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Found myself laughing out loud multiple times. A wonderfully funny travelogue with a very sharp edge.

RELEASE NOTES:

A RABCK for luvtink81.
Enjoy!

Received this in the mail today as a suprise RABCK!! Thank you sooo much :)

Coming home from work to find a package....it doesn't get much better than that! I'm looking forward to reading this book. Thanks, luvtink81.

Bill Bryson is sharp and witty, and he has a wonderful way with words. The book is funny, revealing, and at times bittersweet. However, occasionally he makes observations and comments that I can only describe as mean-spirited. Seriously, can all people in the West, specifically Wyoming, be rude just because one waitress irritated him? "And there you have the difference between the Midwest and the West. People in in the Midwest are nice. But here in Sundance the milk of human kindness was exceeded in tininess only by the size of the Shriners' brains." (p. 284) And I'm not from the West, I've lived my whole life in NY!

RABCK for grubsneerg; happy reading!

This arrived in my mailbox today. Thank you, Jackie700: I'm looking forward to reading it soon!

Published in 1989, this book details Bill Bryson's tour of the United States of America and his quest to find that perfect small town he remembers from his childhood. Starting from his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, he first explores the east, returns home, takes a few months off, and then explores the west. He has a strong dislike of Ronald Reagan, pesky tourists, and overweight Americans, and he uses his sharp wit to mark where he has been, much like one of his childhood heroes, Zorro, used his sharp sword to leave his legendary "Z" behind. Some parts of the book were uncomfortably funny because he revealed a little too much of the truth about small towns, but on the whole, even with Bryson's unflagging pessimism, it was an enjoyable cross-country trip.

It's time to get this book moving again! Many thanks for joining my third-ever BookRay! Please abide by the following rules:

— Make a journal entry when you receive the book.
— PM the next participant, even if you have their address, to confirm where the book should be sent next.
— Read the book within a month if possible - if delayed make sure to let us know!
— When you've read the book, make a journal entry telling us what you thought.
— Make a controlled release when sending the book on, using YOUR country, state, and city as the release location.
— The last person on the list is free to continue the ray or wild release or whatever they please.
— Enjoy!!!

Mailing order:
1. imawinn2 (US, ship US/Canada) <-- Done!
2. mathgirl40 (Canada, ship Int'l) <-- Done!
3. Icila (France, ship Int'l) <-- Done!
4. Esme-Weatherwax (UK, ship EU) <--Asked to be skipped
5. seayork2002 (UK, ship Int'l) <-- Done!
6. TiffanyAching (UK, ship Int'l) <-- Done!
7. LaPitchoune (Finland, ship Int'l) <-- Done!
8. sedna5213 (Germany, ship Int'l) <-- Done!
9. goldenwattle (Australia, ship Australia) <-- Done!

Bookray is complete! Thank you all for participating and for making it a success!

And it's off! Safe travels!

How perfect! It's my birthday and I found this lovely package in my mailbox. I love nice surprises. On top of that, it got here in time for me to read it on our family vacation. I shall have lots of time to relax and read. If this is as good as the last two books I read by Bryson, I should be able to get through it rather quickly and with a few chuckles.

I didn't get but a couple of pages into the book and I started laughing out loud. I have found that I like Bill Bryson's travelogues/stories. At times, he seems a bit of a curmudgeon but that just adds to the humor. He puts on pages, some of the things we only dare to think in moments of frustration, irritation and amused observations. When my family heard me laugh as I read this book, I felt I had to read them some of the humorous excerpts. Now they want to read Bryson's book. Guess I'll be heading to the library to see if they have a copy there for them.

Thanks so much for sharing this grubsneerg. I placed a postcard from Wisconsin in the book, for all those not from the Midwestern part of the United States. It is a nice picture of a red barn in a field. Iowa and Wisconsin aren't too different from each other and I thought it would be nice to send of visual.

Sending this off to mathgirl40. Happy Journey! Happy Reading!

Received this in the mail today. Thanks, imawinn2! Love the postcard and will pass it on.

Hilariously funny! I've always loved Bill Bryson's observations on life. I also enjoyed reading the postcard from imawinn2 and will send the book along to Icila shortly.

Book sent to Icila in France. Happy reading!

Received this morning. The envelope was open but the book was fortunately still inside with the card.
Thanks a lot.

I preferred Notes from a Small Island which I read just before this one. It's perhaps a cultural thing since England is closer to France but I enjoy Bryson's humour.

A non humourous quotation that makes me muse too :
"I mused for a few moments on the question of which was worse, to leaf a life so boring thet you are easily enchanted or a life so full of stimulus that you are easily bored".

