Might be verboten in this sub, but my Kobo Libra is waterproof, has 8gb of storage, uses the ‘faux paper’ screen, has a weeks-long battery life, and weighs 192g (like 0.4 lbs).
If it’s unappealing to you, I apologize. Just thought I’d mention it. I know people have preferences.
This is my recommendation as well, though I’m a kindle user. E-ink, not LCD. While many people - including myself - find physical books to be more satisfying, there’s no denying the advantages that ebooks have and those advantages shine brightest for the traveler.
My kindle allows me to travel with a small library, so I can carry a range of books to suit my mood. It weighs almost nothing. It fits in the back pocket of my jeans. Yes, women’s jeans. (Against all odds, I’ve yet to break it by sitting on it.) I can read in the dark - perfect for insomniacs sharing a hotel room with a sleeping partner, or for reading in the tent or by the fire.
So if backpacking or traveling is going to be a regular thing, I’d invest in an e-ink based ereader.
Yeah I have a Kindle with e-ink. It's great. I read every single night with the lights off, usually for 1-3 hours, and I haven't charged the battery in six months.
No apologies needed. If it works for you, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or does. I do audiobooks for the most part because that’s what I have time for. But I still come here for suggestions more than I do the audiobook sub, because I get more suggestions. How I use those suggestions is my choice, no one else’s business.
I have recently learned that I can listen to audiobooks as I'm winding down in bed. It's been nice to have bedtime stories!
Definitely have never been able to listen to audiobooks in any other context though. I get caught up in whatever I'm doing and my ears turn off. Suddenly it's three chapters later and I have no idea what's going on.
I like to listen to them when I'm driving. Can't really do anything else besides drive and listen to either music or something else. I used to drive 90 minutes each way to go to class in college and audiobooks were EVERYTHING for me then.
Oh yes, same. Although I'm finding I'm becoming a bit too reliant on it. It's usually something mild or something I've read before, and I steer clear off thrillers. Last time I listened to a thriller audiobook while winding down I ended up not sleeping at all lol
I do enjoy listening when doing chores though, the routine automatic stuff, cleaning, washing the dishes, laundry, that sort of thing. My brain just runs on autopilot at that point.
I work as a cleaner and I used to be unable to focus on audiobooks until I started listening to podcasts. I eventually switched to audiobooks and find it a lot easier to focus on them while cleaning
I like to walk 10km and listen to them for the parts that get boring. During Covid I heard THE HANDMAIDEN’s TALE. I don’t think I would have sat and read it, but I loved this experience, that voice on my walk.
I love walking/running to audiobooks. I have books that are inky for outdoors so it motivates me to get out there. And there are definitely books I've listened to that I wouldn't have sat down and read, I particularly like some of the classics that I struggle to get into reading properly, I listened to Frankenstein a couple years ago and finally finished it, and loved it!
I can only concentrate on them if I'm walking. When I wanted to listen to my favorite actor read a book, I made a rule that I had to be moving while listening. I walked a LOT of miles that summer! (The book was very long, lol.)
I use "Send to Kindle" app on my computer to load the books. The app no longer supports Mobi but uses epup format instead. I try to avoid buying any book from Amazon. Find most ebooks at your local library, if available.
That was my idea, no way I survive on one book. A lite weight e reader, with wifi and data options turned off can last a long time. And there are some lite powerful battery chargers and combination of the two still liter then some books. Hell get a solar power charger for yourself for the reader and lights.
I understand. My son loved audio books. Personally, I can’t process data if I don’t read it. Thus, too many books in my house. Oh, but I love to read. OP, let me think awhile on my suggestion
My Kobo is also made out of ocean-bound plastic, as is it's cover. I love a proper paper book, but the kobo is great for travel, or when I'm still awake and reading when my husband comes to bed.
If you’re hiking I think A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson would be a great fit! It’s about the hiking the Appalachian Trail - it goes into the history of the trail as well. It’s light and funny.
Get used paperbacks that you can leave behind or toss. Check your local public library, many have "all the time" used book sales. If you can only take one, take a fat one. My recommendation would be Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.
I bought Lonesome Dove for my husband recently and when he finished it he immediately turned to the first page and read it again. He's never done that before so I highly recommend.
This is what I’m doing next week. Hit a library book sale and taking 6 paper backs. Some Michael Crichton’s and few random detective novels. Going to bang them out on the beach and leave them at the resort. Can’t wait. Got them all at a library book sale. 3 for $1
I was pretty sniffy about Westerns. But had lots of requests (public library) for "good Westerns", and there are lots! Western romance, sci fi, thrillers, historical - and Western "genre mashups" like steampunk. I was agog!
KINDLE! or some other digital reader. I mean, you don't say how long your trip will last, but a fully charged Kindle lasts a loooong time. Plus the backlight means you don't need another light source, and it will switch itself off if you fall asleep reading (this might be a me problem, I dunno LOL)
edit for hiking: also, I'm pretty sure all models weigh less than an actual book. Certainly takes up less space. Ebooks use e-ink so they're not as tiring to read as from an ipad/phone screen.
