It's hard to explain how I find books to read about certain destinations. Sometimes, I just look things up on Amazon and hope someone has made a list. I also visit Literary Traveler for clues. My favorite, albeit opinionated, travel writer Rick Steves will sometimes list books for each country. Lonely Planet does the same thing, if you dig around on their website. Knowing that there is a slim chance of finding something, but if a book is good it will be listed, I go to the Recommended Reading link at Pemberley and look at the World Literature category. Finally, secretly, I visit the Special Settings list at Laurie Likes Books.
I also like the Travelers' Tales Guides--the one on Provence had a story about the Roman aqueduct right next to our hotel. I've also found this Wall Street Journal article on Major Cultural Routes (starting with Mozart's footsteps) useful in leading me to other paths.
In no particular order, here are some other books I recommend:
For England, any of Susan Allen Toth's England books.
For Ireland: Trinity by Leon Uris (OK, I've attempted it twice, but it's been recommended to me several times.)
For Paris: Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. (That's a given.)
For Rome: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (Given.)
For Italy: Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forester and Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (Again, given).
For Russia: A Traveller's History of Russia by Peter Neville.
For Thailand: Bangkok 8 by John Burdette. And The Beach by Alex Garland.
Eugenia Price's Savannah series gets an honorable mention for best series about a charming, Southern city.
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