Best Bill Bryson book?
 

Hubby isn't a big reader but loves to travel. We're going south for a couple of weeks and I would like to get him an easy reading book to take with him. What would you suggest? Thanks.

My two favorites so far are "Notes from a Small Island" (it helps to me an Anglophile to start with) and
"I'm a Stranger Here Myself."

"In a Sunburned Country"

I wondered about Notes from Small Island. My husband is British but left many many years ago. Would it still be appropriate?
Sunburned Country-we visited Australia many years ago but don't plan on going back. Would it still be a good pick?

Loved In A Sunburned Country. DH has never been to Australia, but is raring to go after reading the book. I think your husband might enjoy it more BECAUSE he has been there.

There was a recent thread on "easy reading" books that had lots of suggestions. I'll try to top it for you, bashful.

They are all good, but my favorite is still A Walk in the Woods, second would be I am a Stranger Here Myself. But I suppose it is all what you relate to. But these are all wonderful books!

bashful, it's on the US board:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34538147

Thanks Marilyn..

"The Lost Continent" and "A Walk in the Woods" are laugh-out-loud funny. I'm interested in language and found "Made in America" and "Mother Tongue" informative as well as funny.

I still really like the first one I ever read: "Neither Here nor There" about his travels around Europe on his first trip. But I love everything he's written so I don't think you can go wrong. "Notes from a Small Island" and "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" were also good. Even his non travel books like "English the Mother Tongue and How it Got that Way" are pretty good. I'm giving my husand for Christmas his newest book "A Short History of Nearly Everything" but I haven't read it yet.

I agree with those who found "A Walk in the Woods" to be an entertaining read. The only other Bryson book I've read, which I found to be on a par with "A Walk...", is the book about his travels in Europe titled, as I recall, "Neither Here Nor There". Each chapter covers a different country. It's a good book for a trip, not only because it's travel related, but also because if you're too busy to read for a few days you don't have to remember a plot line or characters.

Another vote for A Walk in the Woods. I'm reading it right now and it is LOL reading.

A Walk in the Woods stands apart from all of his other writing. It is truly laugh out loud material. His other books are only "OK" in my opinion. I was reading Walk in the Woods when I had my second child and was actually anticipating the 3 o'clock feedings so I could read more - now that is saying something!

I'm getting confused as many of his books have different titles in the US and the UK (for instance, his Australian adventure is titled "Down Under" in the UK). My favourite is also "Notes from a Small Island" - actually easily my favourite non-fiction book, but I also loved "Lost Continent".

AR, for some reason it's sold as "Down Under" in Australia too. The phrase "a sunburned country" comes from a well-known (in Australia) poem by Dorothea McKellar and would be more recognisable to an Australian than to an American. Go figure.

A Short History of Nearly Everything is
a complete departure from his other books - it attempts to explain science
over the centuries. I am absolutely
ignorant of all things scientific but
I was fascinated by the book. Not only
is it engaging to read, it is a great
reference book. I bought it in Heathrow
and the nine hour flight just, well, flew by!

I am interested in the last post's recommendation- A Short of History 0f Everything. My vote goes for "A Walk in the Woods." It is completely hysterical! You can just see Bill hiking the Appalachian Trail and how he must have looked. I also read the one about his travels to Europe- "Neither here no there"?, but I found it to be dry.

A Walk in the Woods! I tried reading this book sitting in the orchestra pit during an opera, on the long rests when I wasn't playing, and it was so hysterically funny I had to race out of the pit to a secluded backstage area where I could laugh out loud without totally ruining the performance. I have bought so many copies of this book to give as gifts that I think I have financed the college education of at least one of Bryson's children.

My favourite Bill Bryson book is "A Walk in the Woods." But my favourite quote comes from Notes From a Small Island.

'Blackpool is nothing if not brilliant. And it's not brilliant.'

Gold.