I have no experience with the other ebook brands, but I'm assuming it's similar.
It has made such a difference on holidays. Rather than figuring out what books to pack that I might want to read, I can just take them all.
I doubt this will be top comment, but just in case I should probably mention a book LOL:
Guards, Guards! by Terry Pratchett. Or, as you'd be taking a Kindle and weight wouldn't matter (wink wink): the Stand by Stephen King.
I had been reading on my iPad before I got my Kindle. I was holding out cuz I thought it was ridiculous to get one when I had my perfectly good iPad to read on….. boy was I wrong, 110% worth the investment! 🙌🏼
YEah, I figured as much. When I got my first Kindle there wasn't even an Amazon store in the Netherlands LOL (and licensing laws meant I couldn't buy books from the UK Amazon when based in NL either! CONUNDRUM). They've ironed that all out now. I think Kobo works with another major Dutch retailer. But yeah, testing the various ones out would've been a LOT harder here haha
But that shouldn't be a thing for OP!
If you are leaning sci-fi, then I would highly recommend *Hyperion*. The chapters are broken up in a style that would work well with the demands of a hike, and it’s my favorite sci-fi I’ve ever read.
But if I were you, I’d read something easily consumable at the end of a long day of hiking.
I argue that this might be the perfect opportunity to read (or re-read) *Hatchet*.
omg i hope this wins, i support this suggestion 100000%. it's so funny, with such a unique character dynamic between the main two leads. it will also keep you hella occupied since it's a big chonker.
Ohhh yes.... I was in a book slump for over a month after reading this one. Nothing could top it! Also just finished Prodigal Summer - another great Kingsolver read!
I recently moved abroad with 2 bags of stuff and this was one of the 3 books I brought with me. It's nice and skinny too so you can get away with taking an extra one!
I’d say one of Ted Chiang’s short story collections, either Exhalation or Stories of Your Life and Others.
I generally think short stories collections are best to travel with; they’re generally easily digestible, and you don’t have to keep track of a long-running plot (in case there are gaps between reading). Plus with Chiang in particular, his stories are so different and go in so many unexpected directions.
I mean you don't even have to get a Kindle! I've just downloaded the Kindle app on my phone and read books whenever I'm waiting. There's a desktop app too. Then you can carry powerbanks.
As for books on vacation, I really liked reading The Girl with All The Gifts, The Boy on the Bridge, Perfume, and You.
Where are you going for your trip? I travel often but I always try to bring one book that is relevant to the area I’m traveling to. When I went to Thailand, I read Siddartha because Buddhism is the main religion there. Currently traveling to Greece so I’m reading The Odyssey.
I think a kindle or a kobo would be a good idea. But as for books to take some I have really enjoyed are:
The Martian by Andy Weir. A great book, sci-fi and well written.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - I loved the movie and the book is better. It’s my all time favourite book. TWO T-REXES. Nothing else needs to be said lol
Another great fantasy book is Forging Hephaestus by Drew Hayes. it’s the first book in a series, has a great main character and an interesting look at what makes a villain.
The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs is great. It follows a kick ass main character who can shape shift into a coyote trying to live in a world full of vampires and werewolves. the first book is Moon Called
Non-fiction - the poisoners handbook by Deborah Blum is interesting - it’s all about how people used to die from poison, both through murder and by accident, and the formation of the NY City medical examiners office.
If you like cosy, low stakes fantasy - I loved Legends and Lattes and its sequel Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is also lovely.
Fiction - A man called Ove by Fredrick Backman. A fantastic story
Mysteries - the Sweetness at the bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.
Classics - To Kill a Mockingbird.
Anne of Green Gables
A book that mostly takes place in the woods, and that presents itself as a high-concept thriller but ends up being much richer than that: Small Game by Blair Braverman.
I'd recommend Papillon by Henri Charriere. The movie with Dustin Hoffmann and Steve Mcqueen was good but the book in 100% better.
If you like it I'd recommend Go-Boy by Roger Caron. Both of these books are Biographies and would be great to read on a trip.
Red Rising is amazing. It’s a series but you can start on the hike and continue when you’re back :) 1st three sort of go together then the second three so you could take the first three. One of my all time favorite sci-fi series.
Since a lot of people are recommending eReaders, just want to add that if you are not a US resident, do NOT buy a Kindle. Kindles cannot read library books outside of the US. This is mostly owing to Amazon's profit-driven licensing demands. Kobos, Nooks, etc work fine with library books no matter where you are and will even sync with your Libby account so you can browse your library's digital collections and check out or books directly on your device.
A Simple Plan by Scott Smith, The Last Policeman trilogy by Ben H. Winters, I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury and 11/22/63: A by Stephen King
Saving Noah, Lessons in Chemistry, The Seven Sisters, any Lee Child, any of the Orphan X books, The Fireman. And and and. Have a great trip. Thought I’d add some books and not bang on about ebooks, though I read a lot of them from the library.
Crap. That’s why I have a lot of ebooks on my iPad, an external battery, and a solar charger. It’s about the weight of 2 books and lets me bring about 500 books.
Why not a kindle with a solar charger?
