Where to Find the Best Travel Books Online

When planning a trip, most travelers choose a practical travel guide that includes maps and information on dining, shopping, or sight-seeing. But travelers also enjoy reading travel memoirs, first-hand experiences of those who have been there, a history of the area, or even a novel set in the location. Even "armchair travelers," or those just imagining their dream vacation, find that reading travel books can be as enjoyable as the journey itself.

But how does one choose from so many titles or guidebook series?

For those lucky enough to live near a bookstore with a significant travel section, browsing for travel books can be done in person. Otherwise, the best place to find travel books is online. These travel websites offer suggestions for the best travel books available.

Longitude Books.com
http://www.longitudebooks.com/home.html

The home page of Longitude Books features a world map on which one can choose and click a destination and receive an extended list of suggested travel books, both guides and literature, on the area. Suggested titles are categorized into Essential Reading and Also Recommended, and users can further click on links for more titles and even kid's books. Once users receive their suggested titles list, they can choose and order the books directly from the site.

National Geographic Traveler Library
http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/travel-books/intro-text

National Geographic Traveler is, according to their website, the world's most widely read travel magazine. On their "Ultimate Travel Library" page, one can click and choose according to world region and access a list of travel book titles suggested by travel writers, photographers, explorers, and editors. These are not guide books but travel narratives, novels, and photography books, enough to fuel the fire of anyone's wanderlust.

(Note: On every computer on which I've accessed this site, after clicking the link of the location, I have had to scroll down quite a bit before seeing the list of books.)

WorldHum.com
http://www.worldhum.com/features/travel-books/
http://www.worldhum.com/travel-blog/guide/literary-travel/

Travel website WorldHum has a Travel Book blog with book reviews and lists of best travel books as well as a Literary Travel blog with reviews, lists, author interviews, and news from the world of travel writing. Both seasoned travelers and first-timers can find plenty of information on the latest and greatest titles in travel literature here.

TravelGuideBooks.com
http://www.travelguidebooks.com/index.html

TravelGuideBooks.com is a comprehensive shopping site for searching and buying travel guides and travel literature. Less emphasis is made on discussing or reviewing the books, with more emphasis on basic descriptions and easy purchasing. Through Amazon.com, shoppers can browse recent bestsellers, or choose by popular guidebook series (Fodors, Frommers, Lonely Planet, etc.), by destination, or by specialty travel (adventure, family, gay & lesbian, etc.). Travel narratives and fiction are included, as well as Kindle editions.

TransitionsAbroad.com "Best Women's Travel Books"
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/women/women_travel_books.shtml

Transitions Abroad is a travel website devoted to "meaningful, experiential work abroad, study abroad, cultural travel overseas, and international living," as they proclaim on their home page. And if you are a female traveler, their site has a list of over a dozen of the best women's travel books, with an emphasis on solo travel. They are mostly books of advice and tips for the female traveler, with some collections of first-person travel stories.

Transitions Abroad also has a Travel Writing page with lists of Top Ten Best Travel Books suggested by travel writers themselves at http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/travel_writing/index.shtml#travel_writers_favorite_books