7 Desert Island Books
Seven books. That’s all you’re allowed to take with you to a desert island. Not seven series of books (unless they happen to be in one volume), seven individual books.
That’s it. That’s all you’re allowed.
This is a current trend on Medium and, as a bookworm who loves a good challenge, I decided to participate. And, I gotta tell you: it’s a lot harder than you think it is. Especially since I’m one of those people who will even read the cereal box when I’m bored. And, to make it more interesting, I decided to go with four nonfiction and three fiction. Since I predominately read fiction, I wanted it to make it even more of an interesting experiment.
So, without further ado (and before I change my list again), I give you my “Seven books I would take with me on a desert island” list:
Nonfiction:
- Not surprising, a lot of people are picking the Bible as one of their seven books. Not only because, well, there’s a lot of it (my copy of this has over 2,750 pages) but also because there’s a lot going on in it. Murder, flood, famine, crucifixion, Resurrection, even the End of Days. There’s also a lot of poetry in there.
Not to mention history. The Old Testament alone spans from 1200 BC to 165 BC. This particular study Bible has tons of charts, maps, articles, timelines, etc. intermixed throughout the entire Bible to really keep you engaged. As a history buff with a never sated curiosity, this is right up my alley.
2. So, I’ll be completely honest about two things right now: I haven’t actually read this book and I’m not as outdoorsy as I like to pretend I am. Of the seven books on this list, this is the only one I haven’t read. Is it cheating? Of course. Am I going to need all the help I can get to survive? Absolutely.
3. It goes without saying, but if you’re stranded on an island, you’re going to have a lot of time on your hands. And you’re going to get bored, real quick. So why not keep your mind engaged as you go through the monotony of the day to day struggle to survive?
On the Shoulders of Giants is a collection of five of most important science papers in all of history: On the Revolution of Heavenly Spheres by Nicolaus Copernicus, Dialogues Concerning Two Sciences by Galileo Galilei, Harmony of the World — Book Five by Johannes Kepler, Principia by Sir Isaac Newton, and selections from The Principle of Relativity by Albert Einstein. There’s also introductions and some historical background on the five scientists.
Not to mention that my copy has 1,264 pages.
4. I’m going to preface this with, as I was going over what seven books to bring, Furiously Happy nudged out To Kill a Mockingbird. While, yes, To Kill a Mockingbird is a fine piece of timeless literature, Furiously Happy resonates so much more with me.
If I were to come up with a “must-read” list that I would recommend to anyone — this book, hands down, would be on it. I’m not exaggerating when I say that, within the span of a few pages, I went from laughing out loud to ugly crying on the floor in the fetal position. As someone who is neuodivergent, this book hit close to home from start to finish.
This is truly one of those books I cannot recommend enough and will read and re-read for years to come.
Fiction:
5. I love a good mystery and I love a good short story, so what better addition to my island library than The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Slipping into this tome is like stepping into a time machine. Join Sherlock and his companion Dr. Watson unravel the clues and go on spirited adventures all over England.
A timeless classic that’s also a fun read.
6. “From where I sit, the story of Arthur Less is not so bad.” — the opening line of Less.
Of all seven books on this list, this one surprises me the most. Not only because it immediately came to mind and pushed out many more heavy hitting contenders; but also because as I’m typing this out, I’m realizing just how much I love this book.
Arthur Less is unlucky in love. Well, he’s unlucky in a lot of ways, but love is definitely one of them. The novel opens with him dealing the the tragic repercussions of a previous relationship: an invite to his ex’s wedding. I say “repercussions” because, instead of going to said wedding, he blindly accepts the multitude of invites that have been collecting dust on his desk.
Chaos ensues.
To quote the New York Times Book Review “Less is the funniest, smartest, and most humane novel I’ve read since The Imperfectionists…Greer writes sentences of arresting lyricism and beauty. His metaphors come at you like fireflies…”
7. What’s worse than being stranded on an island? Being stranded on Mars.
I chose The Martian as my seventh and final book for two reasons: there’s a lot of real science survival techniques (https://www.space.com/30400-the-martian-how-to-stay-alive-on-mars-infographic.html) in the book and it’s hilarious. Yes, I will fully admit that there are sexists tones in the book that I wish weren’t there. But some of the hi-jinx that Mark Whatney gets into (and out of), coupled with dark humor that is peppered throughout the book, it’s a cathartic escape after a long day of surviving.
So, that’s my list. To be honest, this list changed multiple times right before I typed this out. And, by no means am I saying these are my top seven favorite books. But, if you’re going to be stranded on an island, there’s worse literature you could be stuck with.
