The ETG Book Club

Whether it’s an inspiring read before you travel or the perfect book to pack for your holiday, this is where to start. You’ll find a carefully chosen collection of our favourite books about Asia, with recommendations from the ETG team and some of our travellers, too.

Simply click on a country below to view our recommendations for your chosen destination, or head to ‘Miscellaneous’ for great writing on travel more generally.

You’ll also find a dedicated ‘Younger Readers’ section, with recommendations especially for children.

We’d love to grow these lists over time, so please do let us know if you come across any great reading discoveries of your own!

Sri Lanka

Explore our Sri Lanka book club recommendations.

From ‘Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ by Shehan Karunatilaka to ‘An Island’s Eleven: The Story of Sri Lankan Cricket’ by Nicholas Brookes, these are just a few of our favourites.

If you’re tempted to buy any of these titles but you don’t have a local bookshop, we’d like to suggest using Hive, a website which supports independent bookstores (and offers free delivery).

India

Explore our India book club recommendations.

From ‘The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World’ by William Dalrymple to ‘A Brief History of Tea’ by Roy Moxham, these are just a few of our favourites.

Vietnam

Explore our Vietnam book club recommendations.

From ‘A Dragon Apparent’ by Norman Lewis to ‘Saigon: An Epic Novel of Vietnam’ by Anthony Grey, these are just a few of our favourites.

Cambodia

Explore our Cambodia book club recommendations.

From ‘A Dragon Apparent’ by Norman Lewis again to ‘River of Time’ by Jon Swain, these are just a few of our favourites.

Thailand

Explore our Thailand book club recommendations.

From ‘Thailand: A Short History’ by David K Wyatt to ‘The Beach’ by Alex Garland, these are just a few of our favourites.

Laos

Explore our Laos book club recommendations.

From ‘Voices from the Plain of Jars: Life under an Air War (New Perspectives in SE Asian Studies)’ by Fred Branfman to ‘Moon Bear’ by Gill Lewis, these are just a few of our favourites.

Indonesia

Explore our Indonesia book club recommendations.

From ‘The Malay Archipelago’ by Alfred Russell Wallace to ‘A House in Bali’ by Colin McPhee, these are just a few of our favourites.

Bhutan

Explore our Bhutan book club recommendations.

From ‘The Hero With A Thousand Eyes’ by Karma Ura to ‘Dreams Of The Peaceful Dragon: A Journey Through Bhutan’ by Katie Hickman, these are just a few of our favourites.

Borneo

Explore our Borneo book club recommendations.

From ‘Into the Heart of Borneo’ by Redmond O’Hanlan to ‘Land Below The Wind’ by Agnes Keith, these are just a few of our favourites.

Miscellaneous

This section of books span multiple countries in Asia and so are not easily catalogued by destination.

We’ve also chosen some great recipe books so you can go on a culinary journey before your holiday or keep the memories of your trip alive long after you return.

Finally, we’ve included our recommendations if you’re interested in travel writing more generally.

Younger Readers

Here are a few of our favourite reading recommendations for younger readers travelling to Asia, from ‘Beato Goes to Indonesia’ by Suchesta Rawal to ‘The Girl Who Stole An Elephant’ by Nizrana Farook.