9 Road Trip Books to Binge in This Holiday Season

It’s the summer season, and travel plans everywhere are going ballistic. So, here is a list of the 9 road trip books to binge in this holiday season. Some of these are classics, others YA and contemporary, while still others are more serious fictions grappling with complex issues. Some of these are even fantasy! Whatever the genre, all of these take the archetypal road novel form and transform it into a magical and unforgettable story.

On The Road by Jack Kerouac

This is the OG road trip book. It is a classic work of travel fiction that chronicles the life and experiences of Jack Kerouac and his friend Neal Cassady as they explore the North American continent. The bohemian lifestyle and energy of youth make it a weirdly inspirational read. And as the cherry on top, Kerouac’s immense love for both travel and his country shines through in this moving ode to freedom and being alive.

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

At the centre of this novel is Mim Malone, who is forced to go on a road trip from her home in Ohio to Mississippi with her father and stepmother. But soon her real mother, back in Cleveland, becomes sick. So Mim hops back on the Greyhound bus to make a journey back home, both literally and metaphorically. But when the journey takes a few unexpected turns, she must confront who she really is before she can help her mother or her family.

The Geography of Lost Things by Jessica Brody

This is a contemporary romance. After her father passes away, Ali teams up with her ex-boyfriend Nico to go on a long trip in her father’s car. Together, they amass significant objects in order to sell them and earn enough money to buy Ali’s childhood home. In the process, Ali learns that not everything about her father’s life had been as perfect as she assumed. A little romance and a lot of travel – it’s the perfect combination, right?

Hello Girls by Emily Henry and Brittany Cavallaro

Henry is known for her visceral, ambient books like Beach Read. In this early book, collaborating with Cavallaro, she crafts the coming of age story of a road trip gone wrong. In this book, two girls with their own scars and life stories meet in a chance encounter at the police station. Soon, they realize that all they need to turn a new leaf over and begin a new life is a convertible and a road – what goes down next is history.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Celebrated writer Johnson writes this story of Ginny, who receives thirteen blue envelopes which encase instructions that will change the course of her summer altogether. Thus, following these envelopes, she goes with a thief and playwright called Keith to Scotland. On this trip and in Scotland, events will transpire, both with herself and with Keith, that will change the trajectory of her life. Mischievous yet profound, this is a great YA book.

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

The hero of this story is the eighteen-year-old Kate, whose father is murdered by a gang for being in the possession of a diary which reveals the secret location of a gold mine. So Kate, disguising herself as a man, takes to the road in order to scavenge for justice. But the road to justice, both literally and metaphorically, is anything but easy. From untrustworthy strangers to physical dangers, Kate battles it all – for retribution.

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

In this magical realist book, the protagonist, Lee Westfall, has a penchant for gold. She can ascertain its presence in the natural world that extends beyond her and feels safe and secure in its company. But when a man with his own politics rips that off her, her world descends into madness. Now, Lee disguises herself as a man and embarks on a road trip to California, the birthplace of gold. The journey, of course, is life-altering.

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

In present day Mississippi, our protagonist Jojo lives with his toddler sister, his old and ailing grandparents and his substance-abusing mother, who sees her dead brother in visions when high. When Jojo’s white father is released from prison, his mother along with Jojo, his sister and a friend take to the road. The journey is full of pitfalls and mercies, but most of all, it’s a revelation to Jojo of who his mother really is.

Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

In this family drama, what starts out as a road trip vacation for a family of four ends up becoming the trigger for the unravelling of family secrets. As the foursome confront the truth about each other, humour becomes infused with heartbreak and drama with comedy. The book also deals with the Southwestern immigration crisis, along with the family’s personal foibles, weaving in the history with the personal with deftness.

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