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Oregon Trail: A New American Journey
Oregon Trail: A New American Journey | Rinker Buck
#1 "New York Times" Bestseller * #1 Indie Next Pick Absorbing...Winning...The many layers in "The Oregon Trail" are linked by Mr. Buck s voice, which is alert and unpretentious in a manner that put me in mind of Bill Bryson s comic tone in "A Walk in the Woods." Dwight Garner, "The New York Times" An epic account of traveling the length of the Oregon Trail the old-fashioned way in a covered wagon with a team of mules, an audacious journey that hasn t been attempted in a century which also chronicles the rich history of the trail, the people who made the migration, and its significance to the country. Spanning two thousand miles and traversing six states from Missouri to the Pacific coast, the Oregon Trail is the route that made America. In the fifteen years before the Civil War, when 400,000 pioneers used the trail to emigrate West scholars still regard this as the largest land migration in history it united the coasts, doubled the size of the country, and laid the groundwork for the railroads. Today, amazingly, the trail is all but forgotten. Rinker Buck is no stranger to grand adventures. His first travel narrative, "Flight of Passage," was hailed by "The New Yorker" as a funny, cocky gem of a book, and with "The Oregon Trail" he brings the most important route in American history back to glorious and vibrant life. Traveling from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Baker City, Oregon, over the course of four months, Buck is accompanied by three cantankerous mules, his boisterous brother, Nick, and an incurably filthy Jack Russell terrier named Olive Oyl. Along the way, they dodge thunderstorms in Nebraska, chase runaway mules across the Wyoming plains, scout more than five hundred miles of nearly vanished trail on foot, cross the Rockies, and make desperate fifty-mile forced marches for water. The Buck brothers repair so many broken wheels and axels that they nearly reinvent the art of wagon travel itself. They also must reckon with the ghost of their father, an eccentric yet loveable dreamer whose memory inspired their journey across the plains and whose premature death, many years earlier, has haunted them both ever since. But "The Oregon Trail" is much more than an epic adventure. It is also a lively and essential work of history that shatters the comforting myths about the trail years passed down by generations of Americans. Buck introduces readers to the largely forgotten roles played by trailblazing evangelists, friendly Indian tribes, female pioneers, bumbling U.S. Army cavalrymen, and the scam artists who flocked to the frontier to fleece the overland emigrants. Generous portions of the book are devoted to the history of old and appealing things like the mule and the wagon. We also learn how the trail accelerated American economic development. Most arresting, perhaps, are the stories of the pioneers themselves ordinary families whose extraordinary courage and sacrifice made this country what it became. At once a majestic journey across the West, a significant work of history, and a moving personal saga, "The Oregon Trail "draws readers into the journey of a lifetime. It is a wildly ambitious work of nonfiction from a true American original. It is a book with a heart as big as the country it crosses."
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Susanita
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️ 🐎 💙 5mo
Eggs Perfect🛞🖤🐎 5mo
35 likes2 comments
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SomedayAlmost
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Watching “Organ Trail,” a horror Western movie, with Miss Dolly Cat in our messy playroom. #Scarathlon #bloody #horrormovies #5points #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall

FlynnDewey Does anyone get dysentery? lol 1y
SomedayAlmost Lol. No but a lot of people get murdered! 1y
23 likes2 comments
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swynn
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Pickpick

In 2011 the author and his brother drove a mule-drawn covered wagon from Missouri to Oregon along the historic Oregon trail. This is the story of their trip with anecdotes about settlers who went before. Buck plays himself and his brother as mismatched personalities who come to respect each other through adversity. Interesting and entertaining, and also leaves me a little jealous. But TBH one night in a wagon would probably be enough for me 😆

TEArificbooks I loved this book. I used to live along the trail and found the description of the people and towns along the way very accurate. 3y
stevesbookstuf1 I read this a few years back and loved it. I love "venturing" books like this. William Least-Heat Moon's Blue Highways and River-Horse were similar and also excellent. Robert Moor's On Trails is a bit different but also really good. 3y
swynn @mdm139 Very cool! Good to know that his portrayals were faithful. 3y
swynn @stevesbookstuf1 Thanks for those recs! I'm putting them in the Someday Swamp. 3y
40 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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swynn
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Rinker Buck, writing in 2015, about George Washington's side gig as a land developer:

"Few academics and high school history teachers want to risk their careers by suggesting to their students that the father of their country worked the same day job as Donald Trump."

Wow, that line aged badly fast ....

