Books like A Nail Through the Heart — picked by fans

Another unusual premise. An asteroid has been spotted on a collision course with Earth, and civilization appears doomed, yet our hero remains set on solving his current case, a death originally dismissed as suicide, which is, in fact, a murder.

Surprisingly, the two themes are made to sit well together, and the intent to solve the crime never seems inappropriate in dire circumstances. This is a real page-turner, which I loved.

Everything about the premise here is somewhat unusual, creating a delightful tale. The main character is a crime reporter who goes a good bit further than just reporting as she gets involved in a variety of criminal endeavors.

The main unusual feature is that she comes with an entire family who are… well, eccentric does not begin to describe it. Throw in a setting in Thailand and a quirky feel to the whole thing (one character dismisses a body as an animal, which another corrects by pointing out that it is wearing a hat!). It's Great fun, as are sequels featuring the same characters.

I like the protagonist—burglar Junior Bender. He’s a good-hearted crook who finds himself entangled in strange situations that are often laugh-out-loud funny. I appreciate that he isn’t just another amoral crook but has his own moral code that fits his lifestyle and profession.

In addition, although he’s a fairly successful thief, he manages to do some pretty inept things, which only add to his likeability. I’ve read books in several other series by this author and find them consistently amusing. 

I loved this book, a thriller from a writer normally at the literary end of the spectrum (the writing is great) in which the hero is the murderer. A bored Englishman working as a teacher in Italy looks to solve his money problems by marrying a student from a well to do family.

The situation spirals out of control as theft, blackmail, and murder spin from his obsessions. It is a great story, and I loved the fact that it never lost credibility for a moment and that I questioned the way I regarded such an essentially unsympathetic character as the hero.

This account of a backpacker’s quest for hedonistic excess made me want to pack my bags and set off into the unknown. A kaleidoscopic rollercoaster of an adventure story moving from India to Thailand, Australia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia… the whole odyssey, like so many of my favorite reads, starts from a simple sliding door moment.

With all its gripping twists and turns, this was vicarious living at its best. Such an adrenaline hit. And it’s all true!

Nearly every line of this memoir stopped me in my tracks.

I read most of it at a local café, teacup in hand, blinking back tears more times than I care to admit. Gilbert's precision and beauty on the page are simply breathtaking. She doesn't describe the world so much as conjure it, and she pulled me in until her cobbled Roman streets and dusty Indian pathways felt like my own. I tasted that whole pizza with her, felt the sun’s warmth on her shoulders, and ached through each layered heartbreak as though it were mine.

She doesn't merely tell her story. She throws open the door to her innermost self and refuses to let you look away. I wept. I laughed. And when the last page came, I sat quietly for a long moment, reluctant to leave her and her world behind.

Peter set out during the Vietnam War era to walk all the way across the United States with only a camera, a backpack, and a dog. His books, which I read as a teenager, brought fascinating strangers into my world and taught me how much those strangers can change our lives. Thanks to Peter's writing, I've always felt safe talking to strangers, and I seek them out to find out who they are and what their lives are like. 

For me, it’s the stories that make The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer one of the best travel books that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Some are powerful and heartful while others are strange and hilarious. The stories take place in different parts of the world, and somehow Eric Hansen finds himself in the middle of all of them. From cooking lessons with an elderly Russian lady who lives in a dangerous Manhattan project to bird-watching field trips with strippers, Eric’s stories are adventurous, inspiring, and deeply human. This is a must-read for all those who love travel reads!

On the face of it, this seems like a straightforward book. Magris traces the geography of the Danube from Furtwangen or Donauschingen in southern Germany to the Black Sea, and in so doing surveys the history of the regions through which it passes. That would be a bold enough project in its own right, but the book itself is so much more than this and is one that I’ve returned to many times since I first stumbled across it fifteen years ago. The riverine structure of the book sweeps the reader from prehistory to the twentieth century and back again, individual eddies linger on intriguing episodes – the building of the cathedral tower at Ulm, the significance of the Iron Gates – and then we’re off again on another evocative description of the river or aside on the forgotten history of Mitteleuropa. A terrific read.

This book is the perfect travel companion for a flight, inspiring wanderlust and igniting the excitement of exploration.

I met the author many years ago at the Travel and Adventure Show in Los Angeles. She has been an incredible mentor to me, including suggesting that I speak at the same show as her! Her comprehensive guide invites readers to diverse destinations across the globe with vivid descriptions, cultural insights, and practical travel tips. Schultz's passion for travel infuses every page, making it an engaging and informative read.

Whether you're planning future adventures or simply seeking inspiration, the book's well-curated list of extraordinary places provides an enchanting escape, turning your flight into a thrilling prelude to the adventures that lie ahead. Embark on a literary voyage with Schultz and let the anticipation of discovery accompany you at 30,000 feet.