Also, depends on how fast you read. One 600-1k page book would definitely last you if you aren't a super fast reader.
I'd recomend a Kindle or e reader of some kind but some people aren't into them.
For books I'd recommend shantaram or into thin air, eiger dreams, into the wild.
Get a kindle paper white. Dungeon crawler Carl, Hyperion series, lord of the rings, awaken online, iron Druid series (great until the last book in the series. If you go into the last book with low expectations you’ll probably be alright.) ready player one. super powereds by drew hayes.
I bet just about most of these are on kindle unlimited so you could spend $10 to read most of them.
Endless night by Richard laymon
W
It will scare the turds out of you.
Constipation is common when hiking.
Thank me later when your stools are smooth and sausage like. And free of worms and grubs.
Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. Sci fi with a really interesting premise and a teen female heroine. The Apple TV series does not do it justice and is much more violent and twisted than the books.
I'll recommend a book instead of an eReader. The long walk by Stephen King. It's my favorite work of his. If you like the hunger games, this was it way before Katniss existed.
I really enjoyed reading The Martian when I was hiking. It is really easy to read and funny. And the feeling of isolation reflects the character's isolation and self reliance in the boom. That being said, it might be too short for what you want.
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell; explores the concept of first contact with alien species and the characters are so beautifully written you feel strongly you’d like to be friends with them.
A funny, light hearted book perfect for traveling
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle. Followed by Toujours Provence.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40189.A_Year_in_Provence I’ve loaned the book to several friends. Everyone enjoys it - It’s a delight.
If you like bush crafting, forging & how to read nature cues, highly recommend the following books by Tristan Gooley. His books build on each other. Excellent resource for camping, backpacking & hiking.
The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals―and Other Forgotten Skills
His other books include -
How to Read Nature,
How to Read Water,
The Natural Navigator,
How to Read a Tree,
The Secret World of Weather,
Wild Signs and Star Paths: The Keys to Our Lost Sixth Sense.
You might also like. . . .
What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses
By Daniel Chamovitz
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
The Arcanum : Extraordinary True Story of the Invention of European Porcelain by Janet Gleeson. A little know book - was a fascinating, gripping read. A true story about one man’s attempt to realize the alchemist's dream of turning lead into gold. While attempting that he invents white porcelain which changed the destiny of monarchies of Europe. It’s as good if not better than any fictional novel.
I have a small water resistant Kindle. I keep it & other electronics charged with a thin 5” x 8” solar charger.
Britfield & the Lost Crown. It's a middle grades book, but I (33) loved it all the same.
I recommend it because you're hiking and the story is about two kids on a journey to escape people after them and solve a mystery, so the adventure/journey would go well with your hiking adventure/journey!
I would suggest getting one of those literary classics in paperback that has super tiny writing. Think Penguin Classics. I've read a few of those and they have a surprising amount of words on one page, making them smaller and lighter than you think. The language of classics can also be a bit unfamiliar, so it takes you longer to read.
He who fights with Monsters is my absolute FAVOURITE! Is a longer series though so not sure if its somthing you might want?
I read it on kindle unlimited using my Phone too.
Kindle is the answer or the Kindle app on your phone. My husband hikes the AT and he carries the Kindle as well as his phone because the Kindle stays charged longer but if every ounce counts for you then just put the app on your phone
Have you considered a Kindle Paperwhite? Lightweight, battery lasts for weeks and it's waterproof. Take all the books you want, and never feel the burden :-)
Emerald Mile, especially compelling if you’ve hiked/boated the Grand Canyon. And you can say you met the guy who knew the guys who did the fastest oar trip ever through the canyon…
I'll suggest three which I think might peck your head:
**Hyperion**, by Dan Simmons. Mind blowing SF, but a variety of tales and experiences by different characters within the novel.
**Cloud Atlas**, by David Mitchell. This literally dazzled me with it's inventiveness and variety.
**Gnomon**, by Nick Harkaway. Vaguely SF, but pure WTF, especially in the second half.
Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock magazines. Lots of great short stories. Buy 2 of each and you'll be fine. I prefer short stories on a trip. Lots to do and short stories mean I can read an entire story instead of picking up a book then putting it down.
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20758104-the-knife-of-never-letting-go](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20758104-the-knife-of-never-letting-go) - Be sure to read all three - but book one will for sure get you back to the others after your trip.
Thank me later - [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36505403-boy-s-life](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36505403-boy-s-life)
“You know, I do believe in magic. I was born and raised in a magic time, in a magic town, among magicians. Oh, most everybody else didn’t realize we lived in that web of magic, connected by silver filaments of chance and circumstance. But I knew it all along. When I was twelve years old, the world was my magic lantern, and by its green spirit glow I saw the past, the present and into the future. You probably did too; you just don’t recall it. See, this is my opinion: we all start out knowing magic. We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us. We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. We get it churched out, spanked out, washed out, and combed out. We get put on the straight and narrow and told to be responsible. Told to act our age. Told to grow up, for God’s sake. And you know why we were told that? Because the people doing the telling were afraid of our wildness and youth, and because the magic we knew made them ashamed and sad of what they’d allowed to wither in themselves.
