For month two of the Book Voyage reading challenge, we are heading to Western Europe! Of all the regions on our armchair travel journey, this is likely the one you’ve already read the most about outside of North America. We worked hard to include plenty of book variety so you can still discover somewhere/something new to you!
Depending on the context – geographical, cultural, or historical – you’ll find various answers as to which countries are classified as “Western Europe”.
For purposes of this reading challenge, we’ve included the following: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.
You can read all about the Book Voyage challenge, download your free printable map book tracker, and find new book lists each month here.
As always, you are welcome to choose any book set in this region that you’d like, but to help you get started, we’ve compiled a great list of novels set in Europe’s western countries, as well as some YA historical fiction, memoirs, and non-fiction reads. We’ve worked hard to curate book recommendations with atmospheric descriptions that will really transport you to the country of your choice.
If you love historical fiction, there are countless, excellent books about life throughout Europe during both WWI and WWII. We wanted to provide a wide variety of book recommendations outside of those time periods for this Western Europe list, but if you’re looking for more European historical fiction set during WWI or WWII, you’ll find some great options on these lists: Books Set in the 1910s, Books Set in the 1940s, and Books Like the Nightingale.
Throughout the list, we noted those book currently available as part of the Kindle Unlimited subscription.
The Best Books Set in Western European Countries
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The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
by Lori Nelson Spielman
Setting: ITALY
Do you dream of seeing the Venetian canals, the Amalfi Coast, or wandering through gorgeous Tuscan villages? This 2020 release will transport you to all three dramatically different scenic Italian locations in vivid detail.
Two hundred years ago, Filomena Fontana cursed her sister and since then, every 2nd born sister in the Fontana family has been unable to find love.
Some of the women believe in the curse and others are skeptical, but when Aunt Poppy calls three of the second-born sisters back to Italy with a promise of breaking the curse, they can't pass up the chance to visit her. The trio of women travel throughout Italy, learning about their family history and uncovering secrets.
If you're looking for a book to get lost in, this is an excellent pick!
The Red Address Book
by Sofia Lundberg
Setting: SWEDEN & FRANCE
Throughout Doris's life, she's documented the people she encounters in the same address book. Now, at 96 and living alone in Sweden, she begins looking through her life via the book and thinking about all those who have been crossed out.
Doris sets out to document her life, from working as a maid in Sweden, to modeling in Paris before escaping WWII, to Manhattan. By documenting her personal and family past, she hopes to help her only living relative, a grandniece named Jenny.
The Book Girls Say... The Kindle version is currently free with Kindle Unlimited.
The Fountains of Silence
by Ruta Sepetys
Setting: SPAIN
This young adult historical fiction focuses on life in post-war Spain under Franco's dictatorship. In 1957, the regime needed money and opened the country to Americans hoping for investment. Eighteen-year-old Daniel travels with his oil tycoon father from Houston to Madrid.
Daniel brings his camera, eager to explore the city beyond the image that Franco is projecting to the world. Along with Ana, the young hotel maid tasked with assisting his family, Daniel discovers and documents the atrocities happening in the fascist regime.
The Book Girls Say... This 2020 release is the latest book from the New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
by Helen Simonson
Setting: ENGLAND
The small village of Edgecombe St. Mary is filled with thatched cottages set among the rolling hills of the English countryside. It's also filled with endearing and hilarious characters, including Major Ernest Pettigrew. He embodies the things that proper Englishmen are supposed to value - honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea.
Major Pettigrew befriends a Pakistani shopkeeper from the village - Mrs. Jasmina Ali - and it begins to blossom into something more. But their relationship is complicated by the views of the other villagers who see Mrs. Ali as an outsider and an unsuitable match for the Major.
The Book Girls Say... We love when a book is recommended by one of our favorite authors! Kate Quinn, author of the Alice Network, says, "There has not been so perfectly English a read in its deadpan humor in a very long time."
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
Setting: FRANCE
The Nightingale tells the story of French sisters Vianne and Isabelle who have always been at odds. Vianne is a rule-follower and Isabelle more rebellious and willing to speak her mind.
With WWII ongoing, Isabelle is intent on fighting for France, while Vianne simply wants to survive the war with her family intact - even if it means allowing an invading officer to live in her home. Isabelle, who refuses to live passively under German authority, joins the French resistance and begins hiding Jewish children and guiding Allied airmen out of France through treacherous terrain- work for which she adopts the codename the Nightingale.
The Books Girls Say... If you've already read The Nightingale and want to read other historical fiction books with strong female characters during WWII, you'll find lots of great options here: Books Like The Nightingale
The Other Einstein
by Marie Benedict
Setting: SWITZERLAND
Mitza Maric was the only female studying physics at a prestigious Zurich, Switzerland university when she met her classmate and future husband - Albert Einstein.
