How do you pick your books? Is it a favorite author, a specific genre, or maybe a recommendation from a friend or blogger? Honestly, I’m not much different in my approach. If I like an author, I’ll dial in my navigation to them and follow their works for months. At the bookstore, I often stand in front of my favorite genre section, browsing and reading a few pages here and there. But what happens when you narrow it down? When it’s not a recommendation, you usually have to pick one out of two or three, right? I have this quirky method for choosing: it’s all about the book’s thickness.
Around 270 pages is considered standard thickness for a typical 4×6 paperback novel. Anything thinner seems lacking, while thicker ones feel hefty. I generally avoid the standard thickness and lean towards slightly thicker books. If I’m buying a knowledge-based or self-help book (which I rarely read), I don’t even consider those around 270 pages. Why? Because there are so many authors eager to write a book even if they have just a drop of theory or logic. There are just too many, seriously.
Spending two to three hours on a book only to find it stretched with fluff is infuriating. If a writer, sitting next to me, extended their book with irrelevant content just to meet a word count, I’d feel like giving them a swift sidekick. 😤
It’s similar with novels. It’s annoying when they fill the gaps with mundane scenes like eating or hiking, and equally frustrating when they abruptly end without resolving anything.
‘Oh, it’s book-length now!’
Surprisingly, many authors wrap things up hastily. Maintaining focus until the end is no easy feat. The phrase ‘all show and no go’ exists for a reason. In books and life, endurance is key to quality.
I was going to introduce a book but got sidetracked! ‘A Walk in the Woods’ by Bill Bryson was a book a friend lent me, perfectly matching my thickness criteria, so I had high expectations. My trust in Bryson was already strong, thanks to friends’ recommendations and his ‘Notes from a Small Island’. To cut to the chase, it was a delightful read.
Bill Bryson, born in America, married a Brit and lived in the UK for 20 years, returned to the US for 15, then back to the UK to gain citizenship. This has given him vast European and especially British insight, resulting in many writings.
This book is an essay-style travelogue covering the 3,500-kilometer Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, which he trekked with a friend. It’s packed with wit, sarcasm, and – above all – fun, making you laugh out loud even when reading solo. The pages are many, so I can’t claim I read it in one sitting, but it flowed so smoothly that I finished it in just a few sessions. Bryson and his friend Katz’s precarious trekking adventure is filled with special encounters, thrilling events, and unexpected wonders, making you wish to trek the Appalachian Trail someday.
While the sections detailing the trail’s history or academic theories might feel tedious, reading them slowly, like looking at answer keys, can be surprisingly engaging. Most importantly, the awe-inspiring nature and overwhelming power, impossible to experience in city life, are vividly conveyed through Bryson’s seasoned writing, making you feel as though you’re hiking alongside him. It’s too good to keep to yourself! 🌿
Want to hear a fun part? While trekking, they meet a traveler named Mary Allen, a trekking veteran who shares her advice.
She saw my tent and asked, “Is that a Starship (brand name) tent?”
I said, “I don’t know.”
“Big mistake. The store clerk probably knew you’d buy whatever. How much did you pay?”
“I don’t know.”
“Too much. You should’ve bought a three-season tent.”
“It is a three-season tent.”
“No offense, but coming here in March without a three-season tent is foolish.”
“I assure you, it’s a three-season tent.”
“You’re lucky you haven’t frozen to death. Go back and give that guy who sold it to you a piece of your mind. Selling such a tent is ignorant.”
“Trust me, it’s a three-season tent.”
She blew her nose again, shook her head vigorously, and said, “That’s a three-season tent,” pointing at Katz’s tent.
“It’s the same as mine.”
She took another look and changed the topic, “Anyway, how far did you walk today?”
If you have the leisure to dive into this 400-page book, I highly recommend it. Bill Bryson’s ‘A Walk in the Woods’ is a gem worth exploring. 📚
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