Ruthiella 2015...such innocent times... 3y
swynn @Ruthiella IKR? Ah, if only it were so ... 3y
32 likes2 comments
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MrBook
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😂👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 #LitsyHumor

Bookwormjillk 😂😂😂😂😂 5y
76 likes1 comment
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Meaw_catlady
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For my friends bday she chose to have a group of us go to the Denver history museum for their Oregon Trail IRL event! It was super fun! We walked around the museum doing different games or crafts and we‘re given pins from different NPCs that said how we died! A beer at the beginning and a hot toddy at the end. A very neat museum experience! Also got to meet the inventors of the game!

MicrobeMom 😂😂 5y
Branwen It looks like you had so much fun! 🤣😂 5y
Butterfinger What a great event!! 5y
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TheAromaofBooks This sounds amazing!! I have so many memories of playing this game, especially back before we had a home computer, and instead would crowd in at the library and name the people in our wagon after people we either really liked and tried to keep them alive, or were mad at and let them die of snakebites! 😆 5y
marleed My son played this as a computer game every chance he got. When he realized he would survive by buying oxen whenever possible it was good news for him thereafter! 5y
vivastory This sounds like a blast!! 5y
IamIamIam 😂😂😂 I love this! You never really know a person until they set off with you on the Oregon Trail!! We played the card game and my dad dropped my mom like a load of bricks when she ended up with a broken leg! 5y
58 likes7 comments
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Susanita
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A book on my backlist TBR with #newinthetitle or at least the subtitle. #AuldLangReads

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 📚💛🙌🏻 5y
OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚😊 5y
37 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Centique
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A few items still on the go for me in this week‘s #bookreport

Elderly father finished The Oregon Trail which was excellent. Kid finished Trapped. I read Vol 2 of Giant Days which was delightful and My Sunshine Away which had me engrossed (thanks Cindy!) Still listening to Cinder as an audiobook which is fun - AND - picked up Blackout which is the third in the Oxford Time Travel series and a third of the way into that.

TrishB A good week 👍🏻 Loved My Sunshine Away 5y
Cinfhen Great reading week and glad to see Dad is back to reporting ❤️ 5y
74 likes2 comments
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Centique
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#weeklyforecast

This weeks #libraryhaul and a bit. (The Dickens is from the shelf)

For Dad - The Search for the Sydney - The Oregon Trail
For Kid - Trapped! - the last one in the Framed series

For me - Human Voices - been on my TBR for a dozen years. It won the Booker in 1979. And getting back to Our Mutual Friend which I‘d put aside for more urgent reads. Fingers crossed I can get back into the groove without having to restart 🤞

batsy The Fitzgerald edition is lovely. And Trapped looks like such fun! Is it a middle grade mystery? 5y
Centique @batsy yes! It‘s a series about a super clever middle grade kid who gets called in by the FBI to solve their hardest cases. Does it by noticing the small things. Kind of a young Sherlock - modern era - I think. 5y
Cinfhen Loving these family reading posts!!! Especially your dad‘s picks and bails 😁 5y
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Sace Oh that mystery series sounds like something I would enjoy! 5y
Sace Just put Framed! On hold at the library. 😁 5y
Liz_M Ok, these two tags seem almost interchangeable. I'm guessing book report is at the end of the week past and the weekly forecast is for the week to come? 5y
Centique @Liz_M yes! It‘s an idea @Cinfhen had to replace her daily photo challenge. Less work but opportunity to chat some more about books and plans. You post your book report on Saturday about what you actually read - and your weekly forecast on a Sunday about what you plan to read. 5y
Centique @Sace oh good! I hope you like it. Reading middle grade is such a joy I reckon. 💕 5y
Cinfhen Thanks for explaining that so nicely, lovey xx 5y
Sace @Centique I agree! 5y
66 likes10 comments
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BlueMonday42
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Pickpick

Rinker Buck and his brother buy a covered wagon and three mules and decide to take the Oregon Trail. And along the way, he teaches us about the trail‘s history and why it‘s so important to American culture. This was a great memoir, travelogue, and history book, with some great mythology and emotion mixed in. I had fun with this.

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crhealey
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Best title card ever? 🤣🤣

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BarbaraBB
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Panpan

I read this book in preparation of a roadtrip through the US later this year. I admit I only read the parts set in the states we‘re planning to visit. That may be the reason why I was not captured by the book. It read more like a diary then an edited book.

