I love survival stories and this summer I indulged in many shipwreck stories. One thing that I love about shipwreck memoirs is that the author always survives so it doesn't feel like I'm watching someone's death. Often other members of the crew die so it isn't completely guilt free but since these are real stories I do feel less guilty when I know there is some type of happy ending. While…
This was the book I needed to read after seriously questioning the whole purpose of my Scandinavian summer and the direction my life was taking. I have always thought that a book about taking a journey would be a fascinating read. There Are Other Rivers is that narrative and speaks to the process more than the content of a journey. It is the story of Alastair Humphreys' walk across India yet…
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is one of the best books I've read in recent memory. It is Owens' debut novel and she delivers a well paced story that keeps you interested for every word. Where The Crawdads Sing is the story of Kya Clark, The Marsh Girl, a young girl left on her own in the marsh as each member of her family leaves for some place better.…
Where were you ten years ago? Can you imagine ten year ago you dropped into your current life? It's an interesting exercise that I encourage you to spend some time thinking about. What Alice Forgot is a look at someone else going through this exercise, out of necessity, and is a quick and fun read. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty is a fun easy read. Alice falls and hits her…
I was disappointed by The Devil's Teeth by Susan Casey. I wanted to like it. I actually enjoyed the story and I still recommend reading it. Casey is a great writer who makes her audience feel involved with her story. However, I had an uneasy feeling about her involvement in this project from the beginning of the book and the epilogue only confirmed my fears, that her presence on the islands…
This is the story of a man who rides his bike across the country and you won't remember the riding. I think that's generally how bike touring is: you remember what happens between pedal strokes. The Memory of Running is the story of Smithson (Smithy) Ide of East Providence, RI. He has spent the last two decades drunk, fat, and alone. His mentally ill sister disappeared decades earlier and his parents…
Susan Casey's The Wave is a story that will make you think about how changes in the world's oceans have far reaching effects while leaving you amazed and terrified. Casey approaches the story of giant waves from the perspectives of cutting edge surfers, the shipping industry, and scientists, successfully telling the global story of how increasingly large and frequent giant waves affect human civilization, as well as what it is like…
Bay Staters love locals who accomplish great things; they also love their sports heroes. The best example of this is Doug Flutie. If you ever want to start a fight in Massachusetts, walk into a bar and tell someone that Doug Flutie was overrated or was too short to make it in the NFL. The subject of Marathon Man, Bill Rodgers, is another figure who is among those folk heroes in…