TBR, up for trade.

Jacket description:
In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.

Traveling to Narfinmagic as of 2/2/04 part of a trade

This book arrived safe and sound in today's mail. Thanks for the trade!

I found this story to be very interesting. I've always been fascinated by stories about people who break the "norm" and set out on a journey different from the majority. Unfortunately for this man, it cost him his life. The book speculates as to whether this character had a mental illness or suicidal wish. I definitely do not see the suicidal wish, but I did find myself questioning his mental health at times. Overall, it was interesting and I'm glad I had the oppty to read this book.

I've offered this book to another bookcrosser who has it on their wish list. Pending their response, I will either send it to her or make it available for release.

Released on Friday, April 09, 2004 at postal release in fellow bookcrosser, postal release USA.

I just love being able to send RABCK's! This one is going to arugh48187. Enjoy :0)

Sent to me as a wishlist RABCK. I am looking forward to reading it. Thanks narfinmagic!

This was certainly an interesting book. I cannot possibly fathom walking out into the wild with as little preparation as Chris did. Oh, I could live off the land all right (provided I had enough to read) and have had the urge at times, but I would no doubt be way over prepared. I'm an engineer. It's ingrained character for me.

Despite my conservative tendencies, I did enjoy the book. I am amazed at what some people will do to feed their need for the extreme, and I totally respect those that pit their physical being against the forces of nature. Kudos to them! If there weren't those types of people, I am sure a lot of this world would be left unexplored.

This one is off to BigBird2002 who tried to give me a wishlist RABCK, but I countered with an offer of one off of her wishlist. :)

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailing off to BigBird2002 who kindly sent me Irish Girls About Town a couple of months ago. Enjoy!

Arrived in the mail. This book sounds like a lot of fun. Thank you!

Unfortunately I could not get into this book. The idea sounded interesting, but the writing style was just not one I could sink my teeth into. I am sending this book on to reddragonlady. She is sending a Sesame Street book (it will be a surprise which one) for my girls as a trade.

Aaaack! I got this in the mail today, and had a heart attack. I'm going to have to PM bigbird and explain the whole thing, but basics being, I never got a PM with her address, and after a few weeks, I thought she'd changed her mind. I made a mass donation to my local library last week, including my Sesame Street books. One way or another (even if it means buying back some books at the next sale) I will get that book to her! I'm feeling perfectly horrible!!!

I really enjoyed Under the Banner of Heaven and Into Thin Air...but this book was pretty boring. Maybe because I didn't believe the author's idea that this guy was somehow special and was doing some sort of higher calling. Seems to me that the author identified with McCandless a lot, and was trying to give his own risk-taking a larger meaning. Or maybe all risk-takers do that with their extreme sports or whatever, instead of just saying they enjoy the adreniline rush. Yes, I think McCandless used the excuse of some higher calling to do what he did, but frankly, this is just some guy who wandered off and like many young people, deep-down believed he was immune to dying. At least, that's my take. The book seems super-padded with various stories of other people who climb mountains or explore Alaska...I think Krakauer knew he didn't have enough on McCandless to write a book. Heck, 2 chapters on Krakauer's trip to the Thumb? Talk about padding! All in all, I was quite disappointed with this book.

****
PS In case anyone is wondering whatever happened about the Sesame Steet books, I was able to locate 3 of them I'd wild released at a medical clinic a couple months before, and mailed them off. So, I finally "caught" a wild release...even though it was my own! lol

Mailed this book out yesterday, but because of my computer hog children, this is the first chance I've had to journal that I mailed it out. Sent this out as a trade for First Person Plural.

This looks great! I will write another journal entry as soon as I'm finished reading it.

I read this in conjunction with Bright Lights, Big City -- another book about a lost 24 year old. I think the two books fit nicely together.. and it was actually unintentional that I read them together. I love Jon Krakauer's writing. I don't think Chris McCandless was crazy, or had a death wish. I think he just saw nature as a truly beautiful thing, especially after reading all the books that typically beautified nature. He didn't see the dangers in nature. He may have been over-confident in his survival also.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Flakes as part of a trade! Sorry about the wait!

Arrived today! Thanks for the trade!:)

This was an ok book. I really enjoyed the Chris McCandless story, but there was a bit too much filler in the rest of the book for my taste.

Sending this off to melydia as a wish list RABCK...enjoy!:)

This arrived today. It was recommended to me as a vastly superior tale to (but in the same vein as) the truly wretched Wild Animus, so I'm looking forward to reading it. Thanks for sending it!

Don't mind me, just jotting down a quote I particularly liked. Full review to come later.

"It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God-given right to have it." (p.155)

A beautifully tragic account of young Chris McCandless's journey (and subsequent death) in the wilds of Alaska. Using diary entries, interviews with people who knew McCandless, and some similar historical endeavors, Krakauer attempts to uncover the motivations and thought processes behind the urge to experience nature in unbelievably dangerous situations. I have never had such an urge in my life, so the description of such an alien frame of mind enthralled me. I have mixed feelings about McCandless himself; I think he mistreated a lot of people who cared about him, but it sounded like he was on the brink of turning his life around there at the end. This story would not have worked as a novel - the premise is just too unbelievable and the timeline far too jumpy - but knowing it was true kept me turning pages until the very end. I agree with the review in the Washington Post, printed on the back cover: "Anyone who ever fancied wandering off to face nature on its own harsh terms should give a look."

Sending as a RABCK to CdnBlueRose. Enjoy!

Edit 29 June 07: Mailed it off today.

Received today - thanks so much! This book has sure been around - I'll make sure to pass it along as soon as I've read it. I appreciate the RABCK melydia!!