From the Bookshelf of The Dusty Bookshelf…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
I read this many years ago and loved it at the time. But, now? It was likeable. Bill Bryson certainly did his research on the Appalachian Trail, because there are a lot facts in the book. Perhaps too many for my taste. I really wanted more about his hike with his friend.
...more
3.5 Stars.
I grew up in a small mountain town, which probably explains why I've been running away from wilderness for much of my adult life. I sometimes dreamed that I had to walk 5,000 feet down, on a stretch of highway, in order to get to civilization. These were literal dreams (actually, literal nightmares). I enjoy short walks in the woods, but I find being stuck in them to be fairly suffocating.
After reading this, as well as Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, I think I unde ...more
I grew up in a small mountain town, which probably explains why I've been running away from wilderness for much of my adult life. I sometimes dreamed that I had to walk 5,000 feet down, on a stretch of highway, in order to get to civilization. These were literal dreams (actually, literal nightmares). I enjoy short walks in the woods, but I find being stuck in them to be fairly suffocating.
After reading this, as well as Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, I think I unde ...more
3.5. I read this on audiobook because I’ve been entirely too busy to sit down and read recently (woe is me). Part of my problem was the narrator was terrible. He was very wooden. Some of the humor still came through despite this and there were lots of interesting facts — underground coal deposits burning endlessly for decades, stories of the stupidity of moose, the chequered history of the NPS — but it all just fell a little flat. Especially since so many people I know seem to gush over Bill Bry
...more
A really funny read. Bryson's hiking companion, Katz, is hilarious; so much so that he's sorely missed when the two take a break before the second part of their trek. I really enjoyed Bryson's writing style and eagerly dove into "Notes from a Small Island" as soon as I completed this book.
...more
Dec 21, 2008
Jenn
marked it as to-read
Sep 27, 2009
Heather (DeathByBook)
marked it as to-read
May 20, 2010
Rachel
marked it as to-read
Jan 07, 2011
Megan
marked it as to-read
Jul 16, 2011
Celeste
marked it as to-read
Nov 16, 2011
Karen K. Miller
added it
Mar 14, 2012
Em
marked it as to-read
May 31, 2012
Renna Mira (AKA Enna Isilee)
marked it as to-read
Jul 24, 2012
Penelope
marked it as d-o
Feb 01, 2013
Kim DeCina
marked it as to-read
Dec 23, 2013
Elaine Copeland
marked it as to-read
Nov 28, 2014
Amy
marked it as to-read
Apr 22, 2020
Karigan
marked it as to-read
Nov 06, 2023
Jane(Janelba)
marked it as to-read
