Are you ready for a summer adventure?
Whether you’re planning an exciting trip or stay-at-home adventures, we hope you will join us for Summer Quest at the library and set out to discover another world – through books of course!
If you picked up the adventure-themed reading log from your closest branch, challenge yourself to read three of these suggested titles over the summer.
For even more mystery titles, browse the adventure and travel shelf on cloudLibrary.
Out Of This World Adventures
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
If a sweeping, apocalyptic, time-bending work of literary science fiction is what you’re looking for, Mandel’s most recent novel is for you!
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
Kaiju is the Japanese term for big giant creatures; in this case, a giant Panda that exists in an alternate dimension from a (COVID-plagued) Earth. A pandemic novel – but also light and witty? When Publisher’s Weekly describes it as “Jurassic Park meets the camaraderie of Parks and Recreation,” I feel compelled to give it a chance.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Ryland Grace – disgraced scientist/junior high school teacher/reluctant astronaut – awakens on a space ship with no memory. Alone until he encounters an alien spacecraft, Ryland is in a race to save all of humankind. Combining Weir’s typical scientific detail along with his humor, this is a tense space adventure with themes of survival and friendship.
More out of this world adventures:
- The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey. Get caught up in a adventurous political drama in space! The first title in the series is Leviathan Wakes.
- How to Mars by David Harris Ebenbach. Six lucky scientists receive a one way ticket to Mars – what could go wrong?
- To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini. A mysterious relic threatens the survival of the human race.
Adventures on the High Seas
Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton
In 1897, Adrien de Garlache set out with his crew on the ship Belgica to the Antarctic. Their goal was to be the first to discover the magnetic South Pole. When faced with the choice of pushing on in order to gain fame or turning back to avoid the Antarctic winter, de Garlache decided to push on. Then the worst happened: the Belgica became stuck in the ice. A thrilling account of a doomed adventure that is still studied today.
More adventures on the high seas:
- In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick. A classic of the genre.
- Clive Cussler’s Dark Vector by Graham Brown. The latest in the NUMA Files series features a hunt for lost pirate treasure and a missing vessel.
Very Excellent Adventures
Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke
In 1960s and 1970s America, at a time when opportunities for adventure were often limited to men, the stewardesses of Pan Am traveled the globe. This book recounts personal stories of life beyond the glamorous uniforms to a glimpse of the sexism and hard work the stewardesses endured – and the role these women played in the fight for gender equality, as well as their surprising role in the Vietnam War.
Winter’s Pasture: One Woman’s Journey with China’s Kazakh Herders by Li Juan
In this travel memoir, Li Juan recounts her time spent with nomadic herders bringing cattle, sheep, horses and goats to the tundra of Northwestern China.
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
Towles’ latest novel is brimming with road trip adventures, making this an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
More excellent adventures:
- The James Bond series by Ian Fleming and Anthony Horowitz. Get caught up in the world’s most famous spy adventures. Whether you start with Fleming’s first novel, Casino Royale, or Horowitz’s latest, With a Mind to Kill, you know who will be driving the adventure: Bond, James Bond!
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. A magical island with magical creatures. Adventure awaits!
Pat H., Yardley-Makefield branch manager
