We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s topic is: Books for Armchair Travelers (Submitted by Laurie C @ Bay State Reader’s Advisory)
I was tempted to skip today’s topic because I wasn’t feeling very inspired but I’m going to make this list a mix of locations from fantasy and the real world. Armchair traveling is definitely the cheapest and most convenient way to experience new places, cultures, and environments, and who doesn’t love that? I know I’m thankful I get to experience various places in this world (and those in our imaginations) every day that I can pick up a book and go there!

Travel through Fantasy

Go on swashbuckling adventures in a Medieval Indian Ocean setting in The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi.

Experience Korean Ghibli-esque wonder in The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea.

Get lost in this Japean-inspired otherworldly (also) Ghibli-esque fantasty world in Water Moon.

Experience a queer positive space-world influenced by Indonesian culture in Lunar Boy

Settle in for a cosy time (with cinnamon rolls + coffee!) at this brand new cafe in Legends & Lattes.

Travel the World

Take a road trip across the US in You, With A View.

Learn about Syria and heartbreaking history in As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow.

Go to Rhode Island and visit the Tulip farm from In A Jam.

Bask in the wildness of Alaska (and maybe fall in love) in The Simple Wild.

Learn about Vietnamese history through own voices with The Mountains Sing.

Have you read any of these books or are they on your TBR? What have been your favourite places to visit through armchair travel?

From your list, I’ve only read Legends and Lattes. I’m hoping to read Brigands and Breadknives soon.
Here’s my TTT post: https://readbakecreate.com/time-to-plan-that-vacation-books-featuring-travel/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I actually need to read the other books in the Legends series and I hope to this year as well 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
LikeLike
The Simple Wild sounds like a good read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a fun time as far as I can remember 🙂 It’s been ages since I read it though, lol.
LikeLike
I love the cover for In a Jam!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a cute one and the story is even cuter 🤭
LikeLike
Legends & Lattes is one of my favourites!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mine too! I feel like I need to re-read it before reading the other books in the series.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful selections, thanks for sharing your #TTT
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve read a few of these: The Mountains Sing, Legends and Lattes, and You With a View. Great picks! I’ll check out The Simple Wild and Lemon Trees.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hope you enjoy both if you do give them a go 🙂
LikeLike
I loved The Simple Wild, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea and Legends & Lattes! Water Moon is on my TBR, it sounds so whimsical!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was very whimsical and very Ghibli-esque, which made me enjoy it more! I hope you love it whenever you get to it 🙂
LikeLike
Im reading Amina Al-Sirafi now and loving it so far. Will definitely be checking your review out once I’ve read the rest. Three of your other fantasy choices i majorly hope to get to this year 🤞I’m intrigued by what you’ve said about The Mountains Sing and really must read As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow sometime. I love the way you’ve described the journey experience of each choice too 🥰
LikeLiked by 1 person
Omg, I’m so happy to hear that, Charlotte! It’s sooo good isn’t it?! I hope you continue to love it until the end 😍 I’m so excited that the second book is coming out this year! I also hope you enjoy the fantasies that are on your TBR and you hope to get to this year! I feel like, outside of the literary/historical fiction circle, The Mountains Sing is an underrated read? Maybe I’m biased but it’s a fantastic read. Same for As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow! That one had me sobbing massively. 🥲
LikeLiked by 1 person
I finished it today and it was just divine. I’m hoping the number of transgressions mentions means we get more than just a trilogy worth of books because I need more set within the world!! Thats the second book you’ve read first and loved which I have too this year 😂 I shall definitely be preordering that one now 😍😍 those both sound beautifully poignant and moving. I’ll be sure to let you know how I get on with them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
As Long As the Lemon Tree Grows will always stay with me! I have You, With a View on my TBR. Great choices!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it stays with me too! It’s such a great book and I wish more people would read it. I hope you enjoy You, With A View—it was loads of fun 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Mountains Sing is a heavy one, but good nevertheless!
I still need to read Water Moon though.
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2026/02/17/top-ten-tuesday-cosy-books/
LikeLike
Nice list, Dini. I’ve read Simple Wild, Legends & Lattes and The Mountains Sing. The Legends & Lattes wasn’t for me unfortunately.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, sorry to hear Legends & Lattes wasn’t for you but glad to hear you enjoyed Simple Wild and The Mountains Sing! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think I was in the right frame of mind when I read it, Dini.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s OK, Carla. We can’t love them all (unfortunately, lol)!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The beauty that is The Girl Who Fell Beneath the sea, both inside and out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Omg, right? It’s stunning! I’ve been wanting to re-read the book but every time I go and try to find it I remember that my sister has it with her in Japan 🤣 The descriptions of this world are so stunning!
LikeLike
It’s so magical and beautiful. I’d like to reread that and A Song to Drown Rivers as well and I’ve just read both in 2025!
Your sister should read it then! She would surely love it, and then you can get your copy back (or not, if she loves it so much🤣).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, I was going to take it back with me when I visited her last year but she swore she was going to read it 😂 It’s been crickets on that ever since, haha. I’ll be visiting her at the end of the year so let’s see if she’ll have read it by then!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If she hasn’t, you have every right to take that copy back. Especially when they have such pretty covers!
LikeLike
I’ve read a couple of your fantasy books, but not the “real” world selections! Fun mix of genres and places! 🙂 In a Jam sounds like something I’d enjoy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m a big fan of Kate Canterbary so I always encourage others to read her romances, lol. In A Jam was one of her more popular titles when it released—it reached more mainstream romance readers, which was nice to see! 🙂
LikeLike
Currently reader watermoon; loving it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw, yay! I love hearing that 😍 Hope you enjoyed it to the end, Kris!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just finished it last night, loved it! Got so many quotes 🙈
LikeLike
I love this spin on this! I see a few books I have on my TBR I know that As long as the lemon trees grow is heartbreaking, so I am chickening out on reading it yet…
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s such a great (and important) read and one that I feel is highly underrated. It is heartbreaking, of course, but well worth the read, hehe.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! We need books like this one, and am not going to lie, I am afraid to pick it up, but I will definitely get to it when I am in the mood for something so emotional.
LikeLike
I love how you did this! Oh my gosh, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. I still remember staying up past 2am to finish that one. It was so good!! Great list, Dini. There’s a lot of great books on here!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m pretty sure I added that to my TBR after hearing you gush about it and yeah, totally get why! 🤭 It was so good and still, I think, underrated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I kind of remember that now!! Haha, I’m glad that I was able to convert you to a few great books! ❤
LikeLike
I love your mix of real and fantastical places in this list! So many books I still want to read here…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hehe, fantasy places transport me just as much, if not more, than real-world places. I’m traveling all the time 😂
LikeLike
Oooh I love the mix of fantasy/real world settings. Great picks, Dini!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Becky 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love a roadtrip book, and You with a View was a great one. Fantasy books definitely tend to take you away.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was so much fun and I loved them as a couple too 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
The books for Syria and Vietnam look really good! I’ll have to see if I can find copies.
Haze
https://thebookhaze.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person
They were excellent! Would highly recommend checking them out if you can get your hands on them 🙂
LikeLike
[…] #TopTenTuesday: Books for Armchair Travelers […]
LikeLike