Journal Entry 1 by bluenoser from Eymet, Aquitaine France on Thursday, February 12, 2004

I read this several years ago and love Bill Bryson's books.
A very kind BookCrosser noticed "The Poisonwood Bible" on my wish list and sent me a hard cover copy by airmail as a RABCK. By chance, while I was browsing around our second-hand book store I came across this book which is on her wish list. Sending via Canada Post tomorrow to California. 

Journal Entry 2 by jamesmum from Richmond, British Columbia Canada on Saturday, February 28, 2004

WOW! What a lovely and unexpected surprise! Thank you, Bluenoser, for fulfilling one of my wishes. I love everything I've ever read by Bill Bryson, and just last night I pointed out this book to my hubby at the bookstore and said, "I need that one!". Can't wait to read it. Thanks again!

UPDATE: What a fun book to read! It made me want to put on my hiking boots and head out into the hills. Thanks again!

Sent to BXer DSM as a RABCK 4/7/04. 

Journal Entry 3 by DSM from Bad Axe, Michigan USA on Thursday, April 15, 2004

Arrived today - can't wait to read it! 

Journal Entry 4 by DSM from Bad Axe, Michigan USA on Sunday, May 16, 2004

Marking this book as availabe as I'm going to being reading it tonight as part of my 2004 reading challange! Will be back to post again when finished! 

Journal Entry 5 by DSM from Bad Axe, Michigan USA on Thursday, May 20, 2004

Not only does this book make me want to go hiking - it has made me appreciate the work that has gone into the making AT! One of my goals in life has been to one day backpack through Europe - perhaps I need to reconsider this and maybe hit the ole AT instead! ;o)

What a great book with many laugh out loud moments, and quite a bit of our history thrown in there as well! I LOVED it! 

Journal Entry 6 by DSM at Post Office in Bad Axe, Michigan -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, May 27, 2004

Released on Thursday, May 27, 2004 at Post Office in Bad Axe, Michigan Controlled Releases.

Sending off to EvaLowrain in trade for Gnostic Gospels! Enjoy it!!

Read and Release - that's the game! ;o) 

Journal Entry 7 by EvaLowrain from Louisville, Kentucky USA on Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Thanks for sending this! My husband also wants to read it - he's a BCer. 

Journal Entry 8 by novasoy from Louisville, Kentucky USA on Monday, July 19, 2004

Not a big deal here. Evalowrain is my wife so it's not like this was a miraculous catch. :) 

Journal Entry 9 by novasoy from Louisville, Kentucky USA on Friday, July 23, 2004

This was a joy to read. I thoroughly enjoyed Bryson's description of the characters and places he met while hiking the AT. His story could have descended into tedious "rocks and trees" rambling, but throughout he keeps the narrative lively. Interspersed with the travel journal, describing what happened and what happened next, he offers a fair amount of history -- natural history and the other kind -- about the lands through which the trail wends. He casts light on the ravages pollution and other rapacious resource management failures are wreaking on the eastern wilderness. Extinctions of both plant and animal species are accelerating at an alarming rate. Habitats are being destroyed. Though the book was written nearly ten years ago, I doubt very much that it has gotten better.

Still, I loved the book. It stoked a desire to strap a pack onto my back and start wandering. 

Journal Entry 10 by EvaLowrain from Louisville, Kentucky USA on Friday, October 22, 2004

Just recatching this from my hubby. I plan to read it soon. 

Journal Entry 11 by EvaLowrain from Louisville, Kentucky USA on Thursday, December 23, 2004

This is a fantastic, funny read. Bill Bryson manages to intermingle his personal experience with environmental information, humorous anecdotes, poetic passages and introspective ramblings - but, impressively, all without ever boring the reader. Frankly, I was a bit skeptical about reading a book about someone's hiking experience. I mean, I love hiking, but you know, trees and hills, trees and hills isn't exactly exciting material. And if anyone else had written it, I'm not sure I could've finished it. But there's something compelling about a middle-aged man and his recovered alcoholic middle-age buddy tackling the elements, particularly since they hadn't done this sort of thing before. There were passages where I couldn't control my laughing - very bad, considering my baby was trying to sleep in the next room. Anyway, it definitely is in my top five books I've read this year and I'll recommend it to anyone who will listen. Thank you to everyone who shared this book and I'll be passing it on to a good home soon!

PMed bugandbean about this book. 

Journal Entry 12 by EvaLowrain from Louisville, Kentucky USA on Friday, January 14, 2005

Off to bugandbean today! Enjoy the adventure!

Also, hi bluenoser! See, I already wound up with one of your books. I'm the one sending Four to Score, btw. 