Two men are travelling the Oregon Trail in the traditional way: in a covered wagon with mules. They cross many states of course of which I choose #Wyoming for my #ReadUSA2019 challenge.

jessinikkip Sounds good! 6y
squirrelbrain That‘s a shame that you didn‘t really like it, but at least it‘s another state ticked off the list 😁👍 6y
Kaye I liked it, but I listened to the audio version. Maybe the print version is a bit dry. I usually like odd books that others don‘t like , for some reason 🧐 6y
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janerzy Interesting. There was actually a video game developed in the 70s called “The Oregon Trail” that role-plays wagons of settlers traveling from Missouri to Oregon. I wonder if the author of this book tried to do the same route? I‘m from Oregon and I love our trails! But I prefer to hike them than reading about them 😉🤣 6y
Librarybelle Yay for another state off the list! 6y
BarbaraBB @Kaye It is a bit dry indeed, you‘re right. And it‘s cool that you like odd books, I think! 😘 6y
BarbaraBB @janerzy They did start in Missouri indeed and followed the trail from the pioneers from there on. I can imagine Oregon is a great place for hiking! I‘ll know for sure after our visit this summer! 6y
janerzy @BarbaraBB Have a great visit Barbara and enjoy all the nature that we have to offer! Summer is the best here! 💚 6y
BarbaraBB I can‘t wait! We‘ll be there in July! 6y
emilyhaldi Aw man!!! I was getting so excited for this one! Actually suggested it for this month's book club and got rejected 😆 I suppose maybe that‘s a good thing! 6y
BarbaraBB @emilyhaldi It may be just me, all reviews are raving. To me is felt just a bit too flat. 6y
emilyhaldi Well I have read a couple reviews saying it read like an exceedingly boring book report 😬 6y
BarbaraBB @emilyhaldi I agree 😂 6y
79 likes13 comments
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emilyhaldi
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This book details Buck‘s true account of his choice to #takethelongwayhome by traveling all 2000 miles of the Oregon Trail the old fashioned way... by covered wagon pulled by mules 🏜
#anglophileapril

Reviewsbylola You inspired my post. 😆 6y
Cinfhen I‘ve heard this book is really good!! Thoughts??? 6y
BarbaraBB I must read this! I am going to drive a part of the Oregon trail myself this Summer. Thanks for bringing it up! 6y
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Amiable I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would —it was a pleasant surprise! 6y
Mdargusch Fun @BarbaraBB that will be an interesting journey. 6y
BarbaraBB @Mdargusch I think so. I‘ve been wanting this for a long time! 6y
emilyhaldi I haven't read this @Cinfhen but I'm totally excited to after pulling it out again! @BarbaraBB SO COOL!! This sounds like a definite must-read before you go. 6y
86 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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msford88
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Pickpick

Rinker Buck‘s The Oregon Trail is an epic account of traveling the 2,000-mile length of the Oregon Trail the old-fashioned way—in a covered wagon with a team of mules. It's a must-read for any fan of history. The book is by turns hilarious, tragic, and illuminating.

BookNAround I missed this book club meeting and have never gotten to this one as a result. Sounds like I should pick it up sooner rather than later. 6y
79 likes6 stack adds1 comment
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bookish_wookish
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Oh man i really want this box set!! Oregon Trail and its a choose your own adventure! This was one of my favorite games growing up!

48 likes1 stack add
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Amiable
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Pickpick

An account of the author‘s journey with his brother as they traveled the 2,000-mile length of the Oregon Trail the old-fashioned way – in a covered wagon with a team of mules. The book juxtaposes the personal story of the siblings‘ relationship with the history of the trail, the people who made the migration, and its significance to the country. 4 stars.

64 likes1 stack add
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Lcsmcat
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Riding out #Florence by playing with fake calamities. #hurricane

kspenmoll Where are you? 6y
Lcsmcat @kspenmoll Holly Springs, NC, southwest of Raleigh. 6y
LeahBergen Have you died of dysentery yet? That‘s how I always go. 😂 6y
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Lcsmcat @LeahBergen I seem to always die of snake bite, but others on my team have succumbed to dysentery. 6y
LeahBergen 😂😂 6y
RaimeyGallant I'd never heard of this game. 6y
Pamwurtzler We love that game!! Do you have the food add-on? We couldn‘t quite figure out how to incorporate that! 😂 6y
Lcsmcat @Pamwurtzler No, I‘ve not heard of that! 6y
Pamwurtzler It was on an end-cap at Target. Total impulse buy but in the end the directions were confusing. The original is so fun though! 6y
52 likes9 comments
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emilyhaldi
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Was in the neighborhood of The Book Loft this afternoon so I had to pop in... And found 3 #chunksters on sale 😍
2 were on my tbr already and how could I resist the tagged book for $6?!

