Best Adventure Books to Pack on Your Next Trip
Tales to Read on National Read Across America Day
Image Caption: Sink into a good book on your next RV trip. Image: Shutterstock
While it’s true that many RV’s today usually include some kind of TV, part of the appeal of camping is getting away from it all and unplugging. For many people, that means escaping from the doldrums of their daily screen time. What’s better than pulling up to camp, slinging up a hammock between a couple of trees, and relaxing there with a good book?
For National Read Across America Day, March 2, we’ve put together a list of books that we think invoke the spirit of adventure, the same notion we get when trucking along in an RV. These books are great to read whether you’re sitting next to a campfire, or on the comfort of your couch dreaming of your next getaway.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Humorist, satirist, and phenomenal writer Bill Bryson tells us about his experience trying to through-hike the Appalachian Trail. From the idea’s inception to his recruitment of a buddy to come along, it’s filled with hilarity and hijinks—as well as some very serious and somber moments. Bryson and his traveling companion come to discover just how monumental of a challenge the AT is. Incredibly well-researched, thoughtful, and filled with insightful anecdotes about the trail and its history, make this story one that will make you appreciate your own time in nature even more.
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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Fun for both young and old, Huck Finn is a classic. Twain was a master of satire and used this one as an opportunity to skewer slavery and racism in the south. But even beyond allegory, it’s a classic adventure novel following the tale of a young boy forging a raft down the Mississippi River. He explores several southern states along the way, which is key to any good odyssey. More than that, it’s a classic story about a young boy coming into his own as a man and learning the value of decision-making. You can choose to learn a lesson from it, or just choose to enjoy it as a fun book loaded with adventure.
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Atlas Obscura by Joshua Foer
As an RVer, you’re no doubt an avid traveler. If you’re looking to step away from the typical kitsch of normal touristy stops, you’ll enjoy Atlas Obscura by Joshua Foer. Its subtitle, “An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders,” puts a strong emphasis on the word “hidden.” In combination with its sister website, the book explores wild attractions and places to visit that are unexpected, overlooked, hidden, and sometimes just plain strange. The book encourages you to get off the beaten path and visit some of these oddities. It features fun places all across the world that, even if you can’t reach them by your RV, may encourage you to find some unexplored oddities of your own.
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Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Gary Paulsen is a phenom when it comes to pumping out books, with literally over 100 young adult novels about living life out in the woods. Sometimes it’s by choice, but other times, as with Hatchet, it’s by necessity. As Brian is being flown into northern New England to visit his father, the plane crashes in a tragic accident. Armed only with a hatchet—a gift from his mother—Brian has to figure out a way to survive. That means fishing, hunting, building shelter, and keeping a raging fire going, all while avoiding the elements and swarms of mosquitoes. It’s considered one of America’s best-loved novels, and there’s no better reading material for your road trip.
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Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Sure, you could watch the movies which are also terrific, but there’s a certain richness that comes with reading all the way through J.R.R. Tolkien’s incredible adventure trilogy. With The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, there’s enough material here to get you through much more than a standard road trip, but why not go all out? Follow hobbit Frodo and his rag-tag crew as they aim to destroy a very powerful—and very evil—ring, in order to keep it out of the clutches of some very bad people. It’s a classic good vs. evil story, but with a lot of beauty and depth that takes place entirely in a world Tolkien created. The adventure is made all the more fun with a little comic relief from Samwise, Merry, and Pippin.
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Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
An entirely different kind of adventure, Hitchhiker’s Guide follows Arthur Dent, the last surviving human after a rather nasty demolition of the planet Earth in order to put in an interstellar superhighway. He’s rescued from certain doom by an alien named Ford Prefect, who writes the titular book. What follows are a load of misadventures as the two travel across the galaxy together, making thoughtful, meaningful discoveries and uncovering untold hijinks. It’s obviously loaded with science fiction, but Adams is a master of laugh-out-loud funny writing (especially if you enjoy a little bit of dry English wit). You can escape the daily grind in your RV, and then escape to another planet entirely with the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
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