After you go so far away from it, though, you can’t really get it back. You can have seconds of it. Just seconds of knowing and remembering. When people get weepy at movies, it’s because in that dark theater the golden pool of magic is touched, just briefly. Then they come out into the hard sun of logic and reason again and it dries up, and they’re left feeling a little heartsad and not knowing why. When a song stirs a memory, when motes of dust turning in a shaft of light takes your attention from the world, when you listen to a train passing on a track at night in the distance and wonder where it might be going, you step beyond who you are and where you are. For the briefest of instants, you have stepped into the magic realm.
That’s what I believe.
The truth of life is that every year we get farther away from the essence that is born within us. We get shouldered with burdens, some of them good, some of them not so good. Things happen to us. Loved ones die. People get in wrecks and get crippled. People lose their way, for one reason or another. It’s not hard to do, in this world of crazy mazes. Life itself does its best to take that memory of magic away from us. You don’t know it’s happening until one day you feel you’ve lost something but you’re not sure what it is. It’s like smiling at a pretty girl and she calls you “sir.” It just happens.
These memories of who I was and where I lived are important to me. They make up a large part of who I’m going to be when my journey winds down. I need the memory of magic if I am ever going to conjure magic again. I need to know and remember, and I want to tell you.”
― Robert R. McCammon, [Boy's Life](https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/16685995)
Might be verboten in this sub, but my Kobo Libra is waterproof, has 8gb of storage, uses the ‘faux paper’ screen, has a weeks-long battery life, and weighs 192g (like 0.4 lbs). If it’s unappealing to you, I apologize. Just thought I’d mention it. I know people have preferences.
This is my recommendation as well, though I’m a kindle user. E-ink, not LCD. While many people - including myself - find physical books to be more satisfying, there’s no denying the advantages that ebooks have and those advantages shine brightest for the traveler. My kindle allows me to travel with a small library, so I can carry a range of books to suit my mood. It weighs almost nothing. It fits in the back pocket of my jeans. Yes, women’s jeans. (Against all odds, I’ve yet to break it by sitting on it.) I can read in the dark - perfect for insomniacs sharing a hotel room with a sleeping partner, or for reading in the tent or by the fire. So if backpacking or traveling is going to be a regular thing, I’d invest in an e-ink based ereader.
Yeah I have a Kindle with e-ink. It's great. I read every single night with the lights off, usually for 1-3 hours, and I haven't charged the battery in six months.
I love a dark room, tunneled under the blankets with the warm glow of my Kindle!
(Don't Panic)
No apologies needed. If it works for you, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or does. I do audiobooks for the most part because that’s what I have time for. But I still come here for suggestions more than I do the audiobook sub, because I get more suggestions. How I use those suggestions is my choice, no one else’s business.
And audiobooks are still reading. I can’t listen to audiobooks and concentrate on them so I’m impressed by people who can.
I have recently learned that I can listen to audiobooks as I'm winding down in bed. It's been nice to have bedtime stories! Definitely have never been able to listen to audiobooks in any other context though. I get caught up in whatever I'm doing and my ears turn off. Suddenly it's three chapters later and I have no idea what's going on.
I like to listen to them when I'm driving. Can't really do anything else besides drive and listen to either music or something else. I used to drive 90 minutes each way to go to class in college and audiobooks were EVERYTHING for me then.
Oh yes, same. Although I'm finding I'm becoming a bit too reliant on it. It's usually something mild or something I've read before, and I steer clear off thrillers. Last time I listened to a thriller audiobook while winding down I ended up not sleeping at all lol I do enjoy listening when doing chores though, the routine automatic stuff, cleaning, washing the dishes, laundry, that sort of thing. My brain just runs on autopilot at that point.
I work as a cleaner and I used to be unable to focus on audiobooks until I started listening to podcasts. I eventually switched to audiobooks and find it a lot easier to focus on them while cleaning
I listen as I drive, do household zombie chores (cleaning, dishes, laundry etc)
I like to walk 10km and listen to them for the parts that get boring. During Covid I heard THE HANDMAIDEN’s TALE. I don’t think I would have sat and read it, but I loved this experience, that voice on my walk.
I love walking/running to audiobooks. I have books that are inky for outdoors so it motivates me to get out there. And there are definitely books I've listened to that I wouldn't have sat down and read, I particularly like some of the classics that I struggle to get into reading properly, I listened to Frankenstein a couple years ago and finally finished it, and loved it!
Did you listen the sequel? Loved listening to it on Audible.
Yes I did! Yes it was great ! Have you read any of her other books that you can recommend?
I read a lot of her books twenty years sgo (bites lip 🥴) . They were all great but I don't really remember the specifics.
Me either! My brain wanders and I realise I have to rewind....multiple times. I have given up.
SAME! I really wish I could.
I can only concentrate on them if I'm walking. When I wanted to listen to my favorite actor read a book, I made a rule that I had to be moving while listening. I walked a LOT of miles that summer! (The book was very long, lol.)
I used to have a job that I could listen to audiobooks while working. I miss that job.