PMing seayork2002

In care of the post office.

As usual his books are a jolly good read and although I read this book years ago it was refreshing reading it again. he he a dry sense of humour which I have been told matches my own.

Sent to LaPitchoune who is next on the list.

Thanks to the previous person for sending it

arrived today, many thanks

I have a couple of books a head of this but aim to have this off to the next person by the end of Feb

off to LaPitchoune

The book arrived safely. Thank you! The cover is a real trompe-l'oeil with the fake coffee stain. It wasn't me! :)

I took a peek already but will start reading properly asap.

First of all, my deepest apologies for having stalled the book for two months!
I got married and took this book with me on the honeymoon trip - alas, not to the United States! Instead, Bryson has been my travel companion in the following Spanish cities: Barcelona, Valencia, Tarragona and Sitges. I also read it on the plane to/from Frankfurt, Germany. A real travelling book now, isn't it? :) I am really thankful for having been given the opportunity to read this excellent book. Thank you all for having passed on this ring book!

Bill Bryson is one of my absolute favourites. His sense of humour is sufficiently dry, yet sharp enough to cause sudden bursts of laughter. He has a critical outlook on American places, but is willing to give credit to places of genuine interest. A lot of focus is given to American cultural icons, which unfortunately are unknown to most Finnish people of my age. That, in addition to Bryson's critical remarks on the ignorance of today's American youth, has left me pondering over the clichéd accusations according to which Americans are stupid, because they don't know European countries, let alone the rest of the world.

Ask yourself this: How many Europeans can tell a thing or two about any given American state? Bryson's book is an excellent cure for geographical ignorance. Yes, it's sometimes based on (broken and questioned) stereotypes, but at least it gives a general idea about the topography or the cultural ambience of certain American places you may or may not have heard about, mainly on TV.

From now on I will try not to forget that Nebraska is awful, Delaware is perfectly tasteless and odourless and that Des Moines is a place that makes people grow roots. I liked the two sections in the book: the east and the west. For any ignorant reader, this will give the broad viewpoint and sense of direction as to where Bill is headed.

An idea that just popped into my head: Why not read The Lost Continent with the help of Google Earth or some other satellite imagery? That would give you an up-to-date vision of the places described?

I have already contacted Sedna5213 for their coordinates, and the book will head in that direction as soon as I get an answer.

Wishing you all a nice summer!

LaPitchoune

The book arrived safely! Thanks a lot for the stickers LaPichoune! Looking forward to reading the book.

Quite an amusing book. Enjoyed reading it.

The book is on its way to Australia.
Happy reading!

The book arrived safely. Thank you sedna5213 for posting it, and for the postcard.

The almond tree in the photograph grows above my letterbox and it is just starting to come out in spring blossom.

3/9/2011
My Review: I have driven across the USA from coast to coast. I related to much that Bill Bryson wrote. The boring chain restaurant food, the obese customers in the restaurants. I remember one packed restaurant. The waitress and I were the only non obese people in it, and my goodness, the fatty food those people were putting away. Many towns look untidy and monotonous - petrol (gas) stations, fast food joints, motels, shabby houses and other buildings of monotonous similarity. There are nice looking towns, but from my experience they tended to be on the more northern coastal areas of the country. There are large areas of the USA with a neglected, shabby, abandoned feel, just as Bill Bryson described. But it was still interesting, part of the atmosphere of the country.
I will offer this book to some local BookCrossers I know to see if any are interested in reading it.

First off, I will pass it onto Kermit58. It will be returned to me and I will then look for another reader.

Thank you.

Released at our New Year's Eve Bookcrossing get together by the lake, near the National Museum of Australia, Acton, ACT.
Happy New Year.

That's us in the photograph (minus me, taking the photograph).

This book is released:
In memory of Megi53’s mother
2011 Keep Them Moving Challenge

Picked this up at the New Year's Eve fireworks display outside the National Museum of Australia, during the Canberra bookcrossers meet-up. I love Bryson so looking forward to reading it.

I really enjoyed this book, I have travelled to the USA 4 times and have visited about 25-30 of the states. I just love Bryson's writing style, and his observations. Lots of laugh out loud moments, great read.

I will bring to the next meet up of the Canberra bookcrossers (which should be late Feb 2012) and find a new reader.

Did not enjoy this book - did not finish reading it. Too repeditive.

Released on the Release walk some time after 10.00am

I think this book was in my goodie bag at the Uncanvention, however it was that or either picked up from King O'Malley's pub after Friday night drinks.
I definitely did not pick it up during the release walk - that is for shedding books, not collecting!