11 Books About Road Trips to Fuel Your Wanderlust

"Sing, Unburied, Sing" ($8, originally $17)

"Sing, Unburied, Sing" by Jesmyn Ward is part road novel, part ghost story. It tells the story of Jojo, a young Black boy living with his little sister and grandparents in a rural town. He is taken on a road trip by his unreliable mom to pick up his father from prison. A master of the Southern Literature genre, Ward's compassionate, stirring books about Black southerners living in the Gulf Coast have cemented her as one of the best writers of the genre — and "Sing, Unburied, Sing" is Ward deploying her gift at the highest frequency.

"The Lord of the Rings" ($39)

Yes, "The Lord of the Rings" series is about a road trip. A brave party of nine humans, elves, dwarves, and hobbits take off across Middle-earth to destroy the "one ring," the total embodiment of evil. J.R.R. Tolkien's high fantasy series is one that many readers around the world have treasured for decades.

"People We Meet on Vacation" ($8, originally $16)

It's no surprise that books about romance are also great romance novels. In Emily Henry's 2021 novel "People We Meet on Vacation," two opposite best friends who have traveled together for 10 summers swing one last vacation in an attempt to repair their relationship after one disastrous trip caused their estrangement.

"Travels with Charley" ($11, originally $17)

Sometimes it takes a great companion to bring out the best in someone. In "Travels with Charley," author John Steinbeck and his French poodle Charley embark on a 10,000 mile road trip and meet all sorts of characters who fuel keen observations about what it means to be American. Steinbeck's travelogue is a fascinating portrait of the social forces that shaped mid-century America. Though there's debate about how much of "Travels with Charley" is indeed non-fiction, that doesn't change the fact that it's a great read.

"Mrs. Nash's Ashes" ($11, originally $17)

Death is a major part of "Mrs. Nash's Ashes," but this sweet novel is really about how vital love is to life. A romantic at heart, Millicent promises her elderly best friend, Rose, that she'll reunite her with a past love. She treks to Florida to deliver Rose's ashes before her lover dies in hospice. On the way, Millicent is forced to hitch a ride with Hollis, an insufferable acquaintance who doesn't believe in her quest (or love at all).

"Bird Summons" ($14, originally $16)

"Bird Summons" is a beautifully written book about three friends who take a road trip to the Scottish Highlands in search of answers to desires that threaten to pull them from their prescribed paths. The three women's spiritual discovery is touching, and Leila Aboulela's skill in writing magical realism gives the book a fairytale feel.

"Getting Mother's Body" ($15, originally $24)

"Getting Mother's Body" is the story a pregnant teen girl and her destitute family in 1960s Texas. The family sets off for Arizona to retrieve Billy's mother's body, and the jewelry supposedly buried with her. The tensions around whether she'll succeed builds plenty of suspense, but the more haunting question of whether it's possible to live with old ghosts gives the narrative heft.

"The Lincoln Highway" ($12, originally $19)

It's June of 1954 when 18-year-old Emmet Watson is driven home to Nebraska from a juvenile work farm. Before he starts fresh in California, though, he learns that two friends from the farm have stowed away in the warden's trunk with a plan to involve him in an adventure to New York. This book has a bit of everything: wit, suspense, adventure, humor, and heart.

"On the Road" ($11, originally $18)

Known as the book about road trips, "On the Road" has captivated those with a sense of adventure since its publication in 1957. Much of how we talk and think about the literary and social movements young people embraced in the 1960s and 1970s can be traced back to "On the Road."

"Hurricane Girl" ($17)

"Hurricane Girl" is equal parts comedy and horror. Allison is looking for a do-over when she buys her dream house in North Carolina, only to see it washed away in a hurricane. Allison is an unreliable narrator who makes messy, puzzling, impulsive choices as she tries to find her next step, which makes this book about a road trip hard to put down. A harrowing road trip from North Carolina to Allison's mother's house in New Jersey is made even more nail-biting because she's driving with a head injury.

"The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise" ($16, originally $18)

For most books about road trips, you can almost always find a pair of unexpected characters setting off together. In "The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise," a 21-year-old works as a live-in caregiver for an elderly woman who insists she doesn't want help, but quickly reveals herself to be more than her young charge bargained for when she announces they're leaving town in the middle of the night. Promise, the unlikely duo have an easy chemistry that makes this buddy story a breezy read.

Helen Carefoot is a freelance lifestyle, culture, and entertainment journalist based in Washington, D.C. Previously, she was Well+Good's Lifestyle Writer and worked at The Washington Post on the lifestyle desk in the features section.