Spring Reading List

Good books, like great travel, can take you places, spark your imagination and enrich your everyday life. We hope this suggested list of titles will inspire your next adventure or simply take you away to a land not yet traveled.

“There is no frigate like a book / To take us lands away.” — Emily Dickinson

1. The Grand Bazaar Istanbul, by Serdar Gülgün A comprehensive look at the world’s most vibrant and inspiring marketplace, teeming with stunning images by esteemed photographer Laziz Hamani and accompanied by text from an Istanbul-born Ottoman art collector, Serdar Gülgün.

2. India: A Portrait, by Patrick French An insightful book chronicling the momentous economic and political transformation of India, from the founding of the nation in 1947 amid the violent integration of princely states and partition from the Muslim north through the economic liberalization of the last 10 years.

3. Paula Scher: MAPS, by Paula Scher “MAPS” is a collection of American artist Paula Scher’s remarkable large-scale map paintings and chart drawings of destinations around the world. A perfect book to crown your coffee table and arouse your wanderlust.

4. History in a Glass: Sixty Years of Wine Writing From Gourmet, edited by Ruth Reichl This wonderful collection assembles 43 articles published in Gourmet magazine between 1941 and 2004. Topics include the state of wineries recovering from Prohibition, James Beard’s legendary gastronomic romp through France and a German Kellermeister skeptical of electricity.

5. The World of Venice, by Jan Morris Morris’ engaging work captures the soul of this celebrated city in the sea, uncovering legends, mysteries and fascinating historical tidbits around every crooked, cobbled lane. Among other highlights, the description of Sant’ Ariano, the ossuary island, is simply unforgettable.

6. Escape Hotel Stories: Retreat and Refuge in Nature, by Francisca Mattéoli Assouline publishes thoughtfully designed photography books that are escapist in the best sense. In its latest travel title, “Escape Hotel Stories: Retreat and Refuge in Nature,” Francisca Mattéoli profiles a range of splendidly isolated resorts set in pristine natural environments.  (You can read the full blog post on this book here.)

7. The Tao of Travel: Enlightenments From Lives on the Road, by Paul Theroux Paul Theroux celebrates 50 years of wandering the globe by collecting the best writing on travel from the books that shaped him, as a reader and a traveler.