taking a similar walk today as a teenager into the unknown, in an era of autobahns, suspicion, and the internet, and I get a second-hand wistfulness picturing a long lost continent of opportunity. Although Fermor wrote it when he was 62, the book retains the freshness of a teenager discovering the world and himself.

By Amity Gaige

Peter Gilligan of Chapel Hill, North Carolina: One of the ultimate journeys in the US is to hike the Appalachian Trail. If you hike the trail northward, the last section takes you through Maine’s 100-mile wilderness, an arduous end to an epic journey. Many hikers use trail names, and in the novel “Heartwood,” 42-year-old Valerie Gillis uses her childhood nickname, “Sparrow.”

She is in the Maine wilderness when her journey goes terribly wrong. Her family and friends report her as lost, although getting lost on the well-marked Appalachian Trail is uncommon. Beverly Miller of the Maine Warden Service is in charge of the search, and her performance is under the microscope as the search garners national attention. The search, which involves hundreds of people, is not successful, but Miller is dogged in not wanting to give up even though as each day passes, hope dwindles.

The story that unfolds is fascinating. Along the way, the reader will learn about how wilderness searches are conducted. I have read several books about the Appalachian Trail, but solving what happened to Sparrow will enthrall any mystery lover.

By Doris Kearns Goodwin

Gail Connolly: My favorite book.

From Goodreads: One of America’s most beloved historians artfully weaves together biography, memoir, and history. She takes you along on the emotional journey she and her husband, Richard (Dick) Goodwin embarked upon in the last years of his life.

By Annie Hartnett

Betsy Orcutt of Hingham, Mass.: A 63-year-old Massachusetts lottery winner is off to reconnect with his high school crush. This is a crazy journey that sets off with a plan. But, as in life, the best-laid plans can change. With an open heart and the ability to live in the moment, the cross-country trip begins.

By Tony Hawks

Patricia Huebschman of Radovljica, Slovenia and Asheville, North Carolina:

“Authoritarianism cannot take root in a population that has joy.”

- Heather Cox Richardson

This book by Tony Hawks had me snorting out loud with laughter in the midst of a crowded airport waiting area. Tony has agreed to a drunken bet that he can navigate all around Ireland in 30 days while hitchhiking with a small refrigerator. His willingness to take this bet has a basis in his belief that the people of Ireland are magical, eccentric, and at the root of it all, kind. The book tells the tale of his month and the adventures that ensue along with the quirky characters that he meets. The book is a great reminder that at the core of it all, laughter binds us together and shortens the distances between us.

By Mike Hickey

Mary Anne Higgins of Alpharetta, Georgia: I recommend this book, which is about the 60-year journey of Don Ryan. As a young adult, Don volunteered as a basketball coach for the Salvation Army basketball team in his hometown of Hempstead, N.Y. He mentored young men as a coach, and more importantly, he was a mentor to these young men on what is important to be respectful and contributing members of a community.

Taking his teams to tournaments, which were all funded by Don — sometimes personally driving the team to other states or Canada — or by sponsors that he could count on for financial support, Don took those trips as times to educate his players on history, current events, or standing up to injustice. During the ‘60s, some of these tournaments in the South would not allow Black players who made up part of Don’s teams. Don would withdraw from those tournaments. When on the road, Don would also take his players to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to show them the opportunities that they had. With Don’s contacts, he made college educations possible for many of his players.

Don’s dedication did not stop with his players and high school students. He became mayor of Hempstead, N.Y. and fought and defended the members of his community. At one point, when a fire destroyed a housing project for some of the residents, Don opened his home until everyone was settled in new housing.

Don’s journey is one that we all should admire and try to live up to.

Maya Prpic of Montreal, Canada: “When Basketball Was a Game” chronicles nearly six decades in the history of the Salvation Army Biddy Basketball program in Hempstead, New York. Led by their indomitable coach, Don Ryan, generations of 13-year-old players embarked on journeys that extended far beyond the basketball court. Through his unwavering commitment to selflessness, honesty, discipline, and hard work, both on and off the court, Ryan opened a world of possibilities to these youngsters.

Discovery, adventure, friendships forged through shared experience … “When Basketball Was a Game” is rich in all three. Above all, it reminds us that the most enduring gifts in life often trace back to a single individual whose character, conviction, and quiet dedication can shape a team, leave an imprint on a community, and come to define an era.