Journal Entry 13 by bugandbean from Columbus, Ohio USA on Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Received this today - thanks EvaLowrain! Reading all the entries, I'm popping this one toward the top of the TBR pile! BTW, can anyone explain the strange pock-markings all over the cover? Very mysterious! 

Journal Entry 14 by bugandbean from Columbus, Ohio USA on Saturday, January 29, 2005

I'm glad I bumped this to the top, past many other long-suffering books. I loved it. Unlike other journalers, however, it did not make me want to go hiking. In fact, I've never not wanted to hike so much in my life. Sleeping in tents, thirst, noodles for dinner every night, bears, treacherous terrain, hypothermia - all not my idea of a good time! But I really like reading about it, from the comfort of my own home. Bryson is a great storyteller, and he's brilliant at interweaving history and ecology, plus a few well-deserved jabs at the National Park Service.
I'm going to be on the lookout for his other books, and will be releasing this one in some way soon. 

Journal Entry 15 by mlbish from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Thanks bugandbean! This is already a well-traveled book. Great! Just like DSM said, "Read and Release - that's the game!"

Wanna hear a secret? I have already read this book. But I loved it so much (and I'm such a BC nerd) that I wanted a copy on my own shelf. I have big plans for it, don't worry. I think I'm going to try and reread it (at the expense of Mt. TBR of course!) and I'll try to convince MrBish to read it. Then I will find something really cool to do with it. Maybe a bookring. I'm just so exited to have a copy in my hot little hands!

There is something about it that made me laugh. There are indentations in the front cover of the book. After close inspection, it looks like someone wrote with a ballpoint pen on a piece of paper with the book behind. But when I first saw them, they looked like teethmarks! Considering the cover picture of the bear, I thought it was pretty funny! That would have been a fun idea for the publisher too. To make a cover that looks like it has been chewed by a bear. Hee! 

Journal Entry 16 by mlbish from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, January 06, 2006

Because I love this book and I want other people to love it too, I'm going to send it traveling in a ring! I am into low stress bookcrossing, so please don't feel like you have to rush. If you need to keep the book more than a few weeks, please just make a journal entry to let us know when you'll be able to finish and pass it on. Enjoy!

Here is the list. I may do some rearranging as the book travels, but I will always do my best to honor shipping preferences.

-- WelshHelen - UK (pref UK/Europe)
-- Alvhyttan - Sweden (pref Europe)
-- em64 - Finland (INT)
-- thegoaliegirl
-- kbgoffe - Oregon (US/Can)
-- raralovestoread (US)
-- Guinneth - New Hampshire
-- Angelfirestar - Nebraska
-- Niksu - Finland (INT)
-- menalima - Portugal (Eur)
-- lesezeichen - Germany (INT)

...and back to me! 

Journal Entry 17 by mlbish at bookring in bookring, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Released 7 yrs ago (2/21/2006 UTC) at bookring in bookring, Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

And it's off! A Walk in the Woods is going to take A Swim Across the Pond. I hope you enjoy it, WelshHelen. 

Journal Entry 18 by WelshHelen from Ponthenri, Wales United Kingdom on Saturday, April 29, 2006

Arrived safely today. Thank you, mlbish. Would you believe, someone gave me a copy a couple of weeks ago, so I'll post this one straight on to Alvhyttan so as to move the ring quickly :-) Thanks again. 

Journal Entry 19 by WelshHelen from Ponthenri, Wales United Kingdom on Saturday, April 29, 2006

Arrived safely today. Thank you, mlbish. Would you believe, someone gave me a copy a couple of weeks ago, so I'll post this one straight on to Alvhyttan so as to move the ring quickly :-) Thanks again. 

Journal Entry 20 by WelshHelen from Ponthenri, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Posted to Alvhyttan today. 

Journal Entry 21 by Alvhyttan from Nora, Västmanland Sweden on Thursday, May 11, 2006

Journal Entry 22 by Alvhyttan from Nora, Västmanland Sweden on Thursday, May 11, 2006

Journal Entry 23 by Alvhyttan from Nora, Västmanland Sweden on Thursday, June 08, 2006

Journal Entry 24 by Alvhyttan from Nora, Västmanland Sweden on Monday, June 19, 2006

Journal Entry 25 by em64 from Tampere, Pirkanmaa Finland on Thursday, June 22, 2006

Perfect timing - finished a ring book yesterday evening and this one arrived today. And it is a national holiday tomorrow (Midsummer's Eve) so I'll have a long weekend and time to read. 

Journal Entry 26 by em64 from Tampere, Pirkanmaa Finland on Monday, June 26, 2006

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. It was not only funny, it also gave me a lot of information about the history of the AT, just a perfect mix. It was almost if I had been hiking with Bryson and Katz along the AT. I became interested enough to search for pics of the Trail in the internet and it looks just amazing. I was very amused when I found on the official site updates about floods in Delaware Water Gap or warnings about crowdedness at certain times - both mentioned by Bryson.

