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BOOK DESCRIPTION:

After lots of excitement, distraction, and a trip to Europe, I've gotten the act together and the BookRing starts today! How excited are we?

On 4 April 2007, am mailing this book to the first participant in the Ring, who will then keep forwarding it until it returns, one hopes, to me.

Our participants:

1. OneFineTabby in MA;
2. MissPrisy in MA;
3. Perryfran in MD;
4. Tranq1 in FL;
5. Return to me in NH

Hope you all enjoy the book as much as I did, and please don't forget to make journal entries!

OK, a day late, a dollar short, mainly because I misplaced the book and didn't find it until yesterday! I'm mailing it out to OneFineTabby today, 11 April 2007, from Rochester, NY! Didn't get a chance to send it out while I was home in NH.

Let the reading begin!

I received this in my PO Box, I'm very excited! Loved your enclosed note, Germ. I'll post again soon.

I've always known that B Bryson was an intelligent, creative writer...but who know he could be so funny!! Groing up in a house full of Boomers, I can relate to so much of this book.

I'd call his style of humor sarcastic hyperbole. Which is not for everyone, but its exactly my style. Thanks again Germ!



Sent this off to missyprissy on 5/9/07
DC# 0306 3030 0001 0728 2883

The book arrived at some point while I was out of town. I have a couple other rings in front of this, but should be able to get to this one soon.

This was a fantastic read! I couldn't put it down once I started! I've always wished I grew up in the 50s, but I was born 20 - 30 years to late. I will mail this tomorrow. Thank you so much for sharing Germanophile & OneFineTabby.

Release #38 for Guinaveve's Keep Them Moving 2007 Challenge

Received in the mail today. Thanks for including me - I'm really looking forward to reading this since I grew up in the 1950's and 60's and I'm sure I will relate to Bryson's reminiscences. I just started another bookring book but this one is next. Hope to get to it in a week or two.

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Update 6/13/07: Starting reading today.

Enjoyable trip down memory lane! I was born in 1950 and Bryson in 1951 so I really could relate to a lot of what was in the book including the TV shows (Sky King, Robin Hood, Zorro, etc.), the toys (Lincoln Logs, model airplanes, erector sets, etc.), the small town atmosphere without chain stores and fast food places. However, some of what Bryson presented including McCarthy and the commie witch hunts were the farthest things from my mind when I was a kid and I really didn't learn about them until later in life. I guess Bryson was just putting the time period in perspective by including politics and world events. Overall though, a very funny and enjoyable read. This book also reminded me a lot of Jean Shepherd's hilarious nostalgic books about growing up in the 40's including In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories. In God We Trust is the basis for the movie A Christmas Story. If you haven't read any Shepherd, I would highly recommend anything he wrote.

I am expecting a few other Bryson books as part of bookrings and I'm looking forward to them. Thanks Germanophile for sharing this one! The book will be on its way to Tranq1 in Florida this afternoon.

USPS DC# 0306 1070 0005 5934 2122

Update Per USPS website:

Label/Receipt Number: 0306 1070 0005 5934 2122
Status: Delivered

Your item was delivered at 1:09 PM on June 25, 2007 in TAMPA, FL 33629.

I got home for our vacation today and this was waiting for me. I will read it as soon as I finish the book I am reading. I am looking forward to it. I love Bill Bryson.

This was really 2 books. One was a humorous story about Bill Bryson's childhood in the 1950s. The other was a serious political commentary about the problems of the 1950s, nuclear bomb testing, civil rights movement, McCarthy witch hunts, etc. I had trouble making the transition between the two.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending bookring home to Germanophile.

Received this months ago from Tranq1 after its trip on my first-ever BookRing! Why I didn't remember to journal it is anyone's guess.

Now Bill and his memories are back home. Maybe they'll go on the road again someday, who knows?

Thanks to everyone who took part in my Ring, especially those of you who were patient when you had to wait. Let's do this again in future!

This book became another casualty of The Great Migration of 2009. It is no longer in my possession, and I have NO idea where it is. I've marked it "Travelling" and hope it pops up one day.