Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Life of Pi is a spellbinding adventure that will leave you questioning the nature of reality and belief. Winner of the prestigious Man Booker Prize, Yann Martel's novel follows Pi Patel, a precocious 16-year-old Indian boy with an insatiable curiosity for religion and zoology.

When tragedy strikes and a shipwreck leaves Pi stranded in the Pacific Ocean, he finds himself sharing a lifeboat with the most unlikely of companions: a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a massive 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. As days stretch into months, Pi must summon every ounce of ingenuity and courage to survive. You'll feel the scorching sun on your skin, taste the salty sea spray, and sense the ever-present danger lurking just beyond the gunwales. Pi's inventive solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems – from catching fish with his bare hands to training a fierce predator – will keep you on the edge of your seat.

But Life of Pi is more than just a gripping survival tale. It's a profound exploration of faith, reason, and the power of storytelling. Pi's spiritual background – a unique blend of Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam – provides a fascinating lens through which to view his extraordinary ordeal. As exhaustion and isolation take their toll, Pi slips into dreamlike states that blur the line between reality and imagination, leaving both Pi and the reader to grapple with what is true. The novel builds to a brilliant, twist ending that will have you reconsidering everything you thought you knew about Pi's journey. It's a finale that sparks heated debates and leaves readers pondering long after the last page is turned, and one of our top book recommendations. Click here to see the Travelreads’ list of the best travel novels.