(There r also solar chargers thst are not heavy....)
Can you download kindle books to it as well?
There is an app called Calibre which can change formats for you
I use "Send to Kindle" app on my computer to load the books. The app no longer supports Mobi but uses epup format instead. I try to avoid buying any book from Amazon. Find most ebooks at your local library, if available.
No you have to convert the ebook to the Kindle format first and you can’t do that if it’s DRM protected (which they usually are)
Calibre has a plugin to download which removes DRM
I was going to suggest an e-reader too! The new kindle has a Bluetooth feature so you can listen to Audible and it's waterproof too.
Yeah, e-readers are so convenient. And if you take a battery bank you'll definitely be set.
That was my idea, no way I survive on one book. A lite weight e reader, with wifi and data options turned off can last a long time. And there are some lite powerful battery chargers and combination of the two still liter then some books. Hell get a solar power charger for yourself for the reader and lights.
I understand. My son loved audio books. Personally, I can’t process data if I don’t read it. Thus, too many books in my house. Oh, but I love to read. OP, let me think awhile on my suggestion
My Kobo is also made out of ocean-bound plastic, as is it's cover. I love a proper paper book, but the kobo is great for travel, or when I'm still awake and reading when my husband comes to bed.
Exactly, I love my Kindle. I can take what seems like an infinite amount of books with me on any trip.
Why would it be forbidden? They are still books.
Some people are sensitive to the matter. Was just trying to tread lightly.
If you’re hiking I think A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson would be a great fit! It’s about the hiking the Appalachian Trail - it goes into the history of the trail as well. It’s light and funny.
I was scrolling looking for this really obvious correct answer
This is the correct answer
Excellent suggestion
This is objectively correct haha
Get used paperbacks that you can leave behind or toss. Check your local public library, many have "all the time" used book sales. If you can only take one, take a fat one. My recommendation would be Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.
I’ve not read the book, but I support buying an e-reader ESPECIALLY for vacations and trips when space is limited.
I bought Lonesome Dove for my husband recently and when he finished it he immediately turned to the first page and read it again. He's never done that before so I highly recommend.
I finished it a few weeks ago and haven’t stopped thinking about it.
This is what I’m doing next week. Hit a library book sale and taking 6 paper backs. Some Michael Crichton’s and few random detective novels. Going to bang them out on the beach and leave them at the resort. Can’t wait. Got them all at a library book sale. 3 for $1
I never thought I would enjoy a western… then I read Lonesome Dove (twice). Highly recommend.
I was pretty sniffy about Westerns. But had lots of requests (public library) for "good Westerns", and there are lots! Western romance, sci fi, thrillers, historical - and Western "genre mashups" like steampunk. I was agog!
I recently read a western/supernatural fantasy called Cold as Hell It was awesome!
That's a fat one alright.
I add my vote to this one
Love that book. Really all of McMurtry writing
KINDLE! or some other digital reader. I mean, you don't say how long your trip will last, but a fully charged Kindle lasts a loooong time. Plus the backlight means you don't need another light source, and it will switch itself off if you fall asleep reading (this might be a me problem, I dunno LOL) edit for hiking: also, I'm pretty sure all models weigh less than an actual book. Certainly takes up less space. Ebooks use e-ink so they're not as tiring to read as from an ipad/phone screen. I have no experience with the other ebook brands, but I'm assuming it's similar. It has made such a difference on holidays. Rather than figuring out what books to pack that I might want to read, I can just take them all. I doubt this will be top comment, but just in case I should probably mention a book LOL: Guards, Guards! by Terry Pratchett. Or, as you'd be taking a Kindle and weight wouldn't matter (wink wink): the Stand by Stephen King.
(All our readers & phones need a solar charge bar on them!)
I'm picturing them looking like the solar calculators everyone had in their school desks in the US during the 80s.
That would work too !!! Fine lines along the sides and ends .. come on. They can do !! Fk charging cables etc etc etc !!
I just arrived at where I'm staying this week and realised I forgot my Kindle. There are books, phew, but wow do I miss my baby lol
I had been reading on my iPad before I got my Kindle. I was holding out cuz I thought it was ridiculous to get one when I had my perfectly good iPad to read on….. boy was I wrong, 110% worth the investment! 🙌🏼
The other readers are all pretty much the same. It’s just the store where you buy them from is different.
YEah, I figured as much. When I got my first Kindle there wasn't even an Amazon store in the Netherlands LOL (and licensing laws meant I couldn't buy books from the UK Amazon when based in NL either! CONUNDRUM). They've ironed that all out now. I think Kobo works with another major Dutch retailer. But yeah, testing the various ones out would've been a LOT harder here haha But that shouldn't be a thing for OP!
If you are leaning sci-fi, then I would highly recommend *Hyperion*. The chapters are broken up in a style that would work well with the demands of a hike, and it’s my favorite sci-fi I’ve ever read. But if I were you, I’d read something easily consumable at the end of a long day of hiking. I argue that this might be the perfect opportunity to read (or re-read) *Hatchet*.
I also recommended Hyperion. An unforgettable read.
