Jasper Fforde's 6 favorite books that embark on daring adventures

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Jasper Fforde is the author of "The Eyre Affair" and six other Thursday Next novels. The British writer's latest novel, "Red Side Story," is a sequel to 2009's "Shades of Grey," set in a dystopian U.K. where social standing is determined by the ability to see color.

'True Grit' by Charles Portis (1968)

In the winter of 1873, 14-year-old Mattie Ross enlists the help of one-eyed federal marshal Rooster Cogburn to hunt down fugitive Tom Chaney and avenge her father's murder. Far better than the movies it inspired, Charles Portis' Western classic delivers on every single level. Buy it here. 

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'The Tailor of Gloucester' by Beatrix Potter (1903)

Besides a lively narrative and illustrations of striking beauty, Beatrix Potter's finest work features Simpkin, the literary world's most realistic cat, plus an idiom that would make the English language richer if it were in greater use: "no more twist" — meaning a difficult task left unaccomplished through no fault of one's own. Buy it here. 

'Tintin in Tibet' by Hergé (1959)

The Belgian cartoonist Hergé's finest work, with Tibet sparingly yet perfectly illustrated in his signature ligne claire style. There is drama and jeopardy in abundance, yet no antagonist. The story centers instead on the value of friendship: How far would you go to help a friend in a time of need? Buy it here. 

'West With the Night' by Beryl Markham (1942)

Markham was born in colonial East Africa, trained racehorses, and became the first pilot to cross the Atlantic solo from East to West. A dazzlingly well-crafted memoir from a remarkable woman. The prose crackles with humor and beauty. Buy it here. 

'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943)

An allegorical tale of a young prince who descends to Earth and encounters a marooned airman. The book is short, witty, and thoughtful and speaks of love, loyalty, vanity, the seeking of truth, and the twin perils of baobab trees and poorly maintained volcanoes. Buy it here.

'The Reason Why: The Story of the Fatal Charge of the Light Brigade' by Cecil Woodham-Smith (1953)

Woodham-Smith has been dead nearly 50 years, but her engaging style remains far better than any contemporary historian's. Her examination of the waste, politics, and military incompetence displayed by the British Empire during the Crimean War (1853–56) makes for a richly compelling read. Buy it here.

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