The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson was born in the middle of the American century-1951-in the middle of the United States-Des Moines, Iowa-in the middle of the largest generation in American history-the baby boomers.As one of the best and funniest writers alive, he is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24-carat memoir gold.

Like millions of his generational peers, Bill Bryson grew up with a rich fantasy life as a superhero. In his case, he ran around his house and neighborhood with an old football jersey with a thunderbolt on it and a towel about his neck that served as his cape, leaping tall buildings in a single bound and vanquishing awful evildoers (and morons)-in his head-as "The Thunderbolt Kid." Using this persona as a springboard, Bill Bryson re-creates the life of his family and his native city in the 1950s in all its transcendent normality-a life at once completely familiar to us all and as far away and unreachable as another galaxy.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I love everything Bill Bryson writes, his style fits my personality perfectly. With my heads nearly permanently in the clouds, it can be difficult for me to read non-fiction, but all of Bryson's books are told with such a brilliant narrative voice that it's easy for me to get lost in his life. Fantastic books, all of them.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis #1-2)

by Marjane Satrapi, Mattias Ripa (Translator)

A New York Times Notable Book

A Time Magazine “Best Comix of the Year”

Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

Because it's almost hard to believe how much one person can survive, I had a hard time at first remembering that this was a work of non-fiction. Wise, funny, and heartbreaking sum this story up perfectly. I loved it (and the second volume) and look forward to exploring more work by Satrapi.

Especially because of how fraught these times are with tension in the Middle East, it's important to remember that there is no single side that is good or bad. It's only the people doing the killing and spreading of hate that are worthy of our contempt. Everyone caught in the middle should receive our sympathy and admiration, especially since most of us have not had to deal with such extremism first-hand.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

by Bill Bryson

The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America: majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you're going to take a hike, it's probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you'll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way; and a couple of bears.

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This was the first book I ever read by Bill Bryson and thankfully it lead me to at least 8 other books by him. Unfortunately, I read this book when I had busted every rib on the right side of my body, so reading a book that made me constantly laugh out loud was rather painful. Completely worth it though. Bryson is a magnificent storyteller and has gone on some incredible adventures, all of which are worth reading about.