TheBookStacker Ugh the book loft is the best place. 6y
Kalalalatja Oh, I really liked the Marlon James book 👌 6y
DyAnne I loved The Gene. 6y
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Kaye Oregon Trail is Very interesting ! 6y
Cortg I just ordered a used copy Seven Killings! (edited) 6y
Reviewsbylola Ooooh I have The Oregon Trail. 6y
emilyhaldi @DyAnne that's what I keep hearing!! Although it seems a little dense and scientific for me, the constant positive reviews pushed me over the edge! 6y
emilyhaldi @Kalalalatja yay! Excited to hear that. @Cortg fun! It's been on my tbr for a while. I have the audio on hold too bc I heard that its helpful to listen in conjunction with the print due to all of the Jamaican jargon 🤗 6y
emilyhaldi @Reviewsbylola I cant resist the topic of Oregon Trail 🏜 @kaye excited that you liked it! Makes me nostalgic for the old computer game we played in 3rd grade 💾 6y
Cortg @emilyhaldi I originally tried the audio but I had a tough time following with the Jamaican dialect so I decided to try the print. I hear it‘s an excellent book. 6y
emilyhaldi @Cortg yeah it sounds like the type of book that is good with audio and print combined, but perhaps not audio only. I can see why one would need to refer back to the print! (edited) 6y
emilyhaldi Did you?! @Cinfhen great news!!! I have so many chunksters that I want to get to 😅 6y
Cinfhen I think the audio/print combo is a good idea...it took me a very long time to get comfortable with the dialect but the storytelling is phenomenal 6y
134 likes2 stack adds15 comments
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vonnie862
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I love encountering Little Free Libraries on my walks. Found this one as I was walking to the famous rock in Cannon Beach. #littlefreelibrary #oregon #vacation

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RebelReader
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Here is the rest of my HPB 20% off haul! When I told the hundred I was gonna go over there even though I have plenty to read already, he said, “Who cares? Books are cheap and they‘re your thing.” Good thing he really has no idea how much I spend! Ignorance is bliss, right? 🤣🤣

TaciturnWhenReading I was there yesterday! And planning to go to another HPB in my area today! #gooddeals 😂 7y
Zelma Good man! 👏 7y
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RebelReader @TaciturnWhenReading Not quite as cheap as Library sales, but a deal nonetheless! Good hunting! 😃 7y
Burghbookaddict I just left HPB! Your stack is way more impressive than mine, though! 7y
KateFulfordAuthor Can i tempt you to my debut for your TBR pile?! 7y
RebelReader @KateFulfordAuthor Maybe you could. What are you debuting? 7y
KateFulfordAuthor @RebelReader Julie: All the information you need - summary, reviews and more - are in my bio link. 7y
113 likes8 comments
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BeckaroniAndCheese
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The move is over, the boxes are far from done being unpacked, but it's time to get back to my TBR stack.

umbrellagirl You mean it isn‘t just a video game 🤣 7y
BeckaroniAndCheese @umbrellagirl Nope 😉I'm only a few pages in but I think it's going to be a good one. I have family that has wagon wheel ruts on their property so it's one that hits close to home. Can't wait to dive into this one in earnest this weekend. 7y
umbrellagirl Sounds interesting. My US family plonked themselves down in PA and never left. 7y
BeckaroniAndCheese @umbrellagirl That's a good place to be! Mine did not - some joined the Mormon Trail, some headed to Southern California during the Civil War to fight, and some ended their journey in German settlements in the Midwest. We have some of their journals and even a glass pitcher that crossed the country in a covered wagon. People are resilient. 7y
22 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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BooksForYears
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#JubilantJuly Day 29 - Best Buds

Rinker Buck and his brother Nick didn't start out that way, but by the end of their adventure crossing the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon, they were definitely best buds.

Melissa_J I may be dating myself, but we used to play an Oregon Trail game computer game (old-school computers) at school when I was a tween. I loved that game! 7y
BooksForYears @Melissa_J I LOVED that game, except it seemed like most of my settlers died from dysentery or drowned when fording the river. 7y
Darth_Kaders I read that at the end of last year and it was the best book of the year for me! It's absolutely a treasure!!! 7y
Melissa_J @BooksForYears ha ha! Mine too. 7y
SilversReviews Neat photo. 7y
91 likes5 comments
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Leelee.reads
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I'm not getting as much reading done during this vacation, but when I do, this is my view. Woke up this morning to the sight of 4 hot air balloons rising over the ridge! 😀

Lmstraubie Spectacular 😎 7y
DivineDiana Gorgeous! 7y
43 likes2 comments
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FairyHighRoad
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I want to read this book solely based on my love of the old school Oregon Trail game! #travel #sizzlinsummerbooks

18 likes1 stack add
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Jamielouise
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Let the adventure begin. Hopefully it's all of the excitement and none of the dysentery.

