Adventure Book Titles That Describe Your Self-Quarantine

If you’re familiar with the Barkley Marathons at all (perhaps via one of the great documentaries about it), you might remember this entertaining fact: instead of human-staffed checkpoints around the course or chip timing, runners have to tear a page out of a book to prove they’ve passed a certain spot. The titles of the books, chosen by charmingly sadistic Barkley founder Lazarus Lake, are humorously appropriate (or, maybe inappropriate, depending on your sense of humor and masochism?): What Did I Do Wrong?, Doomed, You Can If You Think You Can, Damned, Where Do We Go From Here, The Idiot, How to Survive and Grow Richer in the Tough Times Ahead, Undead and Unfinished, The Body In The Woods, et cetera.

In the spirit of that idea, here are a handful of adventure books whose titles might capture some of your feelings during these past few weeks. (A link to the real book is below each image, in case you’re curious.)

hand-drawn edited cover of Caught Inside by Daniel Duane

Caught Inside by Daniel Duane

hand-drawn edited cover of Endurance by Alfred Lansing

Endurance by Alfred Lansing

hand-drawn edited cover of Conquistadors of the Useless by Lionel Terray

Conquistadors of the Useless by Lionel Terray

hand-drawn edited cover of Microadventures by Alastair Humphreys

Microadventures by Alastair Humphreys

hand-drawn edited cover of Alive by Piers Paul Read

Alive by Piers Paul Read

hand-drawn edited cover of Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston

hand-drawn edited cover of Ascent Into Hell by Fergus White

Ascent Into Hell by Fergus White

hand-drawn edited cover of Adrift by Steven Callahan

Adrift by Steven Callahan

hand-drawn edited cover of Moods of Future Joys by Alastair Humphreys

Moods of Future Joys by Alastair Humphreys

—Brendan