swap_horiz Big Red Alternatives

1

The Once and Future King

T.H. White’s *The Once and Future King* reimagines the Arthurian legend through a unique blend of medieval romance and m...

Fantasy Classic Quest Arthurian

9.2 Excellent

2

The Aeneid

Virgil’s *The Aeneid* is a foundational Latin epic poem detailing the odyssey of Aeneas, a Trojan prince fleeing the fal...

Classic Quest Epic Roman

9.1 Excellent

3

South!

Ernest Shackleton’s “South!” details the extraordinary ordeal of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1914-1917. T...

Classic Exploration Survival Polar

9.1 Excellent

4

Nostromo

Joseph Conrad’s *Nostromo* recounts the perilous journey of Allan Caldwell, an English engineer, into the turbulent poli...

Action Classic Conrad Historical

9.0 Excellent

5

The Tombs of Atuan

Ursula K. Le Guin’s *The Tombs of Atuan* explores themes of oppression and redemption within a richly imagined fantasy w...

Fantasy Classic Quest Magic

8.9 Great

6

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas

Jules Verne’s *Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas* chronicles an extraordinary voyage aboard the technologically adv...

Classic Submarine Science Sea

8.9 Great

7

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum’s *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz* is a classic fantasy adventure novel first published in 1900. It tells the...

Fantasy Classic Quest Oz

8.9 Great

8

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

C.S. Lewis’s *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe* is a foundational fantasy novel exploring themes of good versus evil...

Fantasy Classic Portal Ya

8.8 Great

9

A Wizard of Earthsea

Ursula K. Le Guin’s *A Wizard of Earthsea* is a celebrated fantasy novel following Ged, a young wizard, as he confronts...

Fantasy Classic Coming Of Age Magic

8.8 Great

10

Watership Down

Richard Adams’ Watership Down chronicles the perilous journey of a band of rabbits seeking a new home. The novel is a ce...

Classic Quest Survival Animals

8.8 Great

11

The Farthest Shore

The Farthest Shore is a 1972 fantasy novel by American author Ursula K. Le Guin, notable for winning the National Book A...

Fantasy Classic Quest Voyage

8.6 Great

12

From Russia, with Love

Published in 1957 by British author Ian Fleming, this spy novel follows James Bond as he becomes the target of the Sovie...

Cold War Classic Thriller Spy

8.5 Great

13

Where the Red Fern Grows

Wilson Rawls’s *Where the Red Fern Grows* tells the story of young Billy Coleman's journey to train and bond with two hu...

Wilderness Young Adult Hunting Dogs

8.5 Great

14

My Side of the Mountain

"My Side of the Mountain" is a 1959 wilderness novel by American author Jean Craighead George, notable for its realistic...

Classic Youth Wilderness Survival

8.3 Great

15

The Deerslayer

The Deerslayer is an 1841 adventure novel by James Fenimore Cooper, notable as the first chronological novel in the Leat...

Classic Wilderness Historical Frontier

7.1 Good

16

The Pathfinder

The Pathfinder is an 1840 historical adventure novel by James Fenimore Cooper, notable for its depiction of the French a...

Classic Wilderness Historical Frontier

6.8 Fair

17

The Prairie

The Prairie is an 1827 adventure novel by James Fenimore Cooper, notable for depicting the final days of Natty Bumppo in...

Classic Wilderness Historical Frontier

6.8 Fair

18

The Pioneers

The Pioneers is an 1823 historical adventure novel by James Fenimore Cooper, notable as the first published novel in his...

Classic Wilderness Historical Frontier

6.7 Fair

19

The Gorilla Hunters

The Gorilla Hunters is R. M. Ballantyne's 1861 boys' adventure, a sequel to The Coral Island that sends Ralph, Jack, and...

Classic Hunting Expedition Africa

5.7 Mediocre

20

The Dog Crusoe and His Master

The Dog Crusoe and His Master is R. M. Ballantyne's 1860 juvenile frontier adventure, notable for pairing a young settle...

Classic Wilderness Dog Frontier

5.6 Mediocre