Six books to inspire your 2026 trip

It’s World Book Day this week. While school dress-up days may be well behind most of us (although full credit to parents currently slaving away over costumes), it remains a reminder of the power of books to inspire and invite us into new ways of seeing the world. This invitation has always, to me, felt akin to slow travel. So today, I’m marking the occasion with a takeover from Tim Frenneaux, founder of the Adventurous Ink book club.

Tim and Harriet aboard the Settle to Carlisle Line

I first came across Adventurous Ink during the pandemic, when Tim’s thoughtfully selected paperbacks would slip into my mailbox, always offering a fresh perspective and inspiration for future adventures. Years later, the book club is a growing community championing deeper connections: to the natural world, each other, and ourselves. Today, Tim presents his slow-travel stack, paired with an overland itinerary that traces the tracks of each title. 

Titles are available through Adventurous Ink's 'Library of Lost Connections', which offers new members a free introductory book before starting their membership. 

 Over to Tim: bring on the lineup!

Peaks and Bandits, Alf Bonnevie Bryn + Corsica by sleeper

"They don't write books like this anymore. I'm not even sure people have adventures like this anymore. Peaks and Bandits is a much-loved classic of climbing literature in the author's native Norway, yet remained unknown to the English-speaking world until this recent translation. If Hemingway told mountains, this gripping tale of youthful exuberance among the peaks, ports, and bars of Corsica would be it."

The Living Mountain, Nan Shepherd + The wild Cairngorms

"A book that redoubles with each reading, just as Nan sagely observes how the thing to be known grows with the knowing. Despite being written in 1946, though not published until 1977, this ode to her beloved Cairngorm is still ahead of its time, thanks to the alacrity of the pioneering Scot's insistence that we should slowly sense our way into places, finding ourselves alongside them, not necessarily atop."

Lone Wolf, Adam Weymouth + Slovenian lakes and Italian mountains

"Some people go to the Alps in search of impressive vistas or timeworn local culture. Adam Weymouth went looking for a wolf. Through this steady exploration, he unpacks humanity's relationship with the really wild side and with each other, as he discovers how this folklore icon still stalks the dreams and the nightmares we call culture today."

Solo, Jenny Tough + Morocco overland

"There should be a picture of Jenny Tough next to the dictionary definition of nominative determination. She is tough as nails running solo and unsupported across mountain ranges on all six continents, including North Africa's Atlas Mountains. Jenny is also supremely human, and prone to doubts and wobbles just like all of us. This candid and can-do tale of her fleet feet is remarkable and inspiring, whether you're a runner or not."

My Midsummer Morning, Al Humphreys + A journey through Spain

"The heartwarming story of renowned adventurer and microadventure flag bearer, Alastair Humphreys, who shadows Laurie Lee's journey across central Spain with nothing more than a cardinal compass bearing and a broken violin to busk (badly) for his meager supper. An inspiring exercise in how to get so much out of life from so very little."

Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere, Jan Morris + Italy's eastern edge

"I must confess, I haven't actually read this book, so it hasn't featured in the book club yet. I'm saving it for when I finally travel to Trieste to unlock its alluringly exotic mystery. I'm fascinated to discover how the author connects the place with the nowhereish sense of belonging. This is when truly great travel writing comes to life; when it becomes a mirror on ourselves."