Join Discovery, the new community for book lovers

Trust book recommendations from real people, not robots 🤓

Blog – Posted on Wednesday, May 01

100 Best Adventure Books of All Time

100 Best Adventure Books of All Time

The first adventure novel that you ever read is hard to forget: after all, we all remember the first time our imaginations were lit by whispers of buried treasure, lost worlds, and faraway jungles. As Jane Eyre says: “It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.”

Luckily, we’ve made the act of finding action easy for you! We have 100 of the best adventure books for you in this post, ranging from rollicking journeys over land to tales of high-stakes survival on the sea. Who knows where your next book will take you? Let’s find out.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of amazing adventure books on hand, you can also take our 30-second quiz below to narrow it down quickly and get a book recommendation that's personalized for your tastes 😉

📚

Which adventure book should you read next?

Discover the perfect adventure book for you. Takes 30 seconds!

Classic Books of Adventure

Or: the books that started it all. From Don Quixote to Treasure Island, they invented many of the tropes that we still see in adventure novels today.

Don Quixote

1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Buy on Amazon

Regarded as one of the greatest works in literature, Don Quixote recounts the adventures of Alonso Quixano: a middle-aged man so obsessed with chivalric books that he decides to imitate them and become a knight-errant. So begins his journey to find a faithful squire, save damsels in distress, and fight windmills.

The Three Musketeers (Wordsworth Classics)

2. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Buy on Amazon

In this classic by Dumas, a young man named d’Artagnan joins the Musketeers of the Guard. In doing so, he befriends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis — the King’s most celebrated musketeers — and embarks on a journey of his own.

Treasure Island (Signet Classics)

3. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Buy on Amazon

Written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, this story of “buccaneers and buried gold” launched a million tropes of treasure maps, sea chests, Black Spots, and deserted islands.

King Solomon's Mines: (illustrated by A. C. Michael)

4. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard and A. C. Michael

Buy on Amazon

The first English adventure novel set in Africa, this 1885 book is considered to be the origin of the Lost World literary genre. It boasts six adaptations, including a 1937 British film and a 2004 American television miniseries.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

5. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

Buy on Amazon

Journey to the Center of the Earth is exactly that: a trip to the inside of the world, which is where German professor Otto Lidenbrock theorizes that volcanic tubes will lead. Another one of Jules Verne’s magnum opuses — and one of the most famous examples of subterranean fiction.

The Count of Monte Cristo

6. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Buy on Amazon

Part adventure story and part revenge thriller, The Count of Monte Cristo is the tale of Edmond Dantès, a man who is falsely imprisoned without trial in an island fortress off France. That is, until one day he escapes and seeks out the men who conspired against him. You’ll find yourself coming for the adventure, but staying for the vindication.

Ivanhoe

7. Ivanhoe by Walter Scott

Buy on Amazon

First published in 1819, Ivanhoe is a tale of heroism set in 12th-century England after the failure of the Third Crusade. Looking for jousting tournaments, romance, kidnappings, and witch trials? Then you’ve come to the right book.

Adventures in the Jungle

There’s more to the jungle than just The Jungle Book. From boa constrictors to alligators, there’s danger lurking behind every tree in these classics.

Tarzan of the Apes: Edgar Rice Burroughs Authorized Library

8. Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Buy on Amazon

Immortalized by the Disney adaptation, Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs launched the legend of an orphaned boy who is adopted by apes in the African jungle. Named Tarzan, the boy eventually has to prove himself on two fronts: the animal kingdom and the even more menacing world of humans.

Heart of Darkness

9. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Buy on Amazon

One of the most famous and acclaimed English novels in history happens to be a grim adventure story. This 1899 novella by Joseph Conrad tells the doomed story of Charles Marlow, who wishes to leave behind the civilized world and sail up the Congo in Africa. But he does not encounter what he anticipated in his journey into the metaphorical — and very literal — heart of darkness in the middle of the jungle.

Hatchet

10. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Buy on Amazon

Brian Robeson is only 13 years old when his bush plane crashes in the forest. Now he must survive — with nothing but a hatchet. This book won the 1987 Newberry Award and has since gone on to spawn four sequels.

Congo by Crichton, Michael New Edition (1995)

Congo by Michael Crichton

Buy on Amazon

Another one of Michael Crichton’s famous adventure-and-science-fiction books, Congo relates the gripping story of an expedition’s desire to find the Lost City of Zinj in Africa — despite the horrors of the jungle and previous deaths.

