The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

10.4 LEAVING CIVILIZATION BEHIND – Read a book where a large part of the story takes place in a natural setting ex. forest, desert, on or under the ocean, mountain, etc. It could be a book about a wilderness adventure or vacation, new world colonization, or planetary exploration. Ex. Into the Wild, High Country, The Stone Gods, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

If you need suggestions OR have suggestions for books to read for this task, please post them here.

yes books: Cold Mountain, Peter PanThe Terror, South: The Endurance Expedition, Carved by God, Cursed by the Devil, The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, The Road, The Story of Lucy Gault, The Sheltering Sky, Dune, The Abyss, Dark Life, In The Forest Of Harm, Terminal Freeze, Corsair, Peace Like a River, Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide, In the Forest, A Girl of the Limberlost, Into the Wilderness, Džungla, The Fiery Cross, The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring, The Poisonwood Bible, Manhunt, The Call of the Wild, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Clan of the Cave Bear, To the Far Blue Mountains, The Return of the Native, Nerd in Shining ArmorThe Year of the Flood, The Waste Lands, Stolen: A letter to my captor, In a Sunburned Country, Outlander, Desert Flower, Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, Shiver, The Integral Trees and The Smoke Ring, Heart of Darkness, South, The Hunger Games, Fallen, The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again

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I hope it's OK to start posting...

Would Cold Mountain work? I've no idea how much takes place in the wilderness.
Thanks!

Nicki (UK) wrote: "I hope it's OK to start posting...

Would Cold Mountain work? I've no idea how much takes place in the wilderness.
Thanks!"

yes, the description calls the journey through the Blue Ridge Mountains luminous evocation of a vanished American in all its savagery, solitude, and splendor.

Thank you :)

Hmmm. Suppose a book about soldiers in the wilderness of war won't count?

If i can put off reading it for one more week, I will probably use The Terror for this task. It is about a ship that is iced in up in the Arctic Circle, and (from the 15 pages I've looked through!), facing an unknown beast or something that is in the ice. Not only outside, but HARSH outside conditions. I definitely need to read it while it is still hot outside -- brrrrrr. . . .

Oh my - Ashley, that just made me think of South: The Endurance Expedition by Ernest Shackleton

If anyone wants a book about early 20th century expeditions and incredible beating the odds - this is it. It's amazing. One of those books that will be forever with you.

I have one that would probably work: Carved By God, Cursed By the Devil. It's about Ted (the author) and his goal of running in the Marathon des Sables, which is a 150+ mile marathon through the Sahara Desert. It's kind of expensive and not very well-known, and hard to find to boot (I was lucky to get a copy free last summer AND I got to meet the author and have him sign it). If you ARE able to get a copy, though, I think it is totally worth it.

And the majority of the book does take place in the Sahara Desert.

Tanja wrote: "Hmmm. Suppose a book about soldiers in the wilderness of war won't count?"

It might- do you have a specific title in mind?

Books set in the Arctic or desert would work.

Danielle wrote: "Would Peter Pan work for this task??

Thanks!"

Thinking about it...I'll get back to you soon. Can you tell me why you think it would work?

Dlmrose -- I actually found a better place for the book under 15.10. It can be used for 10.8 too. Code Talker

Can I get a yay or nay on these? Thanks! :o)

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel
The Road
The Story of Lucy Gault
The Sheltering Sky

Do any of the following work for this?
Dune
The Abyss
Dark Life

Danielle wrote: "Would Peter Pan work for this task??

Thanks!"

yes

Cait wrote: "Can I get a yay or nay on these? Thanks! :o)

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel
The Road
The Story of Lucy Gault
The Sheltering Sky"

yes

Liz wrote: "Do any of the following work for this?
Dune
The Abyss
Dark Life"

yes

I'm thinking about using One Second After, but wanted to make certain it would work.

Leigh Ann wrote: "I'm thinking about using One Second After, but wanted to make certain it would work."

