Spending the day poolside with a book is a summer staple. We’ve searched Amazon for some of the best-selling travel-inspired books to help take your mind adrift this summer. Let us know your favorite poolside books in the comments.

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, $11

Relax on the beach and enjoy an essay that's sure to make you laugh, cry, and laugh again.

What we’ve heard: “Essayist Samantha Irby is my very favorite sort of writer: stunningly direct, wildly hilarious, breathtakingly honest and, best of all, imminently relatable.”—Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune

Buy it here.

Magpie Murders: A Novel, $17

Spend the day by the pool with a 'whodunit' novel. The ending might surprise you.

What we’ve heard: “An ingenious funhouse mirror of a novel sets a vintage ‘cozy’ mystery inside a modern frame.” -Wall Street Journal

Find on Amazon.

How to Read Water: Clues and Patterns from Puddles to the Sea, $11

You’re sitting by water why not read about it? This book will tell you how to use water to find north, how to decipher wave patterns, and many other water-related skills.

What we’ve heard: “Even if you don’t live near a lake, river or ocean, this fascinating book teaches you how to read water patterns in rain puddles and any other place water gathers.”—San Francisco Chronicle 

Order here.

Eat, Pray, Love $9

Take this classic memoir poolside and mentally travel through Italy, India, and Indonesia with the author as she learns more about herself and the cultures she encounters.

What we’ve heard: “Gilbert's memoir reads like the journal of your most insightful, funny friend as she describes encounters with healers, ex-junkies, and (yes!) kind, handsome men." —Glamour 

Find it here.

Vagabond Dreams, $11

Imagine leaving everything you have and are behind for an adventure with complete stranger. The Vagabond Dreams is great to start poolside and finish on the couch: You won’t be able to put it down.

What we’ve heard: "...a powerful new voice in creative nonfiction." - Publisher's Weekly

Buy here.

Becoming Odyssa: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail, $10

Follow Jennifer as she takes on a life-changing journey over 2,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail. She has some of the best experiences of her life and also some of the worst as she heads from Georgia to Maine.

What we’ve heard: "This is the best Appalachian Trail book I have ever read. It doesn't matter if you are male or female, skinny or fat, outdoorsman or couch potato, if you've ever thought about doing a long-distance hike, then read Davis' book. I would rate this book as more essential to the mental preparation for a long-distance hike than anything else you could do." - The Coffee Scholar blog

Get it in paperback here.

All products and services mentioned on Airfarewatchdog are independently selected by our team of expert travelers. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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