The Other Einstein is a fictionalized story of their tumultuous relationship and places Mitza as the originator of some works credited to him. While not a biography, the book still highlights accurate depictions of life in Western Europe at the time, including rampant classism and sexism.
The Book Girls Say... With Einstein being one of the most well-known citizens of Switzerland, we thought this would be a fun pick.
I Let You Go
by Clare Mackintosh
Setting: WALES
A mother's worst nightmare happens to Jenna Gray when she briefly lets go of her child's hand on a busy street. Desperate to escape the tragedy, she moves to a small Welsh village on the coast. Her grief, fears, and memories of that day follow her as she tries to make a new life in the picturesque town. This thriller continues to twist and leave you in page-turning suspense.
The Summer Book
by Tove Jansson
Setting: FINLAND
One summer, an aging artist is joined by her 6-year-old granddaughter. While one ponders the end of life, the other is just beginning to seek her own independence for the first time.
Throughout the 22 vignettes in this novel, the two imperfect characters bond and explore both life and landscape in the Gulf of Finland.
Beartown
by Fredrik Backman
Setting: SWEDEN
In the tiny community of Beartown, set deep in the Swedish forest, life revolves around hockey. It provides entertainment and the hope for a better future. When a shocking event occurs, the people of Beartown quickly take sides. Who will stand up for the truth, and who will put hockey above humanity?
The sequel to Beartown, Us Against You, is also a winner, and we are eagerly awaiting the third book in the trilogy, which will be published in 2021 or 2022. The US title of which has not been officially released, but the Swedish title translates to roughly Those Who Run Towards Fire.
The Book Girls Say... This was a 5-star read for both of us! Some will say you have to like hockey to like this book, but the book really isn't about hockey - it's about people. Fredrick Backman has a gift with words and melodic phrasing, along with a phenomenal insight into the motivations of people. He writes characters that are so well-rounded that even when you don't agree with their decisions, you will still understand what they were thinking.
The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country
by Helen Russell
Setting: DENMARK
This non-fiction option chronicles the author's first year living in Denmark. She shares her experiences while exploring what makes Denmark consistently rated as the happiest place on earth. Despite LONG and cold winter nights, the people of Denmark rate their happiness higher than those from beautiful islands. Will she feel the same way by the end of her first year?
The current edition has a new chapter from the author updating her thoughts six years after the original publication.
The Book Girls Say... The book provides a good overview of life in Denmark as opposed to a how-to guide for duplicating the lifestyle. The Kindle version is currently free with Kindle Unlimited.
Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History
by Scott Andrew Selby
Setting: BELGIUM
Antwerp, Belgium is the diamond capital of the world, and in 2003 it became the sight of the largest diamond heist in history. A group of thieves managed to break into an airtight vault in the diamond district, making off with $108 million worth of diamonds without tripping any alarms.
Even as police identified and closed in on the thieves, they couldn't figure out how they had pulled off the heist.
Author Scott Selby, a Harvard grad and diamond expert, followed clues throughout Europe to solve the mystery of what really happened in this real-life Ocean's Eleven crime story.
The Orange Girl
by Josstein Gaarder
Setting: NORWAY
This Norwegian YA novel is a story within a story. Georg's father died when he was just four years old. Eleven years later, Georg is a teenager living in Norway when he receives a letter his father wrote to him before he died, and within the letter is a story.
It is the story of the orange girl, and it is a riddle from the past. In his youth, Georg's father encountered a captivating girl on a streetcar. She was holding a huge bag full of oranges, but a jolt on the train caused him to bump into her, sending her oranges flying. She hopped off the streetcar leaving him holding the oranges, and now, from the grave he is asking his son to search Oslo to solve the mystery of who she was and who she is.
Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy
by Frances Mayes
Setting: ITALY
When Frances Mayes began restoring an abandoned villa in the Tuscan countryside, she found unexpected treasures at every turn. Within her villa, she discovered faded frescos and a vineyard hidden beneath an overgrown garden. In the nearby hillside towns, she is welcomed by vibrant markets and delightful people.
Reminiscent of A Year in Provence, this memoir is written with the voice of a poet, the palate of a food writer, and the eye of a seasoned traveler. Mayes invites us to tag along to experience the pleasures of life in Italy.
The Book Girls Say... There's no doubt this book will make you wish you could pull up a chair to share in the Italian feast at Mayes' table. The next best thing might be cooking up an Italian feast in your own kitchen with her Tuscan Sun Cookbook.
