The rush of the holidays is over and, at last, the chill and snows of winter are arriving. What better way to relax and unwind than to snuggle into the sofa with a great book about the outdoors? Here are five adventurous books to curl up with this winter while you sip some cocoa by the fire.
Into Thin Air (non fiction)
Jon Krakauer
This personal account from the peaks of Mt. Everest relives the harrowing May 1996 disaster that claimed the lives of five climbers. A massive storm moving in just as climbers were making their descent from the summit spelled doom for those trying to get back down from the world’s tallest peak. Krakauer’s detailed and rich descriptions will keep you on the edge of your seat.
A Walk in the Woods (non fiction)
Bill Bryson
You will laugh out loud as travel writer Bill Bryson brings you along for the story of his real-life trek along the famed Appalachian Trail. Peppered with colorful tales of the unusual people he met along the way, as well as his “unique” traveling companion, Bryson’s dry, self-deprecating style is as entertaining as it is informative.
The Emerald Mile (non fiction)
Kevin Fedarko
During massive flooding in 1983, and under the threat of the Glen Canyon Dam bursting, Kenton Grua (the first person in recorded history to walk the entire length of the Grand Canyon) wanted to capitalize on nature’s fury and make another entry into the record books — this time, by making the fastest trip down the Colorado River from Lee’s Ferry to Lake Mead. Launching a small dory called The Emerald Mile, Grua plunged into the raging waters on what would be a seemingly suicidal mission.
The Grey (fiction)
Ian Mackenzie Jeffers
John Ottoway, a hunter working at a remote Canadian oil camp, wants nothing more than to mark time through his brutal, frigid existence until he decides that the day to end it all has finally arrived. But when a small plane carrying John and other oil crew members crashes, it’s up to him to lead the frightened survivors through the perils of this rugged wilderness, a hungry pack of wolves at their heels, and to ultimately decide if his own life is one worth saving.
The Call of the Wild (fiction)
Jack London
From one of the foremost writers of adventure stories, this is the classic tale of the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush and a dog named Buck. This story follows Buck when he is stolen away from his home and thrust into the brutal life of an Alaskan sled dog. Forced to adapt, Buck must revert to the instinctive pack behavior hidden in his genes in order to survive.
Images via Amazon.com
