This is my FAVORITE Bill Bryson book - perhaps it was because I was traveling around Australia at the time, but his stories are just so enjoyable and at times laugh out loud funny.

This book is part of a bookring, the list is below! I hope that everyone enjoys it as well as the postcards that should be coming :)

Btw, the list of addresses should be attached inside the book - makes it easier for sending them along and sending out the postcards!

UPDATED 1/4/07: This bookring has been combined with my other Bill Bryson bookring/postcard ring due to stalling on the other bookring. I wanted to make sure that the book got to everyone and everyone could enjoy the postcards! So after froggirlwendy, there is a new order for the book. Thank you for understanding :) ENJOY!

1) beekeeper40 (UK)
2) simon-says (Switzerland)
3) froggirlwendy (Australia)
4) Miss-Owl (Australia)
5) PRCS (Canada) [skipped]
6) jessibud (Canada)
7) gomboggit (USA)
8) kazeldya (USA)
9) fizzfred (USA)*(<-- currently at as of 11/13/07)
10) LeapGirl8 (USA)
11) Back to me - bluehawaii218 (USA)

RELEASE NOTES:

I've sent off the book to start off a bookring! It is now traveling off to England to meet beekeeper40.

Enjoy!

Received safely from Bluehawaii218. Am reading a bookring at the moment but will get round to it next. Thanks bluehawaii218.

Wonderful Bryson as ever! My only surprise is that Mr Bryson didn't try and engage with some Aborigines as he lamented about them often. I knew very little about Oz but now feel a little bit enlightened. I am afraid I skipped the bit about the Olympics at the end. Have pmed the next reader for their address.

RELEASE NOTES:

Winging its way to Switzerland - my favourite holiday destination!

The book arrived on Tuesday. Thanks, beekeeper40. Postcards are very close to be sent of. Sadly, weather's not very nice at the moment. But, it probably helps to keep the book as nice and clean as it is. How do you do that, anyway?

Couldn't finish the book. There was just so much to do before I go on holidays. Still, I enjoyed what I've read. I liked "Notes from a small Island" better. It's probably because I've been there but never to Australia. Anyway, postcards and book are on the way.

Arrived safely - wow, what a long trip!!! Thank you simon-says and bluehawaii218. My first Bryson book and I'm looking forward to reading it. I have some other bookrings ATM so will have to hurry up my reading.

Thanks so much for this bookring bluehawaii218, and you patience with my struggle to read too many bookrings at once :o)

I really enjoyed my first Bill Bryson book - living in Australia probably helped. A good, fun, interesting read. I will definitely look for more of his books to read once Mt TBR shrinks down a fair bit.

New postcard/bookring list is taped over the top of the original list, I hope I didn't miss anyone. Hugs. Posted to Miss-Owl today. Enjoy.

RELEASE NOTES:

On it's way to Miss-Owl. Hopefully with a correct postcard/bookring list of readers and addresses. Enjoy :o)

Picked up today from my po box...

... or should I say, rescued from the evil clutches of Australia Post.

My po box had been empty all month (very uncharacteristically), and it took A GREAT DEAL OF PERSISTENCE before I could persuade a member of staff to check the back room for me. Lo and behold, SEVEN books had been sitting there, and they hadn't given me a SINGLE notification!!!

Sorry, still cranky. Please be patient with my reading time as I now have seven bookrings to go through!

I'm finished! Being an Aussie I can't say I'm not biased (okay, let's just throw that pretence out the window) but I loved this book - I'm with bluehawaii218 on this one: my favourite Bryson. It gave me a warm fuzzy glow about our country in the way that tends to be eroded by two upcoming elections in all their attendant lunacy. Although I must say, I'm proud to live in a place where an entire stage musical could be devoted to a prime minister acerbic enough to call his own nation "the arse end of the world".

Anyway, 'nuff said. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Thanks, bluehawaii218 for all your organising, & also to froggirlwendy for sending on. Ready to send to PCRS when the address has been confirmed.


Update (9/3/07): sorry for the slowness in getting this book out. It's taking me some time to get all the postcards organised! I'll have all of them out this week. Cheers!

Btw, it's going to jessibud, not PCRS, who asked to be skipped.

Many, many apologies for holding up this ring, especially for such a lovely book. I've had a rather nasty accident & have just got back on my feet again. Anyway, just to let you know that the last of the postcards are going out today, and so is the book!

Arrived today!

Please remind me, am I to send a postcard to everyone on the enclosed list, regardless of whether they came before me or will come after me? I think I've only received one, myself, so far, but it's been awhile so I'd have to go check to be sure. (Bluehawaii, yours isn't on the list!)

I am currently trying to finish up 2 bookrings that are on my bedside table at the moment and another one arrived with this one today. I have exactly 2 weeks left until the end of my school year and then I will be on vacation, so I hope it is ok to wait those 2 weeks for me to begin the book. Once on vacation, though, it shouldn't take me too long!

Ooops, I apologize for not journalling sooner. I sent this on to Gomboggit, on July 20, because, unfortunately, I found the print font in this book to be too small and I was experiencing eyestrain. I will see if I can find another copy in my local library and if I do, I will edit in my comments here.

I do love Bill Bryson so I hope the rest of you in this bookring enjoy the book.

Postcards mailed, too!

Received in the mail today and will begin reading ASAP.

I enjoyed this book immensely. This has to be one of Bryson's best. There is so much about Australia that I didn't know, and I loved learning about it. I love the way that Bryson mixes fact with humor so you are learning and being entertained at the same time. I wish there were pictures, though. I would have loved to have seen the Big Orange and other types of "big" buildings, the Bungle Bungles, and some of the other landmarks described, as well as some of the unique flora and fauna found there. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to surf the net to find these things. I will PM the next in line and get it moving as soon as I get my postcards addressed. Thanks for including me in this ring, bluehawaii218!

Ooopse, I've had this for a couple weeks now. Sorry I forgot to journal. I'm on page 97 and making my way through. I am really enjoying it! I'll journal again once I finish.

It took me a long time to read but I really did enjoy this book! I've been hearing so much about Bill Bryson so I am so glad to finally read a book of his. It made me want to visit Australia as soon as possible! I could never do all he did though. It sure would be nice to have that much time to travel. It seems the only people who can do it are travel writers. :) Thanks so much bluehawaii218 for sharing this book. I have PMed LeapGirl8 and await her address. My postcards will go out next week.