Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a former indoor kid and big-city girl, and I never imagined Iā€™d wind up spending months of each year pooping in the woodsā€”by choice! But walking all day every day on footpaths through the wilderness has become one of the greatest loves of my life, and Iā€™m so glad to have books by other adventurous folks to keep me company when Iā€™m back at home. Iā€™ve written two of these books myself: How To Be Alone and What We Owe to Ourselves. I also write a weekly newsletter called Wild Letters, where I share honest stories of self-exploration both on and off the trail.


I wrote

What We Owe to Ourselves: a 500-mile hike on the Colorado Trail

By Nicole Antoinette,

Book cover of What We Owe to Ourselves: a 500-mile hike on the Colorado Trail

What is my book about?

After years of grieving a divorce, living in a tiny van, and grappling with pandemic isolation, lapsed hiker Nicole Antoinetteā€¦

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart: An Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail

Nicole Antoinette Why did I love this book?

This is the book that first got me to try long-distance hiking in my early 30s, even though I had never gone camping for even a single night in my entire life.

I felt such resonance with Carrotā€™s newness to all things backpacking and was so drawn in by her emotionally honest journey, that by the end of the book I found myself believing that if she could walk from Mexico to Canada with no prior experience then maybe I could, too. 

By Carrot Quinn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ditching the city for the wilderness; walking from Mexico to Canada, against all odds.
Carrot Quinn is weary of a life of screens, in a city where she feels disconnected from everyone. In a desperate move, she breaks away from everything to walk 2,660 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail.
In the desert of Southern California Carrot faces many challenges, both physical and emotional: pain, injury, blisters, aching cold and searing heat, dehydration, exhaustion, loneliness. In the wilderness she happens upon and becomes close with an eclectic group of strangers- people she wouldn't have chanced toā€¦


Book cover of Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail

Nicole Antoinette Why did I love this book?

This story of Heatherā€™s record-setting hike on the Appalachian Trail absolutely blew my mind: 2,180 miles in just 54 days!

I was so enthralled by the grit it takes to push yourself to this kind of extreme (through rain, sleep deprivation, physical deterioration, and more), which combined with Heatherā€™s raw honesty about her initial lack of self-belief just made me want to root for her louder and louder.

Iā€™m forever fascinated by chosen sufferingā€”why we often crave hard things and how the pursuit of them changes usā€”and this no-holds-barred look into the world of competitive hiking was a delight to read.

By Heather Anderson,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Mud, Rocks, Blazes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Despite her success setting a self-supported Fastest Known Time record on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013, Heather ā€œAnishā€ Anderson still had such deep-seated insecurities that she became convinced her feat had been a fluke. So two years later she set out again, this time hiking through mud, rocks, and mountain blazes to crush her constant self-doubt and seek the true source of her strength and purpose.

The 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail, from Maine to Georgia, did not make it easy. Anderson struggled with its infamous rain, humidity, insects, and steep grades for 54 days. But because sheā€¦


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Book cover of The Truth About Unringing Phones

The Truth About Unringing Phones by Lara Lillibridge,

When Lara was four years old, her father moved from Rochester, New York, to Anchorage, Alaska, a distance of over 4,000 miles. She spent her childhood chasing after him, flying a quarter of the way around the world to tug at the hem of his jacket.

Now that he isā€¦

Book cover of Backpacker Long Trails: Mastering the Art of the Thru-Hike

Nicole Antoinette Why did I love this book?

This is the book I wish Iā€™d had before my first long-distance hike. Itā€™s a truly comprehensive (and yet totally approachable) guide on how to choose your gear, stock your food resupplies, and plan both your budget and hiking schedule.

Liz so generously shares the wisdom of her many years and thousands of miles of backpacking experienceā€”complete with gorgeous photographs of life on the trail.

By Liz Thomas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Backpacker Long Trails as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE 2017 NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARDS (INSTRUCTIONAL CATEGORY)

Make the Dream of a Long Distance Thru-Hike a Reality

Have you been dreaming of the summer when you can hike the Appalachian Trail? Or marvel at the snow-capped peaks along the Pacific Crest Trail? Or simply section hike the Continental Divide Trail? In Backpacker's Long Trails, Liz "Snorkel" Thomas, former women's speed record holder for the AT and veteran of twenty long trails, gives you the tools to make this dream a reality. Included is trail-proven advice on selecting gear, stocking resupplies, and planning your budget and schedule, completeā€¦


Book cover of Living the Vanlife: On the Road Toward Sustainability, Community, and Joy

Nicole Antoinette Why did I love this book?

