Travel Muse Magazine
Stories, tips, & joy.
Category: Books
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Literary Travel Guide to China Inspired by “Feeding the Dragon”
I still remember the first time I saw the Great Wall stretch across the mountains, like a giant stone dragon disappearing into the clouds. As a kid, I raced up the uneven steps, my legs aching, but my curiosity pushed me higher with every turn. Standing at the top, I felt both small and awestruck,…
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Literary Travel Guide to London Inspired by Elle Kennedy’s “Girl Abroad” Novel
Iconic double-decker red buses pass by, the tube rattles the underground, and charming accents float into your ears. London is a city that steals your heart, and if you aren’t careful, you won’t even want it back. From the very first page, I was hooked on Elle Kennedy’s 432 page novel Girl Abroad (2024), and…
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Literary Travel Guide to Michigan’s UP inspired by Angeline Boulley’s “Firekeeper’s Daughter” Novel
After traveling to the winter wonderland of Sault Ste. Marie, Canada where frozen waterfalls and nordic ski trails pair with sticky, sweet maple syrup, I knew I had to read Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter. The novel, which takes place on the U.S. side of Sault Ste. Marie – and in my home state of Michigan…
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Literary Travel Guide to Crete, inspired by Victoria Hislop’s The Island
“Why won’t you tell me about your past?” That’s all it took to begin unraveling generations of history in The Island by Victoria Hislop (2005). At the heart of the Petrakis family’s secretive past is the Island of Spinalonga, off the coast of Plaka, Crete, which was once home to Greece’s leper colony. Made up…
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Literary Travel Guide to Lisbon, Inspired by Chris Pavone’s “Two Nights in Lisbon”
I’ve always been drawn to mystery novels. The kind that makes you double-check locked doors and reread sentences, searching for what you might have missed. So as I started preparing for my own trip to Lisbon, I picked up Two Nights in Lisbon, expecting nothing more than a suspenseful story to pass the time. Instead,…
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Literary Travel Guide To Paris Through Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room”
I’d like to live in a world where free Bible bins were replaced with copies of James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room — where Salvation Army shoppers are lured to an unassuming box of words and later recite lines like, “Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition” (p. 92) as they cross their…
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Literary Travel Guide to Paris, inspired by Ruth Reichl’s “The Paris Novel”
After returning from studying abroad last year in Paris, I felt as if a part of me had been left behind. I would constantly look through the thousands of photos I took, listen to the songs I played on my afternoon métro commutes to school, and catch up with the friends I made in France…
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Literary Travel Guide to Barry’s Bay, Ontario, inspired by “One Golden Summer” by Carley Fortune
Picture a steamy summer romance. Rival surfers falling in love on the California coast, may come to mind. A destination wedding tale of a bridesmaid being swept off her feet on a tropical isle, perhaps. Now, picture the beaches of… Canada. Wait a second! Canada? Yep! (It’s not always covered by snow!) While America’s northern…
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Literary Travel Guide to Florence, Inspired by Jenna Evans Welch’s “Love and Gelato”
Creamy gelato, decadent pasta, and magical artistry and monuments. These three things come together to create the most beautiful place that I called home for 4 months last year. The novel Love & Gelato (2017) by Jenna Evans Welch captures some of those remarkable memories. I was recommended this book this year based on my…
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5 Spots in London If You Only Have One Day
by Jeny Rizo-Perez and Zainab Husein London is no ordinary city. It’s a place you could visit as a tourist every day and never really run out of unique things to do. But sometimes you find yourself with only one day in England’s capital city thanks to a layover. And if that’s all you’ve got,…