Books like Extra Virgin by Annie Hawes

Bill Bryson humorously chronicles a two–person hike along the Appalachian Trail, mixing lively anecdotes with insightful looks at its history, ecology, and the people who live along the route.

Augusten Burroughs recounts his turbulent adolescence spent in a decaying Victorian home run by a psychiatrist, where ordinary rites of childhood give way to a surreal blend of family eccentricity, escape from school, and the early years of a future author.

A contemporary romance about the clash between two strong personalities whose initial dislike turns into an unexpected attraction.

Peter Mayle shares the joys and quirks of settling into a 200‑year‑old stone farmhouse in the Luberon, Provence, exploring local customs, seasonal rhythms, and the region’s culinary delights.

A witty, nonfiction voyage that follows Eric Weiner from the U.S. to Iceland, India, Switzerland, Qatar, Bhutan, and Asheville as he seeks the source of happiness, blending travel, psychology, science and humor.

Julia Child’s bestselling memoir chronicles her journey from an awkward newcomer in 1948 France to the beloved American cooking icon she would become.

Frances Mayes recounts her transformation in Tuscany, restoring a villa and discovering its art, architecture, and cuisine, inviting readers to taste Italian life through her poetic, travel‑literary lens.

After a brief stint of success, Marcus Didius Falco is promoted to keeper of Rome’s sacred geese, only to be drawn into a murder investigation and a Vestal Virgin disappearance, proving he can’t escape the city’s intrigues.

Join the bestselling author of Ciao, America! on a lively tour of modern Italy that takes you behind the seductive face it puts on for visitors--la bella figura--and highlights its maddening, paradoxical true self You won't need luggage for this hypothetical and hilarious trip into the hearts and minds of Beppe Severgnini's fellow Italians. In fact, Beppe would prefer if you left behind the baggage his crafty and elegant countrymen have smuggled into your subconscious. To get to his Italia, you'll need to forget about your idealized notions of Italy. Although La Bella Figura will take you to legendary cities and scenic regions, your real destinations are the places where Italians are at their best, worst, and most authentic: The highway: in America, a red light has only one possible interpretation--Stop! An Italian red light doesn't warn or order you as much as provide an invitation for reflection. The airport: where Italians prove that one of their virtues (an appreciation for beauty) is really a vice. Who cares if the beautiful girls hawking cell phones in airport kiosks stick you with an outdated model? That's the price of gazing upon perfection.The small town: which demonstrates the Italian genius for pleasant living: "a congenial barber . . . a well-stocked newsstand . . . professionally made coffee and a proper pizza; bell towers we can recognize in the distance, and people with a kind word and a smile for everyone."The chaos of the roads, the anarchy of the office, the theatrical spirit of the hypermarkets, and garrulous train journeys; the sensory reassurance of a church and the importance of the beach; the solitude of the soccer stadium and the crowded Italian bedroom; the vertical fixations of the apartment building and the horizontal democracy of the eat-in kitchen. As you venture to these and many other locations rooted in the Italian psyche, you realize that Beppe has become your Dante and shown you a country that "has too much style to be hell" but is "too disorderly to be heaven." Ten days, thirty places. From north to south. From food to politics. From saintliness to sexuality. This ironic, methodical, and sentimental examination will help you understand why Italy--as Beppe says--"can have you fuming and then purring in the space of a hundred meters or ten minutes."

Isabella L. Bird’s 1878 travelogue chronicles her 1,400‑mile journey across Japan by horse, ferry, foot, and jinrikisha, offering a vivid portrait of a society on the cusp of modern change.

A wealthy Italian and a resilient art‑gallery worker strike a desperate financial bargain that sparks a passionate, yet emotionally fraught liaison across the Mediterranean.

A Canadian teacher’s transformative first journey to Bhutan, where she abandons her engagement, embraces the Himalayan culture, and finds new love.

A lyrical travel memoir that follows Frances Mayes as she deepens her bond with Tuscany, nurtures local friendships, restores her villa, and delights in Italian food, wine, and the rhythms of rural life.

A quirky romance that follows a high‑school senior’s quest to find love after a year of heartbreak, with psychological insights into dating and self‑discovery.

The Small House at Allington is the fifth book in Anthony Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire series, set in England's fictitious county of Allington. It centers on Lily Dale, who falls in love with Adolphus Crosbie but faces betrayal when he proposes to Alexandrina instead.

Isabella L. Bird chronicles her Himalayan journey on horseback, living with Tibetans for four months and detailing their rituals, villages, monasteries, and culture.

A charming tale of a rich man's pursuit of a woman's heart and a bride's desperate desire to save her family.

Annie Hawes travels through Italy, encountering an irresistible man and trying to adapt to Ligurian culture.

Rebellious Mia must decide if she will trade her independence for a one‑night marriage to Australian millionaire Bryn – and discovers a secret that could change everything.