#TopTenTuesday - Books That Awaken the Travel Bug In Me

Hey guys! It's Tuesday, and you know what that means! 

​The #TopTenTuesday meme is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl and this week's theme is 'Books That Awaken the Travel Bug In Me'

Fun (read 'lame') fact about me: I have only travelled out of the UK twice in my 27 years 😭😭😭 I went to Disneyland Paris for a single day in high school and then a two week trip to Alcudia, Spain with my family when I was 14.

I am looooooong overdue some travelling and I seriously need a good kick up the butt to get me started!

So, on that slightly depressing note, here are 10 books that awaken the travel bug in me whether it's through their truly vivid settings or simply because I love the book so much that I just really NEED to go there! 

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The Little Shop of Happy Ever After paints such a gorgeous picture of the Scottish highlands that it's impossible not to feel immersed. This entire book had me craving a converted barn on a working farm where I could wander the hills and attend Scottish parties. Fun fact: Did you know that my name, Kayleigh means warrior in Scottish but that it also means 'Party' (spelled: ceilidh) - Hell, yeah, I can be a party warrior! 😂

Under the Jewelled Sky is a tragic book in so many ways but the vivid setting is incredible. At times I swore I could even smell it, the flowers, the spices, it was immense and fuelled my burning desire to discover India. 

Beyond a Darkened Shore is packed full of Celtic and Norse mythology, it was my absolute favourite thing about this book. My second favourite thing was how vivid the Irish setting came off the page. The picture painted by the author was so complete that I could just imagine myself traversing the countryside, book in hand, searching for the perfect tree to read beneath, with the sound of the ocean surrounding me - bliss!

Pride and Prejudice is my absolute favourite Austen novel. I LOVE it! It was the first classic novel that I ever read and I devoured it. Fun fact: When I first received a copy of this book from my mum (I was 7) I couldn't pronounce Prejudice upon first glance and said 'produced' instead - I still get stick for that to this very day (I was 7!) but the funny thing is that I actually read this book (AT AGE 7!!) and LOVED IT and I still have the very same copy that I was bought (which is now 20 years old!) I have visited the Peak District once for a few hours but I would love to go again and stay for much longer. My goal is to visit Chatsworth House in Derby which was used in the Keira Knightly film adaptation as Pemberley - if you're going to swoon over a house, it's probably going to be that one 😍😍😍

Sherlock Holmes, the complete collection is another classic that I absolutely love. I love that each 'story' can be read in a short time without the daunting task of reading the whole book at once. Fun fact (I'm full of these today): I found a leather bound version of this book with gold-leafed page edges and embossing for 50p at a car boot sale - I love a good book bargain!) Also, I know that every book I've mentioned so far is set in the UK but damn it, it's a beautiful place, I just need to visit more of it! I've only ever been to London for around 5-6 hours and all I saw was the inside of a drum show and a Pizza Express - I need to go back!!! 

The Fault in Our Stars is the first book in today's post that's actually outside of the country. Finally! I would LOVE to visit Amsterdam, not for the touristy side but for the architecture, the museums, the open air theatre, the canals...Is it time to go now? ​😩

The Thief Lord was one of my favourite books as a child and yes, I loved the movie adaptation as well (it has Carson in from Downton Abbey - how could you not like it?!?) Since reading this book I have dreamt of Venice, of gondola rides, winding streets, Italian cuisine...take me away! 

Below Deck is a fun, steamy romance from my all-time favourite romance author. This is one of those books that you fly through in just a couple of hours, losing yourself in the characters, the sexual tension and the stunning Mediterranean setting. Cruising through crystal clear waters, snorkelling in the shallows, horseback riding on the beach, swimming with dolphins - what's that, my flight is boarding? 

The Brother's Grimm bought to life the first fairy tales, the dark, twisted foundations for the slightly more sugar-coated stories that we now all know and love. Since I'm a bit dark and twisted myself I would love to discover the birthplace of these stories and maybe even discover a story or two myself! Visiting Germany is definitely on my bucket list! 

​Northern Lights is a book that I remember loving as a child but I'm not sure now that I'd want to read it again. What I remember the most about it is my desperation to see the Northern Lights, preferably in Iceland which is such a magical looking place. Every single photo on Google images looks like a cross between a fairy tale, a sci-fi and a really crazy trip. It looks amazing!!

We've reached the end of this week's #TopTenTuesday. I hope you've enjoyed my somewhat rambling tour around a very small part of the world. Who knows, maybe one day....

Have you visited any of these places? Where would you love to travel to? 🌎

Don't forget to share your post links in the comments below ​😊