This book is definitely a must-read for coaches and parents of youth sports, and more broadly for all who enjoy a good read!

By Neil King Jr.

Maryanne Dell of Cypress, California: Renewing and remembering what created that renewal were the goals behind Neil King’s 2021 foot journey from Washington, D.C., to the Ramble in New York City’s Central Park. The former Wall Street Journal reporter’s book is one of the most beautiful, enlightening stories of a personal journey I’ve read. Part memoir, part travelogue, part history lesson, ”American Ramble” takes readers (or listeners; it’s available on audio) through the Mason Dixon line, Amish country, and other parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York that forged this (once great — my words) nation.

I studied all of this — or most of it, at least — in junior and senior high school, but those whitewashed, pretty boring textbooks never brought the elegance, the emotions, the enlightenment that King brings to this lesson in what goes into making us who we are. King had long wanted to take the journey, but COVID got in the way. Fortunately, mostly for himself but also for those of us lucky enough to discover this lovely book, he was able to accomplish his goal.

In remission from cancer as he walked, King thought often of his brother Kevin, who died later in 2021 from the disease. Kevin was one of the heroes of this story, albeit obliquely; the others are the many people King meets on his journey who teach him about what it means to be an American, all the good and bad combined. King also died of cancer — in 2024 — having accomplished that long-held goal and leaving behind a gem of a memory.

By William Kent Krueger

Bruce Earnley of Andover, Mass.: If you were to blend some “Huckleberry Finn” with a handful of “Grapes of Wrath” and season with a bit of “Great Expectations,” you might just create a nutritious stew called “This Tender Land,” a novel by William Kent Krueger.

With unusual skills, resilience, and a dash of hope, four orphans of mixed ages and backgrounds escape by canoe from their discouraging, exploitive, and threatening existence at a Minnesota Indian School in 1932. As they navigate the Gilead and Mississippi Rivers, constantly pressed for food and safe places to hide, they encounter geographic reality, historical truths, spiritual contradictions, and mid-Western biases and culture writ large with strangers of all types and backgrounds following paths, legal or otherwise, to survive in difficult economic times. There are heroes and villains, sometimes a combination of both. And ultimately the orphans find that life doesn’t always unfold as expected, that beneficence and malevolence are not so easy to distinguish, that genuine good will and kindness may materialize in unexpected ways, and that family can be what you become.

Perhaps better known for his action-packed Corcoran O’Connor detective novels that unfold in a tense white and indigenous Northern Minnesota, William Kent Krueger populates his works with complex and engaging characters. He writes with wit and charm, rich descriptions of the natural world, a deep sense of place and history, and a compelling understanding of human nature.

Two separate persons at a recent used book sale told me that I would not regret purchasing “This Tender Land”. They could not have been more right.

By Wally Lamb

Amy Gates Stroud of Roswell, Ga.: I highly recommend this book. At first, I thought of it as a story about redemption, but it feels just as much like a journey toward forgiveness — of oneself and others. You could also argue it’s about a journey to acceptance — learning to live with who we are and the people around us. In truth, all of those themes are woven together.

What stands out most is Wally Lamb’s gift as a storyteller. He captures both the worst and the best of humanity with honesty and depth. This is not an easy read — it explores difficult topics like alcoholism, prison abuse, the loss of a child, marital breakdown, and the impact of COVID — but it’s undeniably powerful. The emotional weight is heavy at times, yet the story and the characters’ journeys make it well worth it.

The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail

By Andrea Lankford

Teri Chace of Freeport, Nova Scotia: The author has worked as a ranger for the National Park Service, written trail guides, through-hiked the Appalachian Trail, and now works as a registered nurse — an excellent resume for this topic, and she is a good writer, storyteller, and researcher. She has put together an engrossing and frustrating book about the hunt for long-distance hikers who go missing.

She follows, mostly, three missing Pacific Crest Trail hikers, all young men, and as I turned the pages and got closer and closer to the end, I began to suspect, with dread and sorrow, that there would be no Hollywood ending. The book came out in 2023; Chris Sylvia vanished in 2015; David O’Sullivan in 2017; Kris “Sherpa” Fowler in 2016. When I finished, in early 2026, I googled each name, and no, no traces (as yet). If she had waited for the Hollywood ending, she would never have released the book. Also, and possibly more importantly, we readers get to feel how the families and friends of the missing feel.