The Jungle Book: The Original Illustrated 1894 Edition

12. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Buy on Amazon

Rudyard Kipling published this book in 1894 as a collection of stories about a “man-cub” Mowgli who grows up with wolves in the forest. Here’s your chance to meet the original conceptions of these beloved characters yourself: from Baloo the bear to Bagheera the black panther and the villainous tiger Shere Khan.

The Lost World

13. The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Buy on Amazon

An expedition to an Amazon basin in South America to find prehistoric dinosaurs goes awry in this 1912 novel by Sir Arthur Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is nowhere to be found, but this book does introduce the notorious character of Professor Challenger, the founder of the mission.


Adventures of the Sea

The world is 71% sea, which might explain why so many adventure novels take place on these thrashing, unknown waters. From Moby-Dick to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, they dive under the surface to find the heart of adventure.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Wordsworth Classics)

14. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Buy on Amazon

Hop on board Captain Nemo’s Nautilus to explore the Red Sea, Atlantis, Vigo Bay, and more — everything taking place in (as of 1870) a wild new frontier: the sea.


The Cruel Sea (Classics of War)

15. The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat

Buy on Amazon

Before The Perfect Storm was The Cruel Sea. This 1951 novel, which takes place during World War II, is considered one of the foremost portrayals of the Royal Navy’s battle against both the sea and the Germans.


Captains Courageous

16. Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling

Buy on Amazon

Fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr. is the privileged, arrogant son of a powerful businessman. That is, until he almost drowns in the Atlantic Sea. Luckily, he’s saved from certain death by Portuguese fishermen. Thus begins his life onboard a ship that cares not a whit for his wealth — and his eventual journey back to America.


The Long Ships (New York Review Books Classics)

17. The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson

Buy on Amazon

Written by Swedish writer Frans G. Bengtsson, The Long Ships today remains one of the most widely-read books in Sweden. In it, a kidnapped boy grows up as the son of a Swedish chieftain before setting out on a long adventure to find promised treasure.


Moby-Dick (Macmillan Collector's Library)

18. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

Buy on Amazon

Call me Ishmael, begins this epic story. Acclaimed as one of the greatest books of the sea that’s ever been written, Moby-Dick relates the timeless story of a voyage to hunt and kill the great white whale that rules the ocean and haunts cruel captain Ahab’s mind.

Jaws

19. Jaws by Peter Benchley

Buy on Amazon

The 1974 book that inspired Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster movie — which then made beach attendance drop dramatically in 1975. Jaws is the story of three men’s quest to kill a human-eating great white shark. It’s a high-stakes adventure on the sea, which holds more dangers than anyone could have ever imagined.


The Odyssey

20. The Odyssey by Homer

Buy on Amazon

You won’t get any story closer to a purer definition of an adventure than The Odyssey. Homer tells the famous story of Odysseus in this Greek epic poem: from the moment that Troy falls to the journey that he must take to get home over the course of ten years.


The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

21. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe

Buy on Amazon

Famed for his short stories, Edgar Allan Poe only ever wrote one actual novel: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. But what a thrilling adventure it is, as we follow the life of a young stowaway on a whaling ship who encounters shipwreck, cannibalism, and the South Pole along the way.


Life of Pi

22. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Buy on Amazon

Piscine Patel, nicknamed Pi, relates the story of how he lived on a small lifeboat with a spotted hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a tiger for 227 days. But is Pi telling the whole truth? This revelatory book has sold more than ten million copies worldwide and has been adapted into a Hollywood blockbuster.


Eric Brighteyes

23. Eric Brighteyes by Henry Rider Haggard

Buy on Amazon

There is one thing that we don’t see enough in adventure fiction, and that’s Vikings. Eric Brighteyes fixes this for us. In this epic Viking saga, a young Eric Thorgrimursson (nicknamed “Brighteyes”) faces drama, love, and rousing adventure as he grows up in 10th century Iceland.


Adventures in the Desert

Remote, isolated, and desolated: what better setting for an adventure than a desert? Meet scorpions, nomadic tribes, and golden sands in the below books that feature desert adventures.

Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 1)

24. Dune by Frank Herbert

Buy on Amazon

The first installment of the Dune series, Dune is an interstellar adventure that revolves around several different noble houses battling to control the desert island Arrakis, upon which the coveted spice mélange resides.


