The Body - Bill Bryson

I think that considering all the shows and movies we watch and read, most of us know surprisingly little about our own bodies.  Bill Bryson has a way of giving us all the information we like in easily readable and entertaining chapters without overwhelming us with lots of dull information.  Even though I work in a medical field and have read a lot of books, I still found this a quick and amusing read even though it was a solid 400 pages.  5/5

The Road to Little Dribbling - Bill Bryson

20 years after touring the British Isles on Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson packs his bags and heads to some places he visited before and some new places.  I guess I haven't really paid attention in other books he has written, but I didn't realize that he married an English woman and lives in the UK on a full time basis.  Therefore many of his observations have been honed after decades of immersion in the ways of the English.

He is a witty and intelligent writer and gives a lot of often interesting background on the places he visits, it felt like going on day trips with your entertaining older uncle. 4/5

At Home - Bill Bryson

At Home - Bill Bryson (2010)

After researching the world, and most of the countries he has visited he now turns his attentions to home. Looking initially at his own home, he also looks at the history involved in modern houses including toilets, maids rooms, the laundry and all of the spots imbetween.

Interesting some of the points were, I felt this one was a bit too long and drawn out and I didn't really care about where the maids bedrooms were, and how many servants Lord Snootypants had. Maybe it would be better suited to a tv series than a book, where the visuals could balance out the wordiness.

3/5

Shakespeare - Bill Bryon

Shakespeare - Bill Bryson (2007)

I really really wanted to like this book. I've read other Bill Brysons, well maybe all of them over the years. I was awestruck by his guide to everything in the world, how much work must it have been to reseach that book? I then saw him interviewed on tv, and although he is of modest looks, he seems to be a man who is interested in all around him, has a sharp sense of humour and has a certain charisma.

I guess in finding out facts about Shakespeare, Bill Bryson has found out that there aren't many known facts about him. Four or so known signatures, not one original copy of a play or letter written by him, he might be a catholic (or not), the only known portraits of the man may or may not actually have been done when he was alive, he may have gone to Italy and he may or may not be the author of all that homework we had to struggle through at school.

Still Hamlet and King Lear remain with me even though it is 20 years, or so since I read them in high school. I loved that I was able to be mesmirised by Ralph Fiennes playing Hamlet, in London in 1995 (cheapest seats in the house but we could only see one third of the stage, and the top of their head - still worth it!).

A brief read with a small score. Just a 2/5 for me.

A 5/5 though for this blog. It is called I read too much, and if you click here you can go and visit :
http://i-read-too-much.blogspot.com/. Taryn is Canadian, and seems to share a similar taste in books, with three of my this years reads on her first page.