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Notes from a Small Island
Notes from a Small Island | Bill Bryson
After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson made the decision to move back to the States for a while, to let his kids experience life in another country, to give his wife the chance to shop until 10 p.m. seven nights a week, and, most of all, because he had read that 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another, and it was thus clear to him that his people needed him. But before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had for so long been his home. His aim was to take stock of the nations public face and private parts (as it were), and to analyze what precisely it was he loved about a country that had produced Marmite, a military hero whose dying wish was to be kissed by a fellow named Hardy, place names like Farleigh Wallop, Titsey, and Shellow Bowells, people who said Mustnt grumble, and shows like Gardeners Question Time.
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Robotswithpersonality
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She was NOT. Dude, really?! 🫢 Must be a very old family name.Wouldn't see anyone choosing that today...

7 likes1 stack add
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KCofKaysville
Bailedbailed

Not as funny or as interesting as I thought it would be. Usually I like Bryson.

dabbe #hailthebail! 🤩🤩🤩 5mo
26 likes1 comment
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KCofKaysville
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Starting a humorous book about an American in England.

32 likes1 stack add
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bibliothecarivs
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Mehso-so

★★★☆☆

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bibliothecarivs
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'The hilly landscape was gorgeous and extravagantly green. You could be excused for thinking that the principle industry of Britain is the manufacture of chlorophyll. We chauntered along among wooded hills, scattered farms, churches with square towers that made them look like leftover pieces from a very large chess set.'

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dthamby
Mehso-so

Not do great

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ravenlee
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Mehso-so

Meh. Only one laugh-out-loud moment, quite a bit of finding him particularly unfunny (fat jokes don‘t get better with age and repetition), but mostly just meh. Bryson decided to revisit Britain before he and his family moved to the US, and predictably his meanderings go astray (having read A Walk in the Woods and In a Sunburned Country, this seems to be a theme). Again, meh. #DoubleSpin done.

BarbaraJean Same. I had so many people recommend this one to me, but I thought it fell flat. I liked the tagged one much better. 2y
33 likes1 comment
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ravenlee
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Adding to the (recently reduced) list of ongoing reads. I just wasn‘t in the mood for Wildfell Hall or Don Quixote first thing this morning. Bryson is hit-or-miss, but I hope to get some chuckles out of this.

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GinaKButler
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My first Bill Bryson...about one of my favorite places. 🇬🇧
#bookspinbingo

15 likes1 stack add
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QBub
Pickpick

Another trek by Bryson, this time in the English countryside. Not surprisingly it rains a lot and he gets wet a lot. but his account is upbeat and humorous.

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Cazxxx
Panpan

Kind of outdated and too many cliches about Britain that didn‘t ring true to me

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bibliobliss

Bryson on our American attitude toward good eats!! He's not wrong 😬

To an American the whole purpose of living, the one constant confirmation of continued existence, is to cram as much sensual pleasure as possible into one's mouth more or less continuously. Gratification, instant and lavish, is a birthright. You might as well say 'Oh, I shouldn't really' if someone tells you to take a deep breath.

#currentlyreading #travel #memoir

22 likes1 stack add
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Esmerelda1rm
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Panpan

Good lord, he‘s a dick in this book...

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CoveredInRust
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Slow day at the library and I'm covering reference. Counting on Mr. Bryson to keep me entertained.

quietjenn He's usually pretty good for it! 5y
16 likes1 comment
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BookwormDownUnder
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Laughing out loud at this pick for #NFNov!! As an American in Australia, the observations he makes about the English sound very familiar to me. #TIL that I‘m not the only one bemused by Britons genuine excitement over the prospect of a hot beverage.
@Clwojick @rsteve388

TrishB She laughs clutching her cup of tea ☕️ 5y
BookwormDownUnder @TrishB 😂 I get looks when I say I hate tea! Not as bad as the gasps I heard when, forgetting where I was, I mentioned to someone in the London office that I hate Dickens. 5y
TrishB The funny thing is most of those probably haven‘t read Dickens 😁 5y
BookwormDownUnder @TrishB Probably not! 🙃 5y
rsteve388 4 pts 5y
20 likes5 comments
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GinaKButler
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What should I listen to next?

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GinaKButler
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I‘ll play along!
1) 16: 🇨🇦 🇲🇽 🇧🇸 🇨🇺 🇧🇿 🇳🇮 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 🇮🇹 🇻🇦 🇩🇪 🇨🇭 🇭🇺 🇨🇿 🇳🇱 and, so many more are on the list!
2) The Coast!
3) Poland
4) England
@Eggs #wonderouswednesday

Eggs These all sound wonderful!! 5y
2 likes1 comment
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MicrobeMom
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Mehso-so

I finished this one a couple of days ago. This travelogue of Britain is 25 years old. There were parts I really loved and laughed out loud. However, most of it is just recounting is what he likes or hates about certain towns. My big gripe is that this was a travelogue and the map of his travels was insufficient. The book as a whole could have been better. But I am sure I will read the sequel at some point.