Desert Solitaire

25. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

Buy on Amazon

An autobiographical work, Desert Solitaire is American writer Edward Abbey’s account of his experiences in the southwestern United States — a region that remains largely swathed in desert.


The Riddle of the Sands

26. The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers

Buy on Amazon

An adventure novel that functions in the guise of spy fiction, The Riddle of the Sands is a fantastic example of how a regular yachting trip might quickly become a madcap investigation of the German’s plan to invade Britain. Plus, it’s perhaps one of the first modern thrillers ever written.


Adventures in Space and the Sky

It’s the X-factor in our knowledge of the world that has yet to be mapped: space and all that it implies. These books breach that border, and boldly go where no man has gone before.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Buy on Amazon

The British phenomenon by Douglas Adams that is still widely quoted everywhere today. When Earth is destroyed, only one man survives: Arthur Dent. He is picked up by Ford Prefect, an alien writer who’s working on an electronic book called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. What follows is an adventure through the grandest landscape of all: the galaxy.


Around the World in 80 Days

28. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

Buy on Amazon

If you had a spare 80 days, what would you do with it? Phileas Fogg and his valet Passepartout decided to use the time to circumnavigate the world. The £20,000 wager helps, of course — but so does the adventure that lies ahead of them. Another shining adventure story that Jules Verne (him again!) published.


The Right Stuff

29. The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

Buy on Amazon

The Right Stuff directly confronts the unknown, as a group of American pilots engage in the space race against Russia. Inspired by the launch of Apollo 17, Tom Wolfe wrote this book to explore the courage that propels an astronaut to take to the air.

Children of the Comet

30. Children of the Comet by Donald Moffitt

Buy on Amazon

In the far future, a small community resides in space and harvests frozen air to make a living. But what happens when hunters from neighboring comets — and humans on starships — appear on the scene? This is a cosmic adventure in a very literal sense, as our young hero, Torris, tries to survive on a comet made entirely of ice.


The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

31. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Buy on Amazon

Becky Chambers fundraised this adventure via a successful Kickstarter campaign. Re-published by Hodder & Stroughton, it tells the tale of a human named Rosemary Harper who joins the crew of the Wayfarer as a file clerk. Accidents and adventures ensue!


The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir

Buy on Amazon

In the year 2035, a surprise dust storm traps botanist Mark Watney alone on the planet of Mars. Discover how Mark survives alone on this unexplored frontier in this book that took the literary world by a storm when it was self-published in 2011.

Adventures Featuring Animals

What’s better than a regular old tale of adventure, you might ask? Well, an adventure with animals. These books take readers on a journey into another world: where nature reigns supreme and a blade of grass can be the height of the Empire State Building.

The Call of the Wild (Global Classics)

33. The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Buy on Amazon

Set in Canada during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, this story recounts the adventures of a dog named Buck, who must survive other dogs, nature, and man’s cruelty, to answer the call of the wild.


White Fang: 100th Anniversary Collection

34. White Fang by Jack London

Buy on Amazon

Considered to be a thematic mirror of The Call of the Wild, Jack London’s White Fang is about a titular wolfdog who is dragged from the wild into domestication — and all that that entails along the way.


Watership Down: A Novel

35. Watership Down by Richard Adams

Buy on Amazon

Rabbits? What on earth could be exciting or adventurous about rabbits? As it turns out, many things. When Hazel, Fiver, and company escape their warren and struggle their way to Watership Down in this classic book of valor, you’ll find yourself rooting hard for this brave, resourceful group of hoppy adventurers.


Raptor Red: A Novel

36. Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker

Buy on Amazon

Unlike any other book out there, Raptor Red is told entirely from the third-person point of view of Raptor Red, a female Utahraptor. Robert T. Bakker, the author, expertly draws upon heartfelt research about the Cretaceous Period to bring a prehistoric Earth to life as Raptor Red struggles to survive in a dinosaur-eat-dinosaur world.


Adventures of Identity

By day, you might be another nameless clerk at a nameless company. But when you put on the mask, the Earth opens up to you — along with a whole world of adventures.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel by Robin Sloan

Buy on Amazon

The US book cover of Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore glows in the dark. Not already enough adventure for you? Then you can dive into the story to follow Clay Jannon’s sojourn as a worker for Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore — which is not, as you might expect, all that it may seem.


