One for the Books: Flights of fiction can take you to places you’ve always wanted to see or never knew existed

These are some of the books you might be tempted to try as part of the “Armchair Travel” category in the Naperville Public Library’s Amazing Book Challenge. (Naperville Public Library / HANDOUT)
No passport? No problem! Books give us the opportunity to travel to places we’ve never been from the comfort of home. So curl up in your favorite chair and crack open one of these titles from our Amazing Book Challenge category “Armchair Travel,” which will take you from Naperville to New Delhi, Naples, Nantucket and beyond!
The Amazing Book Challenge encourages adult and teen readers to broaden their reading interests by discovering new subjects, series or authors. Readers are encouraged to choose 12 books throughout the year from 12 different categories.
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This month, pull up and chair and choose a book that will transport you to a different part of the world with every page.
For the full list of Amazing Book Challenge categories, go to www.naperville-lib.org/ABC
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If you’re riding shotgun this spring break, try “We Came, We Saw, We Left: a Family Gap Year” by Charles Wheelan.
What would happen if you quit your life for a year? In a pre-COVID-19 world, the Wheelan family decided to find out; leaving behind work, school and even the family dogs to travel the world on a modest budget. Equal parts “how-to” and “how-not-to” — and with an eye toward a world emerging from a pandemic — “We Came, We Saw, We Left” chronicles nine months across six continents with three teenagers. What could go wrong?
If the only place you want to be is a restaurant booth, try “World Travel: An Irreverent Guide.”
Anthony Bourdain’s travels took him from the hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris and Shanghai to Tanzania’s remote utter beauty — and many places beyond. “World Travel” gives readers a peek at some of Bourdain’s favorite places — where to eat, where to stay and how to get the most out of your travels.
If sunbathing in a deck chair is more your speed, try “The Jetsetters” by Amanda Eyre Ward.
When Charlotte Perkins submits an essay to the “Become a Jetsetter” contest, she dreams of reuniting her estranged children: Lee, an almost-famous actress; Cord, a Manhattan venture capitalist who can’t seem to find a bride; and Regan, a harried mother who took it all wrong when Charlotte bought her a Weight Watchers gift certificate for her birthday.
When she wins the cruise, the family packs all their baggage — literal and figurative. Can four lost adults find the peace they’ve been seeking by reconciling their childhood aches and coming back to each other?
If you’re stuck in the middle seat of an airplane, try “Love From A to Z” by S.K. Ali.
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Zayneb’s teacher won’t stop reminding her class how “bad” Muslims are. But Zayneb isn’t bad. She’s angry. When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.
Then her path crosses with Adam’s. Since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals, but together something incredibly marvelous just might happen.
If your only plan this month is to lounge in a cushy chaise, try “The Henna Artist” by Alka Joshi.
Escaping from an abusive marriage, 17-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist — and confidante — to the wealthy women of the upper class.
Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. When her estranged husband tracks her down with a high-spirited girl in tow — a sister Lakshmi never knew she had — Lakshmi must fight to maintain her independence.
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If you’re in need of some fresh air on a park bench, try “Paris is Always a Good Idea” by Jenn McKinlay.
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It’s been seven years since Chelsea Martin embarked on her yearlong post-college European adventure. Since then, she’s lost her mother to cancer and watched her sister marry twice while Chelsea’s thrown herself into work. When her father announces he’s getting remarried, Chelsea is forced to acknowledge that her life stopped after her mother died and that the last time she can remember being happy was on her gap year.
Inspired to retrace her steps — to find Colin in Ireland, Jean Claude in France, and Marcelino in Italy — Chelsea hopes that one of these three men who stole her heart so many years ago can help her find it again.
If you’re perched on a wingback chair in a slightly too-formal living room, try “Where’d You Go Bernadette” by Maria Semple.
When her daughter Bee earns a family trip to Antarctica, her mother Bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shut-in, throws herself into preparations for the trip. But worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Bernadette is on the brink of a meltdown and quickly disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces. Which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together an elaborate web of emails, invoices and school memos that reveals a secret past Bernadette has been hiding for decades.
“Where’d You Go Bernadette” is an ingenious and unabashedly entertaining novel about a family coming to terms with who they are and the power of a daughter’s love for her mother.
Ashlee Conour is the marketing specialist at Naperville Public Library.