Welcome to Wanderlust Reads Hosted by Road and Table Travel
Where every story takes you somewhere new.
Welcome to Wanderlust Reads, the travel-inspired book club by Road & Table — created for readers who wander and travelers who read. Each month, we feature a handpicked book set in a beautiful destination around the world — from the vineyards of Tuscany to the beaches of Belize and beyond.
Genres vary, just like our travels. Some stories will sweep you through romance and mystery, while others reveal hidden gems and local flavors. Each selection includes a “Pairs Well With” recommendation — a dish, drink, or cozy ritual inspired by the book’s setting — so you can savor the story as you read.
Follow @roadandtable on social media to discover our latest Book of the Month, join the conversation, and share your own travel-inspired reads and foodie pairings.
Because every great journey deserves a great book — and a delicious bite to go with it.
*This page contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. Your support helps me keep bringing you travel inspiration, foodie finds, and book recommendations from around the world.
This Month’s Book Choice
The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian
- Destination: Low Country, Mississippi
- Genre:
Southern Fiction/Mystery
- Author: Kelly Mustian
- Pairs Well With: A pimento cheeseburger, a tall glass of sweet tea, and some
Old-time string band music playing in the background.
- Buy / Learn More:
Amazon
Set in 1920s Mississippi, this debut Southern novel weaves a beautiful and harrowing story of two teenage girls cast in an unlikely partnership through murder.
Ada promised herself she would never go back to the Trace, to her hard life on the swamp and her harsh father. But now, after running away to Baton Rouge and briefly knowing a different kind of life, she finds herself with nowhere to go but back home. And she knows there will be a price to pay with her father.
Matilda, daughter of a sharecropper, is from the other side of the Trace. Doing what she can to protect her family from the whims and demands of some particularly callous locals is an ongoing struggle. She forms a plan to go north, to pack up the secrets she's holding about her life in the South and hang them on the line for all to see in Ohio.
As the two girls are drawn deeper into a dangerous world of bootleggers and moral corruption, they must come to terms with the complexities of their tenuous bond and a hidden past that links them in ways that could cost them their lives.
Wanderlust Reads Book Selections
Here is the complete list of all the books selected for our readers on Road and Table. Also, you will see if I thought this book was a keeper or if we should put it back on the shelf!
Under the Tuscan Sun
Author: Frances Mayes
Destination: Italy
Genre: Travel / Memoir
Pairs Well With: A glass of Chianti and handmade ricotta gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce
Verdict: 🥂 Keeper
Like Water for Chocolate
Author: Laura Esquivel
Destination: Mexico
Genre: Romance / Fiction
Pairs Well With: Spicy margaritas and chocolate-dipped strawberries — passion on a plate.
Verdict: 🥂 Keeper
The Unsinkable Greta James
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Destination: Alaska
Genre: Romance / Fiction
Pairs Well With: A mug of hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of sea salt — sweet, soothing, and full of heart.
Verdict: 🥂 Keeper
Snow Blind
Author: Ragnar Jónasson
Destination: Iceland
Genre: Crime / Mystery / Fiction
Pairs Well With: A cup of strong black coffee and warm cinnamon buns — ideal companions for a chilling read.
Verdict: 🥂 Keeper
The Little Paris Bookshop
Author: Nina George
Destination: Paris, France
Genre: Romance / Fiction
Pairs Well With: A glass of rosé and a slice of brie on a baguette — simple & perfectly French.
Verdict: 📚 Back on the Shelf
Dirty Laundry
Author: Disha Bose
Destination: Ireland
Genre: Crime / Fiction
Pairs Well With: A cozy St. Patrick’s Day dinner, a pint of Guinness, and a fireside seat
Verdict: 🥂 Keeper
This page contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. Your support helps me keep bringing you travel inspiration, foodie finds, and book recommendations from around the world.