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MicrobeMom
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Enjoying some camping and reading with the hubby. The quiet is excellent! #summerreading

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MicrobeMom
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Take 2, reading on the deck. My awesome parents just left with my kids for the next week. So, I have so quiet time to ready on my deck this morning! My kids get spoiled by their grandparents and I get a week with the hubby! My parents rock!

TrishB Win- win! 5y
AlaMich Hey, what‘s with the snowman mug?! Wrong season!! 😉 5y
MicrobeMom @AlaMich 😂😂 it is one of my favs all year round. Holds lots of caffeine! 5y
35 likes4 comments
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MicrobeMom
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The reason I am getting no reading done! He is lucky he is so cute! Gus the pug too!

Bookzombie He is cute! The dog too! 5y
31 likes1 comment
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MicrobeMom
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Trying to get a little reading done but my son wants to talk my ear off. So we are talking and I will read when he is done talking. #kidtime

Tanisha_A Hahahah! That's really cute 5y
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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erzascarletbookgasm
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Gives me the urge to travel there!
#LetsTravelJuly #Wanderlust

OriginalCyn620 ❤️❤️❤️ 5y
82 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Tove_Reads
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On to the next Bryson!

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bookishdawg
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Finished Bryson‘s wry memoir for a bingo 😊 May try for a blackout now... #nonfiction2019 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Nute Colored sharpies make the world a better place!😁 5y
12 likes1 comment
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BooksAtNight
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Mehso-so

By the end of the first story, I knew I wasn‘t going to be smitten with this book. While he does have a way with stories and I did laugh out loud on a few occasions, I found his opinions and “wit” to be mean and very Eurocentric most times. Part of that may be him trying to stay true to his reputation/voice, but I don‘t think Bryson and I are going to be best buds in the future. He‘s probably an author I would read in very small doses.

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Heatherfeather
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Mehso-so

I suppose it's witty, and Bryson has a knack for description, but it felt dated and mean in places?

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sophierayton
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Pickpick

As a British person, I found this knowingly hilarious. Things I've never given much thought to are depicted here with great wit and humour.

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howjessicareads
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Day 25 of #31bookpics - books in the wild! Travel memoirs are one of my favorite genres. I love being able to armchair travel via someone else‘s adventures!

Jilly6183 Bill Bryson is so good! I haven't read one his books in years, I'll have to correct that soon! 6y
Dolly Have you read Tales of a Female Nomad? Cool plant! I‘ve had a few of those in the past but don‘t have them now. Guess I killed them. 6y
73 likes3 comments
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Book_Gnome
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“My first sight of England was on a foggy March night in 1973 when I arrived on the midnight ferry from Calais.”
#15of365 #openingline #bookcover #notpiratesockmonkey

TiredLibrarian This one was a lot of fun! 6y
13 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Tex2Flo
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Pickpick

His surprise at and appreciation for the countryside and how it is enjoyed is adorable.

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Sarah83
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My favourite #setting . Great Britain. #litsyclassics @Bambolina_81

BiblioLitten Same.😊 7y
83 likes1 comment
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OrangeMooseReads
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On Sale today and on Amazon the audio was an additional $7.49 I believe #spreadthebooklove

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tobypfrench
Pickpick

Used to read this in Y7, durin silent reading. I wasn't silent.

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mabell
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The first time I learned about the British difference between #walking (e.g. to the pub) and *walking* (I would call this serious hiking) was from Bryson.

"Are you sure it's not too hard?"
"Nah, it's just an amble."

He puts things so well. ?

#150pnpcoverparty

CrowCAH Wow, didn‘t know there was more than one definition of walking! Lol 7y
LeahBergen I loved this book! 👏🏻👏🏻 7y
Maria514626 One of my all-time favorites! 7y
36 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Sarah83
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I thought some of you might be interested in the covers aswell. 😄 #foliofreaks

From left to right standing:
The best After-Dinner stories, Big Chief Elizabeth, The New York trilogy, Good behaviour, The Darling Buds of May, Inventions of the Middle Ages

Lying:
The Victorians, tagged book, A Traveller in Time, The Folio Book of Humorous Anecdotes, The Camberwell Beauty

ju.ca.no Stunning!😍 7y
emilyhaldi 😍😍 7y
Kalalalatja 😍😍😍 7y
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Mdargusch Wow! 7y
rubyslippersreads So pretty! I haven't placed my order yet, and you're making me want all the books! 😊 7y
JaclynW Nice! 7y
77 likes6 comments
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sprainedbrain
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Pickpick

Not a bad way to finish the year at all!