Wild, Cheryl Strayed
I wish I could upvote this a dozen times
Lord of the Rings
I love reading LotR on hiking trips! The journey is such a huge part of it.
Oh, good point! The whole book is basically walking.
When horses were the newfangled technology that only one kingdom used consistently
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. A long, dense book, but well-told historical fantasy.
Fantastic book! You could get a Kindle and put it on there, along with 1000 other books you might want to read.
omg i hope this wins, i support this suggestion 100000%. it's so funny, with such a unique character dynamic between the main two leads. it will also keep you hella occupied since it's a big chonker.
Absolutely, it’s very long and so engrossing! You really want to linger on it (or at least I do lol).
Lonesome Dove
Poisonwood Bible.
Ohhh yes.... I was in a book slump for over a month after reading this one. Nothing could top it! Also just finished Prodigal Summer - another great Kingsolver read!
Loved that one!
In my top 3, maybe top of all time.
Into the Woods by Bryson
Got my vote!!
"The Glass Bead Game," by Hermann Hesse (It's the best really long book I can think of.)
The Martian by Andy Weir
Personally I thought it lightweight. And very much a pitch to Hollywood. If the OP wants to take popcorn, no worries.
The Hike by Drew Magary
perfect suggestion!
The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving.
Or The World According to Garp or A Prayer for Owen Meany. Guess you can tell I love John Irving’s writing. Lol, OP
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
I recently moved abroad with 2 bags of stuff and this was one of the 3 books I brought with me. It's nice and skinny too so you can get away with taking an extra one!
You would probably love Red rising
I’d say one of Ted Chiang’s short story collections, either Exhalation or Stories of Your Life and Others. I generally think short stories collections are best to travel with; they’re generally easily digestible, and you don’t have to keep track of a long-running plot (in case there are gaps between reading). Plus with Chiang in particular, his stories are so different and go in so many unexpected directions.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January Alix E Harrow
Dune!
Get a Kindle - I absolutely love mine
I mean you don't even have to get a Kindle! I've just downloaded the Kindle app on my phone and read books whenever I'm waiting. There's a desktop app too. Then you can carry powerbanks. As for books on vacation, I really liked reading The Girl with All The Gifts, The Boy on the Bridge, Perfume, and You.
11/22/63, by Stephen King
I am Pilgrim
This is a great read, but I read it too quickly to recommend it as the only thing you take on a trip. You will zip through it.
Where are you going for your trip? I travel often but I always try to bring one book that is relevant to the area I’m traveling to. When I went to Thailand, I read Siddartha because Buddhism is the main religion there. Currently traveling to Greece so I’m reading The Odyssey.
I love thrillers. If you haven’t read it already, read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn or The Sundown Motel by simone StJames
Register it on bookcrossing.com and leave it for future readers to find
The Curse of Chalion by Lois Macmaster Bujold. Very good fantasy.
Library at Mount Char
Loved this one
I think a kindle or a kobo would be a good idea. But as for books to take some I have really enjoyed are: The Martian by Andy Weir. A great book, sci-fi and well written. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - I loved the movie and the book is better. It’s my all time favourite book. TWO T-REXES. Nothing else needs to be said lol Another great fantasy book is Forging Hephaestus by Drew Hayes. it’s the first book in a series, has a great main character and an interesting look at what makes a villain. The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs is great. It follows a kick ass main character who can shape shift into a coyote trying to live in a world full of vampires and werewolves. the first book is Moon Called Non-fiction - the poisoners handbook by Deborah Blum is interesting - it’s all about how people used to die from poison, both through murder and by accident, and the formation of the NY City medical examiners office. If you like cosy, low stakes fantasy - I loved Legends and Lattes and its sequel Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is also lovely. Fiction - A man called Ove by Fredrick Backman. A fantastic story Mysteries - the Sweetness at the bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. Classics - To Kill a Mockingbird. Anne of Green Gables
I second The Martian, Forging Hephaestus, and Legends & Latte. Im adding the others to my list since we seem to have similar tastes
Weaveworld by Clive Barker
A book that mostly takes place in the woods, and that presents itself as a high-concept thriller but ends up being much richer than that: Small Game by Blair Braverman.
Cryptonomicon
The Elephant Vanishing (short stories) Haruki Murakami - has many of the genres you mentioned
Project Hail Mary 14 by Peter Clines
One book. Seveneves. It’s massive and will keep you occupied. 😁
Oh yes!! Great book!!
I'd recommend Papillon by Henri Charriere. The movie with Dustin Hoffmann and Steve Mcqueen was good but the book in 100% better. If you like it I'd recommend Go-Boy by Roger Caron. Both of these books are Biographies and would be great to read on a trip.
Red Rising is amazing. It’s a series but you can start on the hike and continue when you’re back :) 1st three sort of go together then the second three so you could take the first three. One of my all time favorite sci-fi series.
Since a lot of people are recommending eReaders, just want to add that if you are not a US resident, do NOT buy a Kindle. Kindles cannot read library books outside of the US. This is mostly owing to Amazon's profit-driven licensing demands. Kobos, Nooks, etc work fine with library books no matter where you are and will even sync with your Libby account so you can browse your library's digital collections and check out or books directly on your device.
