Search This Blog

2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

2024 Challenge Sign-Up Post

January Reviews Link-Up

February Reviews Link-Up

March Reviews Link-Up

April Reviews Link-Up

May Reviews Link-Up

June Reviews Link-Up

July Reviews Link-Up

August Reviews Link-Up

September Reviews Link-Up

October Reviews Link-Up

November Reviews Link-Up

December Reviews Link-Up

My Progress:


9 / 30 books. 30% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (1)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*

International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Netherlands (1)

My Progress:


12 / 51 states. 24% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 50 words. 20% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


15 / 50 books. 30% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


32 / 50 books. 64% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


27 / 52 books. 52% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


21 / 40 books. 53% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


13 / 40 books. 33% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


5 / 25 books. 20% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


17 / 26.2 miles. 65% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


15 / 100 books. 15% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 104 books. 33% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


31 / 52 books. 60% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


32 / 165 books. 19% done!
Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Top Ten Tuesday: I Will Survive!


I love a beautiful nature scene, even if I'm more of an indoorsy person than an outdoorsy one.  Book covers often feature lovely landscapes, showcasing sparkling seas, vibrant flowers, lush forests, and so on, but I still couldn't come up with enough to make a decent list for today's TTT prompt, Top Ten Books With Nature on the Cover.  Even though I'm pretty wimpy, especially when it comes to nature-y things like hiking and camping, I do love me a tense, gripping survival story.  (Hu)man vs. nature tales, especially true ones, always captivate and inspire me.  So, for today's list I'm going to feature Top Ten (Hu)man vs. Nature Survival Books.  I'm going to start with five favorites (in no particular order), then five I am looking forward to reading.

If you want to join in the Top Ten Tuesday fun (and you do!), just hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Top Ten (Hu)man vs. Nature Survival Books 


1.  Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer—This popular account chronicles the author's climbing of Mt. Everest in 1996 during a terrible storm that led to the deaths of five climbers.  He uses his own harrowing experience as a framework to discuss the history of mountain climbing, famous climbers, what it takes to scale Everest, survival techniques, and so on.  It's an epic, unparalleled book that is can't-look-away compelling.


2.  My Last Continent by Midge Raymond—In this slow burn of a novel, a marine biologist is in Antarctica studying penguins.  Her boyfriend, whom she only sees on these annual expeditions, has not arrived as expected.  When she learns he is on a nearby ship that is sending out a frantic distress signal, she panics.  How can she save the man she loves in such a harsh, unforgiving landscape?


3.  The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf—I've read tons of books about the Titanic tragedy, but this one is the most unique and memorable.  Told in verse, the novel is lyrical and haunting.


4.  I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall—This YA novel concerns a teenage girl who's living with her estranged survivalist father in Canada after her mother's death.  When he's shot by intruders, she runs into the wilderness, where she's forced to both hide and survive.


5.  The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling—Another novel in verse, this middle-grade offering revolves around a grieving father and daughter who go for a rock climbing adventure in the Arizona desert.  Things go awry, the two get separated, and a young girl is left alone to save both herself and her dad.  It's a riveting, fast-paced read.


6.  To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey—This historical novel stars Colonel Allan Forrester, who's charged with leading an expedition into the uncharted wilderness of Alaska Territory in the winter of 1885.  He keeps a journal of his adventure that he hopes will reach his pregnant wife in the likely event that he does not return.  


7.  A Map for Wrecked Girls by Jessica Taylor—Also a YA novel, this one is about a trio of troubled teenagers who get stuck on a deserted island.  It's been on my radar for awhile, I just haven't gotten around to reading it.  Yet.


8.  Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood—Based on a true, Titanic-like event, this middle-grade novel tells the story of the doomed SS City of Benares, a ship full of children being evacuated from England to Canada during World War II.


9.  Avalanche by Melinda Braun—This YA offering features two sets of teenagers.  One group is trapped in a remote cabin during a snowstorm.  The other is their only hope of rescue.


10.  Instructions for the End of the World by Jamie Kain—Yet another teen book, this one is about Nicole, a girl whose prepper father moves his family to a remote area in the Sierra Foothills.  When living like a pioneer becomes too much for Nicole's mother, she leaves, prompting Nicole's father to chase after her.  When neither one returns, Nicole is left to figure out how she and her younger sister will survive in the wilderness.

There you go, ten books about surviving in the wild in the wake of disaster.  Have you read any of these?  Which books in the genre would you recommend?  Which nature covers did you choose for your list today?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!    

42 comments:

  1. Gripping survival stories make me so anxious! I always want to skip ahead to the last few pages to make sure the main character(s) actually do survive okay. LOL.

    I hope you enjoy the rest of the books on this list that you haven't had a chance to read yet.

    My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-with-mountains-on-the-cover/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same, but I still love reading them! They definitely keep me on the edge of my seat.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lydia!

      Delete
  2. I Am Still Alive sounds like a great read as does Avalanche! I'll have to look for both of those.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know this is a genre we both love! I'm always getting great suggestions for survival books from your blog. You would enjoy I AM STILL ALIVE. I think we'll both like AVALANCHE when we read it.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lark!

