Winter Reading Challenge 2026: Personal JourneysLike this list

12 items

• On the Hippie Trail

  Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer

  Steves, Rick, 1955-

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  The author recounts his 1978 journey along the legendary trail as a young up and coming travel writer.

• A Walk in the Park

  the True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon

  Fedarko, Kevin,

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  The author recounts his life-changing trek along the length of the Grand Canyon, all the while living in its wilderness along the rims and the Colorado River.

• Wild

  From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

  Strayed, Cheryl, 1968-

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  Why did Wild become a household name among adventure memoirs? Besides its beautiful writing and entertaining stories, it’s because the book weaves together Cheryl Strayed’s transformative Pacific Crest Trail hike with her deeply personal life…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Everything Left to Remember

  My Mother, Our Memories, and a Journey Through the Rocky Mountains

  Jagger, Steph,

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  The author and her mother, who is suffering from Alzheimers, travel through multiple national parks, revisiting the memories and mountains that made them who they are.

• Into the Wild

  Krakauer, Jon,

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  Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a gripping and thought-provoking non-fiction adventure that chronicles the extraordinary journey of Christopher McCandless, who famously gave up his possessions and set out into the raw, unforgiving Alaskan…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Riverman

  An American Odyssey

  McGrath, Ben,

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  The true story of Dick Conant who solo canoed thousands of American rivers over the course of more than 20 years, before disappearing off the coast of North Carolina in 2016.

• The Stranger in the Woods

  the Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

  Finkel, Michael

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  A true story about a man who spent almost 30 years subsisting in the Maine woods alone, surviving by stealing from nearby cabins and never speaking with others.

• The Third Pole

  Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest

  Synnott, Mark,

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  "Veteran climber Mark Synnott never planned on climbing Mount Everest, but a hundred-year mystery lured him into an expedition--and an awesome history of passionate adventure, chilling tragedy, and human aspiration unfolded." (from the catalog)

• The Year of Living Danishly

  Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country

  Russell, Helen, 1980-

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  The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell is a hilarious and insightful account of her year living in Denmark after moving from London when her husband took a job at LEGO’s headquarters. As a writer seeking answers, she dives into what makes…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Leave Only Footprints

  Knighton, Conor,

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  Leave Only Footprints by Conor Knighton is a heartfelt and fun-filled journey through America’s national parks, inspired by his 2016 adventure to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service—though the book was published in 2020.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• To Shake the Sleeping Self

  a Journey From Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life With No Regret

  Jenkins, Jedidiah,

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  To Shake the Sleeping Self: To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins is an inspiring and heartfelt memoir about his 16-month bicycle journey from the Oregon Coast all the way to the tip of Patagonia. On his thirtieth birthday, Jenkins realized…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Out of the Silence

  After the Crash

  Strauch Urioste, Eduardo, 1947-

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  Out of the Silence: Decades after the tragic crash of the Andes flight, a climber found survivor Eduardo Strauch’s wallet near the site and returned it to him, prompting Strauch to finally "break the silence of the mountains." In this raw and…Read moreRead more of this annotation