The Best of Adult Adventure Fiction

In adventure fiction readers follow heroes as they set out on desperate missions, fight overwhelming obstacles and often rescuing themselves and others. Our heroes carry out dangerous assignments or missions as save the day. Typically, there is a happy ending with the hero safe and sound. While that might make you think the stories would become stale or predictable, the very best writers in the genre have written stories that thrill readers, even after years in print or several reads. Here are some of the best examples of adventure fiction authors to get you started in the genre.

Clive Cussler is the contemporary author I suggest most when library patrons ask for adventure novels. His heroes tend to be everything an action-adventure reader loves, without being overly predictable. Cussler's Dirk Pitt series is my personal favorite of his, which has over twenty books at last count. His books include four adult series, three non-fiction books, and two children's books.

Arturo Perez-Reverte is better known for thrillers, but he does have a fantastic adventure series. Captain Alatriste is the first book n the series and introduces the title character. Alatriste is a brooding, swordsman-for-hire in seventeenth century Spain. The sixth book in the series is about to be published, and each swashbuckling installment it worth reading by discriminating adventure lovers.

The late Patrick O'Brian's swashbuckling adventure books were set during the Napoleonic Wars. Master and Commander launches the series, which features Captain Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. They are a surgeon and spy who face dangerous and far-reaching adventures.

Bernard Cornwell writes has a large selection of books to chose from. Honestly I think that readers could start with the first of any series, but the Richard Sharpe Novels are the most well known and offers over twenty books for dedicated readers. The Sharpe series is set in the Napoleonic Wars, the novels follow Sharpe's climb up the military ladder. Sharpe's Tiger, set in India in 1799, is the first book in chronological order.

Umberto Eco's best selling novels include The Name of The Rose, Foucault's Pendulum, The Island of The DayBefore, and Baudolino. He has also written children's books, academic texts and moral essays. His novels take place in medieval Italy and feature mystery and adventure, often with a literary twist.

Some of the other books in the genre include James Clavell's Shogun, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, and Louis L'Amour's westerns In The Walking Drum and In The Last of the Breed. Other authors to explore in the genre are Richard Adams, Jack London, James Patterson, Tom Clancy, and William Goldman. For adventure lovers that enjoy a fantasy angle the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, David Eddings, and Robert Jordan will also offer a satisfying read. This is an expansive genre with more authors that I can effectively name, however this should be a good start for new readers to adventure fiction.

June is National GLBT Book Month

In June 1969 demonstrations in response to a police raid in New York City, known as the Stonewall riots, marked the beginning of a cohesive gay rights movement in America and sparked a gay pride movement that has yet to slow down. In 2009 June was named LGBT Pride Month, and it has also become National GLBT (Gay,Lesbian,Bisexual & Transgender) Book Month. This means that it is a good time to bring attention to exceptional literature which deal with GLBT themes. My focus here is books with GLBT themes for young adults.

The preteen and teen years are tough on everyone. Young adults are trying to find their place in the world, as well as who they want to be. Social pressures often weigh heavily, as to family and school expectations and obligations. It is even harder for those that might be perceived as different, regardless of if it is their perception or that of others.

Finding someone you can identify with or relate to in the books you read can go a long way to help young adults questioning their identity or feelings feel more understood and less alone. Here are some novels and a short list of related nonfiction books that I would recommend.

Fiction

If You Could Be Mine and Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh

For Today I am a Boy by Kim Fu

When We Were Good by Suzanne Sutherland

Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World by Janet E. Cameron

Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour

Far from You by Tess Sharpe

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Nonfiction

We Are the Youth: Sharing the Stories of LGBT Youth in the United States by Laurel Golio and Diana Scholl

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Other Identities by David Levithan, Billy Merrell

It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living by Dan Savage, Terry Miller

The Journey Out: A Guide for and about Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Teens by Rachel Pollack, Cheryl Schwartz

Science Fiction for Humor Fans

	Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Cat's Cradle relies on a fictional technology to examine larger questions of technology, religion, militarization, and the arm's race. While comedic in tone, Cat's Cradle is also on the dark side.
	The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams This is a classic science fiction comedy. It has been followed by several novels in the series, stage and radio shows, a video game, comic books, and a movie. The plot of the first book begins with the total destruction of the earth and ends at the ultimate answer to Life, the Universe and Everything, sort of.
	How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu A time machine repairman looks for his father, the rumored inventor of time travel, in the Science Fictional Universe Minor Universe 31 (MU31), which was only partially completed by its creator. The story explores time travel tropes as well as the deeper issues of regret, loss, and individual agency.
	Ringworld by Larry Niven A band of intergalactic and multi-species rogues crash land on Ringworld, an inhabited planet shaped like a ring, three million times the size of earth. They encounter a human-like race and are initially revered as gods before beating a hasty retreat in this fast-paced, comedic adventure. The Ringworld Series includes five novels and four prequel novels set in the same universe.
	The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison The Stainless Steel Rat and its sequels follow the Private Investigator/Con Man Slippery Jim diGriz. This irreverent, character-driven science fiction novel will also appeal to readers of the Pulp and Noir genres who connect with morally ambiguous protagonists.

