“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
Sometimes, the best way to fuel your wanderlust is through the pages of a captivating book. Whether you’re looking to inspire your next real-life journey or simply escape into thrilling new places, adventure books can whisk you anywhere from far-off lands to underrated gems found closer to home. These stories, filled with daring characters and breathtaking settings are far more than just tales of exploration; they are windows into cultures, landscapes and experiences that speak to our urges to discover. At What We Reading, we thought we would pull together a range of books that offer fresh perspectives on travel, from exhilarating memoirs to novels in destinations so vivid you’ll have your bags packed well before the final page. So, whether you’re looking to explore the globe from your reading nook or fuel your wanderlust for your next big adventure, these are the books you need to set your imagination into motion.
A Walk In The Woods: Rediscovering America On The Appalachian Trail – Bill Bryson
Our first stop on our list of books to inspire adventure is Bill Bryson’s acclaimed memoir, A Walk in the Woods. This classic travelogue combines humour and insight as Bryson recounts his attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail – a 2,100-mile trek stretching from Georgia to Maine. Alongside his absurdly underprepared best friend Katz, Bryson explores the beauty, challenges and quirks behind this iconic North American trail.
Through encounters with like-minded adventurers, surprising wildlife and rugged Appalachian terrain, Bryson’s journey soon becomes a tale of resilience, friendship and the unpredictable twists of outdoor adventures. Blending Bryson’s trademark wit and reverence for nature, A Walk in the Woods is the perfect inspiration for anyone who has ever dreamed of hiking into the unknown or who loves a story set in the great outdoors.
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Love With A Chance Of Drowning – Torre DeRoche
As a city girl with an intense fear of deep water, Torre DeRoche is not the sort of person you would expect to find floating adrift in the middle of the rough Pacific Ocean in a leaky sailboat manned by just two individuals struggling to keep their old vessel, new relationship and floundering sanity afloat.
Love with a Chance of Drowning is the story of how DeRoche found herself meeting Ivan, a handsome man from Argentina, and the impossible decision of watching the man she loves sail away or head off on a watery adventure with him. She gives up her city life, faces her fears and joins Ivan on a year-long voyage across the Pacific. Featuring the world’s most beautiful and remote destinations, Love with a Chance of Drowning is a breathtaking adventure memoir that proves that some risks are more than worth taking.
Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail – Cheryl Strayed
At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed believed she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family dispersed and her own marriage soon fell apart. Four years on, with nothing left to lose, she made the biggest decision of her life. With zero experience or training behind her, she decided to hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington – and she would do it all on her own.
Delivered with intense suspense and a captivating style brimming with warmth and humour, Wild is one of the most empowering books that inspire adventure, following one young woman embarking on a journey that maddened, strengthened and ultimately healed her.
Into The Wild – Jon Krakauer
Another famous book about adventure, Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, follows the incredible story of Christopher Johnson McCandless. In April 1992, McCandless gave away all of his savings, abandoned both his car and possessions, and hitchhiked his way to Alaska, inventing a whole new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was discovered by a local moose hunter.
Into the Wild deconstructs and demystifies the goals, motivations and facts of McCandless’ life. Whilst his innocent mistakes would turn out to be fatal, he would become a media sensation but is through Krakauer’s bestseller that readers are truly given an authentic insight into the unfiltered freedom and experiences McCandless craved. It is a must-read travel adventure book that is mesmerising and heartbreaking in equal measure.
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Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles Of Australian Outback – Robyn Davidson
In Tracks, Robyn Davidson shares the captivating story of her solo trek across 1,700 miles of the Australian Outback with just her dog and four camels for company. Davidson’s journey is a testament to resilience and the call of the wild as she is confronted with extreme desert conditions, isolation and cultural clashes along the way.
Davidson’s writing captures both the beauty and the harshness of the Outback, painting a vivid picture of the landscape and the unique cultures she encounters. Tracks is not only a physical journey but also deeply personal; she confronts her fears, grows in self-reliance and discovers unexpected connections along the way. For anyone looking for stories of courage, self-discovery and remote places, Tracks is sure to inspire.
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On The Road – Jack Kerouac
One of the most timeless books for inspiring adventure, On The Road, is Jack Kerouac’s ode to freedom, spontaneity and the thrills of the open road. Following Sal Paradise and his enigmatic friend, Dean Moriarity, the novel takes readers through post-war America from the crowded cities to the tranquil plain on a search for meaning and discovery.
Delivered in a stream-of-consciousness style, the book captures the wild energy and rebellious spirit of the Beat Generation. With its unforgettable cast of characters and vivid landscapes, On the Road is far more than just another trip story, it is an empowering homage to the boundless possibilities that come with breaking free from convention.
The Beach – Alex Garland
In The Beach, author Alex Garland tells the gripping story of the search for paradise and the dark side of finding utopia. The story centres around Richard, a young backpacker in Thailand who hears stories of a secluded beach in the country untouched by visitors. When he finally discovers the hidden paradise, he finds a close-knit community of travellers who reside there in secret.
But, as he settles into this new idyllic existence, Richard soon comes to realise that paradise comes at a grave price. Garland’s fast-paced, haunting narrative explores themes of idealism, isolation and the very human urge to perfect places, even when that perfection proves to be dangerous. One of the best books for inspiring adventure with an edge, The Beach offers a captivating exploration of the price of escape and the allure of the unknown.
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
Another iconic book about journeys and discovery, The Alchemist is a modern fable about pursuing dreams and finding meaning. The story follows Santiago, a young shepherd who departs his homeland in Spain to find a hidden treasure he believes to be near the Egyptian pyramids.
Along his journey, Santiago encounters a series of mentors and challenges, all of which impart a crucial lesson about life, courage and the pursuit of what author Paulo Coelho dubs ‘Personal Legends’. With a spellbinding lyricism, Coelho weaves together a story that feels both intimate and universal, offering readers an inspiring read that is guaranteed to resonate with anyone who has ever dreamed of something bigger.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