This was my travel memoir for #ReadHarder2017 and I probably wouldn‘t have read it otherwise. I‘m not a huge fan of memoirs or nonfiction in general. That said, I was very entertained by this book. Bryson is very funny and I enjoyed traveling around Great Britain through him.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

112 likes4 stack adds
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sprainedbrain
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I‘m never going to get through my last read of 2017 if I can‘t stop laughing hysterically. I don‘t know why, but this whole page has me 😂

Aims42 I just discovered Bill Bryson a few months ago, but he‘s definitely a new favorite author ❤️ 7y
Moonpa I‘ve been binge listening to his books for the past few months - very entertaining! 7y
KellyK I picked up my first Bryson book at the library on Wednesday after a recommendation from my former neighbor. 7y
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TricksyTails I keep seeing him mentioned. Any suggestions for a first read with him? 7y
sprainedbrain @TricksyTails This is my first... @moonpa do you have suggestions? 😃 7y
elliemcc11 I've read all the British based as well as the Europe and US based books. He's a great writer and very funny. And this is quite true in terms of what he's saying. Bear in mind we live on a tiny island and it can a long time driving anywhere as there are guaranteed to be traffic jams and/or roadworks especially in holidays 😂😣 7y
elliemcc11 Is US based and an interesting read (for me at least) 7y
Izai.Amorim Happy New Year! 🎆🎈🎊 7y
sprainedbrain @Izai.Amorim Happy New Year to you! 🎉 7y
108 likes2 stack adds12 comments
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jen_hayes7
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Mehso-so

I found this book to be too negative for me. Lots of complaining about bad architecture, which I understand how bothersome an eyesore can be,but much of the book consisted of this.Unnecessary rude commentary about people he encountered or argued with during his travels. I get that it‘s supposed to be funny, I just didn‘t enjoy that. Parts of it were great and those parts I liked very much. It also could use a map. This completes #readharder2017

Redheadrambles Haha yep my feelings exactly! 7y
jen_hayes7 @Redheadrambles I‘m so happy I‘m not alone!! It was disappointing; I had expected to really enjoy the book and ended up mostly feeling irritated. 😕 7y
19 likes2 comments
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Redheadrambles
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bill and I had a break-up around the middle part of this book. He was getting on my very last nerve with his sudden unfriendly outbursts to dogwalkers and jolly families enjoying cream buns. It was also tiresome, this carping about architectural eyesores.

On the plus side this made me nostalgic for the 90s. Even if, going by this all that can be found outside London for dinner is curry, bad Chinese and the occasional Haddock and peas ?

ReadingEnvy 😏 7y
ClairesReads Glad you made it through in the end 7y
20 likes1 stack add2 comments
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jen_hayes7
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There‘s a pretty content little group in our house this morning. Happy Sunday, Littens!!! #catsoflitsy #bowie #lennox #readharder2017

TricksyTails 😻😻 Happy Sunday! 7y
21 likes1 comment
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quietlycuriouskate
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Pickpick

I picked this up out of curiosity and was surprised how protective I felt towards the places I know (and have not always loved). Bill Bryson is funny, but I was riled by his apparent wish for Britain to be some kind of theme park. Although, given the "silly season" we've embarked on lately, his nostalgia has poignancy. He is perplexed, frustrated and (wilfully?) misunderstanding of Britishness without losing his affection for it. ⭐⭐⭐

#192019 1995

42 likes1 comment
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sprainedbrain
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On my tbr to read for one of my challenges this year... and since I still haven‘t visited this country, it fits today‘s prompt. 😃

#uncannyoctober #nfaboutacountryyoudliketovisit

jen_hayes7 That's on my TBR for this year too!! 7y
seebiscan This book is so delightful! I love Bryson. 7y
mabell I love this book! ❤️ 7y
See All 7 Comments
Kalalalatja For a moment there I thought you had placed an actual tea bag on your book 😱 7y
sprainedbrain @Kalalalatja 😂😂😂 7y
Karlamia I enjoyed this book a lot. 😎 7y
JaclynW London is great! I've never been to any other part of England though. Someday! My friend just got back from the Cotswolds and loved it. It looked so lovely and quaint! 7y
137 likes6 stack adds7 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
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This will probably be a popular author for today‘s photo challenge, and though this book is not limited to one country, I‘ll still like to visit!
Day 2 #NFaboutacountryyoudliketovisit #uncannyoctober

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Dragon
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#thisisnotamerica #septembowie I bought this book at the Raise-A-Reader booksale. According to the inscription on the title page " This book may cause you to chuckle, snicker and even snort while reading " so I had to buy it. Now to find the time to read it ?

Centique I love Bill Bryson so much! 7y
LeeRHarry Bill Bryson is great! This is a good one 😊 7y
rabbitprincess Our family has a running joke about "Is THIS the train to [place name]?" thanks to this book ? 7y
Dragon Thanks @Centique @LeeRHarry I'm looking forward to laughing and enjoying this book 📚😀🐉 7y
Dragon Thanks @rabbitprincess now I have to read it to get the joke! 😂👍🐉 7y
57 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Backshall
Pickpick

Funny. Love Bill Bryson.