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LeahBergen
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So my husband and I tried out my new #CupidGoesPostal game on the weekend. This is what happened to me. TWICE. Thank you, @UnidragonFrag (I think). 😂😂

ABookishHart We have that game! Fun!! 8y
MicheleinPhilly Oh shucks. I'll miss you. Can I have your books? 8y
See All 14 Comments
saresmoore @MicheleinPhilly Shameless. @LeahBergen Can I have some, too? 8y
MaleficentBookDragon What game is that? 8y
LeahBergen @MicheleinPhilly @saresmoore 😂😂 That gave me a good laugh (I'll bring up the amendments to my last will and testament with the husband later today 😏). 8y
the.bookish.valkyrie Lol, that's a classic way to go in that game! 8y
LeahBergen @MaleficentTheBookDragon The Oregon Trail. It's hilarious! I posted a pic under the title of this book. 8y
saresmoore Haha! Oh, please don't. We don't want him to hate Litsy! 8y
BibliophileMomma I want this game!! 8y
RadicalReader @LeahBergen this game seems fantastic and a lot of fun 8y
BookishMarginalia 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 8y
night_shift You're welcome? Haha glad y'all liked it! 8y
drbethandherkindle Perfect! 😂😂 I've never made it to Oregon in that game. With me, the whole party frequently dies due to wagon break down 8y
111 likes14 comments
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LeahBergen
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Just look at this Oregon-themed bounty I received from my #CupidGoesPostal match, @UnidragonFrag ! You are SUCH a good Litsy stalker. I've wanted The Oregon Trail book for ages and now I can die of dysentery while playing the game, too. ? Proust and the Squid looks fantastic and will be right at home on my "Books about Books" shelf. I love the (always needed) pretty notebooks and I finally have colouring bookmarks (Jane Austen, too!) ??

LeahBergen Thank you so very much for everything! ❤❤❤ 8y
night_shift Horray!! I'm glad you like them! You're so welcome :) 8y
ReadingOver50 Coloring bookmarks sounds fun! 8y
See All 19 Comments
LeahBergen @UnidragonFrag And thank you for the lovely card, too. 😀 8y
shawnmooney How lovely!! 😘😘 8y
Zelma Proust and the Squid also fits into your enjoyment of oddly-titled non-fiction books. 😂 8y
saresmoore What a fun package! 8y
Melissa_J Holy cow I loved playing The Oregon Trail old-school computer game when I was young (of course it wasn't old school then LOL). 8y
rabbitprincess Haha I should tell my BF about the Oregon Trail card game! He likes all of the Trail computer games 😄 (edited) 8y
night_shift 😁😁 8y
LauraBeth This all looks so much fun 😀 8y
Well-ReadNeck 🙌🏻👊🏽👍🏼🎉 8y
readinginthedark The game is so fun and nostalgic! Pretty sure you have to have at least three players to get through it, though. My husband and I have only made it to Lvl 4. 8y
BookishMarginalia 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 8y
drbethandherkindle Coveting your gifts for sure! The Oregon trail game is hilarious and so much fun!! 8y
Hooked_on_books I loved the old Oregon Trail computer game! I always died. 😂 I'll have to look for the card game. I liked Buck's book--it wasn't exactly what I expected, but I had fun taking the journey with him. 8y
mcipher The card game is just as hard as the real thing! We've never even gotten halfway to Oregon. 🙄😂 8y
LeahBergen @Zelma You are so right! 😂 8y
128 likes2 stack adds19 comments
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CocoReads
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Bring on the dysentery! Do I know how to party or what?

Kirby ha! 😂🎉 8y
BookishMarginalia 🎉 🎉🎉🎉 8y
erinreads Played this on Christmas with my family. I died by drowning. ☹️ 8y
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BookDragonNotWorm OMG! I remember playing that on DOS when my grade school first got computers. Still my favorite game ever! Break a wagon spoke for me 😉 8y
CocoReads My sister died of dysentery twice. My daughter got the snakebite. I had cholera. Great fun! 8y
Reviewsbylola We played this on christmas too! @erinreads My husband and I both died of snake bites. 😭 🐍 8y
44 likes6 comments
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BooksForYears
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#SeasonsReadings2016 Day 10 - Should Be a Movie

This family saga, adventure story, history lesson, and rollicking good time should definitely be adapted into a movie!

