A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (1998)
Two out-of-shape, middle-aged men deciding to hike the entire 2,100 miles of the Appalachian Trail is pretty funny. But when one of the men is Bill Bryson, the results are downright hilarious. Bryson recruits an old high school buddy to join him as he makes his attempt. He should have known he was in for trouble when his friend showed up with a backpack full of Ding Dongs and little else. Bryson manages to toss in a good bit of history about the trail for good measure.
A Walk in the Woods can be found at the Chicopee Public Library in the Young Adult section (YA 917.4 Bryson).
Take a Hike!
on Friday, July 30, 2010
Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold (2001)
Set in San Francisco during the Roaring Twenties, this novel is very loosely based on the life and career of magician Charles Carter. As the book begins, Carter invites President Warren G. Harding on stage to take part in his act. As the audience watches in amazement, Carter chops the President to pieces and feeds him to a lion before restoring him to perfect health. The show is a great success but two hours later the President is dead, and Carter finds himself at the center of some very intense and unwelcome attention. And that's just the first chapter!
Carter Beats the Devil can be found in the Fiction section of Chicopee Public Library.
Cool Down with Winterdance
on Friday, July 23, 2010
Winterdance by Gary Paulsen
You'll find this book shelved in the Young Adult section, but that's mostly because many of Paulsen's novels are for younger readers - Don't let that keep you away from this book!
This is a hilarious account of Gary Paulsen's somewhat misguided midlife decision to run the Iditarod - the 1,100 mile dogsled race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Winterdance is a terrific dog story, a great outdoor adventure, and a certain cure for the summer heat.
Winterdance can be found in the Young Adult section of the Chicopee Public Library.
If you like Paulsen's writing style and the elements of outdoor adventure, try some of his novels for younger readers, such as Hatchet, Dogsong, and Brian's Return.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
