There’s no better time than the start of the year to look at what lies ahead during the next twelve months or so. What will 2025 bring us? While this question can be answered for many domains, today we’re looking at literature. Travel and books go well together, especially when those writings take you to destinations all across the globe. Below are seven books to look forward to in 2025.
1. On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer by Rick Steves
Rick Steves has been a name to remember within the travel industry for years and so one might wonder what sparked his travel urge in the first place. Fans can get a look into his mind with this book, reading journal passages from a young Rick and getting glimpses of his first travels through his very own shots.
“In the 1970s, the ultimate trip for any backpacker was the storied “Hippie Trail” from Istanbul to Kathmandu. A 23-year old Rick Steves made the trek, and like a travel writer in training, he documented everything along the way: jumping off a moving train, making friends in Tehran, getting lost in Lahore, getting high for the first time in Herat, battling leeches in Pokhara, and much more. The experience ignited his love of travel and forever broadened his perspective on the world,” the book’s description says.
2. The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple
Even though there’s a difference between travel and history, both domains often collide. Those who are eager to get to know a new destination can’t but learn about the country’s past, giving an insight into its current culture. William Dalrymple dives deep into India’s legacy, opening a whole new world to his readers.
“For a millennium and a half, India was a confident exporter of its diverse civilisation, creating around it a vast empire of ideas. Indian art, religions, technology, astronomy, music, dance, literature, mathematics and mythology blazed a trail across the world, along a Golden Road that stretched from the Red Sea to the Pacific,” the book’s description says.
3. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
When a book’s title asks a question, you better answer it as an author. And Robert Macfarlane does so in style. He combines his love for nature with a swift pen, making readers aware of ecological problems while also allowing them a moment of literary joy.
“Is a River Alive? is a joyous exploration into an ancient, urgent idea: that rivers are living beings who should be recognised as such in imagination and law. Macfarlane takes readers on three unforgettable journeys teeming with extraordinary people and places: to the miraculous cloud-forests and mountain streams of Ecuador, to the wounded creeks and lagoons of India, and to the spectacular wild rivers of Canada—imperilled by mining, pollution, and dams. Braiding these journeys is the life story of the fragile chalk stream a mile from Macfarlane’s house, which flows through his own years and days,” the book’s description says.
4. See the World by Train: 80 Unforgettable Railway Adventures Across the Globe by Jean-Baptiste Bonaventure
Most travellers who enjoy a bit of adventure will agree that travelling by train allows you to see the landscape from an entirely different, unique perspective. If you’re still doubting about your next train journey or if you just want to mentally escape reality for a bit, Jean-Baptiste Bonaventure’s newest book is perfect for you.
“From the Orient Express in mainland Europe to the Taurus Express in Turkey, passing by the California Zephyr in the US and the Argentinian Tren a las Nubes, this book takes you on epic adventures across the globe. Divided by continent, each highly readable entry includes a detailed map, anecdotes of the history of the line, and stunning photography of the landscapes met along the way,” the book’s description says.
5. Venezia by Alejandro Merizalde and Luis Pérez-Oramas
Talking about escaping, Venezia is yet another book allowing you to mentally travel to a destination, whether you’ve been there or not. The often gloomy, misty pictures of one of the world’s most famous cities shows you another, lesser-known face of the La Serenissima.
“Alejandro Merizalde began photographing in Venice in 2008. In his early visits he found the city stiflingly overcrowded, but during a brief winter trip a few years later, the overcast skies and foggy atmosphere allowed him to draw out Venice’s legendary beauty without the disruptions of mass tourism. In 2013 he started experimenting with longer exposures to eliminate the distractions of human activity and enable him to concentrate on his architectural compositions. This shift in approach was gradual, but it helped him realise that he was no longer interested in recording iconic features like St Mark’s Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs and the gondola, to name a few. From then on, he dropped the predictable locations and buildings and trained his lens on the Venice lagoon and areas of the city where Venetians actually spend their lives,” the book’s description says.
6. Improbable Islands: An atlas of unlikely places by Alastair Bennett
Islands are a particular thing. Whether they’re natural or man-made, isolated or close to shore: they always are an out-of-the-ordinary place. Bonnett takes us on a journey, discovering 33 different islands, all with their own story and all making us want to travel.
“Dive into a captivating exploration of 33 of the world’s most unique and enigmatic islands, each with its own compelling story. This visually stunning book is divided into four sections, each revealing a different facet of these extraordinary locales: strange, scary, remote, robesons, naturally. Each chapter is a voyage into islands of wonder and mystery, offering a unique perspective on our planet’s most intriguing and lesser-known corners. Whether it’s an exploration of ambitious human endeavours or natural marvels, this book is a visual and narrative feast for the curious traveller,” the book’s description says.
7. An Inconvenience of Penguins by Jamie Lafferty
Penguins might be some of the most extraordinary birds on Earth and many of us are immediately under their charm when seeing them. Yet what do we know about the species? Travel writer Jamie Lafferty takes readers on a journey across the globe, visiting all 18 species of penguins, telling the world’s tale through them.
“From getting stranded in the Galapagos to marching through African guano fields, and leading photography groups in the Antarctic to taking psychedelics on the Falklands, this is a birding quest like no other. Along the way Lafferty relives the experiences of early polar explorers, for who penguins were perplexing mysteries, welcome companions and even occasional meals, and meets the modern penguin lovers trying to save their fragile environments,” the book’s description says.