The Mark of Zorro (Dover Thrift Editions)

38. The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley

Buy on Amazon

Originally published as The Curse of Capistrano, this is the first book to feature Señor Zorro: a mysterious, masked vigilante who defends the people of 19th-century California against villains like Captain Ramon and Sergeant Gonzales.


Scaramouche

39. Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini

Buy on Amazon

A romantic adventure against the backdrop of the French Revolution. Scaramouche is named after its hero, a lawyer who becomes a revolutionary and an actor playing “Scaramouche,” or a stock clown character in comic theatre.


Shipwrecked Island Adventures

You might think that you’re lucky to have survived a plane crash or shipwreck… until you realize that you’ve got a whole other problem on your hands: you now have to survive on an inaccessible island, with no rescue in sight.

Lord of the Flies

40. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Buy on Amazon

A group of stranded schoolboys. One island. Limited resources. The adventure of a lifetime. What could go wrong? As it turns out, many things, as William Golding’s classic novel brilliantly and darkly illustrates.

The Swiss Family Robinson (Townsend Library Edition)

41. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss

Buy on Amazon

Written by Swiss pastor Johann David Wyss, this book about a family shipwrecked in the East Indies ignited Europe’s imagination in 1812. Read it if you like your adventure stories with a dose of family values and moral lessons.


The Mysterious Island (Illustrated First Edition): 100th Anniversary Collection

42. The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne

Buy on Amazon

Another adventure story by Jules Vernes, The Mysterious Island is actually a crossover sequel to Verne’s famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways. Five prisoners of war escape by balloon but crash onto an unknown island off the coast of New Zealand. There they try to survive, not knowing that they may soon get a visitor: for they are residing on (spoiler alert) Captain Nemo’s home port for the Nautilus.


Kidnapped (Illustrated by N. C. Wyeth)

43. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Buy on Amazon

The full title of this acclaimed 1886 book by Robert Louis Stevenson is (deep breath): Kidnapped: Being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: How he was Kidnapped and Cast away; his Sufferings in a Desert Isle; his Journey in the Wild Highlands; his acquaintance with Alan Breck Stewart and other notorious Highland Jacobites; with all that he Suffered at the hands of his Uncle, Ebenezer Balfour of Shaws, falsely so-called: Written by Himself and now set forth by Robert Louis Stevenson. That tells you nearly everything you need to know about this book — except that every page of it is a great adventure.

Robinson Crusoe (Signet Classics)

Robinson Crusoe (Signet Classics) by Daniel Defoe

Buy on Amazon

The full title of this book is (another deep breath): The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Of York, Mariner: Who lived Eight and Twenty Years, all alone in an un-inhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all the Men perished but himself. With An Account how he was at last as strangely deliver'd by Pyrates. Again, we think that this tells you just about all that you have to know about the novel before you start reading it. But, as a sidenote, it’s good to mention that this might perhaps be the first English work of realistic fiction ever written.

Adventure Taken by Foot

When human beings didn’t have planes, trains, or automobiles to travel, they still had their feet. These novels feature adventures that were all taken by putting one foot in front of the other.

The Last of the Mohicans, James Fennimore Cooper Classic Novel,( Indians, Frontier, Required Literature), Ribbon Page Marker, Perfect for Gifting

45. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Buy on Amazon

The second installment in James Fenimore Cooper’s The Leatherstocking Tales and perhaps the most famous, The Last of the Mohicans recounts the journey of Alice and Cora Munro to Fort William Henry. Mark Twain once wrote a scathing review of Cooper’s dubious writing abilities, but the spirit of adventure in this book remains true.


True Grit: A Novel

46. True Grit: A Novel by Charles Portis

Buy on Amazon

You might have watched the Academy Award-winning movie already — but, as always, the book is better! 14-year old Mattie Ross’s quest to avenge her father’s death takes her from one end of Arkansas to the other.

The Road

47. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Buy on Amazon

If you like your adventures grim, The Road might be the book for you. In this 2006 novel by Cormac McCarthy, an unnamed father and his son walk through a bleak and desolate post-apocalyptic landscape. What will happen to them along the way is anyone’s guess.


Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

48. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Buy on Amazon

Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn might be a cutting satire of society and racism, but at its heart, it is just that: a young boy’s adventure along the Mississippi River. Frequently called one of the Great American Novels, it’s one that you don’t want to miss.

