Book Club

I'm in a book club. What? Book Club. What? Yes, I'm in a book club. You almost always have to tell people twice that you're in a book club. Whenever I mention this hobby to someone, they look at me like I'm nuts. They also ask me questions like, "So, do you all read, like, a chapter of the same book and then talk about that chapter each month?" Well, actually, yes, we do all read the same book, but we read the whole thing, and we do so about every three weeks. And, yes, we all have our own copy of the book. People find the fact that we all have our own copy to be a bit indulgent, but those are probably people who don't love books.

Anyway, the last book we discussed at Book Club was A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson. Bill Bryson writes mostly non-fiction stuff, and this particular book is about his attempt at hiking the Appalachian Trail, which is a 2000+ mile long trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine. The trail is fairly primitive path, which is maintained by many clubs and organizations and has very rudimentary "lodging" along the way. Most people who hike the trail do so in sections, or as day hikes. There are however, others, called thru-hikers who choose to hike the whole path in one season. These are the die-hard hikers, with big packs on their backs that carry everything they need for a couple of months in the woods. Bryson attempts a thru-hike with an old friend, and although they don't make it all the way, they give a valiant effort and Bryson makes their journey funny and informative. A Walk in the Woods was an easy-to-read work of non-fiction.

Some people who read the book (including a couple members of my club) get the urge to go hiking. I did not. In fact, the discomfort felt by Bill and his friend somehow reminded me of sitting in a hospital room staring at Jeff for a month. That was uncomfortable (especially when you're carrying around 50 extra hiccuping pounds - Yes, JD caused me to gain about 50 pounds), and to me, everything about hiking in the woods for several months straight is uncomfortable. Sleeping in a tent, eating jerky, and walking 15 miles a day (while carrying a 50 lb pack) is something that I would probably enjoy if it was only for a day or two, but the thought of any more than that makes me cringe and think of hospitals. Weird.

Next book is Loving Frank....a work of historical fiction about Frank Lloyd Wright's affair with Mamah Borthwick. More on that later.