A Year in Provence

Author: Peter Mayle

A fun travelog of an Englishman who moves to Provence, France with his wife. Lots of great food and wine talk and a humorous description of life in provincial France. Easy reading also, so a good vacation book.

Retroactive Ratings: Bill Bryson

I usually rate books as I read them, but, what the heck, let's go ahead and throw in all the Bill Bryson books I've read:

A Walk in the Woods

Like I said, funniest book ever. I particularly like the bits about bears.

In a Sunburned Country

Also excellent, also funny. Here he tours Australia, giving the reader the lowdown on all the poisonous animals and quirky tourist attractions.

Notes from a Small Island

Bill Bryson lived in the U.K. for a number of years (roughly 20, I think) and this book recreates both his first experiences of the country as well as his adventures touring around it.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

Author: Bill Bryson

This book mainly focuses on the first 10 years of the author's life and what it was like to be a kid in the 1950s. It's by Bill Bryson, so of course it's funny with a slight predilection for lists of facts. Unfortunately, I feel compelled to compare every Bryson book with A Walk in the Woods, which is the funniest book ever. This book is not quite as funny, but that's like saying someone is less tall than Shaquille O'Neal.

Bryson waxes nostalgic for his early childhood and carries the peculiar Iowan reverence for their own, boring-to-anyone-else, state. He tries to convince the reader that the 50s were an age of innocence and happiness, the likes of which we have not since experienced. I'm not buying it, but it is interesting to be reminded of how our outlook has changed over time regarding space travel, warfare, and civil rights.