Travel the World in 5 Books

Now that we're in the second half of August, everyone is busy, busy, busy. If you aren't gearing up for the solar eclipse, then you're likely getting ready for school to start. Or maybe you're taking that one last summer vacation before fall. No matter what your plans for the last days of summer, there's always time to travel the world through the pages of a good book. Here are five novels that are each set in a different country. Settle into your favorite reading spot and prepare to be transported across the border.

• Stay with Me by Aybami Adebayo (Knopf, August 22): Set in Nigeria. This is the story of a marriage that must walk the line that separates the modern world from tradition and cultural expectations. Genre: literary fiction. First line: "I must leave this city today and come to you."
• Living the Dream by Lauren Berry (Henry Holt, August 15): Set in England. This is the story of two friends who are in the post-university limbo years of still trying to find that elusive path to who they want to be when they grow up. Genre: contemporary women's fiction. First line: "The third floor of the Soho office block smelled of instant coffee and disappointment."
• Montpelier Parade by Karl Geary (Catapult, August 22): Set in Ireland. This is the story of a lonely teenage boy feeling confined by his circumstances and the older, well-off woman he falls in love with. Genre: coming of age. First line: " 'The world's a frightening place.' "
• The Bettencourt Affair by Tom Sancton (Dutton, August 8): Set in France. This is the true story of one of the biggest scandals of recent years, involving the 93-year-old heir to the l'Oreal fortune and her family's not-so-buried secrets. Genre: biography. First line: "She's the world's richest woman, worth $36 billion at last count, but no one could envy her."
• Leona: The Die Is Cast by Jenny Rogneby (Other Press, August 1): Set in Sweden. This is the story of a troubled violent crimes detective and her most recent case: a bank robbery that is said to have been committed by a naked, bloody seven-year-old girl. Genre: crime fiction. First line: "No one had noticed her yet."