Ten Books Every Adventure/Outdoor/I Shouldn’t Be Alive fan should read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This Week’s Topic is Ten Books Every Adventure/Outdoor/I Shouldn’t Be Alive fan should read.

Well since I just did my baseball post a last week and my Gilmore Girls one here. Here’s my ten books every fan of Animal Planet’s cut-too-soon series I Shouldn’t Be Alive / Outdoor / Adventure fan should read. Outdoor/adventure could be anything and what I like most about books is tension where the ending could go anyway. I love happy endings but I also love being freaked out the entire time that there might not be one because the relief when there is one is so much sweeter (if that makes any sense). Also outdoors = Spring! That means I’m finally able to go outside and do fun things and not bundle up like I’m preparing for the snowpocalypse. I’m writing this on Friday…it’s snowing

Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta

13-year-old Jace Wilson witnesses a murder and is sent into Witness Protection at a wilderness skills camp for troubled teens. This book concentrates a lot on forest fires and their devastation but also the natural order. All of the scenery in this novel is described beautifully and worth the read for that alone.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

Nine-year-old Trisha McFarland goes on a day hike on the Appalachian Trail with her mom and brother and gets separated. As Trish comes face-to-face with what she fears most all she has is her radio to listen to the Red Sox games to get her by.

 

Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman

For 6,557 miles, Chuck Klosterman drove a rental car across the country to see the infamous sites of Rock’n’Roll deaths. This book isn’t so much about outdoors but it does find the tension about what death can mean for a musician specifically. Also, besides the subject matter, it’s a pretty fun road trip read.

 

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson walks the Appalachian Trail. That’s really the premise and we get to see him discuss the history of the trail as well as the people he meets along the way and what all of the people on the trail mean for the ecology of it all.

 

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Krakauer’s account of the May 1996 disaster on Everest that left 5 dead. It’s a dark and heavy read but definitely worth it for the look into the reminder that Everest is not some commercial destination but nature, and nature is brutal and harsh.

 

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt

No natural disasters here. The memoir of Frank McCourt tells his story of survival growing up in the worst parts of Limerick, Ireland. It’s a great story of hope with the reminder that everyone is not so lucky.

 

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question:Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.

 

Alive by Piers Paul Read

On October 12, 1972, a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the remote, snow-peaked Andes. Out of the forty-five original passengers and crew, only sixteen made it off the mountain alive.

 

The Martian by Andy Weir

So I know this isn’t real but it’s still fun and while you can assume it will end well there’s always that sliver of doubt that’s been planted and that doubt kept me reading until the end.

 

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

One of my favorite books. A group of young boys get stranded on a remote island. As time passes the social structure the boys are familiar with crumble and the primitive nature thrives.

 

What are some books you would add or had on your list? Or what long-lost discovery/animal planet show would you bring back and watch forever?