The essential part of any holiday is grabbing a good novel at the bookshop or the airport before you go. For some, it’s an escapist romance or a gripping crime thriller. But what if fizzing rom-coms or murderous plots don’t exact meet your reading criteria?   Here is my list of the top 10 classic reads that will keep you entertained on your sun lounger and still scratch that literary itch!   If you love an atmospheric mystery….     Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier   This book has it all - set in the gothic and eerie Manderley, a manor house on the wild shore of Cornwall, the young protagonist is swept up in a holiday romance with a...

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One of the best ways to feel more immersed in a culture before you travel is to read about it! Go beyond the blogs, Google reviews and travel influencers with fiction classics that are truly “transportive”. Delving into another culture through literature is a great way to connect with the place you are visiting, beyond the typical tourist trail. Here are a few of my favourite picks to inspire you for your next big trip!   ….Japan   Murakami is probably Japan's biggest literary export, his book having been widely translated and even made into movies. His books can be complex, even difficult at times. Reading a Murakami book for the first time could even be likened to being in...

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It’s summer - and that means summer holidays! Whether you are planning a two-week break or just a weekend getaway, why not seek out some literary inspiration for your travels? Walk in the footsteps of your favourite writers and soak up the sites that inspired their great works of literature.   Even though most of these authors lived a long time ago, they have left their stamp on some of the world’s most beautiful travel spots.   Read on for our guide to my top literary travel trips!   F. Scott Fitzgerald - Côte D’Azur   As one of the 1920s “bright young things”, Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda frequented one of the hottest locales of their day - namely...

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