Books and Jams Readalong discussion

How are you liking this so far? Do you like Bryson's writing style? Are you much of a hiker? Does that help you connect more with this topic? How does this compare so far to other nonfiction you've read?

I requested a audiobook from the library. Less than 2 weeks wait. I may pop into a local bookstore tomorrow and see if they have a copy to get me started. I mostly bicycle in the forests so I do love the idea of hiking in them as well.

I am liking it for the most part. I am not a hiker but always think that would be fun...if there weren't snakes in the woods. LOL!

I get a bit lost when Bryson writes about the detail stuff...the creation of the trail, the Forest Service, etc. I don't like to think that hard, I guess.

I like it best when Bryson is writing about his experiences with Katz and that crazy Mary Ellen. She would drive me crazy too.

I am really enjoying this so far. Proud to say all my listening has been while walking! Hoping to keep that up.

I cannot believe Katz went with him and is sticking it out! I'm loving hearing about all the different experiences and obstacles to overcome while on the trail. I don't mind the history of the trail because as an East coaster I'm familiar with different parts of it and find it very interesting. How can no one come to agreement on the length? haha. And why wouldn't you just extend the trail the last bit to cover the whole range of Mts?? Seems silly to me. But I did enjoy reading about it.

I like how Bryson can get a bit sarcastic at times. It was interesting to hear that road building is the biggest business in the national forrest...for all the private logging companies! Seems counter productive.

Mary Ellen was driving me nuts too, but I enjoyed listening to those bits. Eager to keep going. Since we are having a few days of gorgeous weather, I'll get my walks in and listen!

Krista wrote: "I am really enjoying this so far. Proud to say all my listening has been while walking! Hoping to keep that up.

I cannot believe Katz went with him and is sticking it out! I'm loving hearing abou..."

When I told my husband that road building was the biggest business in the Forest Service he doubted me. But I read him the info from the book and he was as surprised as I was.

I love Katz. He makes the hike so much fun.!

I am enjoying it, but it is different than what I expected. I didn’t know a lot about this book going in, but I was expecting more history of the people from the area without just comparing them to Deliverance. I hope he does not stay so stereotypical in the book.

I am enjoying Katz and was literally laugh out loud at Mary Ellen.

This is truly my kind of Nonfiction. I am loving it so far and can't wait to get back to it every day.

I personally love to hike but I don't get to do enough of it. I want to be honest and say I would probably start up at the top of the AT and just walk for a week or two till I get to a good stopping point. I don't think I could do even half of it.

I enjoy when nonfiction is written in a way that it almost makes it fiction. I just want to read a story :)
I love Katz. I respect him for attempting it and sticking with it. I enjoy to hear some history around the trail, but I mostly enjoy hearing about the experience on the trail.
I have started hiking for weightloss and have come to really love it since. Feeling really drawn to a thru-hike and having watched a lot of youtube videos of people thru-hiking the AT as well as the PCT has prepared me for most of what I read so far. So I am looking to get a bit more into the mental and physical challenge details

I am liking it so far. I am listening to the audio and I do like the narrator as well, thank goodness. A bad narrator can really break a story for you.
Katz really makes me laugh out loud...he really doesn’t seem to be enjoying himself. I know absolutely nothing about the Appalachian Trail, since I’m a born and bred West Coaster, so I do like hearing the history, etc.
I am definitely not a hiker nowadays (medical issues prevent it currently) but as a kid we camped in a variety of outdoor places in southern California so I do like his nature comments.