Five Fall Favourites Day 1 // Adventure!

Welcome to the Five Fall Favourites, you all! (Yes, I add a u—I’m a Canadian, and you just can’t take that u from me—I’ve tried…). I’m thrilled to be here this year as an official participant! I’ve been unofficially participating for a couple years, so it is kind of surreal to be official now. 😉 I hope you all are just as excited about the party as I am! It’s gonna be absolutely awesome!!

It’s a bit nippy today, isn’t it? That fog is just hovering around us. But I think we could still have a nice boat ride—the sun might break through soon! Just follow me through these woods here—the riverbank is right over there. Hopefully there are enough boats for us all… Ah, yes, you’ll have to brush all those leaves off. We haven’t used the boats in a while and that maple has been busy. How many of you can row? Oh, good, that’s plenty. All right now, are we all in? Everyone comfy? Awesome, let’s get going!

We got a couple great adventures for you all today! There were so many good ones, it was hard to pick! But we finally made it.

(P.S. Click on the book title for a Goodreads link, and click on the book image for a link to a download of the book.)

First up is an awesome trip…

1. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.

Pragmatic gambler Phileas Fogg has made a gentlemanly wager to the members of his exclusive club: that he can circle the world in just eighty days, right down to the minute. Fetching his newly appointed French valet, Fogg embarks on a fabulous journey across land and sea—by steamer, rail, and elephant—to win the bet of a lifetime.
Inspired by Jules Verne’s own sea travels and his fascination with circumnavigating the globe, the avid dreamer’s picaresque voyage inspired generations of adventurers who were eager to best Verne’s challenge—from nineteenth-century journalist Nellie Bly to Monty Python’s Michael Palin.

Oh my word… how I enjoyed this book!! Alternately hoping, despairing, laughing, groaning, and simply fluctuating as much as the characters while the journey progresses… The robbery affair held me in suspense the whole time. It couldn’t be him, and yet… ahh!! This book is a work of genius. Passepartout seldom failed to make me laugh. Mr. Fogg was admirable and by the end I liked and admired him. Aouda was simply darling and I even liked Fix by the end… poor chap. The point of view of a Frenchman on Englishmen was delightful, although if you read this in the language the author wrote it in, you will enjoy it even more. The characters are interesting, even the minor ones such as Sir Francis and Captain Speedy. In short, this book was absolutely enthralling (I read it while being in pain and I totally forgot my discomfort) and very funny. You can read my full review here—including a content list.

Unroll the map! Our next stop is at the…

2. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Peg-legged pirates, colorful parrots, and plundered riches—they’re all here in Robert Louis Stevenson’s original seafaring adventure.
When young Jim Hawkins decides to follow a map to buried treasure, he must befriend or outsmart memorable characters such as pirate Long John Silver, captain Billy Bones, and island man Ben Gunn. Mutinous plans, mysterious deaths, and a tangle of double crosses keep Jim guessing all the way to the prize.
Inspired by real-life seafarers, Stevenson captures the adventurous spirit of the times and the imagination of readers, young and old alike.

I heard of this classic all my life, and somehow never read it until I was 20. I would have loved this as a kid. It’s evident that a lot of the lore about pirates common now was inspired by this book. What’s cool is that this book is actually very clean and non-violent, mostly humorous and light. I was very impressed. It was quite enjoyable and very hard to put down! You can read my full review here… 😉

Wasn’t that exciting! Now wave, everyone! We’re just passing by…

3. The Children of the New Forest by Captain Frederick Marryat.

An engaging adventure story set in England during the time of the Civil War when King Charles was deposed and the Roundheads were vying with the Cavaliers. The central characters are the four children of staunch Royalist Colonel Beverley killed in battle while fighting for King Charles. Through the efforts of aged forester Jacob Armitage, the children escape the burning of their ancestral home and take up residence with him in his cottage in the New Forest. As his “grandchildren” they take eagerly to the peasant life and learn to provide for themselves by using their wits. The pitfall they build to trap cattle catches more than they bargain for, leading to one adventure after another. Against all odds they deftly maneuver through the treacherous landscape of the times, eventually recovering their family estate.

My siblings and I loved this book so much. We played it out a lot too. The storyline was just so fun and intriguing—I’ve always fallen for “pioneer” type stories, and that’s what this is, with an addition of politics and society life. The characters are just so real and I love their arcs! The action is excellent, too, really intriguing and fast-paced and varied. Full review here…

Okay, that was the last bit of woods for a while. Now we’re going to pass a farmhouse and here you will see some…

4. Dusty Diamonds Cut & Polished: A Tale of City Arab Life & Adventure by R.M. Ballantyne.

Every one has heard of those ponies—those shaggy, chubby, innocent-looking little creatures—for which the world is indebted, we suppose, to Shetland.
Well, once on a time, one of the most innocent-looking, chubbiest, and shaggiest of Shetland ponies—a dark brown one—stood at the door of a mansion in the west-end of London.

~ The first paragraph of the book because no one wrote a synopsis for it and it’s been too long since I read it for me to write one. But I promise it’s good XD

It’s no secret that I love Ballantyne. Several of his books made it into my top favourites. He’s like a christian Henty—only different, with his own style and little quirks! Dusty Diamonds might be my favourite of all his works. London + Canada—lower class people—preaching Christ—combatting drink—sweet family moments… it was all so delightful! Check my full review here.

Lovely gems, weren’t they? Okay guys, this is our last stop! Beach the boats—we’re talking a quick walk with this…

5. Maori & Settler: A Tale of the New Zealand War by G.A. Henty.

The Renshaws emigrate to New Zealand during the period of the war with the natives.

Wilfrid, a strong, self-reliant, courageous lad, is the mainstay of the household. He has for his friend Mr. Atherton, a botanist and naturalist of herculean strength and unfailing nerve and humor.

In the adventures among the Maoris, there are many breathless moments in which the odds seem hopelessly against the party, but they succeed in establishing themselves happily in one of the pleasant New Zealand valleys.

I’ve long been a fond admirer of the Maoris. They are really amazing, fascinating people. And this is one of Henty’s best works—absolutely hilarious, almost purely story, excellent plot, and amazing characters. Full review here—including a great quotation ;P

And there you are, folks! Here’s a little tip for you all—all these books are free on Gutenberg.org, which is where the book links lead to. 😉 We hope you enjoyed this trip, and we look forwards to seeing you all again tomorrow! Let us know what your favourite adventure is in the comments below!

Before you all run off, head back to the Literary Lodge to participate in the giveaway! It’s quite epic—open both Internationally and U.S. The prize is really awesome, all about books… of course! If we get enough entries, there’ll be a second place winner—and if we get more entries, there’ll be a third place winner!! So what are you waiting for? Hop on over! There’s also a Books room where you can get a free ebook, so be sure to check out the other blogs to find it!!

All righty, guys! Off on your adventures now! Have a lovely trip!