[DELETED] 3517561138 Does anyone die of dysentery? 😄 8y
Gulfsidemusing I'd go see that one!! 8y
Reviewsbylola Lolol @Prairiehomelibrarian That was my first question too. 8y
BooksForYears @Prairiehomelibrarian @Reviewsbylola No death, but they did have to ford a river or two! 8y
rabbitprincess @Prairiehomelibrarian HAHAHA that was my first thought too! 😆 8y
121 likes9 stack adds5 comments
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Dvmheather
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This book has me Googling 'Mules for Sale' ads more than I normally do. Yes, that is something I do every so often. If I ever get back into riding, I want a mule this time.

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autumnprivett
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While this doesn't exactly have to do with books, I'm sure many of my fellow Litsians played this game as a kid and would nerd out over this tactile version just as much as I did. 🤓

Tcip This card game is so much fun!!! 8y
Reviewsbylola Omg this looks great! 8y
Tcip Me and the wife played it once or twice. We usually play Munchin or overcooked on the PS4. 8y
See All 25 Comments
Purpleness The internet archives has the old-fashioned computer game on their website for anyone wanting to relive it that way too🙂 8y
kyraleseberg I found this at Target a few months ago and I'm still obsessed! 8y
rachelm I am buying this for my husband for Christmas. This is a safe place to say this since he's not a Litsier 8y
autumnprivett @Tcip It's not as much fun with only two players, but still an interesting game. We usually play the two player version of Catan. 8y
autumnprivett @rachelm Oh fun! And I won't tell. 😉 8y
autumnprivett @purpleness ooooooo!!!!!! 8y
prowlix I've played this twice now irl and both times drown while fording the river 😭 8y
Peterdamien Oh cool, I need this so I can, again, die of a million goddamn reasons. And also hunt 500 tons of squirrel meat somehow. 😎 8y
Suet624 I always made the mistake of using my children's names as the characters. Then I'd be devastated when they drowned in the river. 8y
autumnprivett @peterdamien And that is EXACTLY how it is. I happened to die of extreme cold tonight. 😂 8y
Desha Haha! Love it!! Yup I remember! ☺️ 8y
autumnprivett @Suet624 That is tragic! 😧 8y
autumnprivett @prowlix I've played a half dozen times now and have yet to win..... 8y
BeththeBookDragon I loved this game - is this as much fun?! 8y
Suzze I played this game while my kids played it. Such fun! 8y
readinginthedark I did not know this existed and will be buying it immediately! I miss Oregon Trail! 8y
Zelma I need this! I love any and all card games, and I used to ❤️ Oregon Trail. 8y
GlitteryOtters OMGGGGG! 8y
LauraBrook WAAAANT!!! 💙💙💙 8y
autumnprivett @bethfriedman906 I would say so! Especially if you play with friends who played the game as kids. 8y
mcipher Stocking stuffer!!! So cool. 8y
172 likes2 stack adds25 comments
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Chassie
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Pickpick

I listened to this, and I probably should have read it. I really enjoyed the story of the Buck brothers on the trail and all of the Trail information and history. I had to find a pic of Nick and Rinker after I finished, and I have to say that my imagination wasn't too far off base.

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Ja_Mez
Pickpick

Great memoir by Rinker Buck as he attempts to navigate the modern day Oregon Trail.

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Serotonin
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I grew up playing the Oregon Trail computer game back in the 80s. Loved it. That, plus the fact that I've moved back to my home state of Oregon, compelled this obligatory purchase - The Oregon Trail Card Game 😆 #oregontrail #games

BooksTeasAndBookishThings I want that so badly! I have to look for it online now, thank you 😁❤️ 8y
Serotonin @BooksTeasAndBookishThings It's a Target exclusive. Check Target online, or go to the physical store. My hubs and I couldn't find it near our place in Washington, but finally found it at the Target in my hometown down in Oregon 😆 8y
Eyelit Adding that to my list! 8y
BooksTeasAndBookishThings Thank you! 😘 8y
15 likes4 comments
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Gulfsidemusing
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Pickpick

I'd never hear the term "participatory history" before, but still loved this book! The author, his bother, and a little dog ?, traveled the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon drawn by a team of mules. It's #fullofadventure but be forewarned: you may want a pet mule by the end? #booktober

RanaElizabeth I loved this book! 8y
Rhondareads I gave it 5 stars😍 8y
[DELETED] 2232195534 I keep meaning to read or listen to this one. When we lived in Oregon in the '90's, I read book after book about the Oregon Trail and the settlers coming to the Willamette Valley. 8y
49 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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DreesReads
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Library and bookstore haul. One for me and one for 8th grader at each place.