There is a term for this, “ambiguous loss,” apparently coined by a family therapist named Dr. Pauline Boss to describe the “frozen grief” induced by “not knowing if a loved one is absent or present, dead or alive.” Boss worked with those whose loved ones presumably were pulverized to ash in the twin towers on 9/11, families of the “disappeared” in the Kosovo war … as well as those who care for someone with Alzheimer’s. But the concept also applies to those wondering where their hiker is or what happened to them. As Lankford writes:

Boss’s advice on dealing with ambiguous loss is as practical as it is profound. Some families, especially those of us from secular Western cultures, value mastery of fate over pre-destination. This causes us to suffer more when facing problems we can’t solve. But giving into helplessness isn’t healthy either. To live within this paradox, we must walk a tightrope between our desire to feel in control and our need to endure that which we cannot master. To cope within a chaotic and mysterious world, to truly ‘solve’ the unsolvable case, we may, on occasion, need to let go of our yearning to fix it.

By Ursula K. Le Guin

KarunDas Moss of Montague, Mass.: On one of the small islands in the archipelago of Earthsea, where every village has a resident witch — or, if they’re lucky, a wizard — who serves the community with spells for healing, weather working, and so on, a young boy discovers that he has an innate gift for working magic.

As we follow the journey of Ged (aka Sparrowhawk), we see the dire consequences when magic gets misused, and also the lengths one must go through in order to make amends, and heal that which has been torn asunder.

Along the way, Ged meets wise and powerful teachers, and powerful and subtle opponents, and grows in wisdom and power himself.

This is a small book, but deeply moving and engaging. I was fortunate to come across it in my early 20s, and it became an important guidepost for the rest of my life.

By Helen Macdonald

Monica Kearney of Sandwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts: The author is struggling in grief for her father’s death. She goes in search of one of the deadliest raptors, a goshawk. And decides that borrowing or owning one, but specifically creating a relationship with one, is her way to understand her grief, her relationships, and the raw power and courage it takes all of us, raptors included, to continue to live.

(Spanish original: “El amor en los tiempos del cólera”)

By Gabriel García Márquez

Vesela Tutavac of Vienna, Austria: Life as a journey is an authentic Márquez theme. Love in real life is often impossible because of obstacles invented and imposed by people. In the end — as Márquez shows us — both love and life are worth the journey regardless of space and notwithstanding the age or time. Definitely a good read even in summer!

By Charlotte McConaghy

Eileen Simonson of Greenwich, Conn.: Many animals are gone from the world; a few Arctic terns will be making perhaps their last migration to Antarctica. Our character, imbued with love of these birds, professional training, and a complex troubled life, convinces a fishing boat captain to follow the route of the migration aided by three tagged birds and technology. This book is not standard fare, but was a compelling read.

By Derek B. Miller

Peter Myerson of Newton Center, Mass.: One of my new favorite authors. Set initially in 1991 Iraq, at the northern most Allied post, Private Arwood Hobbs is manning a machine gun for the US Army. He meets Thomas Benton, a 40ish-something British journalist covering war zones. Benton wants to do some interviews in a town beyond the Allied lines. Whether Hobbs cons Benton or it’s the other way around, Benton goes into the town, which is then attacked by Hussein’s Iraqi forces who kill lots of the inhabitants. Benton runs for his life and is headed back to the Allied lines when he comes across a terrified young girl in a green dress. He pulls her with him as Hobbs abandons his post and crosses into enemy territory to help. They are almost back to their lines when an Iraqi colonel catches them and deliberately kills the girl. Twenty years later, Hobbs calls Benton and says he’s found the girl in green and wants him to come back to Iraq to help save her.

With too many memorable characters to count, this is an exquisitely beautiful novel in a kind of crime/thriller genre. But it’s also a story of how we each handle evil and what our responsibilities are to facing it.

