If you asked me for a list of my favorite things, Bill Bryson books would fall just under Air and Water. I was turned on to Bryson’s classic
Neither Here Nor There
about 10 years ago (and have now probably re-read it 7 times), and look forward to each new global adventure as if he was taking me along for the ride.

In fact, I would probably consider it the perfect vacation if I ever stumbled into a little pub and saw this bearded 50 year old author sitting by himself with a pint and his notebook. I’m quite sure that my head would be buzzing with tales from his travels more than the beers.

And so you must imagine my situation as I entered an airport bookstore and lazily scanned the rows and rows of books I had no interest in. And then suddenly, like a bottle of fine red wine stuck in among the Apple Juice, there was the latest Bryson offering:
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.

Now take into consideration that I was headed to a Blog and New Media conference, and yet this little paperback book was now tasked with keeping me entertained for 3 hours or so. The irony was not lost upon me.

Unsurprisingly, my review is quite positive. If you are interested in nostalgia, humor, American history and absurdity, then this will keep you laughing well past the time that you should be turning out your lights. Few books make anyone sad when a plane trip is over, and this one did it.

Even though “Having Beers with Bill Bryson” is still making no upward progress on my life’s To-Do List, “Reading the Next Bill Bryson Book” is just about done.