The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

30.6 - Exploration & High Adventure! (Kiri's Task)
It's Fall, time to return from our summer travels and lazy days, but we don't have to give it all up. In honor of GIS Day (the 3rd Wednesday of November!) Read two books of non-fiction that travel the world exploring the boundaries of existence. This page might help you.
A. Read one book focusing on an extreme experience involving travel or exploration of some sort (example climb everest, reaching the south pole, discovering the amazon) (See Requirements for further explanation)

B. Read about an explorer, navigator, discoverer, adventurer, or journeyer you've never heard of (or read) of before.

Requirements:
     • It must be a narrative.
     • No Frommers, Lonely Planet, etc
     • Must meet basic SRC guidelines (over 100 pages for each book)
     • Task A does not include X-treme sports like skateboarding or something in the Red Bull games. This is exploration and endurance in terms of exploration and travel ONLY. Climbing everest in that capacity qualifies. Someone climbing Everest only to break a world record - doesn't.

     • Task B is for more regular "arm-chair" travel and exploration. Although it can still be in the extreme category if the reader would like. Broaden your horizons, go somewhere you've never been or are likely to go - even on vacation - especially in a way you've never thought of.

Questions: I will answer questions as quickly as possible. My schedule this fall is past insane. I'll ask for a little leeway if I don't get back to you immediately. I am out here just incredibly busy. No questions will go unanswered. =)

For your convenience I'll do my best to keep a list of approved and unapproved books in posts 2 & 3, hopefully with links to the why on the unapproved.

Suggestion:
There are several book from this group Survivalist that would qualify for either task, although I do think most will fall into Task A.

This page from Wikipedia might help you too.

Approved Books For Fall 2010

Task A:
Ships of Wood And Men of Iron: A Norwegian-Canadian Saga of Exploration in the High Artic by Gerard Kenney
The Last Frontier: Incredible Tales of Survival, Exploration, and Adventure from Alaska Magazine by Jill Shepherd
The Forgotten Explorer: Samuel Prescott Fay's 1914 Expedition to the Northern Rockies



Task B:
Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman
Stealing from a Deep Place: Travels in Southeastern Europe by Brian Hall
The Travels of Ibn Battuta to Central Asia by Ibn Battuta
The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo
Daughters of Britannia: The Lives and Times of Diplomatic Wives by Katie Hickman
Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer (movie book not allowed)

1421: The Year China Discovered America by Gavin Menzies Suggested by Jen C.

Unapproved Books For Fall 2010
The Terror ( why )

Cool! For Part A, would you take The Terror? I believe it is a fictionalized account of a true voyage of two ships attempting to find the Arctic Passage back in the mid-1800s. I'm not sure if this fictionalized history sort of book would count.

This book may work for both tasks: 1421: The Year China Discovered America by Gavin Menzies. I've read it and it is a VERY interesting and compelling arguement for China discovering the Americas (and other continents) long before Europeans even had the technology. It discusses individual Chinese explorers as well as the extreme conditions under which they explored. Of course, ultimate approval lies with Kiri, but I do recommend it as a great read.

Would this work for Task A?
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon
They were exploring the Amazon before they got lost.

Another possibilily for A: Alicia by Alicia Appleman-Jurman. She travels extensively for survival, hiding from Nazis. Very similar to Anne Frank, but this woman survives. My husband met her when she came to speak at his high school!

Ashley FL wrote: "Cool! For Part A, would you take The Terror? I believe it is a fictionalized account of a true voyage of two ships attempting to find the Arctic Passage back in the mid-1800s. I'm no..."

Ashley it looks like a great book, and I hope you can fit it into another task, but this task requires non-fiction. =)

For Part A, would Coyotes: A Journey Through the Secret World of America's Illegal Aliens or Hell's Angels work?

For Part B, would The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America work?

Would either Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival, The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon or Antarctic Navigation work for Part A?

(interesting task!!)

Kiri wrote: "Ashley FL wrote: "Cool! For Part A, would you take The Terror? I believe it is a fictionalized account of a true voyage of two ships attempting to find the Arctic Passage back in the ..." I was planning to use it for the wilderness task, so no worries.

Since so many non-fiction narratives have fictionalized parts (conversations, etc.), do you have any pointers? Should we go by whether it is shelved as fiction or non-fiction?

JenC. wrote: "This book may work for both tasks: 1421: The Year China Discovered America by Gavin Menzies. I've read it and it..."

I'm going to approve it for Task B. =)

This one might work for part B: Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. It is supposed to be wonderful, but it is almost 1200 pages - not for the faint of heart! I keep it in my to-read pile, but it is a challenge all on its own.

Would Racing the White Silence: On the Trail of the Yukon Quest or Rowing to Latitude: Journeys Along the Arctic's Edge work for A?

Would Around The World In 80 Dates work for B? And would Shipwreck: A Saga of Sea Tragedy and Sunken Treasure work for A?

Please post your questions in the 30.6 Kiri's task thread