With summer drawing to an end and masks making their way back into our lives (and onto our faces here at the shop), Team OTB is still dreaming of vacation. We asked our booksellers to share a title that swept them away on a mental vacation, either closer to home or further far afield. Enjoy!

Jen M.

It isn't set in another country but I love Razor Girl by Carl Hiaasen. It is set in Key West and opens with a woman that runs a crash scam where she rear ends other people while shaving her bikini line. That is the least craziest thing in the book, but that plot line was influenced by a true story because #Florida. The story features a sand stealing beach scram, a health inspector trying to solve a murder, and a Wisconsin accountant who rebrands himself as a redneck reality tv star. It has everything! The book is funny and the setting is just perfect. I love the Keys and this book just embraces all the crazy that happens and people are just like "Oh, it is Florida". It is such a fun escape read.

Angie

The last book that took me on a mental vacation was The Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark. It takes place in Cairo, Egypt in 1912 in a steam-punk fantasy mash-up world. The setting was one of my favorite aspects of this murder-mystery adventure! Clark paints such a vivid picture of Egypt and how it's depicted by the white gaze. Also, this is probably my favorite book that a man has written depicting women. Pick this up, it's such a fun treat!

Emma

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary: set in England with the characters driving to Scotland, this romantic comedy captured my heart from the first few chapters. I've been to England a few times and because of this, it is one of my favorite places to hear about and travel to. With the characters both from there and traveling through it, it made for a sweet book that also indulged my wanderlust. Broken relationships healing, sisterhood, working through realistic problems and pulling at my heart in many different ways, this book was perfect for for me as a traveler who couldn't travel.

Shannon

If you’re looking for a fun, light read to sweep you away into a state of wanderlust, definitely check out 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson. This YA novel is part feel-good family story, part coming of age tale, and an entire global adventure. The main character Ginny’s summer takes an unexpected turn when she receives a letter and cash for a plane ticket…from her aunt who passed away months ago. Tag along with her on her adventure if you love a warm and fuzzy and/or a scavenger hunt story!

Abby

I've never been to Australia, but what better way to entice me to take a trip there than the mysterious disappearance of a group of students from a female boarding school? The Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay is a slim novel I've been wanting to read for years now, ever since I marathon-ed the mini series from a few years ago in a single sitting. Set in 1900, we learn about the events preceding and following the mysterious disappearance of three students in Victoria, Australia. While not exactly an exotic or tropical setting, I'm excited to see how Victoria and the titular real-life geographical feature of Hanging Rock play into the story and I'm eager to dip into not only a different time period but also a place where I've never been or know much about.

Blog contributions by Abby Bennsky, Emma Kiely, Shannon McCarthy, Jen Miller, and Angie Sanchez.
Photo contributions by Abby Bennsky, Shannon McCarthy, Jen Miller, and Angie Sanchez.
Edited by Shannon McCarthy.