A Year in Provence
by Peter Mayle
Setting: FRANCE
In the late 1980s, author Peter Mayle realized his life-long dream of moving into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the Provence region of southern France. Along with his wife and two dogs, he delights in French cuisine, experiences goat racing through the middle of town, and learns to live life measured by seasons rather than days.
This memoir has been described as "the next best thing to living in France."
The Spanish Promise
by Karen Swain
Setting: SPAIN
The Spanish Promise weaves together the genres of mystery, romance, and history to tell the story of a present-day recipient of a very large inheritance. The will includes a clause that requires an investigation into the family's past. Wealth advisor Charlotte is brought in from London to assist, and she expects an easy task that will get her back in time for her own wedding.
During the research, it turns out that the past is more complicated than expected, with secrets and scandals spanning multiple generations. Charlotte's own life becomes an interesting sub-plot as she uncovers information about a tragic segment of her past.
The Book Girls Say... This is a great option if you are looking for a lighter read with a little mystery. Reviewers often mention that they felt transported to Spain while reading.
The Bookshop on the Corner
by Jenny Colgan
Setting: ENGLAND & SCOTLAND
Nina loves her life as a librarian at a small neighborhood library. When the library is marked for closure to be downsized from the system, she's devastated. She has a big decision - should she play it safe and go for a job at the main library where she'll be dealing with computers more than books? Or it is time to do something with the thousands of books she's been hoarding in her home?
The Books Girls Say... Melissa really liked this story as a pleasant light read about a fellow book lover. Nina travels from England to a very small village in Scotland, giving a great overview of the scenery and comradery that happens in isolated towns in the UK. It's also a good look at the scenic and other differences between England and Scotland, wrapped into easy to read fiction.
There are two other books in this Scottish Bookshop Series: The Bookshop on the Shore and 500 Miles From You.
Circle of Friends
By Maeve Binchy
Setting: IRELAND
Life-long friends Benny and Eve grew up in the village of Knockglen, Ireland. Together they head to university in Dublin where their circle of friends expands to include beautiful Nan and handsome Jack. But heartbreak and betrayal result when their worlds of Knockglen and Dublin collide, and long-hidden lies emerge that will test the bonds of their friendship.
The Book Girls' Say... When we think of novels set in Ireland, the name Maeve Binchy immediately comes to mind. All of her books paint vibrantly portraits of life in her home country, and you can't go wrong with any of them. We selected Circle of Friends for the Book Voyage list because it captures both village and city life, and because it is a simple story of friendship that is heart-warming and beautifully told from the first page to the last.
House on Endless Waters
by Emuna Elon
Setting: NETHERLANDS
This 2020 novel follows an author named Yoel who travels to his birthplace of Amsterdam to meet with a Dutch publisher, despite having promised his late mother that he would never return to that city.
While in the Amsterdam, Yoel and his wife take a tour of the Jewish Museum, and he is shocked to see a photo of his mother's young face. This discovery sends him on a journey that uncovers the truth about Amsterdam's wartime history.
The Flatshare
by Beth O'Leary
Setting: ENGLAND
When night-shift worker Leon needs some extra cash to help a family member, he decides to get a roommate. However, he only has a one-bedroom flat in London, with one bed. So he places an ad for someone to sleep in his bed while he's at work overnight. They'll never be home at the same time, but it's still a crazy plan.
His wacky offer is just the solution newly-single Tiffy needs. She's leaving a difficult relationship, and that past comes back throughout the book in very real and raw ways.
There's also a great storyline of Leon searching the country for someone on behalf of one of his care home patients.
The Books Girls Say... We thought this room-sharing concept was a great look at the present-day pricy London real estate market. While Flatshare is a light at times, meaty at others Rom Com, it still manages to provide a great overview of both London and the less metropolitan areas of England. Several of Leon & Tiffy's post-it note conversations back and forth between Leon and Tiffy made us laugh out loud. The author is from London and the humor throughout the books is also very British.
We recommend the audio version for the full experience with accents! If you're not easily offended and need a laugh on your book travels, this is a great pick.
The Expats
by Chris Pavone
Setting: LUXEMBOURG & travels throughout Europe
Looking for a thriller that covers several European countries? The Expats features the privileged life of Kate Moore in Luxembourg, who spends weekends in Paris and regularly skies the Alps. But when her family moved to Luxembourg, she left more than America behind, she left a big secret.
After becoming friends with another ex-pat family, Kate begins to suspect that they aren't telling the truth about their own history. On top of that, her husband's job requires secrecy and she becomes suspicious of his long hours.
