12 Travel Books I Read in 2025

Hello, folks!

The year is coming to an end, and that means another 12 months of reading have flown by. As I’ve been doing for the past couple of years, I’ve set reading challenges for myself to complete– last year was to read books set in different countries (e.g. Malaysia, Denmark, South Africa), and this year, I dedicated myself to reading novels set in US states.

The criteria is similar to what I’d established from last year’s reading challenge, but here it is again:

• One book= one US state per month (12 books total)
• The book needed to be set in the state or the author is from that state
• The book needed to be contemporary (ideally in the 21st century– just a personal preference!)

Of all the 50 US states, I selected 12 of them. From there, the books I chose took me all over the country, and here’s a regional breakdown:

• West Coast: 3 (Arizona, California, Oregon)
• East Coast: 3 (New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont)
• The Midwest: 3 (Illinois, Nebraska, Ohio)
• The South: 3 (Florida, Mississippi, Texas)

As it usually goes at the start of the year, I started off with plenty of books to read that would take me through the first half of the year. Things were going well until June, when I began to run out of ideas of books to read. Throughout summer and into fall, I also began procrastinating on reading and would wait until the last week of the month to cram in a book– somehow, I would make the deadline (just barely)!

Without further ado, here are the travel books I read for 2025– United States edition!

12 Travel Books I Read in 2025

January

San Francisco Poems (by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, 2001)– California

I started the new year with a book of poems from my home state of California. Most notably, I read a collection of poems by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a prolific poet who was part of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. Ferlinghetti wrote plenty of poems dedicated to San Francisco, his adoptive city, and the beauty of it throughout the 20th century. Also fascinating to know that Ferlinghetti lived to 101 years old, having passed away in 2021!

I had purchased his collection of poems while in San Francisco last spring, and at City Lights bookstore, which Ferlinghetti founded himself. Reading each piece transported me back to SF, with its atmospheric fog, hilly streets, and diverse, multicultural citizens. Much of the poet’s prose was very declarative and romantic, which reminded me of Whitman’s style preceding him. While I found some poems too thick in text and lack of punctuation blocky (nothing wrong with it, just a personal preference), I really enjoyed his other poems, my favorite being “The Changing Light.” The part that spoke to me really captures the essence of SF: “The light of San Francisco/is a sea light/ an island light/And the light of fog/blanketing the hills/drifting in at night/through the Golden Gate/to lie on the city at dawn” (lines 5-12) 9/10

February

Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh (by Rachael Lippincott, 2023)– Pennsylvania

Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh is a LGBTQ spin on the Jane Austen classic, sprinkled with an element of time travel. It follows Audrey, a prospective art student from Pittsburgh who finds herself transported into the Regency period, where she meets Lucy, a 19th-century English girl who’s to be married off to a man she doesn’t love. The novel takes readers through the process of Audrey figuring out how to get home to present day, while also learning a thing or two about Regency courtship and, in the end, falling for the most unexpected person.

As much of the novel is set in 1812 England, little of Pittsburgh is actually depicted, with the exception of the beginning and end. However, Audrey does allude to her home city frequently, describing her family’s corner store and tight-knit community fondly, as well as a notable, liberal contrast to the rigid, hierarchical English society from 200 years prior. The novel itself wasn’t anything too deep, as I found the plot very predictable and the characters a bit too juvenile (as it’s a YA book). But I enjoyed it as a quick read, a cute little romp to pass the time in February 7.5/10

March

Shmutz (by Felicia Berliner, 2022)– New York

When one thinks of New York (e.g. NYC), one thinks of Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and a city that never sleeps. However, one might not know of an insular community within NYC– Hasidic Jews. They are an ultra-Orthodox group that speak Yiddish and practice a very-traditional lifestyle. Shmutz follows a young, Hasidic woman named Raizl, who’s deeply-embedded in the community, yet inadvertently stumbles upon p*rnography that quickly unravels her life. The novel goes through Raizl’s struggle with p*rn addiction and the battle to remain faithful to her family and religion.

I was immediately intrigued upon reading Shmutz. Besides lots of Yiddish spoken throughout, it was also interesting learning how Raizl and, overall, Hasidic Jews, live in near-isolation among the hustle and bustle of NYC. It was fascinating knowing how much the religion places traditional and conservative values that often appear repressive to those not part of the community. The juxtaposition of the ultra-Orthodox practices Raizl does at home with her sexual exploration online was compelling– however, I couldn’t fully relate to her, let alone sympathize with her as she made questionable decisions with her life. I also felt the writing was stilted and awkward, and I was disappointed with the ending. Overall, a fascinating concept, but a bit disjointed and clumsily executed that made it hard to be satisfied with. 7/10

April

The Golden Spoon (by Jessa Maxwell, 2023)– Vermont

A cross between Great British Bake Off and murder mystery, The Golden Spoon is a fun, easy-breezy read that takes place in the fictional Grafton Manor in rural Vermont. The premise is practically the exact play-by-play of GBBO, but make it American: six contestants, two judges (Betsy Martin and Archie Morris, who are the spitting images of Mary Berry/Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, respectively), and plenty of intense, but delectable bakes that keep readers like myself salivating and keen to read until the very end.