By Robert Moor

Susan Dudley Gold of Saco, Maine: Moor presents a fascinating history of trails, who or what formed them, why and how they were made, and how they guide us along ancient pathways that tie us to the past and the natural world. Moor, who traversed the Appalachian Trail and its international extension all the way to Morocco, offers insights he developed along the way. He examines trail makers from tiny ants to elephants noted for remarkable powers of recollection as well as their human counterparts and their contributions. He takes the reader along historic and modern trails and follows Cherokee pathways created during and after the Trail of Tears.

Since walking is my favorite mode of transportation, Moor’s deep dive into trails, both physical and metaphysical, intrigued and inspired me. I found this book’s scientific and historic details engaging — some amusing, others astounding. He left me with insights worth remembering: How following the path of life on earth is a way of sharing inherited wisdom and preserving it for future generations. And making our own mark. Those who are perceptive, he notes, “realize that inherited wisdom can take us far, but only so far. After that, we must explore all on our own.”

By Christopher Moore

Gwen Shonkwiler of Reno, Nevada: This is one of the funniest books I have ever read and follows the journey and adventures of a young Jesus and his best friend Biff. The focus is primarily on the “missing” years of Jesus’ life, from his early teens through his return to Jerusalem in his early 30s. Biff and Jesus travel from the Middle East, through Central Asia, India, and on to the Himalayas. Along the way, they meet people from other parts of the world who share different religious beliefs. I love this book (and almost all of Moore’s novels) and feel that even those with strong Christian beliefs should read and hopefully laugh and enjoy this story.

By Toni Morrison

Brett Millier of Cornwall, Vermont: Morrison’s 1977 novel tells the story of an African American family through several generations, and the protagonist, Milkman Dead, must journey backward into those generations in order to find himself. A wonderful, wise novel with brilliantly drawn and highly memorable characters.

By Bernard Ollivier

Patricia Conway of Pittsford, New York: “Out of Istanbul” is the first in a series of four books depicting the segments of the author’s walking journey along the Great Silk Road from Istanbul to Xi’an, China. At 61, his career as a journalist had ended, his wife had died 10 years before, and his children were grown, and he decided to fulfill his dream rather than waiting for “old age to sneak up and grab me by the throat.” His 1,430-mile hike a year earlier on the Way of St. James from Paris to Compostela, Spain inspired him to continue toward “the world’s pathways,” first and foremost, the Great Silk Road.

The hardships and frankly nightmarish situations the author encountered on the first segment (and subsequent segments) of his journey, through Turkey, were balanced by incredible human interactions, hospitality, and kindnesses. It was truly a journey back in time, mirroring travelers of old along the Great Silk Road, welcomed into strangers’ homes for a meal, to sleep, or spend a few days. Or possibly be robbed and/or murdered. Maybe foolhardy, but completely fascinating.

Ollivier is a wonderful narrator of the history and landscapes of his journey — “but the vast steppes of Anatolia, where the eye gets lost, are conducive to daydreams in which you find yourself rubbing elbows with the divine” — as well as some horrifying day-to-day realities. The entire series is a great read. At my age, I have a fascination with adventures completely out of my realm, out of a comfort zone I didn’t possess even 30 years ago when we traveled widely. I was enthralled by Ollivier’s beautiful writing and descriptions of every detail of his intrepid journeys, and of realizing a dream, pushing on, refusing defeat.

By Michael Ondaatje

Scott Sieben of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada: “Coming Through Slaughter” is a semi-autobiographical novel of Buddy Bolden, a jazz pioneer (maybe invented jazz?) and talented cornet player, as he continues to develop his jazz/ragtime/open music repertoire while he deals with his own increasing debilitating mental illness. This novel is part poetry, part biography, and one of the best reads ever! This is an easy read (about 160 pages) that I HAD to read in one sitting!

By Richard Peck

Marian H. Fowler of Indian Purchase Township, Maine: In 1937, the Great War has ended and the Depression is “over,” but not for everyone. In Chicago, 15-year-old Mary Alice Dowdel’s family has had to split up. Her 17-year-old brother Joey is with the Civilian Conservation Corps planting trees out west; her father has lost his job and her parents are renting a room that has no room for her. They scrape together enough money to buy Mary Alice’s ticket south on the Wabash Railroad’s Blue Bird train to live with her Grandma Dowdel, a large and formidable woman, who is a force to be reckoned with.