This suspenseful read will transport you to enchanting locations across the region while keeping you on the edge of your seat.
Why We Took the Car
by Wolfgang Herrndorf
Setting: GERMANY
When two boys are snubbed from the hottest party of the year, they decide to set out on an epic road trip around Germany together. They leave without a map, phone, or parents, just a determination to never be called boring again.
This quick read will have you traveling Germany, meeting interesting characters along the way.
The Book Girls Say... As you can imagine, so many English-language books set in Germany take place during WWII. We wanted something more current and found this fun YA coming of age story by a German author.
Swiss Watching: Inside the Land of Milk and Honey
by Diccon Bewes
Setting: SWITZERLAND
Looking for non-fiction? Swiss Watching breaks down the diversity of cultures that exist within land-locked Switzerland. The author is an anthropologist and satirist, so you can expect factual information, told in a relatable way and with corny humor interjected throughout.
This is the perfect guide for anyone interested in traveling to Switzerland, and throughout the book, you'll learn about everything from the Swiss political structure to cheese.
A Room with a View
by E. M. Forster
Setting: ITALY & ENGLAND
Rated as one of the 100 best novels of the 20th century, A Room With a View follows to English women - Lucy and her chaperone and cousin, Charlotte - as they tour Italy.
Despite being published more than a century ago and set in the early 1900s, this classic romance novel will whisk you away to sites in Florence in Rome that you would still recognize today.
Notes From a Small Island
by Bill Bryson
Setting: ENGLAND
Born and raised in middle America, travel writer Bill Bryson spent nearly two decades of his adult life living in England. Upon preparing to move back to the United States (he has since returned to the UK) Bryson embarked on a farewell tour all around the island and wrote this memoir that provides a hilariously funny social commentary on Britain.
Notes From a Small Island won the 2003 World Book Day National Poll for the book that best represented modern England at that time.
The Book Girls Say... This would be a great choice on audiobook because Bill Bryson narrates himself and his sarcastic tone adds even more humor to his writing. Bill Bryson also wrote a travel memoir called Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe that would be another great option for the Book Voyage challenge.
The Spinning Heart
by Donal Ryan
Setting: IRELAND
This literary fiction won Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards in 2012. Each chapter tells the story of a different member of the same town, set in the aftermath of the 2008 financial collapse.
Described as witty, dark, and sweetly poignant, the 21 individual stories in this book weave together to create one cohesive view of contemporary life in a small Irish town.
Love & Gelato
by Jenna Evans Welch
Setting: ITALY
This YA novel is a great option if you're looking for a sweet story of romance, mystery, and adventure that will transport you to an Italy filled with - you guessed it - love and gelato.
Lina's mother had one dying wish - that her daughter gets to know her father, the father that hasn't been around for the past 16 years. Lina isn't thrilled to be spending the summer in Tuscany with this man she hardly knows, but when she is given the journal that her mom kept when she lived in Italy, everything begins to change. As she follows her mother's footsteps, she discovers art, hidden bakeries, and even romance.
The Book Girls Say... If you enjoy this young adult novel about Italy, you might also want to check out Love & Luck (set in Ireland), and Love & Olives (set in Santorini, Greece).
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Setting: ENGLAND & THE CHANNEL ISLANDS
As London is emerging from WWII, Juliet Ashton, a writer, is looking for the subject of her next book. She begins exchanging letters with a man she's never met - a native of the island of Guernsey. Through their letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of the man and his eccentric friends - from pig farmers to phrenologists, and all literature lovers.
As Juliet learns about their tastes in books, she also comes to understand the impact that German occupation has had on their lives.
Geography Note: Located between the UK and France, the Channel Islands, including Guernsey, are not part of the UK or the EU, but are dependent territories of the British Crown.
Night Train to Lisbon
by Pascal Mercier
Setting: PORTUGAL
After a chance encounter with a Portuguese woman, Raimund abandons his life as a Latin teacher at a Swiss school to start a new one. He takes the night train to Lisbon, Portugal. As he travels, he studies a book of Portuguese essays exploring loneliness, morality, death, friendship, love, and loyalty.
Raimund becomes obsessed with the writings, and his investigations of the life of the author take him all over the city of Lisbon. Slowly he begins to piece together a picture of a doctor and poet who rebelled against Portuguese dictator Salazar.
The Book Girls Say... This book is best described as a philosophical novel that builds very slowly. This book was originally a major hit in Germany and went on to be a literary blockbuster throughout Europe.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson
Setting: SWEDEN
When the teenager from one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappears in 1966, her uncle is determined to find out what happened to her. For forty years, he wonders what really happened. Nearing the end of his life, he hires a down-on-his-luck investigative journalist, and his angry and tattooed punk hacker prodigy, to help him uncover the truth. The chilly Swedish backdrop sets the scene for this novel that combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue.
