Books to Read Before the Summer Blockbuster Movies Come Out

This memoir classic from the 1980s retraces Davidson's journey by camel across the Australian outback, from Alice Springs to the continent's west coast. Along the way, Davidson fights off aggressive men, struggles with the racial inequality of her country and examines her own place in the world. The film version includes an on-again-off-again relationship with Girls' Adam Driver (thank you), but what the memoir does so effectively is reveal the wild—at times, overwhelming—solitude of this landscape. Seeing the emptiness of the Australian desert on the screen is a thrill; but, following in Davidson's footsteps on the page is like baking under the sun right along with her.