Grandma wastes no time in enrolling Mary Alice in the rural high school where the principal was also the janitor, the coach, and the shop teacher — a huge change from her 1,000-student high school in Chicago. The only empty seat in the roomful of double desks is beside Mildred Burdick, a large and formidable girl who immediately claims that Mary Alice owes her a dollar and she escorts Mary Alice home to collect it. In a series of shrewd moves, Grandma bests the bully — for the rest of the school year as it turns out — and Mary Alice ends her first day with Grandma with no Bootsie to snuggle with. Her beloved cat was consigned to the cob house: Grandma won’t keep a cat in the house because “they shed.”

Through a series of vignettes following the rhythm of school life and community life in hard times that bring out the best and worst of people, we journey with Mary Alice as she navigates this difficult year with a grandmother who doesn’t “have a hug in her.” But we learn that hugs aren’t the only way to show love. And her wily and enterprising grandmother shows Mary Alice a thing or two about how to pry a silver dollar out of a skinflint’s fist, how to outwit the town hooligans, and how to take a snob down a peg or two.

This is a perfect summer read. I frequently snorted with laughter, and I teared up a time or two. Mary Alice’s growth journey began with her reluctance to be with her Grandma and ended with her reluctance to leave her to go back home.

In 2001, Richard Peck’s book won the John Newbery Medal “for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” The best children’s and young adult literature is most definitely not just for children! Nor is “A Year Down Yonder.”

By Nathaniel Philbrick

Julie Stackpole of Thomaston, Maine: This book actually satisfies 2 of the theme suggestions because it is about journeys and about the American Revolution.

After the Revolutionary War was won, George Washington had the more difficult task of bringing the disparate states together into an actual country that could survive all our divisiveness. In order to learn about the places that he was going to lead as president, and for the people in those places to learn about him and the new government, Washington made a series of trips under difficult and primitive conditions to various parts of the new nation.

Recently, historian Nat Philbrick also journeyed to those places and discovered a lot about Washington the man, what Washington found on his extensive trips, and what those places and George can still teach us about how to keep our embattled nation together.

By James Rebanks

Lenor Filler of South Boston, Virginia: James wrote about his journey to a remote island in an area of northern Norway where an elderly woman and friend entice eider ducks to nest. They then collect the feathers that are left behind after the eggs hatch and the ducks leave. It takes 60 nests to make one duvet. It is very intensive work under harsh conditions. They have no running water and a generator that is only used to bake bread. James stayed the whole season. It became a journey of peace and reflection.

By Lauren E. Rico

Nancy Stenberg of Agawam, Mass.: Gabby DiMarco takes a genealogy spit test and the results are a complete shock. Meanwhile, Isabella Ruiz can’t stop thinking about her baby sister who disappeared from the streets of San Juan 25 years ago. The two women meet up and together solve the mystery of what happened to little Marianna. What they discover along the way, and who was involved, will shock them both.

By José Saramago

Mike Coburn of Barrington, Rhode Island: Let me recommend a book by the prolific Nobel prize-winning Portuguese author José Saramago, many of whose books concern travels and trips and the discoveries along the way. He does so with a sense of humor, a deep love for the Portuguese and all their foibles, and a writing style that gets away with almost no punctuation.

Although “The Elephant’s Journey” (about an elephant’s walk from Lisbon to Vienna in 1551) is profoundly funny, the book I recommend is “The Stone Raft,” a wry, pointed tale filled with political ironies and humor about European political relationships as it tells the story of five individuals whose lives become entwined in mysterious ways as the entire Iberian peninsula breaks off from Europe and floats out to sea.

He has a captivating writing style and tells a tale that resonates deeply with the crazy, disoriented time in which we live.

The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon

By Melissa L. Sevigny

Cynthia Franklin of Wellfleet, Mass.: The true story of two botanists who, in 1938, were the first women to successfully navigate the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. The expedition was to catalog the plant life there, and the story follows the perils and wonder of their journey, information on the plants found, and stories of the social barriers they met as women scientists. Absolutely fascinating account of a wild journey.

By John Steinbeck

Kevin Grunwald of Truro, Cape Cod, Massachusetts: This was a tough one, as there are so many great books about journeys. What immediately popped into my head was “Travels With Charley,” Steinbeck’s last book that was written as he was dying. I did not realize until recently that the book has been criticized for much of the dialogue being fictionalized, but I still love it for the writing and the stories.