The Man Who Would Be King: and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions)

49. The Man Who Would Be King by Rudyard Kipling

Buy on Amazon

The tin on this 1888 story written by Rudyard Kipling says it all. Two British explorers venture out in India, not knowing that one day they might end up being kings in Afghanistan.

Adventures Set in Foreign Countries

If you’re dreaming of escaping to another country, look no further than these adventure books, which can transport you anywhere from Transylvania to India.

A Passage to India

50. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

Buy on Amazon

Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore travel to India in the 1920s, where Adela is to be engaged to Ronny Moore in Chandrapore. Set against the backdrop of the Indian independence movement, this is a formative text that deals not only with adventure but also with postcolonial discourse.


Kim (Puffin Classics)

51. Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Buy on Amazon

Kimball O’Hara, Kim for short, is an orphaned white boy scraping by in the streets of Lahore, India. But his life changes the day that he befriends a Tibetan Lama — and he embarks on an adventure of espionage and enlightenment in the Himalayas.


Shantaram: A Novel

52. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Buy on Amazon

One of Australia’s most wanted men escapes Victoria’s Pentridge Prison and flees to India — where a dramatic adventure awaits him. Featuring Bollywood, the Mumbai underworld, and trips to Afghanistan, this book is so realistically well-drawn that many questioned whether or not it was an autobiography when it was first published.

Dracula

53. Dracula by Bram Stoker

Buy on Amazon

If you’re bored of the traditional historical adventures, we have an answer for you: vampires. More specifically, Dracula. Written by Bram Stoker, this novel the archetypical vampire fantasy in which the forces of good must battle against Dracula and the undead. Go here if you like creepy, electrifying adventures in Transylvania. 

Fantastical Adventures

Sometimes the best adventures are the ones that originate from our heads — and these fantasy adventure novels certainly bring us worlds that we couldn’t have begun to imagine for ourselves.

The Hobbit

54. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Buy on Amazon

One day while grading essays, JRR Tolkien wrote, “In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit,” on the back of a student’s paper. That single sentence launched this beloved children’s story about one unwilling hobbit who is dragged there (and back again) onto an adventure to the Misty Mountains.

The Phoenix on the Sword

55. The Phoenix on the Sword by Robert Ervin Howard

Buy on Amazon

One of the first stories that launched the legend of Conan the Cimmerian. Conceived by American writer Robert E. Howard, this sword and sorcery tale follows the adventures of its hero in the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age.


The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition (Earthsea Cycle)

56. The Books of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Buy on Amazon

Regarded by many as one of the most influential series in fantasy, Earthsea is also an adventure that takes readers across the mountains and plains of — where else? — Earthsea. A Wizard of Earthsea is the first book published in the series, introducing us to Ged, a young boy who will become Archmage.


Alanna: The First Adventure (The Song of the Lioness, Book 1)

57. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Buy on Amazon

A classic adventure for all young adults. When Alanna of Trebond switches places with her twin to train as a page at the castle of King Roald, she gets more than she bargained for. So begins her epic journey to become a legend in her land.


Stardust

58. Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Buy on Amazon

One of Neil Gaiman’s earlier works, it’s nonetheless one of the most charming coming-of-age adventures that you’ll find. Young Tristan Thorn grows up in the village of Wall, not once stepping foot into the magical land of Faerie that lies just beyond the border. That is, until a star falls in the distance and he tells his sweetheart that he will do anything to fetch it for her…


Gulliver's Travels

59. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

Buy on Amazon

Humorist Jonathan Swift chronicles the travels of Lemuel Gulliver in this satirical masterpiece of 1726. Read it if you like a healthy dash of satire with your adventure.


Arthurian Adventures

Camelot was the birthplace for many of the most famous adventures, from Gawain and the Green Knight to the eternal hunt for the Holy Grail. Here are some of the most classic novels that render King Arthur’s adventures faithfully.

Le Morte D'Arthur (Complete, Unabridged and Illustrated Edition)

60. Le Morte D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory

Buy on Amazon

Is there an adventure that’s more iconic than that of King Arthur and his Round Table? Sir Thomas Malory’s rendition of Camelot is perhaps the best compilation of this beloved tale, from the birth of Arthur to his ultimate death in Avalon.


The Once and Future King

61. The Once and Future King by T.H. White

Buy on Amazon

Based upon Le Morte d’Arthur, T.H. White’s The Once and Future King may be a more gentle reinterpretation of Arthur’s journey to become king — but it’s no less iconic or rich with adventure, danger, and intrigue.


