
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week’s theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!
This week’s theme is ‘Books I’d Want With Me While Stranded On a Deserted Island’ which, if I’m being honest, sounds like my worst nightmare. I think we all love the idea of having an island to ourselves, but being stranded there does not sound fun, so I need some books to help me stay alive until help arrives…

The Green Barbecue: Modern Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes to Cook Outdoors & In by Rukmini Iyer: I know myself well enough to know I won’t want to kill any animals while stranded on the island, so it’s best I have some ideas for some vegetarian and vegan cooking that I can do outdoors.
The Survival Doctor’s Complete Handbook: What to Do When Help is NOT on the Way by James Hubbard: Honestly one of the things that freaks me out most about being stranded somewhere isolated is the idea of getting injured and then slowly wasting away, so I need to know what to do if I get hurt.
Mother Nature is Not Trying to Kill You: A Wildlife & Bushcraft Survival Guide by Rob Nelson and Hailey Nelson: I’m going to need all the survival guides I can get, and I like that one of the co-authors of this book is a woman – she might have some tips of what to do when my period comes along and I don’t have access to ANYTHING.
Ultimate Survival Handbook by Bear Grylls: This book is aimed at children, which is perfect for me. When it comes to surviving a desert island please explain everything to me like I’m five.
How To Build A Boat: A Father, his Daughter, and the Unsailed Sea by Jonathan Gornall: I mean I might as well try and get off the island, right? This memoir might give me some boat-building tips!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins: Considering the setting of the 75th Hunger Games is basically a desert island, I might be able to pick up some tips from Katniss and co. to help me not die.
Be Not Far from Me by Mindy McGinnis: I really like the sound of this novel anyway, but considering it’s about a girl trying to survive the wilderness by herself I might be able to learn some dos and don’ts from her.
Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett: Another ‘lost in the wilderness’ novel, because I’m going to try and take tips from wherever I can get them, thanks very much.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison: I do need some escapism, though, so I’ll take my favourite novel with me for comfort.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: Maybe being stranded on a desert island will make me finally read this absolute chonk and, if I hate it, there’s plenty of paper there to keep a fire going.
I love that you chose to include some practical books for island survival. The thought never even crossed my mind! Which to be honest, probably doesn’t bode well for my own island life.
LikeLike
Catching Fire nearly made my list. Such a good book!
LikeLike
Very practical! I always think ‘How to Build a Boat’ should be someone’s first necessary book for a desert island!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very smart list! Loved watching Bear back in the day. I didn’t know he had any books. And Catching Fire is a great idea. 😉
LikeLike
A very practical list *claps*. Also if you ever do get round to reading The Count of Monte Cristo give me a shout and let me know what you think; I love it so much 😀
LikeLike
I love the survival theme you’re going for here. Happy reading! My TTT https://readwithstefani.com/ten-books-i-want-to-read-by-the-end-of-2021/
LikeLike
Looks like you picked some good ones!
Lauren @ Always Me
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice mix of practical and fun!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2021/07/27/top-ten-tuesday-326/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love how you chose some books that are actually practical and not just for fun 🙂 Loved Starry Eyes, it was a fun read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your choices of books would be much more handy than my reread books 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You were so smart using half of your books to help keep you alive!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love your practical approach — and the idea of a book aimed at children regarding how to survive would be perfect for me too, because I really have no survival skills other than those I’ve picked up from watching movies like Cast Away. The Goblin Emperor made my list too — I figure no matter how bad things get, Maia’s world is the perfect distraction. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Ultimate Survival Handbook sounds very helpful!
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that you picked both survival books and fun books! Such a fun list 🙂 Especially the Count of Monte Cristo comment XD
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sensible strategy! I agree though, a deserted island (without all my creature comforts) sounds like an utter nightmare.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that you picked books that would help you survive – that never even crossed my mind when I saw this topic!
LikeLiked by 1 person
These would be very useful! Though I can’t decide if Catching Fire would be a comfort or contribute to the insanity. 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We took very similar approaches to this topic! The Green Barbecue sounds great.
Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some great choices here- the first few are nicely practical ha ha. I could probably use a good vegan/ vegetarian cookbook too in such a situation!
Catching fire and Starry Eyes are great too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great list – I love that you have read so many survival guides! In the event of the apocalypse I want to be on your team! My knowledge of survival still comes from fiction so is of questionable value! This is my TTT list of books I’d want with me – although I found it impossible to keep it to ten and am itching to add others to it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha I haven’t read them yet, but they’d be the first books I opened on a desert island!
LikeLike
I’ve seen some of Bear Grylls shows. He knows what he is doing so that book should be awesome. I also like the title of the one saying that nature is not trying to kill you haha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Her certainly knows what he’s doing, although I draw the line at drinking my own pee…
LikeLike