I love a beautiful nature scene, even if I'm more of an indoorsy person than an outdoorsy one.  Book covers often feature lovely landscapes, showcasing sparkling seas, vibrant flowers, lush forests, and so on, but I still couldn't come up with enough to make a decent list for today's TTT prompt, Top Ten Books With Nature on the Cover.  Even though I'm pretty wimpy, especially when it comes to nature-y things like hiking and camping, I do love me a tense, gripping survival story.  (Hu)man vs. nature tales, especially true ones, always captivate and inspire me.  So, for today's list I'm going to feature Top Ten (Hu)man vs. Nature Survival Books.  I'm going to start with five favorites (in no particular order), then five I am looking forward to reading.

If you want to join in the Top Ten Tuesday fun (and you do!), just hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Top Ten (Hu)man vs. Nature Survival Books 

1.  Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer—This popular account chronicles the author's climbing of Mt. Everest in 1996 during a terrible storm that led to the deaths of five climbers.  He uses his own harrowing experience as a framework to discuss the history of mountain climbing, famous climbers, what it takes to scale Everest, survival techniques, and so on.  It's an epic, unparalleled book that is can't-look-away compelling.

2.  My Last Continent by Midge Raymond—In this slow burn of a novel, a marine biologist is in Antarctica studying penguins.  Her boyfriend, whom she only sees on these annual expeditions, has not arrived as expected.  When she learns he is on a nearby ship that is sending out a frantic distress signal, she panics.  How can she save the man she loves in such a harsh, unforgiving landscape?

3.  The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf—I've read tons of books about the Titanic tragedy, but this one is the most unique and memorable.  Told in verse, the novel is lyrical and haunting.

4.  I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall—This YA novel concerns a teenage girl who's living with her estranged survivalist father in Canada after her mother's death.  When he's shot by intruders, she runs into the wilderness, where she's forced to both hide and survive.

5.  The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling—Another novel in verse, this middle-grade offering revolves around a grieving father and daughter who go for a rock climbing adventure in the Arizona desert.  Things go awry, the two get separated, and a young girl is left alone to save both herself and her dad.  It's a riveting, fast-paced read.

6.  To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey—This historical novel stars Colonel Allan Forrester, who's charged with leading an expedition into the uncharted wilderness of Alaska Territory in the winter of 1885.  He keeps a journal of his adventure that he hopes will reach his pregnant wife in the likely event that he does not return.  

7.  A Map for Wrecked Girls by Jessica Taylor—Also a YA novel, this one is about a trio of troubled teenagers who get stuck on a deserted island.  It's been on my radar for awhile, I just haven't gotten around to reading it.  Yet.

8.  Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood—Based on a true, Titanic-like event, this middle-grade novel tells the story of the doomed SS City of Benares, a ship full of children being evacuated from England to Canada during World War II.

9.  Avalanche by Melinda Braun—This YA offering features two sets of teenagers.  One group is trapped in a remote cabin during a snowstorm.  The other is their only hope of rescue.

10.  Instructions for the End of the World by Jamie Kain—Yet another teen book, this one is about Nicole, a girl whose prepper father moves his family to a remote area in the Sierra Foothills.  When living like a pioneer becomes too much for Nicole's mother, she leaves, prompting Nicole's father to chase after her.  When neither one returns, Nicole is left to figure out how she and her younger sister will survive in the wilderness.

There you go, ten books about surviving in the wild in the wake of disaster.  Have you read any of these?  Which books in the genre would you recommend?  Which nature covers did you choose for your list today?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!