Adventures in a Series

If one standalone book isn’t enough to sustain your thirst for adventure, check out these acclaimed adventure series.

Master and Commander

62. Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

Buy on Amazon

A cracking nautical adventure set during the Napoleonic Wars, English author Patrick O’Brian’s epic Master and Commander series is grounded by the friendship between Jack Aubrey, the Master and Commander of his ship, and Stephen Maturin, his naval surgeon.

Jurassic Park

63. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Buy on Amazon

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past two decades, you’ve probably heard of this story. In 1989, billionaire John Hammond contacts paleontologist Alan Grant and paleobotanist Ellie Sattler, inviting them to go on an adventure into the past — and the darkest parts of human ambition.


Sharpe's Tiger

64. Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell

Buy on Amazon

The Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell is famous for its exhilarating depictions of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars — and Sharpe’s Tiger is no exception. As the chronological first installment, it introduces readers to the “brilliant but wayward” hero and features a thrilling jaunt through India during the Siege of Seringapatam in 1799 to boot.


Non-Fiction Adventures

Nowhere is the phrase, “The truth is stranger than fiction,” more accurate than in the context of adventure non-fiction. These authors serve up true stories of some of the most daring, hazardous, and tragic journeys that humankind has ever undertaken.  

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

65. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Buy on Amazon

Bestselling author Jon Krakauer recounts his own experience climbing Everest. And it is a traumatizing story: Krakauer was a part of the doomed 1996 Mount Everest expedition, in which eight climbers were lost and many stranded by an errant storm.


The Great Railway Bazaar

66. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux

Buy on Amazon

Paul Theroux is one of America’s foremost travel writers, and he shows why in this seminal travelogue about his journey by train through Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. He returns by — what else? — the Trans-Siberian Railway.


Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

67. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Buy on Amazon

The international bestseller that’s been adapted into a Hollywood blockbuster starring Julia Roberts, Eat, Pray, Love is the true story of one woman’s search for truth. As it so happens, that quest takes her all over the world, from India to Indonesia.


Into the Wild

68. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Buy on Amazon

In 1990, Christopher Johnson McCandless gave away all of his money and left home, never to return. Two years later, he headed into the forest in Alaska, where his body would eventually be found. This is his story, related by adventure writer Jon Krakauer.

A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

69. A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain

Buy on Amazon

Anthony Bourdain’s exuberant, witty voice is as alive as ever in this bestselling book. Like other travel accounts, A Cook’s Tour documents Bourdain’s travels across the world. But there’s a twist in this fun travelogue: he’s in search of the perfect meal.


The Sea Runners

70. The Sea Runners by Ivan Doig

Buy on Amazon

Based on a true story, The Sea Runners is a riveting account of four indentured servants’ plot to escape their Russian work camp in Alaska. But their plans reach a snag when they encounter their greatest foe: the Pacific Northwest coast. Masterfully written, this book pits man against all the elements that nature can throw him.


Into The Heart Of Borneo

71. Into The Heart Of Borneo by Redmond Ohanlon

Buy on Amazon

If you’ve never read a travelogue, start with this one. In 1983, a group of three friends embark on an expedition to the center of Borneo. Written with wit and sincerity, writer Redmond O’Hanlon brings the jungles and wilds of Borneo alive in this treasure of a book.


A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

72. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Buy on Amazon

Bill Bryson is synonymous with humor when it comes to travel writing — and this might be one of his most famous installments. In the 1990s, Bryson takes up the challenge of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail with his friend Stephen Katz. Mishaps expectedly occur along this adventure. But, of course, it’s the journey and not the destination that counts.


A Voyage for Madmen

73. A Voyage for Madmen by Peter Nichols

Buy on Amazon

In 1968, nine men set out to race each other around the world on boat. Only one would eventually cross the finish line. This is the true story about that fateful race, its “sad, heroic characters,” and how one decision can spell life or death.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

74. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Buy on Amazon

Cheryl Strayed’s account of her trek along the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail instantly became a New York Times bestseller when it was published. Fans of Eat, Pray, Love will particularly fall in love with this book.


Green Hills of Africa

75. Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway

Buy on Amazon

One of Ernest Hemingway’s rare nonfiction books, Green Hills of Africa documents the month that he and his wife spent on a safari in East Africa. It’s a sparse, tightly-written book about the hunting that he pursued there, with some choice nuggets about writing interspersed in between.


