From shelf to sea: Top novels to read during your world cruise

Whilst many of us may not have the luxury of time to indulge in a good book back at home, cruising is the perfect opportunity to delve into a new novel - or two! Most cruise ships come equipped with an onboard library and in between excursions and exciting onboard activities, sneaking off to a nook to relax and read is certainly tempting. Enjoy Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines' well-appointed library on board Borealis, stay in the unique Library Suite on board P&O Cruises’ Aurora or join Cunard’s Book Club where thought-provoking literary discussions with fellow guests are led by the ship’s librarian.

If you need inspiration for what to read next, then be sure to add the below books to your list, handpicked by ROL Cruise:

When René Redzepi, Head Chef at the globally renowned Michelin star restaurant Noma, got in touch with Jeff Gordimer, writer for the New York Times, he realised that they were both in a personal and professional slump. In Hungry, follow their shared hunger for risk and reinvention as they embark on a four-year culinary journey - from gathering figs in parks around Sydney to hunting for sea urchins in the Arctic Circle.

Join Gavin Thurston, award-winning nature cameraman for Blue Planet and Planet Earth II, as he shares his extraordinary true stories of what it takes to track down and film our planet’s most captivating creatures. From journeys to the depths of the Antarctic Ocean and the wide expanse of the Sahara Desert, to the peaks of the Himalayas and the wild forests of the Congo, Gavin’s experiences describe much more than just the incredible array of animals he’s filmed.

Find inspiration on every day of your world cruise with this magnificent collection of 366 poems compiled by Allie Esiri. Bursting at the seams with familiar favourites and exciting new discoveries, this soul-enhancing compendium is perfect for those thoughtful morning moments.

In Island Dreams, Gavin Francis examines our collective fascination with islands. He blends stories of his own travels from the Faroe Islands and the Aegean, to the Gálapagos and Andaman Islands with psychology, philosophy and great voyages from literature; shedding new light on the importance of islands and isolation in our collective consciousness.

First published in the 1970s, Ruck’s beguiling account of raising a llama on the family farm is an endearing, laugh-out-loud treat from beginning to end. Ruth Ruck’s family live on a Welsh mountain farm, no strangers to country life, cows and nesting hens in the larder. When dark days strike, they embark on a farming experiment to cheer them all up - but raising a baby llama proves more of an adventure than expected.