The Golden Spoon is very “more-ish,” as we are embroiled in a murder during the show’s filming. I listened to the audiobook, which had a full ensemble cast who narrated the main six characters (bakers Hannah, Stella, Pradyumna, Gerald, Lottie, and judge Betsy). Each chapter shows the POV of each character and their part in the competition, as well as solving the mystery. I admit, it was slow-going in the first two-thirds of the novel, but once the murder happened, it picked up. I didn’t really like the start of the novel, as I didn’t like any of the characters (which were exaggerated caricatures of people). While nothing too ground-breaking, even at times a bit predictable, the novel was still a wild and fun, cracking time 8/10

May

World of Wonders (by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, 2020)– Mississippi

World of Wonders is a work of non-fiction, an autobiographical book of prose from poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil. It highlights the beauty of the natural world via fauna and flora, with each “chapter” (rather, poems) focusing on a single species, whether they’re fireflies, catalpa trees or, my personal favorite, axolotls. Through a blend of information and artistry, the poet showcases the nature around her, and how it all intertwines with her multiracial upbringing in the United States.

Actually, World of Wonders does not focus on one US state, but rather several– Nezhukumatathil recounts her childhood moving around with her family, from the Kansan plains to Illinois’ urban jungle in Chicago. However, many poems gravitate towards Mississippi, where she did her writing residency and now teaches creative writing at the state’s university. I especially loved the colorful descriptions that stimulated my senses; I could almost taste the sweetness of “Cara Cara Orange” and smell the pungent aroma from “Corpse Flower.” I found some poems were more engaging than others, but overall, I found it ingenious how Nezhukumatathil effortlessly marries nature with her personal life, all the while discussing topics such as conservationism, prejudice and racism, and the importance of teaching the future about them all 8.5/10

June

Here in My Body it Feels Crowded (by Karen Kevorkian, 2025)– Arizona

For the month of June, I read another poetry collection, this time from Karen Kevorkian. I had purchased this collection at a book festival several months prior, and I was especially keen to read it, as Karen was actually my poetry professor in college years ago. I will say that, as I know the author personally, my review of her work will be a bit biased, but I will do my best to have some impartiality in it.

What Karen specializes is in vivid, descriptive language of the American Southwest, as she herself was born and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Here in My Body doesn’t explicitly describe the state of Arizona, but one of its poems does mention Tucson and its surroundings with “underfoot grit of small rocks…/roadside blur of sugartwined crosses…/finally passing Piedra then the two Gila Bend” (“Piedra,” pg. 14). You can almost feel the heat of the sweltering sun, envision the long deserted highway, and hear the occasional car zipping through its infinity. This is what I enjoy about Karen’s work, that each line feels tangible, as if you’re experiencing the Southwest even if you’ve never been there before. Although I didn’t particularly love the fragmented style Karen chose to write in this collection, I still appreciate the imagery she gives to this part of the country which has her heart 7.75/10

July

Becoming (by Michelle Obama, 2018)– Illinois

I rarely read memoirs, but having anguished over having nothing to read for July, my fiancée recommended Becoming to me. The book was available at the library, so I got the audiobook to listen. This is Michelle Obama’s memoir, detailing her life as a child growing up working-class in Chicago to becoming (pun intended) the First Lady of the United States. As I’m biased towards the Obamas, I was interested in reading Becoming, and so I blasted through it within a few sessions.

Michelle Obama (née Robinson) narrates, and she is excellent. She’s expressive, precise, and charismatic; she draws you right in with her soft, but powerful voice. It’s long at over 19 hours, but given how wonderful she speaks, it goes by quickly. I especially enjoyed learning about her humble beginnings growing up in South Side Chicago in a relative’s shared flat and her school days that illustrated her drive to succeed, eventually taking her to Princeton and Harvard Law School. I found her budding relationship with Barack Obama very sweet, as well as the raising of their two daughters, Malia and Sasha. While I found the section of Barack’s presidency to take up too much of the memoir (i.e. cumbersome and not as interesting), I enjoyed Becoming and how Michelle had broken barriers– racially and socioeconomically– to become the First Lady of the United States. Especially in this ever-pessimistic and uncertain society today, I loved the faith and resilience that she championed, in hopes of the nation returning to better days 9/10

August

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls (by T Kira Madden, 2018)– Florida

Long Live the Tribe is an unconventional debut memoir by American writer T Kira Madden. “Unconventional” in the sense that the memoir is fragmented, as well as hits all the intersectionalities of race, gender, sexuality, and class. The memoir is chaotic, wistful, and gritty, all of which are reflective of Madden’s upbringing as a biracial queer woman growing up in the upper echelons in Boca Raton, Florida.