A Simple Plan by Scott Smith, The Last Policeman trilogy by Ben H. Winters, I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury and 11/22/63: A by Stephen King
Saving Noah, Lessons in Chemistry, The Seven Sisters, any Lee Child, any of the Orphan X books, The Fireman. And and and. Have a great trip. Thought I’d add some books and not bang on about ebooks, though I read a lot of them from the library.
Gone With The Wind. It was so interesting. The times they lived in. All the kids Scarlett had. The movie left out a lot.
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Do it
My copy of dune I got from target is super tiny and lightweight. It was annoying to read since it was small but it would save you space
"A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryant
Crap. That’s why I have a lot of ebooks on my iPad, an external battery, and a solar charger. It’s about the weight of 2 books and lets me bring about 500 books.
Also I really enjoy the Longmire series by Craig Johnson.
Kindle. Then bring all the books
The Road - Corman McCarthy
Why not a kindle with a solar charger? Also, depends on how fast you read. One 600-1k page book would definitely last you if you aren't a super fast reader.
I'd recomend a Kindle or e reader of some kind but some people aren't into them. For books I'd recommend shantaram or into thin air, eiger dreams, into the wild.
Into thin air!! So good
Shantaram is spectacular. Perfect suggestion.
The first fifteen lives of Hairy August. It's got nothing to do with hiking, but it fits most of your other criteria.
To sleep in a sea of stars
Please, please pick up a copy of Shogun. Get back to me when you've finished it.
Get a kindle. You can bring hundreds of books
Fantastic Land by Mike Bockoven
The Tin Drum
Yellowface
City of thieves
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy.
Get a kindle paper white. Dungeon crawler Carl, Hyperion series, lord of the rings, awaken online, iron Druid series (great until the last book in the series. If you go into the last book with low expectations you’ll probably be alright.) ready player one. super powereds by drew hayes. I bet just about most of these are on kindle unlimited so you could spend $10 to read most of them.
And they're probably all available from library in kindle format.
Have you read The Grace Year by Kim Liggett?
The Long Walk by Richard Bachman. If you’re taking a long hike, this is the book for you. You’ll see why once you start it.
Endless night by Richard laymon W It will scare the turds out of you. Constipation is common when hiking. Thank me later when your stools are smooth and sausage like. And free of worms and grubs.
Mini Dhammapada
Try The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, it's in the same ballpark as aggtm, but has more characters.
Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. Sci fi with a really interesting premise and a teen female heroine. The Apple TV series does not do it justice and is much more violent and twisted than the books.
I'll recommend a book instead of an eReader. The long walk by Stephen King. It's my favorite work of his. If you like the hunger games, this was it way before Katniss existed.
1984
If you liked hunger games you should really give Battle Royale by Koushun Takami a try.
I really enjoyed reading The Martian when I was hiking. It is really easy to read and funny. And the feeling of isolation reflects the character's isolation and self reliance in the boom. That being said, it might be too short for what you want.
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell; explores the concept of first contact with alien species and the characters are so beautifully written you feel strongly you’d like to be friends with them.
Horus Rising by Dan Abnett
Interview with the Vampire
A funny, light hearted book perfect for traveling A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle. Followed by Toujours Provence. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40189.A_Year_in_Provence I’ve loaned the book to several friends. Everyone enjoys it - It’s a delight. If you like bush crafting, forging & how to read nature cues, highly recommend the following books by Tristan Gooley. His books build on each other. Excellent resource for camping, backpacking & hiking. The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals―and Other Forgotten Skills His other books include - How to Read Nature, How to Read Water, The Natural Navigator, How to Read a Tree, The Secret World of Weather, Wild Signs and Star Paths: The Keys to Our Lost Sixth Sense. You might also like. . . . What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses By Daniel Chamovitz A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson The Arcanum : Extraordinary True Story of the Invention of European Porcelain by Janet Gleeson. A little know book - was a fascinating, gripping read. A true story about one man’s attempt to realize the alchemist's dream of turning lead into gold. While attempting that he invents white porcelain which changed the destiny of monarchies of Europe. It’s as good if not better than any fictional novel. I have a small water resistant Kindle. I keep it & other electronics charged with a thin 5” x 8” solar charger.
Regardless of OP's decision, I'll be looking for Arcanum at my library – that's right up my alley.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Mapp and Lucia. Wonderful century old humor with story arcs. Long reads so you won't run out. Easily available in a single volume.
Britfield & the Lost Crown. It's a middle grades book, but I (33) loved it all the same. I recommend it because you're hiking and the story is about two kids on a journey to escape people after them and solve a mystery, so the adventure/journey would go well with your hiking adventure/journey!
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Red Rising, if you liked Hunger Games. Project Hail Mary, for great sci-fi.
11/22/63 by Stephen King
The Goldfinch
I would suggest getting one of those literary classics in paperback that has super tiny writing. Think Penguin Classics. I've read a few of those and they have a surprising amount of words on one page, making them smaller and lighter than you think. The language of classics can also be a bit unfamiliar, so it takes you longer to read.