For those who haven’t read it, Steinbeck embarks on a journey to visit the America that he has spent his career writing about in a camper he names Rocinante (the name of Don Quixote’s horse), along with his wife’s French poodle, Charley. Along the way he meets a variety of people, critically observes many of the changes that have taken place (1961), while engaging in his own journey of self-discovery in his conversations with Charley.

While he is critical of much of what he sees, I still think about this book as Steinbeck’s love letter to America. I know we’re limited to one book recommendation, but I have to throw in “The Grapes of Wrath” as a companion read; my favorite book. It tells the story of a journey that is more relevant in 2026 than it ever was.

Also recommended by Janet Anderson of Vancouver, Washington: “It’s a classic for a reason.”

A Memoir of Soul Healing and a Lifetime of Summers at the Lake

By Mary St Onge

Alison Wesley of Portland, Oregon: This book is simultaneously about the author’s literal journey with her son on a road trip as well as her journey through her life, using stories about her cherished lake community to share lessons of life with depth and humor.

I literally have read this book 5 times and just love reading it ... it always makes me wonder how the author can remember such vivid details and quotes and makes me more present in my own life, to try to be able to remember the words and lessons around me. This is a perfect Summer read at the lake house or otherwise!

Also recommended by Annabelle Nesbit of Des Moines, Iowa: “A fun-to-read memoir written by a very wise woman.”

The Northwest Passage, the Polar Sun, and a 175-Year-Old Mystery

By Mark Synnott

Louise Berry: The story of Synnott’s journey in his own boat to retrace the 1845 British attempt to find a Northwest Passage.

By Amor Towles

Margaret S. Ross of Boston: This is one of the best books I have ever read, a crazy story of a journey, fueled by the hope of a young boy to find his mother, who left the family years before. He believes he has clues to where he will find her.

I loved this book, but I read it a long time ago, and definitely want to read it again. There is much American history, mid-20th century, nostalgia and innocence at times, but also descriptions of the evil and depravity.

There is magical realism running through the story of this journey, many characters that have complicated troubled past histories, and explorations of all.

Thinking about it now, I DEFINITELY will read again. Written by the same person who wrote “A Gentleman in Moscow,” the opposite in some ways of the literal journey of the Lincoln Highway, as the Gentleman is confined to one hotel.

By Mark Twain

Barbara Keiler of Concord, Mass.: One of the most important (and most entertaining) books about a journey is Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Set in the mid-1800s, the journey taken by Huck and Jim, the novel’s protagonists, is all about escape: Huck is escaping his father’s violence and Jim is escaping his enslavement. As they sail down the Mississippi River on a raft, their journey evolves to mean more than escape. Huck and Jim learn from each other. The white boy and the Black man become partners. Every time they step ashore, they encounter the evils and hypocrisies of 19th century American society. Every time they return to their raft and resume their journey down the river, they experience freedom and dignity. Theirs is an amazing journey in an amazing novel.

By Mark Twain

Brad Stein of Ancram, New York: “The Innocents Abroad” is Mark Twain’s account of his 1867 trip to Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. It’s full of his irreverent humor and sharp observations of the people in the countries he visited as well as the various characters among his fellow voyagers. Over and over he surprises you with unexpected things he encounters and details about how people traveled at the time. But as a bonus, on the way you really get to know Twain himself as a young man: curious, well-read, and sometimes willing to take risks that more cautious travelers would avoid. It is a really fun read.

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Here are summer reading lists from other publications (some are gift links):

The Boston Globe: 75 books to keep you reading all summer long

The New York Times: Summer’s Best Beach Reads

• The Novels Everyone Will Be Reading This Summer

• The Nonfiction Everyone Will Be Reading This Summer

Boston Public Library: Adult Summer Reading Bingo (with recommendations in 30 categories ranging from Indigenous Authors, Page-to-Screen, Boston History, Climate Change, Set at Sea, and more.)

• Youth Summer Reading Bingo

NPR: 15 books our critics can’t wait for this summer

Kirkus Reviews: Special Summer Reads

Publishers Weekly: Summer Reads 2026