Some of the most evocative travel books aren’t travel books at all. A strong sense of place can transport you, no matter which section of the book store the volume is shelved in. I starting thinking about the books that stoke my own wanderlust when I was working on this armchair travel episode of my podcast, which focused on how books can make us feel like we’ve traveled without leaving home. When I do my own research into a place (or recommend books about my part of the worl

Books about North Dakota and Minnesota (especially creative ones) aren’t incredibly common, but I think they’re one of the most powerful and accessible ways to understand the part of the world that I call home. And they’re fun and easy to give as gifts, because there’s something for everybody and we don’t often treat ourselves to a brand new book, but most of us really like to receive them. Ever since I read that books are a traditional Christmas gift in Iceland – and that fo