Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Narrated by Bernadette Dunne. I listened to about 60% on audiobook then finished on a hardcover I had found in a Little Library. The narration was fine. This was another grief book which I did not know until I started it. I was moved and empathetic by the grief expressed. The naturalistic parts of the book were interesting too. I liked that this is now historical nonfiction since the book was set in 1995. It made me contemplate how things may have changed on the trail mostly interns of communication and the network. I liked reading about the various good people she met and being in nature.

1.25-1.5x March 29-April 4, 2024.

The Cat in the Hat and Other Dr. Seuss Favorites by Dr Seuss

Narrated by various authors. This was a short audiobook and it went by quickly. My favourite was the Walter Mathau’s When the Grinch Stole Christmas.

1.0x. April 4-6, 2024.

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

Narrated by Josh Dylan and Eleanor Tomlinson. I listened to 50% of it on audiobook then sped through the rest on paperback. I was on the verge of dumping the book early. I am not a big contemporary romance reader but I liked The Flatshare and some aspects of The Switch. I knew this one had mixed reviews. I wanted to be open minded. This is one of my rare negative reviews.

Most of the characters were boring and not engaging. A number of the supporting cast were posh people who were unrelateable. The main characters Dylan and Addie were seemingly nice people but they were unremarkable. I found their relationship troubles believable since they were both so young but neither of them had the emotional weight of the other O’Leary characters. I kept reading for the climactic event. It was sad but the book did not address the bigger issue of the toxic friendship. The characters had developed a bit in the second timeline and were more forgiving, but all of it felt rushed and superficial at the end. The book did not seem serious about reflecting on how destructive it had been for all of them. I’ll still read O’Leary as I have one more on my shelves left but I will likely dump her books earlier if necessary.

On the good side, this was the tenth book I read from my shelves which mean I get a donut or pastry.

1.75x-2.0x. April 7-8, 2024.