Hiking isnā€™t the only way to escape to the mountains, of course.

After spending three years living part-time in a 20-square-foot van myself, it was such a joy to revisit that particular flavor of wanderlust through Noamiā€™s storyā€”particularly since she doesnā€™t gloss over the harder aspects of an unconventional, nomadic life on the road.

By Noami Grevemberg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Living the Vanlife as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Discover what it's really like to live and work on the road in a camper van full time from eco-vanlifer and founder of the Diversify Vanlife movement, Noami Grevemberg.

Feeling dissatisfied with her office job and her "stationary home," in 2016 Noami Grevemberg took a bold step. She quit her job, sold her belongings, and set out in her 1985 VW Vanagon to pursue a life of simplicity and travel with her husband and German Shepherd by her side.

In her years living fulltime on the road, Noami has become an expert in the many aspects of vanlife. In herā€¦


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Book cover of Radical Friend: Amy Kirby Post and Her Activist Worlds

Radical Friend by Nancy A. Hewitt,

Radical Friend highlights the remarkable life of Amy Kirby Post, a nineteenth-century abolitionist and women's rights activist who created deep friendships across the color line to promote social justice. Her relationships with Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, Sojourner Truth, William C. Nell, and other Black activists from the 1840s to theā€¦

Book cover of Quit Like a Millionaire: No Gimmicks, Luck, or Trust Fund Required

Nicole Antoinette Why did I love this book?

It might seem strange for a long-distance hiker to recommend a book on personal finance, but letā€™s not pretend that much of living an adventurous life (however youā€™d like to define that for yourself) comes down to the logistics of money, time, and other resources.

I learned so much from Kristy in this book, and I loved her non-preachy writing style and the honesty with which she told her story. Yes, this is a step-by-step guide, but for me, it felt like so much more than that: a truly inspiring and uplifting reminder that we donā€™t need to settle for the status quo.

By Kristy Shen, Bryce Leung,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Quit Like a Millionaire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From two leaders of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement, a bold, contrarian guide to retiring at any age, with a reproducible formula to financial independence.

A bull***t-free guide to growing your wealth, retiring early, and living life on your own terms.

Kristy Shen retired with a million dollars at the age of thirty-one, and she did it without hitting a home run on the stock market, starting the next Snapchat in her garage, or investing in hot real estate.

Learn how to cut down on spending without decreasing your quality of life, build a million-dollar portfolio, fortify yourā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

What We Owe to Ourselves: a 500-mile hike on the Colorado Trail

By Nicole Antoinette,

Book cover of What We Owe to Ourselves: a 500-mile hike on the Colorado Trail

What is my book about?

After years of grieving a divorce, living in a tiny van, and grappling with pandemic isolation, lapsed hiker Nicole Antoinette set out to walk all 491 miles of the Colorado Trail. It had been more than two years since her last long-distance hike, and she had no idea if she could still do it.

At 36-years-old shouldn't she be focusing on other goals? A career, for instance, or buying a house and putting down roots? But what happens when you don't want the same things that everyone around you seems to want? This thoughtful and fun adventure memoir explores what happens when you decide to turn away from all the "shoulds" and take the risk of defining success for yourself instead.

Book cover of Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart: An Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail
Book cover of Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail
Book cover of Backpacker Long Trails: Mastering the Art of the Thru-Hike

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Caesarā€™s Soldier by Alex Gough,

Who was the man who would become Caesar's lieutenant, Brutus' rival, Cleopatra's lover, and Octavian's enemy? 

When his stepfather is executed for his involvement in the Catilinarian conspiracy, Mark Antony and his family are disgraced. His adolescence is marked by scandal and mischief, his love affairs are fleeting, and yet,ā€¦

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The Open Road by M.M. Holaday,

Head West in 1865 with two life-long friends looking for adventure and who want to see the wilderness before it disappears. One is a wanderer; the other seeks a home he lost. The people they meet on their journey reflect the diverse events of this time periodā€“settlers, adventure seekers, scientificā€¦

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Interested in hiking, backpacking, and nomads?

Hiking 51 books
Backpacking 9 books
Nomads 23 books