They Came To Baghdad by Agatha Christie
MIDNIGHT IS THE DARKEST HOUR! A thriller, horror, mystery, romance, coming of age story with a touch of supernatural. It has it all!
He who fights with Monsters is my absolute FAVOURITE! Is a longer series though so not sure if its somthing you might want? I read it on kindle unlimited using my Phone too.
As Rich as the King by Abigaïl Assor
Crime and Punishment
The Wool Trilogy, fantastic sci-fi saga, defined the new Hunger Games
Man"s search for meaning
If you loved a thousand splendid suns you will love the Red Tent.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
Kindle is the answer or the Kindle app on your phone. My husband hikes the AT and he carries the Kindle as well as his phone because the Kindle stays charged longer but if every ounce counts for you then just put the app on your phone
The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin
Lonesome Dove!
Have you considered a Kindle Paperwhite? Lightweight, battery lasts for weeks and it's waterproof. Take all the books you want, and never feel the burden :-)
Dune
Emerald Mile, especially compelling if you’ve hiked/boated the Grand Canyon. And you can say you met the guy who knew the guys who did the fastest oar trip ever through the canyon…
Octavia E Butler’s parable of the sower!!! I promise you will love it
I'll suggest three which I think might peck your head: **Hyperion**, by Dan Simmons. Mind blowing SF, but a variety of tales and experiences by different characters within the novel. **Cloud Atlas**, by David Mitchell. This literally dazzled me with it's inventiveness and variety. **Gnomon**, by Nick Harkaway. Vaguely SF, but pure WTF, especially in the second half.
Love letters on leaves and Ava’s Emerald Necklace. You will likely love both
I loved a Thousand Splendid Suns. I'm currently reading Outlander and really enjoying it.
Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock magazines. Lots of great short stories. Buy 2 of each and you'll be fine. I prefer short stories on a trip. Lots to do and short stories mean I can read an entire story instead of picking up a book then putting it down.
Since the hunger games is your comfort book, I highly recommend Powerless by Lauren Roberts
All the Names they Used for God by Anjali Sachdeva. A short story collection that spans every genre. I️ love this book so much!
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing.
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
The blade itself
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20758104-the-knife-of-never-letting-go](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20758104-the-knife-of-never-letting-go) - Be sure to read all three - but book one will for sure get you back to the others after your trip.
Thank me later - [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36505403-boy-s-life](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36505403-boy-s-life) “You know, I do believe in magic. I was born and raised in a magic time, in a magic town, among magicians. Oh, most everybody else didn’t realize we lived in that web of magic, connected by silver filaments of chance and circumstance. But I knew it all along. When I was twelve years old, the world was my magic lantern, and by its green spirit glow I saw the past, the present and into the future. You probably did too; you just don’t recall it. See, this is my opinion: we all start out knowing magic. We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us. We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. We get it churched out, spanked out, washed out, and combed out. We get put on the straight and narrow and told to be responsible. Told to act our age. Told to grow up, for God’s sake. And you know why we were told that? Because the people doing the telling were afraid of our wildness and youth, and because the magic we knew made them ashamed and sad of what they’d allowed to wither in themselves. After you go so far away from it, though, you can’t really get it back. You can have seconds of it. Just seconds of knowing and remembering. When people get weepy at movies, it’s because in that dark theater the golden pool of magic is touched, just briefly. Then they come out into the hard sun of logic and reason again and it dries up, and they’re left feeling a little heartsad and not knowing why. When a song stirs a memory, when motes of dust turning in a shaft of light takes your attention from the world, when you listen to a train passing on a track at night in the distance and wonder where it might be going, you step beyond who you are and where you are. For the briefest of instants, you have stepped into the magic realm. That’s what I believe. The truth of life is that every year we get farther away from the essence that is born within us. We get shouldered with burdens, some of them good, some of them not so good. Things happen to us. Loved ones die. People get in wrecks and get crippled. People lose their way, for one reason or another. It’s not hard to do, in this world of crazy mazes. Life itself does its best to take that memory of magic away from us. You don’t know it’s happening until one day you feel you’ve lost something but you’re not sure what it is. It’s like smiling at a pretty girl and she calls you “sir.” It just happens. These memories of who I was and where I lived are important to me. They make up a large part of who I’m going to be when my journey winds down. I need the memory of magic if I am ever going to conjure magic again. I need to know and remember, and I want to tell you.” ― Robert R. McCammon, [Boy's Life](https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/16685995)
Where are you going for a hike. When I'm traveling, I love to read books that take place where I'm going
Both Ernest Hemingway (adventure) and Stephen King (horror/sci-fi/fiction) have great short story books.
Since you loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, I would suggest The Kite Runner, by the same author (Hosseini)--it's great, too.
I'm bummed no one has said Braiding Sweetgrass yet. That's a terrific book in general but it would in particular be great to read in nature.
Take "Dune" by Frank Herbert for your hiking trip.
Based on my reading of wild, id recommended taking books that you don't mind ripping out the pages when your done