It is often said that the world is a great book, and those that do not travel only read one page. What if you read books as well as travel? You would be quite the literary sort, indeed. Here at Condé Nast Traveler, our journeys take us to places near and far, and we don’t always have other humans along for the ride with us—but books are good friends to keep in our suitcases for company.

To celebrate a year of traveling and reading, here are a few recommendations from us for books you might take with you the next time you hit the road (or skies or seas). These stories made the time fly by during a long layover, anchor us in vivid elsewheres during a whirlwind journey, or even take us on trips while already on a trip. They sure did all of the above—and more–for us. We hope they do the same for you. Happy new year, and happy reading.

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Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

If Kingsolver has a million fans, I’m one of them. If she has one fan, it’s me. If she has no fans, I’ve gone to the big airport lounge in the sky. I’ve adored Kingsolver since I read The Poisonwood Bible years ago, and her latest release has only deepened my admiration. I bought this (fairly thick) hardcover—true dedication to lug it around multiple airports—before I left on a trip to Macau and Hong Kong. I knew I’d have plenty of time in the air to dig into this retelling of Dickens’s David Copperfield, set in rural Virginia leading up to the opioid epidemic. Thousands of miles away from home, Kingsolver’s keen sense of place and her deft characterization brought me right back to the US. —Taylor Eisenhauer, editorial operations manager

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin