Reviews (6)

I was literally sent downstairs for laughing too loud.
Seriously.I was up past bedtime, and I was reading Bryson's description of lame 1950's toys.I won't give it away, but imagine what he can do with the topic of "electric football".After a particularly vigorous episode of chortling, my wife trudged out of bed to decree that, if I insisted on continuing to read, I'd have to take it downstairs.
The FUNNIEST book I have read in years!!!
This is a wonderful, funny, and ultimately very human book, which reminds us all, no matter who we are or where we live (I'm Australian) of the total joys of a happy childhood.
A pure joy.
So far as I can tell, there are only 2 problems with Bill Bryson.First, he writes about his life, which means he has to go live it for a while before he can write another book.So he can't write constantly, which is about the only pace likely to keep up with my appetite for his work.Second, he doesn't live near me, so I can't visit him to catch up between books.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Bryson, Bill    6. Childhood Memoir    7. General    8. Humor    9. Iowa - Local History    10. Literary    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Regional Subjects - Midwest    13. Travel writers    14. United States    15. Voyages And Travels    16. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Editorial Review

"God, he was a smart kid..." So why did Christopher McCandless trade a brightfuture--a college education, material comfort, uncommon ability and charm--for death by starvation in anabandoned bus in the woods of Alaska? This is the question that Jon Krakauer's book tries to answer. While itdoesn't—cannot—answer the question with certainty, Read more

Reviews (886)

Only read if you can relate to the protagonist
I recently read Under the Banner of Heaven and loved Krakauer's writing, so I picked up Into the Wild.Krakauer didn't disappoint.His writing was honest, personal and to the point.He doesn't mince words, and while his bias is obvious, he presents evidence that reveals many sides of Chris McCandless.
But why?
This is defiantly not my typical read, but once I started I found it compelling, hard to put down, but that does not mean I did not have some problems with it.It seemed like the author tried too hard to make McCandless a sympathetic figure, almost a hero in an odd way.Everything Chris does though leads to his own destruction, he has no one to blame but himself.I don't have much experience in the wilderness so maybe I am just ignorant, but it sure seemed like he could have saved himself.Going off into the woods to die does not seem heroic to me.That being said , the author has done his research and is talented writer.He convinced me not to head off into the Alaskan wilderness alone!Speaking of tales of the wilderness I highly recommend "Across the High Lonesome!"

Jon's Quest
Jon tried to help us understand the unexpainable actions of a misguided youth.Only through Jon's vivid description of his own journey into the the Alaskan wilderness, did we come close to feeling Chris McCandless' intentions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1968-1992    2. Adventure and adventurers    3. Alaska    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography And Autobiography    8. Biography/Autobiography    9. Essays & Travelogues    10. General    11. McCandless, Christopher Johnso    12. Regional Subjects - West    13. Travelers    14. United States    15. Wayfaring life    16. West (U.S.)    17. McCandless, Christopher Johnson    18. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Personal Memoirs    5. Regional Subjects - Midwest    6. Women    7. Biography: general   

Reviews (166)

Ten kids, No work-ethic
A gritty memoir of life in the white ghetto where tribal loyalty struggles with justice. A portrait of the struggle for personal responsibility a primer and how to use and abuse the system.

Accurate. From someone who didn't live in "Southie" but in "Old Colony" at that time!
You'll see some people chime in here about this book, from "Southie". But Southie and Old Colony don't equal the same thing. You can be from the point and not be anything like someone growing up in Old Colony. Old Colony wasn't the same as D street or Old Harbor.Secondly, my aunt is mentioned in the book as skoochie(sp?). I'm not particularly fond of being from Old Colony or having my aunt in this book, but it's who i am. Lastly, i was good friends with Tommy Veins before he got out of cotrol and died. It's a sad story overall, if tommysdad is here, i'd like to say that my condolences, but this portrayal is not far from fact at all. I was there and grew up where these things happened. And let me tell you, the book is pretty accurate. Slight details here and there might be slightly off, but for the overall idea, Accurate. Everyone knew his mom... she was an outcast for sure and he mentions this several times. I personally couldn't put my own mom out there, but kudos for him for trying to be accurate.
Sad but true
Growing up in Southie and now living in Florida it was good to look back. The book broke my wifes heart who is not from Southie but it was everyday life fo us. Good read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Boston    6. Ethnic Cultures - General    7. General    8. Irish American families    9. Irish Americans    10. Massachusetts    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Regional Subjects - New England    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (169)

DELIGHTFUL!
My best friend recommended this book when I told her I was reading Ramona the Pest to my daughter. What a fun book! Haven Kimmel's voice was so true that I felt like I was eight years old all over again. Did not want it to end. What a GREAT read! Will look for more from this author.

Beautifully Written Love Letter to Small Town America -- and its Families
Haven Kimmel has a gift with words!Her story of growing up in small town America, with a slightly off-kilter family (aren't they all?) is just wonderful.Full of the wonderful little details that make a story real, and written from the child's perspective, Kimmel makes us laugh out loud at her childhood antics (and her family's). She also paints a vivid portrait of growing up in a teensy tiny town in the Midwest -- that rings true to any reader who grew up in a similar town, or has passed through one on his/her way from city to city. I loved this book!

A Girl Named Zippy
The cover photo of an alert non-Gerber baby.An old family photo topping each chapter.These help set a whimsical tone skillfully followed through with words only a mother could love.From tufted-head to stubbed-toe, this book celebrates the spunk of youth with countless recalls of which our inner tot can relate.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Childhood Memoir    7. City and town life    8. Girls    9. Indiana    10. Mooreland    11. Mooreland (Ind.)    12. Personal Memoirs    13. Regional Subjects - Midwest    14. Social life and customs    15. Women    16. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    17. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (103)

Don't support this writer by buying this piece of trash
A friend recommended this book which I unfortunately bought.I feel sorry for people who think that this is "writing."The author not only contradicts herself but the writing is shallow and lacks any depth.If you want to feel good, buy yourself a bottle of wine, not this book.

Reflective & Thought-provoking
I found this lying on the table at a bookstore during a one-nighter with my husband, which we both desperately needed as we're always surrounded by the things that needs to be done, two growing boys who demand all of our attention and time ~~ and reading the back of this book, I briefly thought of a friend who is going through her midlife crisis right now. So I picked it up.
You Have to Like the Genre
Before I begin this review, let me state that I have experienced most of the life changes that Joan Anderson describes in her book: from getting older to empty-nesting to (in my case) a divorce to wondering who and what I am. So I am not unsympathetic to any woman's struggle with the above.
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Subjects:  1. Anderson, Joan    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Cape Cod    7. Feminism & Feminist Theory    8. Massachusetts    9. Regional Subjects - New England    10. Women    11. Biography: general    12. Social Science / Feminism & Feminist Theory    13. Women's studies   

Editorial Review

The sequel to Frank McCourt's memoir of his Irish Catholic boyhood, Read more

Reviews (555)

'TIS A GRAND BOOK, !
Poignant,intense, exciting, gutwrenching yet heart warming are the scenes, actions and memories described inthis continuation of an indepth look at the the trials, tribulations and successes of FrankMc Court and his family. As you read it,you "are there" in New York, in Ireland, -at Mam's almost reunion with Frank's father, - in the army with Frank in Europe, - in church,- in the boarding house which provided meager temporary shelter, - in the countless dull mind-numbing jobs he had beforebecoming a teacher,- in the classroom trying to inspire lethargicstudents.With wit, and a lot ofmischievious charm, author Mc Court escorts us through his romantic liasons, marriage and birth of his daughter, -his brothers arrival and existence in New York,- his own "coming of age in America" as he matures, -and the death of his beloved mother, Angela, (Mam).
THE CONTINUING MEMOIR, BY THE AUTHOR OF ANGELA'S ASHES
Frank McCourt has a flowing, gifted writing style that is all his own. This, the second in his memoirs, tells the chapter of his life where he leaves Ireland for a life in America.How one can endure his hardships and still keep a witty sense of humour is nothing short of amazing.Low paying jobs, racial criticism, and scorn await McCourt upon his arrival.
Dissapointing but with a few gems
I felt that he was trying to gain sympathy for his situation unlike the frankness of Angelas Ashes. I was dissapointed with this sequal. He was brave to tell the truth of his situation, however he must have cringed upon reflection of his early life. He does use humor throughout the book and that makes it more bearable to read. I felt like slapping him rather than giving him a hug at the end of this second book. He does tell the truth, to his credit, and doesn't candy coat anything, a continuation of the first book in the context of style. Would recommend this to an older audience, because of the content matter. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Educators    6. Elements In The U.S. Population    7. Emigration & Immigration    8. Ethnic Cultures - General    9. Irish Americans    10. Literary    11. McCourt, Frank    12. Regional Subjects - MidAtlantic    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Immigration & emigration    15. Literature: History & Criticism    16. Social history    17. USA   

Reviews (134)

Interesting Reading
I always read books that groups try to ban as 'hate speech'. Why is thought such a dangerous thing these days? Find fault with the facts in the marketplace of ideas, don't try to silence people. If you found this book an interesting read you might also look at 'The Jews' by Hilaire Belloc.

Freedom of Speech Begins Here
I read David Duke's semi-autobiographical "My Awakening."
Enlightening
This book is probably the most important I've ever read.It is very difficult to find, a testament to the type of suppression that has followed the auther David Duke throughout his entire life.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Business/Economics    6. Duke, David Ernest    7. General    8. History    9. Louisiana    10. Political    11. Politicians    12. Politics and government    13. Regional Subjects - South    14. White supremacy movements   

Reviews (4)

Would you die to enter another country?
Would you die to enter another country? THE REAPER'S LINE: LIFE AND DEATH ON THE MEXICAN BORDER comes from a U.S. Customs special agent who has spent some thirty years on the U.S.-Mexico border as a federal agent. His account of corruption, mass murder, gunfights and dangerous liaisons and interactions makes for a charged story of drug wars, illegal aliens and danger.
The Reaper's Line
An eye-opening first hand account of life on the border and the never ending "War on Drugs." Mr. Morgan holds no punches as he paints a picture of corruption and ineptitude within the ranks of our own government agencies. His passion for justice and commitment to uphold the law of the land evokes a sense of pride and hope that each agent's commitment will not be undermined by the American bueruecratic system.

FINALLY - The Truth
Having lived with the problems of a border community for years, it is refreshing to see the problem brought to light, removed from the shadows of politics and media hype.This story clearly shows how certain governmental agencies are playing "games" with number and budgets with little or no concern for the impact on the citizen.The citizens of both country are caught in the crossfire.Read the book -- It is outstanding! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Drug traffic    3. Emigration & Immigration    4. General    5. History    6. History: American    7. Illegal aliens    8. Mexican-American Border Region    9. Regional Subjects - General    10. United States - State & Local - Southwest    11. Violence    12. History / United States / State & Local / Southwest (AZ, NM, OK, TX)   

Reviews (21)

This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind
The author "Ivan Doig" introduces Montana through his youthful eye and shares his rememberances of growing up in Montana. If you have yet to read any of Mr. Doig's excellent books or are already a fan; this book is not to be missed.

Enjoyable
I thoroughly enjoyed the book.The clincher was the realism and affection written into the characters.The work shares a time and place long since gone in this country.It makes one wonder if their own generation can live up to the character and accomplishments of the ones in the book.

This House of Sky, Tim Gauthier
The House of Sky was a good book because Ivan Doig talks about his experiences he went through in the town of White Sulfur Springs. He talks about his fathers experiences while he was growing up and how he dealed with them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Doig family    6. Doig, Ivan    7. Fiction    8. General    9. Literary    10. Meagher County (Mont.)    11. Regional Subjects - West    12. United States - State & Local - General    13. History / United States / State & Local / West (AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY)    14. Travel writing   

Reviews (105)

Great for All Ages
This is one of the most powerful books about a young persons experience in life I have ever read.The author tells her story in such great detail that you can feel yourself walking with her through every step of her journey.This book is a fast read and has changed my perspective on what the young people in the south went through during the integration process.

Moving
My sixth grade english class read this book as an assignment. When my teacher pulled it out I thought 'this looks boring' but I was moved to tears while reading it. It's incredible what these teenagers have been through and how they managed to live after the misery they've been through without going insane. If you manage to read this book without even feeling any surge of emotion, you would have to be illiterate. But I wouldn't recommend this to younger audiences, the cursing would be too much for them.

Watch out - this edition is abridged
The information on this edition says "School and Library Binding" ... what it doesn't warn you of is that this is *not* the original text.It is abridged for younger readers.If you want the original, don't buy this version.Amazon should make the abridgment visible.Bad Amazon! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Afro-American students    3. Arkansas    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Childhood Memoir    8. History    9. Little Rock    10. People of Color    11. Regional Subjects - South    12. School integration    13. Fiction / General    14. Multicultural studies   

Editorial Review

One reason Rick Bragg won a Pulitzer Prize for his feature articles at the Read more

Reviews (274)

More Than An Autobiography
Although this is the life story of the author, Rick Bragg, the book really centers on his mother.Rick has an older brother Sam and a younger brother Mark.They are the product of a broken home and were raised in an atmosphere of poverty.Their father was a victim of alcohol and eventually deserted the family.The mother is credited by the author for working hard at menial tasks and sacrificing in order to provide for her family. Rick becomes a successful reporter moving up the chain from smaller to larger more prestigious newspapers over a few years time.He finally feels he has arrived at the top when he moves to the New York Times.His goal now is to win the Pulitzer Prize.
eye opener
Braggs book was both very moving and an eye opener for me. I never actually looked back at the sacrifices my mother gave for her children. This book has made me open my eyes and appreciate her more. I look at her in a different light because of this book. I am not an avid reader but am now open to more of braggs work. I and my mother thank you.

Moving but real
I found the book both disturbing and moving. The author uses skillful language to invoke powerful images yet is mellow and matter of fact enough to reduce the tragic and dramatic to very real and very believable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alabama    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    7. General    8. Journalists    9. Regional Subjects - South    10. United States    11. Working class whites    12. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    13. Biography: general    14. Bragg, Rick    15. Childhood and youth    16. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (11)

chickens calm a new life in this memoir
Who knew a memoir mainly about chickens could be so interesting? Catherine Goldhammer starts her life over in a house by the sea which might not look that appealing but has charm nonetheless. She divorces and her daughter, Emma who is 12, move about 1 1/2 mile from their old home and begin a new life. The only thing to ensure Emma's happiness at moving is to promise the purchase of chickens! There is heaps to do with setting up a new home and the caretaking of chickens is no small task.
Goldhammer's Got Game
Catherine Goldhammer's Still Life with Chickens delivers its promise of being a story about starting over, or restarting--after the author realizes that her life isn't working, and that she needs or wants another life: a different one, a better one.
Better than I hoped it would be!
I'm very new at raising chickens & can't get enough info about them.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Divorced mothers    6. Farm Management    7. Farm life    8. Farmers    9. Massachusetts    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Regional Subjects - New England    12. Women    13. Women In The U.S.    14. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Christianity - Catholicism    5. Higher    6. Individual Institutions Of Higher Education    7. Personal Memoirs    8. Regional Subjects - Midwest    9. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Reviews (15)

I couldn't put this book down
I read this book in just a few sittings, and then recommended it to my mom and all of my girlfriends. (They all loved it too) Although there is nothing particularly remarkable or extraordinary about this girl's life, you feel like you're allowed in on all of her secrets, a feeling that appeals to most women I know. The format, with short diary entries, made the reading go very quickly.

4.5 Stars... Very touching diary of a Christian teenager in the 70s
Diaries are one of my most favorite types of books to read. When I turned 10, my parents gave me a journal and encouraged me to keep a diary, which I did enthusiastically for many years thereafter. When I saw this book, I was immediatey attracked to it, even more so as the author (whom I figured out is one year older than me) grew up a teenager about the same time as I did.
I loved this book
I hesitate to review this book only because I'm not sure I can do justice with words and explain just how much I loved the book.
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Subjects:  1. Adolescence    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Childhood Memoir    6. Diaries    7. Louisiana    8. Montgomery    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Regional Subjects - South    11. Sartor, Margaret    12. Teenage girls    13. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Features

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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Bryson, Bill    4. Childhood Memoir    5. General    6. Humor    7. Literary    8. Regional Subjects - Midwest    9. Travel writers    10. United States    11. Humor / General   

Reviews (24)

I live here, she knows my name.
I live here. Heather knows my name. I know hers. I'm even rated a quick mention in her book. But there are many people in town she doesn't know. Heather doesn't get to the trailer courts and the local convenience store all that often. And in all fairness, the publishers were the ones who slapped the title on this book. Heather's Haines is just that Heather's Haines. It is Haines as seen through 'A Prairie Home Companion' liberal vision of life. On the surface it is all embracingly fair, painting a picture of wonderful quirky resilient people all moving, even if unconsciously, towards a politically correct utopia. Yet the reality is of course quite different.
I can relate
I live in rural Colorado and first moved here from New York City just after graduate school.Heather's accounts and comparisons of living in a small town in Alaska I can relate to. Opportunities are limited but adventure is bountiful. Her stories and feelings sound so familiar to me it is like looking in the mirror.The sections in between the chapters "Duly Noted" bring the characters and flavor of the community to life.Somehow I never quite thought of a cemetary as a multi-residential district but I guess it is.The residents just don't move.If you are thinking Alaska is for you read this book first.I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.By the way I picked this book up because I am going to Alaska next year.

