After my bible, the second book might be ``Democracy in America'', by de Tocqueville. I don't know if it's good reading or not, but I've been wanting to read it for a long time now, and never quite making time to actually do it. By all accounts there's a lot in there to think about, and that would take my mind off my troubles. That sounds comforting. Whittling down my reading list by one sounds like a comforting thought, too.

Le Miserables is another possibility. It might be a bit less educational, but it's certainly a pretty good story, and reading about France during the revolution would make being lost in the woods seem pretty attractive.

One problem with either of those choices is that you couldn't be rescued for weeks and weeks, until you'd finished the book. You might starve while reading, because you couldn't pack much food and that huge book, too.

If you just want light (and easy to carry) escapist reading, maybe anything by G.A. Henty? Good, accurate historical fiction, and short enough to read in a few days. Don't bother taking two, since he had one plot. It's a good plot, though.

Nels