Hit the road with these summer reads

Roughly two-thirds of Americans plan to take an overnight leisure trip, according to car rental service Enterprise. That leaves hours of free time for a good read.

To help build your reading list, UVA Today asked the University of Virginia Library staff to recommend titles for your next road trip, including beach reads and audiobooks perfect for the drive.

Kelly O. Graham, director of development

• “Between Two Kingdoms” by Suleika Jaouad
  “Between Two Kingdoms” may be the most beautiful and moving book I have ever read. Her memoir makes for a perfect road trip companion – part physical journey, part emotional reckoning and reclamation of life – as she documents her 15,000-mile journey to reconnect with people who wrote to her while she underwent cancer treatment in her early 20s. I highly recommend the audiobook, as Jaouad reads it herself, which adds to the warmth, intimacy and richness of her storytelling.
• “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls
  This is a familiar memoir for many and one of constant motion through Walls’ childhood and young adult life. Walls documents travel with her family through deserts, mountains, cities and a series of unstable homes, and her vivid storytelling keeps you turning the pages. She was also a featured speaker at one of UVA Library’s lectures this year, which is a great reminder to keep an eye out for our events.
• “The Art Thief” by Michael Finkel
  While it is a true telling of one of the world’s most infamous art thieves, it reads like a heist movie on wheels. Finkel’s propulsive narrative style and short chapters make “The Art Thief” easy to dip in and out of while traveling. It’s an ideal pick for someone who wants to get back into nonfiction (me) or is just looking for a fascinating and plot-driven read (also me).