When I am visiting somewhere new I always like to research any books set in that area or that are relevant to the trip. Reading, learning and understanding more about art and history are a great passion of mine.

The Wordsworth classics are classical, quality paperbacks at really good value prices, I always check their availability before buying more expensive paperbacks. 

They are typically around £3.99, and books range from: 

Anna Karenina (Wordsworth Classics) 
to

Down and Out in Paris and London & The Road to Wigan Pier (Wordsworth Classics) 

This is a great book about the history of the world, it is over 1000 pages long, and took me months to read, but it was definitely worth reading. 

The World: A Family History  by Simon Sebag Montefiore