Pearls of neighborly wisdom
Heather Lende's neck of the woods--Haines, Alaska-- is a place where the name of the game is subsistence,and the surroundings are both breathtakingly beautiful and frequently downright dangerous.
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Subjects:  1. Alaska    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. City and town life    4. Description And Travel    5. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    6. Frontier and pioneer life    7. Haines    8. Outdoor life    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Regional Subjects - West    11. Rural Sociology    12. Sociology - Rural    13. Travel    14. United States - West - Pacific (General)    15. Biography & Autobiography / General    16. TRAVEL / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Reviews (13)

Shadows on the Koyukuk
I have fished the Koyukuk, which is what attracted me to the book, but people I have loaned the book to were as absorbed by it as me.

Great Read!
I've been reading a lot of Alaskan frontier non-fiction and this book is near the top of the list. I learned so much more about the interior cultures. Truly a must read for anyone interested in this topic.

Shadows on the Koyukuk
Excellent look at an early Alaskanatives experiences.As a former Alaskan I understand the problems.Recommended for anyone interested in interior Alaska. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1915-    2. 20th century    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. History    8. Huntington, Sidney,    9. Koyukon Indians    10. Native American Sociology    11. Reference    12. Regional Subjects - West    13. Social life and customs    14. Huntington, Sidney   

Reviews (47)

An interesting peek into small-town life, but don't read it while you're eating
You know that small, faded town you pass through on your way to Somewhere Else? These are the folks who live there. Having grown up in New Auburn, Wisconsin, but moving away to make his way in the world, writer Michael Perry returns home some years later and joins the local fire department as a way of reconnecting with his community. In the book he alternates between relating his experiences as a small-town volunteer firefighter and first-responder and giving fleeting glimpses into the lives and personalities of some of his teammates and fellow residents. The detailed emergency calls were fun to read about, but more than once I made the mistake of reading while having lunch! I generally don't pick up many non-fiction books, but I read this as part of the "Eden Prairie Reads" community program (www.epreads.org).

fabulous book I have given to friends
I have passed this book along to many and recommended it to even more- it is well written, interesting and touching.The author is an EMT in his small town of New Auburn WI- pop 485 and the town's folk - his neighbors and friends -are portrayed with true warmth and humor. There are passages in this book that are so evocative of the human experience I cried - and so did my husband who read it upon my recommendation.It was passed to me a friend and I have given a number of copies and have to keep buying one "for myself."Well worth the time and money- a little gem of a book.

Perry = an approachable volunteer and wordsmith
This was an excellent read, by all accounts.The author's ability to articulately convey time, imagery, flavor, and life was superb.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American authors    3. Authors, American    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Medical - General    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Regional Subjects - Midwest    11. Special Interest - Adventure    12. United States    13. Volunteer fire fighters    14. Travel / Adventure    15. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (217)

And I thought The Lovely Bones was hard to put down...
I rarely find a book I just Cannot Put Down.One of the rare ones was The Lovely Bones--and it wasn't just the plot.It was the language, the crystal-clear voice-in-your-head narrative that spoke and spoke of pain and sadness and resolve.It was infused with a realism and was both beautiful and haunting.Like the lean, hard and seemingly lengthened muscles of a runner, Sebold's voice is discernable above the din of modern fiction yet it is not haughty or self-involved... Hearing her voice is like the moment you know you are going to be really good friends with someone you just met:comforting and clear, it makes you want to lean closer to absorb it.It made me a devoted fan of Sebold as I am sure you are, too.
A difficult, but engaging read
I suspect I'm like most people who have read this book.I read an interview with Sebold and she said as she was writing "Lovely Bones" she was struggling with the rape scene.Because she had been raped herself, she wasn't able to write about it effectively in "Lovely Bones" until she had dealt with her own stuff.She put down "Lovely Bones", wrote "Lucky", and then picked up and finished "Lovely Bones."Very interesting.
An Incredible and Worthwhile Read, But ...
I was disappointed by the ending. It seemed quite hastily concluded. I wanted more details on her recovery process--how she was able to save herself. That would definitely help readers who have been through similar experiences. ...