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The ReadDown

30 Books You Should Read Outside

Oh the weather outside is delightful, and to read outside is vital. Literary landscapes are all around us–gardens, park benches, beaches, road trips–you name the place, we’ll bring the book.

  1. 1
    To Shake the Sleeping Self Book Cover Picture
    To Shake the Sleeping Self Book Cover Picture

    To Shake the Sleeping Self

    by Jedidiah Jenkins

    Find yourself in the great outdoors as you journey from Oregon to Patagonia.
    To Shake the Sleeping Self Book Cover Picture
    To Shake the Sleeping Self Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  2. 2
    The Music Shop Book Cover Picture
    The Music Shop Book Cover Picture

    The Music Shop

    by Rachel Joyce

    Nothing like a great novel to escape the humdrum – dive in to this great read!
    The Music Shop Book Cover Picture
    The Music Shop Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  3. 3
    The Waking Land Book Cover Picture
    The Waking Land Book Cover Picture

    The Waking Land

    by Callie Bates

    “Returning to the homeland of magical legends she has forsaken, Elanna is forced to reckon with her despised, estranged father, branded a traitor long ago. Feeling a strange, deep connection to the natural world, she also must face the truth about the forces she has always denied or disdained as superstition—powers that suddenly stir within her.”
    The Waking Land Book Cover Picture
    The Waking Land Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  4. 4
    The Proposal Book Cover Picture
    The Proposal Book Cover Picture

    The Proposal

    by Jasmine Guillory

    Can’t you just imagine diving into a juicy romance novel while relaxing in the grass? The Proposal is sweet, escapist, and smart.
    The Proposal Book Cover Picture
    The Proposal Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  5. 5
    Stalker Book Cover Picture
    Stalker Book Cover Picture

    Stalker

    by Lars Kepler

    Nothing like a spine-tingling thriller to keep you glued to a book. Grab this page-turner and find a comfy spot under the trees!
    Stalker Book Cover Picture
    Stalker Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  6. 6
    Mosquitoland Book Cover Picture
    Mosquitoland Book Cover Picture

    Mosquitoland

    by David Arnold

    Reading this epic road trip through the USA requires some fresh air.
    Mosquitoland Book Cover Picture
    Mosquitoland Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  7. 7
    The Secret Garden Book Cover Picture
    The Secret Garden Book Cover Picture

    The Secret Garden

    by Frances Hodgson Burnett

    How magically meta it would be to have lunch in a secret garden while reading The Secret Garden.
    The Secret Garden Book Cover Picture
    The Secret Garden Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  8. 8
    The Signature of All Things Book Cover Picture
    The Signature of All Things Book Cover Picture

    The Signature of All Things

    by Elizabeth Gilbert

    Another book meant to be read beside a flower bed.
    The Signature of All Things Book Cover Picture
    The Signature of All Things Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  9. 9
    Walden & Civil Disobedience Book Cover Picture
    Walden & Civil Disobedience Book Cover Picture

    Walden & Civil Disobedience

    by Henry David Thoreau

    Drop the iPhone, escape society, and reflect on your natural surroundings.
    Walden & Civil Disobedience Book Cover Picture
    Walden & Civil Disobedience Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  10. 10
    A Walk in the Woods Book Cover Picture
    A Walk in the Woods Book Cover Picture

    A Walk in the Woods

    by Bill Bryson

    Start an outdoor book club with your partner in crime; laugh out loud.
    A Walk in the Woods Book Cover Picture
    A Walk in the Woods Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  11. 11
    Nature and Selected Essays Book Cover Picture
    Nature and Selected Essays Book Cover Picture

    Nature and Selected Essays

    by Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Frolic through the park and an exploration of nature’s beauty.
    Nature and Selected Essays Book Cover Picture
    Nature and Selected Essays Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  12. 12
    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass Book Cover Picture
    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass Book Cover Picture

    Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass

    by Lewis Carroll

    Sit below a shaded tree while you fall down the rabbit hole.
    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass Book Cover Picture
    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  13. 13
    Grasshopper Jungle Book Cover Picture
    Grasshopper Jungle Book Cover Picture

    Grasshopper Jungle

    by Andrew Smith

    Reading this strange adventure outdoors may cure your fear of bugs.
    Grasshopper Jungle Book Cover Picture
    Grasshopper Jungle Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  14. 14
    Into Thin Air Book Cover Picture
    Into Thin Air Book Cover Picture

    Into Thin Air

    by Jon Krakauer

    Climb up a hill and enjoy the page view.
    Into Thin Air Book Cover Picture
    Into Thin Air Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  15. 15
    Station Eleven Book Cover Picture
    Station Eleven Book Cover Picture

