Italy is by far one of my favorite places to go and I often find it hard to describe because I am always so in awe of everything that happens there. Two books that capture its magic are One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle, and The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen.

One Italian Summer paints a dreamy picture of the Amalfi Coast’s dramatic coastline and colorful cliffside villages. A woman heads there after a loss and learns all about herself, her mother and the area. It’s easy to imagine exploring this magical place with her.

The Venice Sketchbook, recommended by a dear friend before my last trip to Venice, made the city come alive to me in a much different way. It follows a young art student, Juliet and her time there during World War II. The book takes us to 2001, where Juliet’s deathbed wish is for her niece, Caroline, to go to Venice to scatter her ashes. Juliet gives Caroline three mysterious keys and her sketchbook. As Caroline explores Venice, finding the locks that fit the keys, the city unfolds before us, and we discover its hidden corners along with her. This book is full of art and love for a beautiful city, and will inspire you as you walk through its narrow streets to think about what changes and what remains.

I loved my time in Vienna and yearn to go back. The Accidental Empress and Sisi: Empress on Her Own by Allison Pataki are historical fiction about Vienna’s most famous Empress. Sisi came to power in the mid-19th century when her sister’s fiance, Franz Joseph, declared that he would marry Sisi or no one at all. Sisi will delight you as she weaves her way through her role as Empress, handles her family, and falls in love with her subjects. In Vienna, you can visit the Sisi Museum, which houses many of her belongings, including gym equipment and clothes.

Two of my absolute favorite books take place in France: The Count of Monte Cristo but Alexandre Dumas and Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. Both of these classics are long but very much worth your time. Everyone knows the story of “Les Mis” but the book is so much better than the musical. Against the backdrop of the French Revolution, characters struggle with their beliefs, and it raises the eternal question: how much good does one have to do to undo their bad.

The Count is a story of love, mercy and vengeance that starts in Marseille, my new favorite French city, and ends in Paris. You will be electrified as he finally escapes prison and executes his revenge.

And of course I have to mention Napoleon by Andrew Roberts. An excellent and incredibly readable look at the emperor born in Corsica who conquered so much of Europe. This will give you a real insight into the geography of Europe and how country lines have shifted often over the last couple hundred years.

Ever wonder what it is like to live in or run a hotel? A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is full of romance and whimsy. Beginning in Moscow in the 1920s, Gentlemen tells the story of Count Alexander Rostov, an aristocrat sentenced to life imprisonment in the elegant Metropol hotel by a Bolshevik tribunal. He is a main character of intelligence and charm, and you will adore spending time with him as he makes his way through the hotel each night, traversing the hallways, chatting with the staff who become his friends, visiting the kitchen and even double-checking the dining room table settings in this place that becomes his home. The rich cast of supporting characters swirl around him in this novel, which is one of my favorites.

For a more modern take, you could try the Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand. In this fast-paced beach read, Lizbet Keaton, recently broken up from her longtime boyfriend, is named general manager of the formerly grand Hotel Nantucket. You will enjoy a more whimsical and lighter behind-the-scenes look at how hotels are run and all that goes into the day to day.