Sorry no, the book description says it is set in a "typical American town"

Do the following work:

In The Forest Of Harm Description says it takes place in wilderness of the south

Terminal Freeze - Wilderness of Alaska

Corsair on the ocean

Beth NC wrote: "Do the following work:

In The Forest Of Harm Description says it takes place in wilderness of the south

Terminal Freeze - Wilderness of Alaska

[book:Corsair|3..."

yes

Will work for this one?

Jen B wrote: "Will work for this one?"

Yes

Just wanted to suggest a GREAT book... Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide.

Would Bearing an Hourglass work here?

Sarah (Mood Reader) wrote: "Would Bearing an Hourglass work here?"

The description doesn't really support a natural/wilderness setting. I will say no, but If you can provide a reference with a better description, I'll consider it.

Well can someone help me here then?

Sarah (Mood Reader) wrote: "Well can someone help me here then?"

You might try this list Woods

Be careful with Lists
Anyone can add a book to these lists and not everything may work for a SRC task

Would In the Forest work?

Jennifer N. wrote: "Would In the Forest work?"

yes

Some possible choices:
Walking on the Land
People of the Deer
Antarctic Navigation
Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft
The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mt. Everest

Deliverance by James Dickey would work as well.

I was thinking of reading Nobody's Prize, which is about Helen of Troy (when she was younger) and her adventure (dressed as a boy) to find the Golden Fleece... I'm assuming there won't be a lot of civilization going on in the book... What do you think?

Sarah (Mood Reader) wrote: "Just wanted to suggest a GREAT book... Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide."

Thanks for the suggestion Sarah. I just received this book in a swap, so I'm going to use it.

Another suggestion:Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home
This is an emotionally tough read, but worth it.

Sara ♥ wrote: "I was thinking of reading Nobody's Prize, which is about Helen of Troy (when she was younger) and her adventure (dressed as a boy) to find the Golden Fleece... I'm assuming there wo..."

It is hard to tell...Sparta and Athens were among the most civilized places in that world in that era.

What about A Girl of the Limberlost?
Has anyone read this that could say whether a large part of the story takes place in the forest?

Missy wrote: "What about A Girl of the Limberlost?
Has anyone read this that could say whether a large part of the story takes place in the forest?"

B&N says Set amid Indiana's vast Limberlost Swamp, this treasured children's classic mixes astute observations on nature with the struggles of growing up in the early 20th century. so it works

I was thinking of reading Into the Wilderness it says it takes place in "a remote NY mountain village" in the late 1700's. Is this OK. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks

Bluemoon wrote: "I was thinking of reading Into the Wilderness it says it takes place in "a remote NY mountain village" in the late 1700's. Is this OK. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks"

B&N says Elizabeth's ultimate destiny, here in the heart of the wilderness.... - It works

Yeah!!! Thanks now off the shuffle the spreadsheet.

I would reaaallly love it if this one would work - Džungla
It's a travelogue about seven expeditions into the remotest jungles of the world, mostly in the Amazon and New Guinea, in search of absolute wilderness, the remains of primeval heaven on Earth.
Here's more on the book on the author's official site - Džungla, Davor Rostuhar

probably but won't work but...The Fiery Cross - its a re-read for me, but its set when the US was still getting settlers (in North Carolina specifically) and the majority of the land/area is unsettled with only small communitys (with a few larger towns mixed in)...if not, its cool, but i'm doing a re-read of the series, so if it fit that would be awesome

If you'd like an interesting nonfiction The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston is worth reading.
It's about the giant redwoods and the guys who climb them.
Another good one is
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard which treks through South America.

How about A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail?

Barbara wrote: "How about A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail?"

It was cited as an example in the task description. I'm considering rereading it for this task, myself...

Would The Poisonwood Bible work, since they go to the Congo and all?

Would Manhunt work?
The main character decides to move to Alaska, so she is in the wilderness...

Thanks Donna Jo! I put that book on my TBR (Wild Trees)

Wild Trees is quite good and definitely about going into the wilderness.