Travels with Charley: In Search of America

76. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

Buy on Amazon

In 1960, John Steinbeck took a road trip around the United States with his poodle (who was named Charley). From New York to California and back again, Travels with Charley is a ruminative reflection of America and everything that the country Steinbeck loved stood for.


The Worst Journey in the World

77. The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Buy on Amazon

You might think the title is an exaggeration, but let us be the first to assure you it’s not. This book is a memoir of the tragic 1910 British Antarctic Expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott, who wished to be the first in the world to reach the South Pole. The entire party to the Pole died on the journey. This memoir, written by a man on the support team, explains why in grim detail.


Mark Twain - A Tramp Abroad: “Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”

78. A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain

Buy on Amazon

Famous for writing perhaps the greatest work of American literature in The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain was nevertheless an accomplished traveler. This book details his travels through central and southern Europe. A must-read, if only for his chapter on ants.


Mawson's Will: The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written

79. Mawson's Will by Lennard Bickel

Buy on Amazon

Sometimes adventures must be read in order to be believed. Douglas Mawson faced disease, snow, Herculean winds, the death of his dogs and only companions, starvation, and thirst — and still somehow survived while managing to map nearly 1,500 miles of the Antarctic coastline. This is the dramatic story of the expedition.


In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

80. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

Buy on Amazon

Welcome to the true story that inspired the events of Melville’s Moby-Dick. In 1820, a whaling expedition was foiled when a sperm whale sunk the ship, Essex. For three months afterward, the crew lived on three small boats, facing wild winds, the sea itself, and cannibalism to survive.


Wind, Sand and Stars

81. Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Buy on Amazon

The memoir of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry isn’t just a contemplation of life: it’s a full-fledged adventure book in its own right. Saint-Exupéry was an accomplished aviator and once crashed in 1935 in the Sahara Desert without water or food. This is his story.

In Patagonia

82. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin

Buy on Amazon

In November 1974, Bruce Chatwin flew to Peru and then made his way down to Patagonia. He would spend six months in the region, traveling over untraveled ground and writing down everything that he saw. This is the seminal work for anyone who wants to know more about this wild, beautiful, and desolate part of the world.

The Road to Oxiana

The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron

Buy on Amazon

Published in 1938, The Road to Oxiana is one of the premiere examples of travel writing. You might not want to miss out on Robert Byron’s account of his ten-month travels in the Middle East, credited by writer Paul Fussell as being to poetry what Ulysses was to the novel.

Adventure Books for Children and Teens

Ignite the spirit of adventure early! From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Wizard of Oz, these classic children's novels will show that people of any age can go on a journey.  

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Scholastic Gold)

84. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

Buy on Amazon

Avi’s popular tale of intrigue on the high seas. 13-year old Charlotte Doyle finds herself the only passenger on a sea voyage that bristles with danger. Features a murder trial, cruel captains, and a brave young girl who has to use all of her wits and resources if she wants to survive.


Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Wisehouse Classics - Original 1865 Edition with the Complete Illustrations by Sir John Tenniel)

85. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Buy on Amazon

Ready for an adventure that’s the darling of children’s book world? Lewis Carroll wrote this book in 1865 but Alice’s journey through Wonderland (which she enters by falling through a rabbit hole) remains one of the most cherished — and extraordinary — stories in English literature.


The Complete Chronicles of Narnia ( Boxed Set 7 Books )

86. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Buy on Amazon

This children’s classic all began with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, in which the four Pevensie siblings step into a wardrobe… and into Narnia, where an entirely magical journey begins. Complete with talking animals, evil queens, and Turkish Delights.

Bridge to Terabithia

87. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Buy on Amazon

When fifth grader Jesse Aarons befriends his new neighbor, Leslie Burke, a beautiful friendship — and kingdom — is born. Terabithia is the imaginary sanctuary of their minds, but the consequences of building it might be more tragic than they anticipated in this children’s book.


The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

88. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Lyman Frank Baum

Buy on Amazon

Does The Wizard of Oz even need an introduction? This whimsical story by Frank L. Baum turned into one of the most treasured children’s books in history, spawning spin-offs, sequels, movies, and even musicals. Follow Dorothy as she travels along the Yellow Brick Road in the magical Land of Oz, meeting a Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion in her quest to return back to Kansas.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

89. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Buy on Amazon

Edward Tulane is a china rabbit. Bet you didn’t expect that twist, did you? But life can get hard for china rabbits, as Edward falls into the sea and spends 297 days on the bottom of the ocean. One thing’s for certain: it’s a long way back to the surface.


