On the Road Again: Top Ten Road Trip Books

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature from The Broke and the Bookish. This is a TTT freebie week, and with summer fast approaching I’ve got travel on the mind. My summer vacation plans aren’t firmed up yet, but in the meantime I can at least travel with books. Some of these are my faves and some are on my own summer reading list!

Get your motor running with these road trip books:

1. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour – An all-girl band goes hits the road in a borrowed turquoise VW bus to tour the Pacific Northwest. The book is told from the male POV of Colby, their friend/manager.

2. Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson – This is a cross-country road trip from California to Connecticut with Amy and Roger. Amy is grieving her father’s death, and she unexpectedly starts crushing on her travel companion, Roger. This book gives you the whole road trip experience with mix tapes, and supplemental material like receipts, and state trivia.

3. How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski – Rosie’s parents send her away on a road trip with neighbor Matty and two friends to put some distance between her and her ex (a guy who’s car she just set on fire.)

4. Paper Towns by John Green – Quentin’s search for Margo leads him on an adventurous road trip.

5. Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt – Companion book to Two-Way Street- this is about Jace and Peyton, exes who end up on a road trip together.

6. The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson –This is about a group of teens that leave their boarding school for a road trip and day of fun.

7. You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith – I know this author from Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight but she has several books under her belt. Emma and her neighbor Peter venture on a road trip for different reasons, and find more than they bargained for.

8. Take Me There by Carolee Dean – Bad boy Dylan falls for “out of his league” Jess but is on the run from a bad situation.

9. Wanderlove by Kristin Hubbard – International travel, anyone? Bria finds herself while backpacking Central America.

10. Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker – Break up the monotony of the road with a boat trip! Heartbroken Clementine is on a sailboat with her parents all summer and meets James at one of the stops along the river.

Are you taking any road trips this summer, or traveling vicariously through books?

Ornament

36 thoughts on “On the Road Again: Top Ten Road Trip Books

  1. Fun topic, I love road trip books! 🙂 I really enjoyed How My Summer Went Up in Flames, and I want to read The Disenchantments soon! 🙂 My TTT is Fictional Places I’d Love to Vacation

    Alice @ Alice in Readerland

    1. Lucy says:

      I hope you like The Disenchantments too!

  2. fishgirl182 says:

    i have a thing for road trips but was surprised to find that i haven’t read most of these books. i do own several of them though so i better get on it. hope you think of some fun summer plans that involve going someplace really awesome, lucy. hope you’re having a good weekend!

    1. Lucy says:

      There’s always SDCC if nothing else 🙂 Hope you had a great holiday weekend!

  3. Great topic- I think ultimately my favorite road trip novel is On the Road, but I did recently read The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving (a caregiver heads off on an adventure with the boy he cares for) and thought it captured a new perspective.

    1. Lucy says:

      Can’t go wrong with On the Road. I want to see the movie sometime. The Revised Fundamentals sounds intriguing. Thanks for the rec!

  4. Merin says:

    I read and enjoyed How My Summer… It was actually my first roadtrip book! I really want to read Wanderlove, though, as I’ve heard amazing things about it.

    1. Lucy says:

      Can’t wait to hear what you think of Wanderlove. I like the emotional journey of road trip books, and the travel aspect too.

  5. Fun topic! I love road trip books! All of these are either on my TBR, or I read and loved. Wanderlove and Unbreak My Heart are two of my very favorites.

    You should give From What I Remember by Stacey Kramer and Valerie Thomas a try! I adored it SO much.

    – Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl (And The Broke and the Bookish). Visit my Top Ten Tuesday!

    1. Lucy says:

      Thanks, Jana! From What I Remember does look fun 🙂 Glad to hear it’s a good road trip book!

  6. Michelle says:

    I LOOOOOVEEE Roadtrip books!!! They’re so fun! I want to read SO many of the books on your list: Take Me There, The Disenchantments, Wanderlove, You are Here. Wherever Nina Lies was one of my fav roadtrip books and How to Be Bad.