Have pm'd thegoaliegirl and waiting for her address. 

Journal Entry 27 by em64 from Tampere, Pirkanmaa Finland on Wednesday, June 28, 2006

The book will continue its journey; it will be mailed today to thegoaliegirlie in the US. Happy Reading! 

Journal Entry 28 by thegoaliegirl from Las Vegas, Nevada USA on Friday, July 07, 2006

This book arrived today. Have two books ahead of it (one I'm reading at work, the other at home)... But I should get to it soon. Can't wait to read it! 

Journal Entry 29 by thegoaliegirl from Las Vegas, Nevada USA on Thursday, July 20, 2006

I absolutely loved this book. Finished it a few days ago. Reading it made me want to consider walking the trail myself, but I doubt that would ever happen. I did do 7 miles of coastal mountain trails in Italy one hot day, but that was without a heavy pack. The book was funny and well written and thouroughly enjoyable. Having read Neither here nor there first, I knew who Katz was. :) Thanks for sharing this book.

kbgoffe has asked to be skipped, so I will send to raralovestoread once I get their addy. 

Journal Entry 30 by thegoaliegirl from Las Vegas, Nevada USA on Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Mailed to raralovestoread today. Was out of town this weekend, or I'd have sent it sooner. 

Journal Entry 31 by raralovestoread from Ponchatoula, Louisiana USA on Monday, July 31, 2006

This book arrived in the mail today. I will start reading it tonight. Thanks for sharing. 

Journal Entry 32 by raralovestoread from Ponchatoula, Louisiana USA on Sunday, August 06, 2006

I enjoyed this book. I've never been hiking and don't have an interest in doing so, but Bryson is such an engaging storyteller that I was thoroughly engrossed in the book. This is the first book I've read by Bill Bryson, and I would definitely like to read others. Thanks for sharing, mlbish! 

Journal Entry 33 by raralovestoread from Ponchatoula, Louisiana USA on Monday, August 07, 2006

Today I mailed this book to Guinneth in New Hampshire. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 34 by Guinneth from Manchester, New Hampshire USA on Saturday, August 26, 2006

Received this today - thank you! I'm in the middle of another ring book and will start this as soon as I finish that. :) 

Journal Entry 35 by Guinneth from Manchester, New Hampshire USA on Sunday, September 03, 2006

Journal Entry 36 by Guinneth from Manchester, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Mailed to Angelfirestar today. Enjoy!

Del. conf.# 0305 0830 0001 2072 5802 

Journal Entry 37 by AngelfireStar from Falls City, Nebraska USA on Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Just recieved. Will read ASAP. 

Journal Entry 38 by AngelfireStar from Falls City, Nebraska USA on Monday, October 30, 2006

Interesting in spots. But it had a tendency to drag. Longer read than I thought it would be.

Sorry for the delay. It will be sent soon. 

Journal Entry 39 by AngelfireStar at Controlled Postal Release in Falls City, Nebraska USA on Friday, November 10, 2006

Released 6 yrs ago (11/10/2006 UTC) at Controlled Postal Release in Falls City, Nebraska USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

sent to Niksu

sorry for the delay 

Journal Entry 40 by Niksu from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Thursday, November 23, 2006

The book is in Finland again! Will start reading right away. Thanks AngelfireStar for sending. 

Journal Entry 41 by Niksu from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Monday, November 27, 2006

I finished this yesterday and liked a lot. Even me who likes to think "why walk when you can run" started to see walking in a different light. I do have hiking boots already so never know what the next summer brings.

It was interesting to read how Bryson's and Katz's relationship changed during the hike. I was quite sure they don't get along at all. You would think that you need to know the hiking partner quite well to enjoy that kind of trip.

Thanks for sharing this great book. Menalima has asked to be skipped so it's on its way to Germany. 

Journal Entry 42 by lesezeichen from Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Sunday, December 03, 2006

The book has arrived and I'm looking forward to reading it, thanks to everyone! 

Journal Entry 43 by lesezeichen from Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Saturday, December 09, 2006

I enjoyed this book. If you like travelling, nature, geography and hiking it is of course very interesting to follow the "adventures" of Bill and his friend, especially as hiking the Appalachian trail seems to be a far cry from the kind of walking we usually do in Europe with a pub around the corner for lunch and a hot shower and a nice restaurant awaiting you in the evening. I also liked the way Bryson interwove anecdotes about the history of the trail and its most famous exploits, the states they were crossing and his criticism of the way the National Parks are run. Having said that I am not so keen on his famous humour which I find a bit condescending most of the time (but I still had to smile here and there) ;-) A good book.