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GlitteryOtters
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Here's my #wildFridaynight...finishing up The Oregon Trail on audiobook while making frozen stuffed Kongs for the spoiled dog crew (basically, you soak the kibble, stuff it into Kongs--being held here by our housemate's old yogurt cups--and pop it into the freezer. Each afternoon we give the two old lady dogs a frozen Kong to eat & give the dumb Golden a freshly stuffed one because he's too dumb to figure out how to unstuff a frozen Kong.)

LeahBergen That IS wild! And I love that your Golden is a bit dim. 😂😂 8y
britt_brooke Love this!! 8y
LeahBergen And I really want to read this book (I almost forgot that in all the dog treat excitement. Hmm... maybe I was a Golden in a past life? 😏) 8y
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Suzze The things we do for our furry friends. 😀 8y
WoodyWoodson YES!!! In the summer we freeze peanut butter in them for our pups. This looks like a sweet Friday night to me! 8y
GlitteryOtters @WoodyWoodson we go through SO MUCH peanut butter in my house because a) the old dogs get their pills in tortilla wrapped peanut butter each day and b) my husband is obsessed with it and eats a jar himself every 8-10 days. We buy our PB in plastic jars & save each "finished" jar so the dogs can lick out the leftovers. ? About once a month we have a peanut butter party &each dog gets their own jar to lick out. It is amazing how much they LOVE it? 8y
GlitteryOtters @Suzze I know! These guys are soooo spoiled! 😂 8y
GlitteryOtters @LeahBergen yes, definitely read it! It is so good! If you are looking for a good audiobook, the author reads it himself & does a really good job. And, yes, the Golden is very dim. My husband chose him, he (very strangely) seems to think all dogs should be dim. Not what I tend to choose-both of my own dogs are former working dogs (one did agility & obedience, the other was a racing sled dog in AK & did races from 100 to 1000+ miles) & pretty smart 8y
GlitteryOtters @britt_brooke the number of audiobooks I read while doing chores like this is embarrassingly high (this is how I usually spend my Friday nights--audiobook or podcast & cooking or household chores 😂😂) 8y
LeahBergen Isn't there a Jack Russell terrier in this book? That was my last dog (and I loved him to bits). 8y
LeahBergen And maybe your husband is on to something. I've read that the "easiest" dogs to own are the dim breeds. ? 8y
britt_brooke @GlitteryOtters Multitasking at its best! 8y
Gulfsidemusing Love everything about this post!! 🐶😍 8y
GlitteryOtters @LeahBergen yes, Olive Oil is a JRT! And, well, the dim one is probably the hardest one of our 3 dogs. He's scared of everything (literally. He is scared of PAPER in a house filled with 3,000+ physical books!), has more health issues than his non-purebred siblings, is super clingy & whiny, is super neurotic and likes to get OCD about licking just one tiny spot over and over again. I like my strong willed independent girls better (sorry, Ziggy!) 8y
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BooksForYears
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#SeptPhotoChallenge Day 26 - Unputdownable

I first found Rinker Buck in the very booknerdiest of ways: C-SPAN's BookTV. Buck and his brother acquired a covered wagon, a team of mules, and set out to do a historically accurate recreation of the Oregon Trail. There are adventures aplenty, but also a lot of self-discovery and learning about America. Buck's writing is great - think David McCullough mixed with Dorothy Parker. I couldn't put it down!

BooksForYears You can watch him, in all his glory, here - www.c-span.org/video/?403959-7/oregon-trail 8y
TheNextBook This was hilarious! I loved this book. His social commentary and humor was amazing. And this was such a journey. A great read! 8y
RealLifeReading Interesting pick! Not many nonfiction reads have been declared unputdownable! 8y
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SarahKat84 that Dorothy Parker/David McCullough mash up totally sold me on this book 8y
BooksForYears @SarahKat84 It's SO GOOD, and if you like audiobooks, Rinker Buck narrates it. 8y
BooksForYears @RealLifeReading The subject matter is interesting, but it's really Buck's writing voice that makes it so great. 8y
RanaElizabeth That's a great pick, I loved it too! 8y
45 likes4 stack adds7 comments
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Theresa
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Heading home from a wonderful long weekend catching up with friends in Oregon. But OH MY WORD can they talk!! 😆Looking forward to quiet time on the plane & finally getting back to quality reading time.