    Station Eleven

    by Emily St. John Mandel

    Head to the park, play some classical music on Spotify, and enjoy this book.
    Station Eleven Book Cover Picture
    Station Eleven Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  16. 16
    The River Book Cover Picture
    The River Book Cover Picture

    The River

    by Peter Heller

    The story of two college students on a wilderness canoe trip and a gripping tale of a friendship tested by fire, white water, and violence.
    The River Book Cover Picture
    The River Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  17. 17
    Origin Book Cover Picture
    Origin Book Cover Picture

    Origin

    by Jessica Khoury

    Should you find yourself alone, in the depths of a rainforest, this book will revitalize your inner strength.
    Origin Book Cover Picture
    Origin Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  18. 18
    The Snow Leopard Book Cover Picture
    The Snow Leopard Book Cover Picture

    The Snow Leopard

    by Peter Matthiessen

    Find your zen–a favorite bench, tree, bed of grass–and let the sun shine on your face.
    The Snow Leopard Book Cover Picture
    The Snow Leopard Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  19. 19
    Out of Africa Book Cover Picture
    Out of Africa Book Cover Picture

    Out of Africa

    by Isak Dinesen

    Head out on safari with this book in one hand and binoculars in another.
    Out of Africa Book Cover Picture
    Out of Africa Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  20. 20
    My First Summer in the Sierra Book Cover Picture
    My First Summer in the Sierra Book Cover Picture

    My First Summer in the Sierra

    by John Muir

    Explore the wilderness within this books and your own surroundings.
    My First Summer in the Sierra Book Cover Picture
    My First Summer in the Sierra Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  21. 21
    Into the Wild Book Cover Picture
    Into the Wild Book Cover Picture

    Into the Wild

    by Jon Krakauer

    Journey into the wildnerness while investigating this mesmerizing story.
    Into the Wild Book Cover Picture
    Into the Wild Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  22. 22
    On Such a Full Sea Book Cover Picture
    On Such a Full Sea Book Cover Picture

    On Such a Full Sea

    by Chang-rae Lee

    Strap on your reading boots and take off on a quest through a vividly imagined future America.
    On Such a Full Sea Book Cover Picture
    On Such a Full Sea Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  23. 23
    Paper Towns Book Cover Picture
    Paper Towns Book Cover Picture

    Paper Towns

    by John Green

    Inside this book you’ll find a scavenger hunt and a road trip. Outside this book, you scheme the same!
    Paper Towns Book Cover Picture
    Paper Towns Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  24. 24
    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Book Cover Picture
    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Book Cover Picture

    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    by Hunter S. Thompson

    Far out, way beyond the comforts of your home lies a strange road ahead.
    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Book Cover Picture
    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  25. 25
    The Wonder Trail Book Cover Picture
    The Wonder Trail Book Cover Picture

    The Wonder Trail

    by Steve Hely

    Find lookout point on your local trail. Steve Hely will take you on a hilarious journey from North to South America.
    The Wonder Trail Book Cover Picture
    The Wonder Trail Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  26. 26
    The Flight Attendant Book Cover Picture
    The Flight Attendant Book Cover Picture

    The Flight Attendant

    by Chris Bohjalian

    Set amid the captivating world of those whose lives unfold at forty thousand feet, The Flight Attendant unveils a spellbinding story of memory.
    The Flight Attendant Book Cover Picture
    The Flight Attendant Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  27. 27
    The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing Book Cover Picture
    The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing Book Cover Picture

    The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing

    by Julia Plevin

    Discover this engaging guide to the art of forest bathing.
    The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing Book Cover Picture
    The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  28. 28
    The Beach Book Cover Picture
    The Beach Book Cover Picture

    The Beach

    by Alex Garland

    Going on vacation? This book’s all about beach culture…a troubling, twisted beach culture.
    The Beach Book Cover Picture
    The Beach Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  29. 29
    Outlander (Starz Tie-in Edition) Book Cover Picture
    Outlander (Starz Tie-in Edition) Book Cover Picture

    Outlander

    by Diana Gabaldon

    “They’re always running around Scotland, horseback riding, and camping beneath the stars.” -Sarah, Web Design
    Outlander (Starz Tie-in Edition) Book Cover Picture
    Outlander (Starz Tie-in Edition) Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

  30. 30
    Ready Player One (Movie Tie-In) Book Cover Picture
    Ready Player One (Movie Tie-In) Book Cover Picture

    Ready Player One

    by Ernest Cline

    And finally, our anti-outdoors, outdoors book. This story truly makes the reader appreciate fresh air, nature, adventure, and, most of all, reality.
    Ready Player One (Movie Tie-In) Book Cover Picture
    Ready Player One (Movie Tie-In) Book Cover Picture

    Buy now from your favorite retailer:

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