Howl's Moving Castle

90. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Buy on Amazon

You haven’t really read an adventure unless you’ve read Diana Wynne Jones’ timeless Howl’s Moving Castle! This is the story about Sophie Hatter, the oldest of three sisters, and how she becomes an old crone and meets the powerful Wizard Howl. Delightful, charming, and twisty.


The BFG

91. The BFG by Roald Dahl

Buy on Amazon

Did you know that Big Friendly Giants provide the best adventures of all? That’s because of all the land they can cover with one stride — and you get an even better view if you’re sitting on their shoulders as they do so,. Follow Sophie and the BFG as they go into a world of frobscottles and snozzcumbers to battle the Fleshlumpeater.


The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread

92. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Buy on Amazon

You’ve probably never met a hero like Despereaux Tilling: a young but noble mouse. Now he is on a quest to rescue Princess Pea, a human girl, from evil rats. Beware of underestimating Despereaux: he might be small, but he’s as brave as the biggest adventurers.


Martin the Warrior: A Tale from Redwall

93. Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques

Buy on Amazon

Though Redwall is the first book that Brian Jacques published in the celebrated Redwall series Martin the Warrior is one of the first books chronologically — and it’s one of the more adventurous installments overall. A young heroic mouse named Martin escapes enslavement under the maniacal stout, Badrang the Tyrant. But then he must journey across the land to build an army that will be able to defeat Badrang once and for all.


The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure

94. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Buy on Amazon

The book that spawned the line, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” By turn brilliant, witty, romantic, and thrilling, The Princess Bride (along with Buttercup, Westley, and company) have enchanted hearts across the world. A rollicking adventure through a fantastical world that was later immortalized in film.


Coraline

95. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Buy on Amazon

Neil Gaiman came up with the idea for this book when he miswrote “Caroline” as “Coraline” one day. In this dark fantasy novella, Coraline Jones moves into an old house with a mysterious door. A neighbor tells her: “Don’t go through the door.” Of course, Coraline goes through the door — only to find a world that she could never have imagined.


Adventurous Short Stories

You don’t necessarily need 50,000 words to bring the thrill of adventure to life! If you only have 30 minutes on hand, the below short stories will be able to whet your appetite.

96. “The Sea Raiders” by H. G. Wells

Squid monsters. Need we say more? H.G. Wells wrote this short story in the fashion of Moby-Dick and the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but the tentacle-y thrills of this short story are all his own.

97. “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury

Time travel has become a reality in 2055 — and a company called Time Safari Inc is advertising a chance to travel back in time to hunt dinosaurs. A lot of things can go wrong — and they do, in this masterful short story by Ray Bradbury about the butterfly effect.

98. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London

As you might be able to tell already, Jack London had a thirst for adventure and the wild. His famous short story, “To Build a Fire,” deals with one man’s struggle against the arctic winter in the Yukon Territory.

99. “Sandkings” by George R. R. Martin

Before A Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin wrote this fantastically dark novelette that won the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Locus Award in 1980. Set on the fictional planet of Baldur, it’s about a playboy named Simon Kress who doubles as an exotic animal collector and one day comes across a terrarium filled with creatures called sandkings… and what happens next becomes the kind of dark adventure that only GRRM can write.

100. “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway was a big-game hunter, and he drew from his own experiences to write “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” In it, Francis Macomber, his wife, and a friend are in Africa hunting buffalo, which does not turn out as they wanted.

Continue reading

More posts from across the blog.

The 34 Best Thanksgiving Books to Read with Kids Over the Holidays

The 34 Best Thanksgiving Books to Read with Kids Over the Holidays

Thanksgiving might play second fiddle to Christmas when it comes to seasonal music and festive decor, but it’s one of our favorite holidays. Whether you’re chowing d...

Read post
130 Stephen King Short Stories

130 Stephen King Short Stories

Did you know that there are over 130 Stephen King short stories in existence? There’s no doubt that the man’s publishing career is impressive, but King was pe...

Read post
20 Magical Books Like Harry Potter

20 Magical Books Like Harry Potter

When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released, some of us thought we’d never find another worthy book series ...

Read post

Bring your stories to life

Our free writing app lets you set writing goals and track your progress, so you can finally write that book!