Long flights, lazy beach days and some occasional down time during your travels means you can whip out a great book and indulge a yummy summer read.

Get lost in a love story or find inspiration in someone else's travel adventure... grab one of these captivating summer reads before you head out on your next trip. You never know when you might have a few free hours to flip through some pages!

Browse our top summer reads and let us know what you think!

She Explores: Stories of Life-Changing Adventures on the Road and in the Wild

Genre: Travel Literature

About: A collection of personal narratives that shares the stories of women who have traveled on their own and with others through the wilderness and through the world. The collection includes travel guides, travel essays, and beautiful photography.

"Beautiful, empowering and exhilarating."

Waiting for Tom Hanks

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Feel-Good

About: Screen-play writer Annie Cassidy is waiting for her perfect Tom Hanks, but he's nowhere to be found. She meets a guy who is far from what she is hoping for, but now she's wondering...is he the one?

“Just try to resist falling in love with this guy, who turns out to be fully Hanks-ian. The deluge of rom-com trivia on Annie’s path to happiness will send you on a Netflix spree, and there’s a great indie music playlist and jokes for D&D enthusiasts sprinkled along the way as well. Calling all girls and women downtrodden by life and love—happiness awaits!” – Kirkus Reviews

Her Daughter's Mother

Genre: Fiction, Suspense Thriller

About: Lana Stone, an egg donor recipient, grows curious to find out more about the life of the woman who donated the egg and made her a mother. The two women grow close, but one day, the donor mysteriously disappears. Stone takes on the task of unearthing the woman's past as the police struggle to figure out what happened to her.

“[An] impressive debut…burning questions will keep readers on the edge of their seats…a gripping tale of the consequences of obsession. Petrova is off to a promising start.” – Publishers Weekly

The Geography of Bliss

Genre: Travel Memoir / Philosophical Humor

About: The author takes the reader on a trip around the world, exploring the details of where happiness resides and what people can learn from those places. It combines travel, philosophy and humor to explore the roots of happiness around the world.

"Place. That is what The Geography of Bliss is about. How place—in every aspect of the word—shapes us, defines us. Change your place, I believe, and you can change your life." – Eric Weiner, Author

Circe

Genre: Historical Fiction

About: This #1 New York Times Bestseller retells the story of the nymph Circe, who is born into the world of gods and goddesses and driven to the world of mortals. Her story is one of strength, passion and...witchcraft!? – a threat to the gods themselves and to a world that is run by men.

“Think a novel based on Greek mythology isn’t for you? Just wait. Miller’s spell builds slowly, but by the last page you’ll be in awe. In prose of dreamlike simplicity, she reimagines the myth of Circe, the sun god’s unloved daughter who went on to invent witchcraft and enchant Homer’s Odysseus. The ancient stories and characters are reshaped by truths that modern women can finally speak about sisterhood and sexism, rape and rage, and most exquisitely, motherhood.” – People

Sounds Like Titanic

Genre: Memoir

About: In her memoir, Hindman tells her humorous story of disappointment and obstacles in her life, including what she thought would be a dream job – playing violin in the orchestra of a composer who brings performances to thousands of people – only to find that he's fooling the audiences and playing pre-recorded music during every performance.

"She isn’t just using her experience as a fake violinist as a wacky story. In her hands, it becomes the starting point for bigger issues. She explores questions about gender, and about how and why, as a young woman, she was only able to feel respected when she was playing her violin in front of a crowd. She explores questions about the economy, and how the student debt crisis drove her to keep working as a fake violinist even as it caused her to lose her grasp on the difference between fiction and reality." – Kirkus Review

The Friends We Keep

Genre: Literary Fiction

About: A New York Times Bestseller, The Friends We Keep tells the story of old college friends who are reunited in their thirties; with dreams lost and secrets in the past, the three find that they might have another chance to find happiness. Until a dark secret is revealed that jeopardizes it all.

"Green writes with a clear, unfettered voice, filling this page-turner with plot twists and hinting at the power of forgiveness. This novel is an excellent companion for the beach or summer travel—especially to a class reunion." – Shane Salerno, The Story Factory.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Genre: Memoir

About: Cheryl Strayed retells her journey through the Pacific Crest Trail and the personal transformation that came about from this 1,100-mile hike that was driven by the hardship and loss in her life. A #1 New York Times Bestseller.

“This isn’t Cinderella in hiking boots, it’s a woman coming out of heartbreak, darkness and bad decisions with a clear view of where she has been.” – The Seattle Times

Travel Anywhere (And Avoid Being a Tourist)

Genre: Travel Guides

About: Filled with anecdotes, travel advice, photography, and more, Travel Anywhere (And Avoid Being a Tourist) prepares every new traveler to take on new adventures. It's a great starter guide for anyone who wants to see more of the world.

"It gives us a list of the great food halls of the world, suggests hostels that don't look or act like hostels and offers ideas on where to get into hot water (think hydrothermal experiences). This is a book to keep (secretly) on your desk for a Monday when the freedom of a weekend still makes all destinations seem possible.' – Los Angeles Times

Interested in traveling the world? Kick off a new adventure with FTLO this upcoming year. Browse group trip dates to Scandinavia, Vietnam, Australia, Mexico, Italy, Greece, South Africa and more!