Must-Reads for People Planning to Move Abroad
To truly plan your move to a new location – and to experience life as a local rather than a tourist – reading books about culture is essential. Books go deeper than online forums or travel Instagram feeds, offering richer insight into how people live, think, and connect. The more you understand a destination before you arrive, the easier it becomes to engage meaningfully with its people and culture.
This article highlights books about culture from 15 top destinations for expats and long-term travelers, featuring two books per country. You’ll find a mix of modern classics and insider recommendations that offer authentic perspectives on life abroad. Importantly, all of these books about culture are contemporary, written in the 21st century, making them especially relevant to today’s global traveler.
30 Books About Culture From Around the World
Whether you’re dreaming of Europe, Asia, Oceania, or the Americas, these books offer a deeper look into the people, history, and everyday life that shape each destination.
From memoirs and travel writing to social commentary and modern history, these reads will help you better understand the cultures behind the postcards.
Australia
The world knows Australia more through films than through books. Start to go deeper into Australia’s culture and history with these accessible reads.
by Bill Bryson: This book blends Australia’s nature with Bryson’s travelogue style for a thorough introduction to the lucky country. It’s a modern classic for good reasons.
, ed. Dr. Anita Heiss: Open yourself to the voices of Aboriginal Australia with this groundbreaking anthology. This was one of the Australian Book Industry Awards’ winners for Book of the Year in 2019.
Canada
Canada is famous for being welcoming to visitors and refugees alike. Read these books to learn what makes Canadians so open and cosmopolitan.
by Will Ferguson: This book blends an insider’s view of Canadian culture with edgy-for-Canada humor. Canadians recommend this as being funny because it’s true.
by J.M. Bumstead: For a real connection with Canada, invest in this insightful and respectful history of the nation.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is far more than a beautiful nature reserve. This complex country is also a regional hub for free trade and technology. Costa Ricans’ distinct culture has many subtleties, too, and the more you know, the better your experience visiting will be.
by Nikki Solano: A travel guide may sound retro, but the Moon guides are exceptional. This is both a travel guide and a book about Costa Rican culture. Solano, a Costa Rican local, shares insights to give you insider tips and real social understanding.
by Steven Palmer and Ivan Molino: Experience Costa Rican voices and history with more than fifty short essays about what makes Costa Rica unique.
Czech Republic
The varied history of the Czech Republic has nourished its rich literary scene, and its capital, Prague, is an official UNESCO City of Literature. These two books open the Czech Republic with a literary flair.
by Mariusz Szczygiel: In this unusual nonfiction book, the surreal side of the Czech Republic blends with the twists and turns of its history. Both the style and stories show how the Czech people resisted totalitarianism in their unique way.
by Rachael Weiss: This ‘moving to a new country’ travelogue has a twist. Weiss admits the challenges and culture shock of Prague were more than she expected. She left and wrote this loving, hilarious chronicle of her time there, a real insider’s view.
France
So much has been written and filmed about France – and so little of it is accurate. These books about French culture show what’s missing from “Emily in Paris.”
by Jean Nadeau and Julie Barlow: This must-read examines how French people communicate and offers new expats insider tips for fitting into the culture. Nadeau and Barlow are consistently funny and memorably enlightening.
by David Lebovitz: Professional chef and food writer David Lebovitz followed his dream to Paris. He chronicles real life in France with exceptional clarity and good humor.
Germany
Choosing books about German culture, it can be hard to know where to begin. These books are an excellent start.
by John Kampfner: This book, published in 2020, focuses on Germany today, including the history and values that make modern Germany pragmatic. Kampfner even discusses Germany’s response to Brexit and the coronavirus.
by James Cave and Nilklas Frank: A little more serious than its title, this book is a great introduction to German culture and manners. Travelers really do use what they learn reading this.
The Netherlands
The idea of the Netherlands brings up vivid images – tulips, windmills, wooden shoes. But the nation and its people are modern and polished. If you weren’t planning to visit the Netherlands, you might change your mind after these books.
by Ben Coates: Loved by reviewers and travelers alike, this book blends memoir, history, and keen social observation.
by Martijn de Rooi: This smartly designed volume opens the doors to Dutch homes and personalities. De Rooi describes Dutch culture and quirks with the dry, sharp wit any visitor to the Netherlands will recognize.
New Zealand
New Zealand is known for its beautiful wild places, and Kiwis have a reputation as outdoor types. Yet they also love to read and write thoughtfully about themselves. Here are two books to introduce you to New Zealand.
by Austin Mitchell: In the 1970s, Mitchell’s book The Half-Gallon Quarter-Acre Pavlova Paradise was a Kiwi bestseller about New Zealand’s culture. Mitchell returned to New Zealand in 2011. This serious-and-cheeky update “shows what has changed – and what hasn’t” since then.
by Michael King: It isn’t often that a 576-page history volume sells a quarter of a million copies. King’s flowing, inclusive writing about Māori and Pakeha history made this book a best-seller.