WARNING: We haven’t read this one yet, but some reviewers warn of graphic scenes, including sexual assault.
All This I Will Give to You
by Dolores Redondo
Setting: SPAIN
When Manuel learns the devastating news that his husband, Álvaro, has been killed in a car crash, it's just the first of many things that will shock him. It turns out that Álvaro was not on business where Manuel believed him to be - instead he was in Galicia, in the northwestern corner of Spain.
Upon arriving in Galicia, Manuel soon learns that Álvaro hid many secrets there. As he follows the trail in an effort to piece together his husband's double life, he's led behind the walls of an unwelcoming estate and deep into one of Spain's most powerful and guarded families.
This slow-paced and beautiful book is part suspense and part family drama. Dense with atmosphere, you will feel transported to Spain as the region of Galicia becomes like a character in the novel.
The Book Girls Say... The Kindle version is currently free with Kindle Unlimited.
Chocolat
by Joanne Harris
Setting: FRANCE
In a tiny town in the south of France, newcomer Vianne Rocer arrives at the beginning of Lent and opens an exquisite chocolate shop on the square opposite the church. She immediately begins to wreak havoc with the Lenten vows of villagers during the traditional season of fasting and self-denial.
Each box of bonbons she sells includes the gift of Vianne's uncanny perception of its buyer's private discontents and her bewitching cure for them. She awakens the village to joy and sensuality, as the parishioners abandon themselves to temptation and happiness.
The Book Girls Say... Just go ahead and buy yourself a big box of chocolates to enjoy while reading this book. You're going to need it!
The Splendid and the Vile
by Erik Larson
Setting: ENGLAND
On Winston Churchill's first day as prime minister of the UK, Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Over the course of the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign against the UK that killed 45,000 Britons.
In this non-fiction book, Larson explores how Churchill was able to hold his country together and lead England's defiance during the Blitz while teaching the British people "the art of being fearless."
The Book Girls Say... If you enjoy history and non-fiction, Erik Larson's books are a wonderful choice for their detailed research and his writing style that reads more like fiction. Another great Larson read for Western Europe is In the Garden of Beasts, about the family of the American Ambassador to Germany during the rise of Hitler and in the lead up to WWII.
The Man Who Played with Fire
by Jan Stocklassa
Setting: SWEDEN
In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated on a Stockholm street at point-blank range. It was the first time in history that a head of state was murdered without a clue about who did it.
At the time of his death, Stiege Larsson - the author of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - had been working to piece together a real-life mystery. After his death, the research he had amassed was forgotten, until journalist Jan Stocklassa was given access to Larsson's archive.
In this true-crime book, Stocklassa follows Larsson's trail clues and sets out to solve the mystery.
The Book Girls Say... The Kindle version is currently free with Kindle Unlimited.
Paris in Love
by Eloisa James
Setting: FRANCE
In 2009, after recovering from cancer, romance author Eloisa James took a major leap of faith - she took a sabbatical from her job as a Shakespeare professor, sold her house, and moved to Paris with her Italian husband and her hilarious 11 and 15-year-old kids.
This memoir chronicles her year in the City of Lights. With no classes to teach and away from the daily chores of life back home, Eloisa discovers the pleasures of a slower pace of life filled with museums, long walks, red wine, and good food. All the while, her children are learning to navigate school (and puberty) in a foreign language.
The Book Girls Say... People either love this book, or they really dislike it. The format is unusual because it's compiled from a series of Facebook and Twitter posts. It doesn't include a typical story arc, but is instead takes readers on a meandering journey through Paris punctuated with witty and thoughtful observations.
Dubliners
by James Joyce
Setting: IRELAND
Originally published in 1914, Dubliners is James Joyce's collection of 15 short stories. Each story gives insight into life in Ireland at the turn of the twentieth century, and some of the characters go on to be featured in Joyce's most popular work, Ulysses.
The Books Girls Say... While this pick won't give you a good feel for modern Ireland, you'll still be transported to the country. We couldn't leave this off the list for those of you looking for a classic literature option.
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Thanks for the wonderful list of books for February. I find myself drawn to the YA fiction and a few of the non-fiction books in this list. I have read many books set in England and I want to branch out. Looking forward to February.
I strongly recommend looking into The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne! My favorite book I’ve read in the past couple of years and gives a huge insight into Irish culture.
Thank you, Katie! I’ve heard great things about that and can’t believe we never stumbled on it during our Ireland search! Thank you!