    My TTT Freebie

    1. Lucy says:

      Ooh Wherever Nina Lies does look good. And I hadn’t heard of How to Be Bad- looks fun! Thanks 🙂

  7. Rory says:

    I love taking roadtrips, they always seem so full of possibility (except the possibility of good food, which always seems to be lacking). The Disenchanments sounds interesting!

  8. sterlingsop says:

    Thanks for your top 10, looks a great list. I like the sound of book two on your list. I love the idea of it being like a travel guide as well as a story.

    1. Lucy says:

      Amy & Roger is a wonderful book. Hope you check it out sometime.

  9. I love your topic! I adore road trip books. Some of these are my absolute favorites. I still really need to read Unbreak My Heart.

  10. Fab list! AMY & ROGER and MILES BETWEEN are two of my favorite books of all time. 🙂 I’ll check out some of the others you mention. Thanks! I’m traveling this summer – and having a lot of visitors, so it should be a great summer! (That an a lot of reading!)

    1. Lucy says:

      Can’t wait to hear about your travels, Debbi! Glad to hear Miles Between is one of your faves. Happy reading and happy trails!

  11. BermudaOnion says:

    I haven’t read any of them and I’m really not sure if I’ve read any road trip books.

  12. Bibliophile says:

    I love road trip books, but have mostly read non-fiction ones. The only one on your list I have read is no. 2, which I thought was pretty good.
    (Here’s my list: http://52books.blogspot.com/2013/05/top-ten-tuesdays-books-about-or-taking.html)

  13. MsJohannah says:

    I love John green. I need to read paper towns!

  14. Tammy Sparks says:

    This is a perfect topic for the beginning of summer:) Even though I’m not reading much contemporary these days, all these titles look like fun, and I may try and squeeze a few in!

  15. Maggie says:

    I love road trip books, great topic choice!

  16. Candice says:

    I haven’t read many of these but I do love a road trip book! I need to add some to my TBR list for the summer!

  17. vmcarswell says:

    Cool topic choice! I haven’t read any road trip books yet, so I will have to add some of these to my TBR list. How My Summer Went Up in Flames sounds like a great place to start 🙂 My TTT.

    Vyki @ On The Shelf

  18. prettybooks says:

    Ah I LOVE road trips. I think because it’s quite difficult to have them in the UK. It doesn’t help that none of my friends can drive! I’m hoping to do the Top Ten Travel and will most likely feature some of these too!

    1. Lucy says:

      I think I like reading about road trips more than taking them 🙂 Would love to take a plane trip to the UK though! I have another post scheduled for next Tuesday so will miss Travel TTT. Looking forward to seeing your recs!

  19. Ya know, I guess I just haven’t read too many road trip books! The only one on your list I’ve read is Paper Towns…and I enjoyed it okay. I think How My Life Went Up in Flames sounds like a super cute read though 🙂

  20. Tova says:

    Wow, that first one sounds really interesting with the added band element. And international backpacking? Wanderlove intrigues me also!

  21. Anahera says:

    Cute topic! 😀 Roadtrip books are the perfect summer read. I really want to read How My Summer Went Up in Flames. 😀

  22. Quinn says:

    What a great TTT topic. I have to admit that I don’t love road trip books. It’s not that I don’t like them, but when I see there is a road trip, I’m a little hesitant. I don’t know why, but something of books like these just aren’t my favorite. But I really want to read Amy & Roger. I’ve heard such amazing things about that book.

  23. So, I had no idea that’s what The Disenchantments was about. Interesting! I feel like I should totally check it out now. I’m also looking forward to reading How My Summer…

    Massive love to Wanderlove, Amy & Roger, and Unbreak My Heart. <3

  24. nmhewitt says:

    I love road trips, but actually haven’t read many road trip books. Guess I’ll have to add some of these to my TBR list! Glad I found your blog via TTT – I’m now your newest follower!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

  25. Daphne says:

    i want to read ALL OF THESE BOOKS (including the ones i’ve already read & loved). great topic! 🙂

  26. beckireads says:

    Great topic and some really interesting picks I will have to keep an eye out for.

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