Peru
Peaceful Peru is a world-class destination. Peru’s accessible visas and low cost of living draw a lot of interest from travelers and nomads. Learn about Peru’s history and culture from these books.
by Mark Adams: Readers love this witty travelogue. What was the purpose of the iconic citadel, Machu Picchu? Addams takes to the Andes’ trails to find out. Along the way, he learns about Peru’s quirks and the Incas of today.
by Alberto Flores Galindo: Galindo looks back in Peruvian history and forwards through Peruvian society, exploring the nation’s ideals and the impact of colonialism.
Spain
Spain is another country that is so popular with tourists; there’s a gap between the world’s ideas about it and the country’s reality. These books will connect you to the spirit and challenges of Spain.
by John Hooper: The author said, “It’s the book I wish I’d had when I moved to Spain. It didn’t exist, so I wrote it.” Two editions and decades of rave reviews show the world wanted this book, too, about everyday life and people in post-Franco Spain.
by Giles Tremlett: This is more somber than some ‘about this country’ books, yet Tremlett’s deep love for Spain shines through. Ghosts of Spain examines Spanish society through the history of the Spanish Civil War.
Sweden
Sweden is in the heart of Scandinavia, where long winters give people a passion for books. Authors writing about Sweden itself know they must be good, and these two books deliver.
by Elisabeth Åsbrink: Swedish Åsbrink opens up about the myths and truths of Sweden by examining 25 Swedish icons. You’ll get the insider views on everything from cozy homes and lagom to Scandi noir.
by Michael Booth: This amusing and lively review of five Scandinavian countries discusses Sweden with its neighbors – and why they don’t always get along.
Taiwan
Taiwan is a destination for travelers in the know. It has something for everyone: bustling cities, temples and museums, quiet forests. Again, these books will make you want to visit.
by Jessica J. Lee: A true, gorgeously written story. Lee discovered her Taiwanese grandfather’s memoirs. She went on to explore Taiwan’s nature and her own heritage there.
by Johnathan Manthorpe: Look past the cover for a sweeping history of Taiwan. Once a vital center on the Maritime Silk Road, Taiwan’s trade led to its struggle for national freedom, with some pirate kings along the way.
Thailand
Vivid Thailand is on every traveler’s must-see list. Yet the true Thailand may feel elusive. These nonfiction books are reliable sources to share what makes Thailand unique.
by Philip Cornwel-Smith: This book explores Thai life through popular art and music. Hundreds of images and a surprising amount of history make this a lively read.
by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit: Behind the quiet title is a concise, fast-paced history of a complex country. The authors show how Thailand’s society and economy have shifted over the centuries.
United Arab Emirates
You may be familiar with the largest city in the United Arab Emirates – Dubai. Expats and digital nomads have made Dubai into a global city, home to workers from around the world. Read these books to decide if you’ll try the Dubai dream yourself.
by Jim Krane: This volume on Dubai’s history, politics, and economics has heart, too, as Krane meets the people of Dubai. From migrant workers to constrained aristocrats, this work explores Dubai’s glitter and its human cost.
by Jo Tatchell: Brought up in Dubai by an expat family, Tatchell returned to chronicle Dubai’s explosive expansion. She includes the views of women caught up in Dubai’s changes.
United Kingdom
“Oh, to be in England,” – and Scotland, and Wales. Many visitors to the United Kingdom plan to enjoy London, stately homes, and literary locations. To learn about wider Britain, including parts of its society that may seem opaque, start with these books.
by Kate Fox: This anthropologist author unpacked British character and society and created an international bestseller with this book. Topics include self-deprecating British humor, ironic garden gnomes, and army squaddies.
by Lisa McKenzie: Modern Britain is more than Instagram aristocrats and movie settings. This thoughtful volume explores the lives of those Britons who make the best of the UK’s public housing estates.
Explore Even More Cultures Around the World
Didn’t see your future destination on this list? The excellent series offers practical guides to customs, etiquette, and everyday life in more than 100 countries.
These books are especially useful for expats and long-term travelers who want a quick but insightful introduction to local culture before they arrive.
Read Your Way Into a New Culture
Moving abroad is about more than finding housing or learning a language — it’s about understanding how people live, communicate, and see the world.
Reading books about culture before you move can help you adapt more quickly, avoid misunderstandings, and build stronger connections in your new home.
Wherever you plan to go next, these books offer a valuable first step toward feeling less like a visitor and more like a local.
Emily Cotlier is an experienced communications consultant and business analyst, senior analyst at New Zealand’s Parliamentary Counsel Office, specializing in visas, immigration, international relocation, and managing finance, insurance, and real estate.
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