Travel Guides’ Kevin & Janetta confess their top ‘must read’ books when on the road

First published in 1994, this instant global best-seller is set in Savannah, Georgia and is loosely based on a case about an antiques dealer on trial for murder.

“I first Iistened to it as a talking book on a road trip once then ended up visiting Savannah twice and made an effort to seek out all the sites in the book,” Kevin says. “It’s such a rich story. I picked up a signed copy while we were in Savanna too.”

This historical fiction novel by the incredible Australian icon Geraldine Brooks shares the stories of people who have come into contact with an ancient manuscript over the centuries.

“A fascinating story about book restoration but with an underlying theme that shed a greater insight into the Jewish religion via an ancient manuscript called the Sarajevo Haggadah,” Janetta says. “The deeper I got into the book the more absorbed I become.”

First released in 1982, this book by Frederick Forsyth is a collection of ten short crime stories, each concluding with a surprising twist that’ll leave you gasping.

“I love a good thriller, and this one is a ripper,” Kevin says. “It’s an easy read that’s perfect for travel. I call it an aeroplane read.”

In this historical fiction read, a Russian count is sentenced to house arrest in a hotel where he resides for the next three decades during a tumultuous time.

“This gave me an incredible insight into Russian life and how the aristocracy lived after the Bolshevik revolution,” Janetta says. “I read it while travelling across Spain in a coach, while filming Travel Guides.”

Published in 2009, this novel follows two parallel storylines, focusing on protagonist Henry Lee’s experiences during WW2 as a 12-year-old, and then 40 years later when he is a widower with a son.

“This one chronicles the lives and pressures of Japanese and Chinese residents living in America during the Second World War,” Janetta says. “It’s fascinating stuff!”

Our very our Travel Guides star, Kevin, published an autobiography in 2017– recounting what it was really like to grow up in the suburbs of Melbourne in the sixties.

“What,” Kevin jokes. “Of course it’s a good read!”