Bookworm Cottage Style

I love a great adventure story — something grand and propulsive and plot-driven that crisscrosses the globe, allowing me to travel from the comfort of my couch. Each of these books feature an adventure of some sort. Some are literary and thought-provoking, some are emotional and inward-looking, and others are just plain fun. I have read and enjoyed all of these, and think any of them would be great picks to add to your summer reading list.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (2021; 592 pages) // This showed up on my February mood reading list as well, and it is quickly becoming one of my favorites. As a refresher, this page-turning adventure story follows two brothers and two escaped convicts who set out on a cross-country road trip over the span of one week. I really loved the brothers (especially the precocious little brother) and the larger-than-life feel about the book. As someone who really enjoyed Amor Towles’ previous books, A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility, I can honestly say I like this one even better – it’s just so much fun!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (2021; 496 pages) // From the author of The Martian, this book is (also) about a man who wakes up alone in space and is determined to survive. What makes this book different from the Martian is the introduction of an unlikely friendship — my absolute favorite type of storytelling. This book is truly one of my all-time favorites — propulsive, witty, and unputdownable. I’ve heard it’s great on audio too. The film adaptation is apparently set to be released in May 2026 and will star Ryan Gosling as the title character.

Holes by Louis Sachar (2000; 288 pages) // I read this in fourth grade and remember loving it. Then I reread it a few years ago (roughly 20 years later) and wow… it holds up! I still give it 5/5 stars. This middle grade novel is about a boy sent to a labor camp after being falsely charged with stealing a pair of shoes. While digging holes at the labor camp, he unearths an artifact that sheds light on the town’s history and sends him and his camp-mate on a grand adventure. Like Project Hail Mary, this is another excellent friendship story, and I can’t recommend it highly enough to kids and adults alike. Holes also won the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (2006; 352 pages) // In this memoir, author Elizabeth Gilbert flees a failing marriage and her comfortable life in the U.S. to spend a year enjoying food and beauty in Italy, reconnecting with her spirituality in India, and finding balance in Bali. As much as I love Julia Roberts, the movie does not do this one justice. If you enjoy memoirs, this is one of the best in the genre.

James, by Percival Everett (2024; 320 pages) // This newly-released book is a retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of James (Jim), the enslaved man who escapes bondage in search of freedom for himself and his family. Even though I haven’t actually read Huck Finn, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. (I did appreciate this substack from Fiction Matters about 6 things to know about Huck Finn before reading James.) Despite being a retelling of a classic, this book did not feel like work. It was a quick, enjoyable read. This was my second title from author Percival Everett (I read The Trees last year or the year before) and I am excited to dive deeper into his backlist. He is fantastic at using both humor and suspense to draw readers’ attention to systemic racism.

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan (2018; 352 pages) // Washington Black is that rare combination of page turning and thought-provoking. In this book, an enslaved boy named Wash is sent to accompany an eccentric naturalist on cross-continental scientific adventures. As the years progress Wash explores his own identity as a free man, allowing the reader to explore what freedom really means in the context of systemic racism. If you’re looking for a smart, deep, adventerous read, look no further! This 2018 book was named one of the 10 best books of the year by the New York Times and was a Booker Prize finalist.

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (2022; 672 pages) // This book took me a little while to get into but once it all came together… wow! Great Circle is a historical fiction novel about a female pilot growing up during prohibition who ends up flying planes all over the world until her mysterious post-war disappearance, and the present-day Hollywood actress cast to play her in a biopic roughly a century later. The book is kind of a slow burn, but readers who appreciate dual timeline historical fiction and richly layered stories will be rewarded. This book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and a finalist for the Women’s Prize.

What other adventure books should I add to my beach bag this summer?