5 new non-fiction travel books to fuel your wanderlust

A list of interesting new non-fiction travel books to inspire your trip planning process. 

I love reading about other people’s travel adventures; you always get a somehow truer, more personal version of a destination compared to reading a traditional guide book or just looking for random travel ideas online. I wanted to read some fresh travel stories from real people to find inspiration for my next trip, so I did some research on brand new non-fiction travel books, and found some pretty interesting new releases. Without further ado, get your dose of trip inspiration and excitement from these page-turners right here:

1. How not to travel the world: Adventures of a disaster-prone backpacker by Lauren Juliff. A refreshing take on the popular “I quit my job to travel the world and find myself”-theme, as the life on the road for the author is full of near-death situations, accidents and horribly bad luck instead of instant enlightenment, meditation and yoga poses on mountain tops, as seems to be the case for so many of the recent books on this theme. Juliff talks about her voyage to self-discovery in a painfully honest way, instead of editing out all the not-so-glamorous parts of solo travel to paint a pretty picture. Definitely worth reading for an honest and interesting account. Find out more here.

2. Deep South by Paul Theroux. Through several extensive road trips within one year, Theroux traveled to the southern states of the US, bypassing the big urban cities in favor of smaller towns and rural communities. He reveals the essence of the Deep South through the people he encounters; the ones who make the area what it is today: incredible food and southern hospitality, traditional values and a strong love for your home town, but also poverty, educational and racial problems. A great book if you have already seen the usual destinations of the southern US and want to take a peek at some interesting off-the-radar places and ways of life. Get the book here.

3. Confessions of a travel addict: Travel stories from around the globe by Morgan Fraser. This digital nomad has traveled all over the world and blogged about it since 2009. I have always liked the way her blog really feels like reading her online diary of her life abroad, with all the good and the bad stuff. She has now compiled her best and funniest adventures into a book that can be found here.

4. Can we live here? by Sarah Alderson. A young family sets off on an 8-month quest across the globe to find a more inspired and fulfilling place to live in. Although this genre is nowadays almost over-saturated, I can’t help but be interested in how exactly they did it; where they ended up and are they actually happier there. Quitting your job is one thing when you don’t have kids and are only responsible for yourself but doing this with your offspring is pretty courageous. See for yourself here.

5. Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton. If you haven’t lived under a social media rock, you are familiar with Brandon’s intriguing and often emotional snapshots of regular New Yorkers. Although this is not a traditional travel book, his portraits always make me want to go to New York and remind me of the incredible diversity that the city offers. This is the second book he has published based on his blog, and this time he has given more space to the personal stories of the people he photographs. Almost guaranteed to become another New York Times bestseller, this book will be a hot topic when it comes out in September. Available here.