In the first Book Club I recommended six great titles. Now, I’ve picked six more – novels, retellings and parables that, I hope, will make you giggle, marvel, shed a tear or even think a bit differently. All have a vivid sense-of-place that transports you vicariously, and may leave you eager to visit.

That said, three of these six I read while on location – something I love to do. (An aside: I once took a book set in Ireland to India – quite discombobulating, not recommended.)

There was something wonderful about dipping into Mythos, Stephen Fry’s riotous retelling of the stories of the Greek gods, while walking in Greece. It made me feel culturally connected, not to mention a bit cleverer – though it also just a lot of fun. I thoroughly recommend packing a copy if, for example, you’re off to walk Inntravel’s Enchanting Cyclades – when you hit the cliffs of Milos, where the Venus (aka Aphrodite) de Milo statue was discovered, you can recount all you’ve learned about her from Professor Fry.

Likewise, I read David Nicholls’ You Are Here, a rollicking-good rom-com of a novel set on England’s Coast to Coast Path, while walking the Coast to Coast Path. I didn’t just enjoy comparing locations, I enjoyed reading about other people walking, recognising the familiar rhythms of days spent on the trail. This book might fire you up for Inntravel’s Lake District or Yorkshire Dales trips – or for doing any multi-day ramble. Though seasoned walkers might wince at the chapter in which novice-hiker Marnie goes to the outdoor shop to buy all her kit in one go – all I could think was: how much?!

One of my choices here is The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho. And I warn you, it’s not for everyone. It recounts Coelho’s journey along the Camino de Santiago, heavy in symbolism and spiritual questing. But I’ve put it in because it’s good to read off-piste sometimes. And because – like increasing numbers of walkers – I’m a little obsessed with the Camino de Santiago. Confession: I didn’t love the book but I was surprised by how much it made me ponder. And it certainly made me keen to return to northern Spain’s pilgrim trails. If you feel the same, you’re in luck: Inntravel has launched two new camino walks for 2026.