The memoir is very-much a story of Madden’s parents: a Jewish-American father and Chinese-Hawaiian mother. Madden was born out of her father’s affair, even though her parents ended up marrying later on. She had quite an unstable childhood– despite growing up affluent, her parents constantly fought, used drugs and alcohol, and dabbled in white-collar crime. Madden herself experienced racism in an all-white community, while also experiencing objectification and sexual assault at the hands of men in her life (thankfully, not from her father). Some chapters get quite graphic, and they kind of took me out of the story. Don’t get me wrong– Madden writes beautifully, but overall, I couldn’t quite relate to her life. Not my cup of tea, but I respect her unflinching honesty and vulnerability telling her story 7/10

September

Pumpkinheads (by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks, 2019)– Nebraska

With fall season in full swing, I picked up Pumpkinheads, a YA graphic novel written by Rainbow Rowell and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks. This was the first graphic novel I read for my US state reading challenge this year, and it was a short, but cute read. It’s a love story not only of two teenagers working a pumpkin patch in their senior year, but also a love letter to Nebraska, in which Rowell is from.

Pumpkinheads follow Josiah and Deja, who have been working at the pumpkin patch throughout high school and are spending their last year trying to find “Fudge Girl,” another employee whom Josiah has a crush on. The graphic novel follows the two running all over the pumpkin patch to find her, so that Josiah can confess his love. I found the story really cute and the illustrations adorable as well. The artwork is sketch-like and rustic, and the coloring of orange, purple, and brown hues really give off that chilly, autumn-night vibe. I also love the characters, with Deja being my favorite. Although I will say she does lean rather “manic pixie dream girl”-esque at times and I found the ending predictable, I really enjoyed the easy-breezy atmosphere of Pumpkinheads, to get me into the fall season 9.5/10

October

Atmosphere (by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 2025)– Texas

Atmosphere is a love story, not just of two women in love, but also of space exploration. Set in 1980s Houston, it follows Joan Goodwin, an aspiring astronaut who joins NASA, along with a small handful of women in a male-dominated field. She meets another woman in the program, Vanessa Ford, who catches her eye– from there, the novel takes readers over the next few years of their relationship, as well as their journey to becoming the first women in space.

I listened to the audiobook and found the narrators excellent; I found that Reid spun a beautiful and well-researched story, one-part scientific and another part emotional and touching. I especially loved reading the tender moments between Joan and Vanessa, but even more so between Joan and her niece, Frances. The novel had a lot of heart, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story from start to finish. If I had to nitpick, I would say that a few moments felt sentimental (i.e. overly emotionally to the degree it was inauthentic) and some scenes did drag (especially the fight scene between Joan and Vanessa, as well as that between Joan her sister, Barbara). However, those details are minor and did not deter me from enjoying and giving Atmosphere an overall rating of 9.5/10

November

Little Fires Everywhere (by Celeste Ng, 2017)– Ohio

This novel was hugely popular back when it was first published, to the point it was adapted into a television series a few years later (which I haven’t watched yet). Little Fires Everywhere is drama-galore, set in the quiet suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio (a real place where Ng herself grew up in) and interweaves multiple stories from multiple perspectives that spark and ignite, figuratively, little fires everywhere in the end.

I admit, it took a while to get into it, as the first third of the novel was about world building and setting up the different characters and their dynamics to each other. However, once everyone was introduced, the story really took off. Not only did I find the storylines intriguing, but I also appreciated the social commentary on family, race, and class without being too in-your-face. Ng does a solid job of portraying the characters with nuance, from the ruthless, rule-abiding Mrs. Richardson to the artistic, free-spirited Mia Warren, both foils of each other. Throughout the novel, each little piece of drama stokes the metaphorical flames even more, ultimately culminating in *mild spoiler alert* an actual fire in the end. I enjoyed LFE, and although parts of it could’ve been condensed and paced better, it was a fun, page-turning read 9/10

December

Skin & Bones (by Renée Watson, 2024)– Oregon

I wrapped up the year with Renée Watson’s Skin & Bones, a lyrical novel that tells the story of Lena Baker, a plus-size Black woman, living in Portland, a predominantly-white city. Her story is told in vignettes while navigating her day-to-day life as a mother, a daughter, a friend, and an advocate for the small, but mighty Black community in Portland. Skin & Bones touches on an intersection of themes: racism, fatphobia, and sexism, all through an unflinchingly honest, yet gentle narrative.

What really captured me was Watson’s writing: the vignettes were beautifully-composed, almost like prose, and they gave great insight into the prejudice and microaggressions that characters like Lena, a fat, Black woman, experiences in a predominantly-White society. It was both uplifting and frustrating to read about Lena and her peers who constantly have to self-advocate in their everyday lives, as it’s the unfortunate reality of Black women IRL. Watson also intersperses bits of Oregon’s racist, white-centric history, to show that even though cities like Portland are considered “liberal,” they still have a long way to go in terms of progress. Although I felt some parts of the novel could’ve been cut out due to repetitiveness, I really enjoyed Skin & Bones and I can see myself re-reading it in the years to come 9/10

…and there you have it! Another year of reading…completed! Given the way it’s been going for these last two years, I think next year’s reading challenge will narrow even further, perhaps books on…California? From the world to the United States to my home state, the reading challenge is shrinking in its geography, and I’m ready to push myself and achieve this goal for the next 12 months. Bring it on!

Thanks for reading, folks, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! 🙂

— Rebecca