Book Review: A Highland Knight to Remember by Amy Jarecki

A Highland Knight to Remember is the third book in the Highland Dynasty series by Amy Jarecki. In 15th century Scotland, Gyllis Campbell arrives at the Beltane festival with one thing on her mind—to win the heart of Sir Sean MacDougall once and for all. Astonishingly, Sir Sean would like nothing more than to oblige the lovely lass. But when news of his father’s death arrives, Sean races for Dunollie Castle. Unaware of Sean’s tragedy, Gyllis departs the festival thwarted. Worse, a terrible illness strikes her down, and she’s sent to the cloisters of Ardchattan Priory for healing. Plagued by raids on his lands and deception in his ranks, Sean is embroiled in a battle to regain control. Pulled in a myriad of directions, adversity runs rampant as Gyllis struggles to regain her health and Sean battles the very demon who covets his title. Fighting for their lives, both must prevail before their love can blossom.

A Highland Knight to Remember is a complicated romance, with many conflicts and problems that need to be overcome before Gyllis and Sean find their happy ending. I do not remember reading the previous books in this series, but did not feel like that interfered with the reading of this book. I liked Gyllis, she was smart and strong willed as well as compassionate and generous. She had a nice balance. Sean shared the balance of strength and caring, and his major fault was a fairly typical male pride issue. Even though family conflict, serious illness, and more were obstacles the pair found their way through the significant hardships to come together. I do not remember reading about any pair facing quite this many challenges in a single book. I did have a few moments of wondering what else could possibly befall these two, and one bit that I found completely unbelievable- however reading is my escape from reality so a break from it is alright. I liked the notes at the end explaining the historical inspiration, changes, and research.

A Highland Knight to Remember is a historical romance with solid research behind it and solid characters. There is a very involved story line but it does all come together nicely. I found it a little heavy on disasters and complications, but when the book reached its final resolutions I was satisfied. This is not a book for pure escapism but is still a solid read. 

Blog Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway: The Road that Leads to Home by Jamie Hope

The Road that Leads to Home by Jamie Hope

Synopsis

Sara's life was going along peacefully until she got the early morning phone call that changed everything. Now she finds herself heading back where she began, home. Not only does she have to deal with a difficult older sister and helping to keep the family's inn afloat, Sara has to work alongside her high school sweetheart who still looks as gorgeous as ever and her feelings that she saw all this coming. Her dreams and nightmares seem to come true right before her eyes. It has to all be a coincidence, doesn't it?

Excerpt:

“He was with someone when I came home from college.”

“No, not really. He went out with her once. He wanted you to think he had someone since he told you he wouldn’t wait for you. He wanted you to be jealous. Guess it worked. He was crushed when you moved to Florida. He really thought you were going to stay, everyone did.”

“So did I. It just didn’t work out that way.” Reflectively she added, “It's funny how things turn out. When I was growing up, I didn’t think I’d ever leave this area. I never wanted to. Most kids I went to school with couldn’t wait to graduate so they could travel, but James and I just wanted to stay here.”

“What changed?”

“I thought when I came back I would take my place here at the inn, but when I got here, I found out there really wasn’t a place here for me anymore.”

“You’re a Rhea, you always have a place here.”

PURCHASE

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audile

About the Author:

Jaimie Hope was born November 3, 1976, in New York. It wasn't until high school, where she joined the newspaper staff, that she decided she wanted to be a writer. After graduation, the author went to college and received an Associate's degree in 1999. In 2002, she moved to Florida where she was an active volunteer in the local historical society and the Deltona Regional Library. In 2006, she moved back to New York where she released her first Children's book, The Adventures of Baby Jaimie. She followed it with a Young Adult novel, Bless The Broken Road. She also published her autobiography, Roll With It. She is planning to re-release book one of her New Adult Romance/Paranormal trilogy, The Sara Rhea Chronicles: The Road That Leads To Home and a new Children's Book series, along with releasing all her other self-published titles under her new publishing company, Back To Basics Publishing and Author Services in the fall of 2014.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.jaimiehope.com

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Jaimie-Hope/e/B002BLNDXM/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/authorjaimiehope

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaimieHope

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1hKn9dUAG776dHRqzHtHFA

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/ThisIsHowIRoll

Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/jaimiehope/

Goodreads Giveaway!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Road That Leads To Home

by Jaimie Hope

Giveaway ends May 27, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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