      Delete
  3. A wonderful tweak of the theme today. I thought right away of Hatchet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HATCHET is probably the first book I ever read in the survival genre. It's been years since I read it as a kid and I don't think I ever read the sequels. Maybe it's time for a re-read!

      Thanks for stopping in, Deb!

      Delete
  4. I don't read a lot of survival stories. Three popped into my head - Not If I Save You First, Meet the Sky, and The Lifeboat Clique.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the recs! THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE and NOT IF I SAVE YOU FIRST are already on my TBR, but I hadn't heard of MEET THE SKY. I just added it to my list.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!

      Delete
  5. I haven't read any of these, but when I was younger I loved Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. It is about a boy who has to survive alone after the plane he's in crashes into the woods, so it definitely fits your theme this week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved HATCHET when I was a kid. I haven't read it since then, so I might be due for a re-read.

      Thanks for stopping in, Nicole!

      Delete
    2. I read Hatchet many times when I was a kid, but I haven't picked it up in ages. I wonder what adult-me would think of it? You're right, it might be time for a re-read!

      Delete
  6. I haven't read any of the books on your list, but they do seem intriguing. I really like the typography on these covers. Here's my TTT list this week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hadn't paid any attention to the topography until you mentioned it, but there is a good variety of styles here, isn't there? Interesting.

      Thanks for coming by, Lectrice!

      Delete
  7. I love To the Bright Edge of the World. Don't miss it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Several people have said the same, so I'm definitely going to get myself a copy. I'm headed to the library in a couple hours - hopefully, they'll have one on hand.

      Thanks for stopping in, T!

      Delete
  8. I love the color palette for The Canyon's Edge, it's striking. It stands out among the other covers. I should check out that book soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely check it out! Because the book is in verse, it's a really fast read, but it's also engrossing. One cool thing about it is that some of the verses are printed in different shapes that reflect what's going on in the story. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's one of the things I really liked about the book.

      Thanks for coming by, Abigail!

      Delete
  9. Love your take on this topic! I have To the Bright Edge of the World sitting on my shelf and I'm really looking forward to it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It sounds like an excellent book. I hope we both love it!

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Katherine!

      Delete
  10. So what have I done after reading your list? Added 10 (well, 8 actually since 2 are already there) books to my TBR..:-)
    Love your take on this week's theme!!
    Books With Nature etc on the Cover

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, not sorry! I hope you enjoy all these gripping survival stories.

      Thanks for stopping in!

      Delete
  11. This is the first twist I see on this topic and I absolutely love it. I'm also more an indoorsy girl but I love trees, that's why I chose those as my topic. I read "To the Bright Edge of the World" and it's a fantastic story.

    My TTT.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same! I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, which is full of mountains, trees, and rivers. I love me a forest!

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Marianne!

      Delete
  12. What a neat take on this week's topic! Thanks for visiting Long and Short Reviews. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! It's always fun to go rogue for TTT :)

      Thanks for stopping by, Poinsettia!

      Delete
  13. the nature ones you have chose were great! i love them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I love a good human vs. nature story - as long as I'm not the human in question :)

      Thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  14. I never thought about how many survival books there are out there! Great topic choice for today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are lots of them out there, but somehow, not enough for me! LOL.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Deanna!

      Delete
  15. That book about the Titanic looks interesting. Makes me want to read it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a good one! It brings some new elements to the Titanic book genre.

      Thanks, as always, for stopping by!

      Delete
  16. I credit Into Thin Air with getting me interested in reading nonfiction. I couldn't put it down! I don't even know what prompted me to read it in the first place but I haven't looked back since. I usually have a fiction and a nonfiction book on the go at the same time now.

    I am fairly outdoorsy so the rest of these sound really good too. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same! It's a riveting book and I learned tons about Mt. Everest. I have zero interest in mountain climbing myself, but it's a fascinating subject to read about.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Jen!

      Delete
  17. It's hard to believe that this is the 25th anniversary of "Into Thin Air." That book was one of the first nonfiction accounts of mountain climbing I ever read, and I still remember it pretty well after all these years. That doesn't happen with me very often.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a very immersive book. I felt like I was on Everest right along Krakauer. It's one that has stuck with me even though it's been a few years since I read it.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!

      Delete
  18. I haven't read any of these books but they all sound like captivating stories!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Survival stories generally are because they pull you in and keep you glued to your seat with all the inherent tension, drama, and excitement!

      Thanks for stopping in, Kyla!

      Delete
  19. I love what you did with this week's theme. I've also been wanting to read To the Bright Edge of the World for ages now. Her book, The Snow Child, is a favorite of mine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't read anything by Ivey, but I've heard great things about both BRIGHT EDGE and SNOW CHILD. I'm picking up the former from the library today.

      Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Suzanne!

      Delete
  20. I like your take on this week's topic! A Map for Wrecked Girls has an eye-catching cover and it sounds like a riveting read.

    ReplyDelete
  21. The only one on your list that I've read is Into Thin Air, which I liked. I am a sucker for a good survival story.

    ReplyDelete

Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.

P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin


Reading

<i>Reading</i>
End of Story by A.J. Finn

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
My Contrary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows



Followin' with Bloglovin'

Follow

Followin' with Feedly

follow us in feedly



Grab my Button!


Blog Design by:


Blog Archive



2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Susan has read 0 books toward her goal of 200 books.
hide

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction