This was originally the topic for August 5th, and I really like the specificity of this topic. I haven’t read many books that contain these types of travel as an important part of the story, but I did manage to find five that I read and enjoyed. These are listed in no particular order, as is the case for almost all my T5W posts.
- Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon – This is a historical fiction adult novel set in 1937 and follows the timeline of the final doomed flight of the Hindenburg. It uses the actual names of people on the flight but provides a fictionalized version of what actually happened on the flight. This book was very suspenseful and it left me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed this story.
2. Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith – This book is set on a train that goes cross country from New York to California. Hugo, who is from Britain, was gifted two train tickets and was supposed to travel with his girlfriend Margaret Campbell. But when they break up and he discovers that the tickets and travel itinerary is all under his ex’s name, he puts out an ad looking for another Margaret. Margaret (Mae) responds to Hugo’s ad and they meet and travel together. I loved this story and seeing both Hugo and Mae open up about the struggles they’ve had.
3. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo – As you can see from the cover, air travel is such an important part of this book. Camino and Yahaira’s father was on a flight to the Dominican Republic that crashed and killed everyone on board. Camino and Yahaira both have to deal with the grief that they are feeling, and on top of that they discover that their father kept each other’s existence hidden. Camino dreams of studying medicine at Columbia University and Yahaira feels the need to travel to DR, a place she feels a connection to but has never been. I love how Elizabeth Acevedo crafted this story and the research she did to tell this story.
4. Again, but Better by Christine Riccio – In this story, Shane feels like she is doing her college experience all wrong so when she gets the opportunity to study abroad, Shane decides to try to correct all of her mistakes and make new experiences. Not only is there air travel in this book, as Shane travels from the United States to London, but there is also rail travel. Shane travels with her new friends to Paris via rail. I loved the travel aspect of this book.
5. Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab – So I cannot remember if it is mentioned, but in the first book of the series Cassidy and her parents travel via plane from the U.S. to Scotland. In this book they travel from Scotland to Paris, and I am pretty sure they do this by plane. I loved this book just as much as City of Ghosts. There’s a lot of history you learn and it gives you just enough spooky vibes without being too terrifying. There are at least two more books in this series and I cannot wait to read them and see what’s in store for Cassidy.
What are some of your favorite books that include air or rail transport? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time!
~Anneliese
Miss New Village Reads 