Simona I can totally understand you. My work requires a constant exchange of information and every day I'm waiting for silence, but I do like my work. Safe flight! 8y
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derekhayn
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GlitteryOtters
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Snapshots from this morning's walking & audiobook reading session with "The Oregon Trail". #audiobookactivities

MrBook Nice! 8y
Dragon Those flowers 🌺 are lovely and what a nice day for a walk😀 8y
GlitteryOtters @MrBook thanks! 💕 8y
GlitteryOtters @Dragon yes, it was a beautiful morning! 54F, sunny and beautiful! I am so glad I went on my long walk yesterday because today it is warm, humid and with tons of rain, thunderstorms soon. Definitely "curl up indoors with a good book" weather. ? 8y
23 likes4 comments
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GlitteryOtters
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How much am I liking my new "walking book" audiobook? *This* much...! I set out for a 1.5 mile walk & I was enjoying the book too much, I couldn't turn it off, so I walked on & listened a bit further. ?? Thankfully, I am walking twice per day now, so I'll get back to my book very soon!

As I am working to increase my stamina for my upcoming Disneyland trip (only 22 days away!), finding a walking book I can't stop listening to is a good thing!

Yournewfriendsams Way to go 🙌🏽 I'm doing the work out audio book thing too- it makes exercising so much more enjoyable! 8y
melbeautyandbooks Way to go! 8y
britt_brooke Awesome! 💪🏻 #multitasking 8y
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GlitteryOtters @britt_brooke multitasking is 10X better when it involves books #truefact 8y
GlitteryOtters @melmelbeauty thank you!! This book is making exercising so easy! 😂😂 8y
GlitteryOtters @Yournewfriendsam isn't that the best?! I have health issues which make me walk very slowly & stop often (the above post doesn't reflect my rest times--I pause the tracker when I stop for a rest), so having something FUN like a good book makes it shift from being a boring/frustrating & incredibly slow task to something enjoyable that feels much more fast paced than it actually is! 8y
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GlitteryOtters
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I started a new "walking book" (audiobook I read only during my daily walks) because apparently reading 8 other books (including 3 via @SerialReader ) isn't enough for me. ? This is a long book (over 16 hours), but an interesting one as it combines my lifelong loves of the Oregon Trail, historical recreations/re-enactments of any sort, & my love of feats of endurance all in one challenge documented in this book. Can't wait until my next walk!

BookishTrish I have a walking book too! And three on the go on @SerialReader Twinsies! 8y
BookishMarginalia I always have many different books going on at once too. Enjoy! 8y
GlitteryOtters @BookishMarginalia glad I am in good company!! I usually have 3 to 5 books going, 9 is a pretty high number for me (but still fun!). 8y
GlitteryOtters @BookishTrish I like how you think!! 😂 it is seriously hard to limit my number of books I am reading, especially when my TBR pile keeps growing faster than I read! 8y
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Oblomov26
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Pickpick

An enjoyable book, part travel narrative, part history and part family memoir. The author is a reporter with a mid- sized paper, middle aged, divorced, who has started to drink too much and feels as though he is stuck in in a rut. So he makes the rather extraordinary decision to cross the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon without a support team (apart from his eccentric Brother Nick and Nick‘s dog Olive Oil) .

Oblomov26 The book describes the trials, tribulations and joys of both the modern and the historical journey and the authors efforts to reconcile with his memories of his father and his family, memories which lead him to the decision to take to the trail in the first place. 8y
she_barks I'm reading this one in between other books so it's taking awhile. 8y
MrBook Great review 😊👍🏻. 8y
LeahBergen I want to read this one! 8y
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Lea
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Pickpick

I REALLY enjoyed this book. It's part adventure, part history, with some family drama and his memoir. There's good humor in it and a few rants. Lots of historical information about The Trail presented as part of the trip. Bonus - no one died of dysentery. Wasn't thrill to hear at the end that it was a book deal before the trip but I already loved it at that point. Makes a great audio, listened at 2x.

Laalaleighh It's impossible to travel the Oregon Trail without at least half your party dying of dysentery. This is a known fact. 8y
Lea @Laalaleighh right?? 8y
Laalaleighh @lea I never once made it to Oregon. 😔 I'm very lucky I was born in the age of planes and cars. 8y
MrBook Another great review 😊👍🏻. 8y
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Lea
Pickpick

I REALLY enjoyed this book. It's part adventure, part history, with some family drama and his memoir. There's good humor in it and a few rants. Lots of historical information about The Trail presented as part of the trip. Bonus - no one died of dysentery. Wasn't thrill to hear at the end that it was a book deal before the trip but I already loved it at that point. Makes a great audio, listened at 2x.

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BooksForYears
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Yay for another #FunPhotoFriday! I love bookmarks as souvenirs, and four of my favorites are from last year's National Book Festival in Washington DC

MrBook Nice! 😊👍🏻 8y
SusanInTiburon My favorite kind of souvenir. 8y
19 likes2 comments