I decided to go rogue, at least for me, in this September best books to read while traveling list. Rogue for me is fiction. I’ve never read a fiction book I’ve liked until now. In my April book list, May book list, June book list, July book list, and August book list I focused on the topic of personal finance.
Earlier in the year, the topic was negotiation. I read a number of negotiation books that I found helpful. You can find the full list of negotiation books that I read in my January book list, February book list, and March book list.
Best Credit Cards to Use to Buy Books
American Express, Chase, and Citi are the credit card programs where I earn the most points. You can also earn points in the Capital One and Marriott programs. These points can then be transferred directly to an airline or hotel program to book an award flight or hotel stay.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is the credit card I use for book purchases. It earns 1.5% on all transactions. New cardmembers earns 3% on all transactions in the first year, an incredible return. The way to receive more value out of this card is to pair with the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred. The Reserve and Preferred allow you to convert Freedom Unlimited cash back into Chase points to book a flight or hotel.
Another option is to use your Citi Double Cash credit card for book purchases. The card earns 1% cash back when you make a purchase. It then earns an additional 1% cash back when you pay your bill. When you pair this card with the Citi Premier or Citi Prestige, you can convert Citi cash back into ThankYou points. These points can then be transferred directly to Citi’s airline partners.
The American Express Blue Business Plus is the best business card to use to purchase books. It earns 2X points on all transactions. If you have the Chase Freedom Unlimited, pair it with the Chase Ink Business Preferred. The cash back earned from the Freedom Unlimited can be converted into Chase points if you have the Ink Business Preferred.
Top 3 Best Books to Read While Traveling
Casino Royale
A high-stakes poker game. A French casino. The CIA. A secret Russian agency. Ian Fleming’s first novel Casino Royale has it all. It’s the first fiction book that I’ve ever read and liked. After watching the Daniel Craig film by the same name, I knew this book would be in my wheelhouse.
Casino Royale has all of the elements of a Bond plot. A terrorist organization in SMERSH that’s trying to bring evil to the world. A female working undercover by the name of Vesper Lynd who helps Bond. And of course, James Bond who comes to save the day in France.
Live and Let Die
Set in New York City and moving to Florida and eventually Jamaica, Bond is forced to confront his nemesis Mr. Big. This Harlem villain is obsessed with voodoo. Mr. Big uses voodoo to control his gold smuggling operation. The gold is used by Mr. Big to finance his Soviet spy operations in the US.
Live and Let Die is a plot that I loved. Mr. Big is this crazy villian that Bond confronts in New York with CIA agent Felix Leiter. It’s there where Bond meets Solitaire, the beautiful fortune-teller who works for Mr. Big. She falls for Bond and the two attempt to take down Mr. Big’s gold coin operation.
Recommend: Yes
Moonraker
M. calls in Bond to investigate a potential card-cheating operation at an exclusive club in England called Blades. War hero Sir Hugo Drax, and his assistant Gala Brand, is the one suspected of cheating at cards. He’s also the villain Bond must stop with the help of Brand. Bond comes to find out that Drax is building a nuclear warhead not for England’s protection but for evil.
Moonraker is an interesting novel but not at the top of my list. I didn’t like the fact that the entire plot is essentially in one location. What I’ve come to love about Bond books and movies is that the story bounces all around the world. That’s not the case with Moonraker.
Recommend: No
Which Books are in my Shopping Cart?
I’ve organized the books below by category. After finishing up with Business & Money books this year, I wanted to include other categories. As you’ll see below, I’ve categorized the books by the major categories listed on Amazon.
Business & Money Books to Read while Traveling
- Common Sense on Mutual Funds by John Bogle
- Happy Money by Elizabeth Dunn
- Unconventional Success by David Swensen
- A Random Walk down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel
- The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach
- Set for Life by Scott Trench
- The Simple Path to Wealth by J L Collins
Self Help Books to Read while Traveling
- How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler, Charles Van Doren
- Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss
- 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
- Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
Politics & Social Sciences
- Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Biographies & Memoirs
- Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
- The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich
History Books to Read while Traveling
- All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein
Fiction Books to Read while Traveling
- Diamonds Are Forever by Ian Fleming
- The Terminal List by Jack Carr
- The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor
Engineering & Transportation
- The Grid by Gretchen Bakke
Conclusion on the Best Books to Read While Traveling:
Reading is a skill that I’ve continued to work on by focusing on books that peak my interest at the time. Hopefully my best books to read while traveling list includes books that you’ll find interesting and enjoy too.
Which books did you read while traveling this month? Do you have any book recommendations? Please let me know in the comments or by sending me an email on my contact page.
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