Metropolitan’s Comments (group member since Aug 25, 2014)

Metropolitan’s comments from the Metro Library ReadUp group.

I don't think she means to portray all the men she meets as finding her irresistible, but she does have to make some adjustments in how she presents herself to men out on the trail--she can't put on any role except her plain self, and maybe she doesn't have much experience with that.

As she says, "Now there was only one version. On the PCT I had no choice but to inhabit it entirely, to show my grubby face to the whole wide world. Which at least for now, consisted of only six men." (p.111)

Q: Who took all her condoms?!

This is the first thing she's said that I really like and can kind of relate to: "Alone had always felt like an actual place to me, as if it weren't a state of being, but rather a room where I could retreat to be who I really was. The radical aloneness of the PCT had altered that sense. Alone wasn't a room anymore, but the whole wide world, and now I was alone in that world, occupying it in a way I never had before." (p 120)

Well, I think at least part of the reason for her poor decision making and flakiness with men is her dad issues. See pgs 131-133. The therapist says to her, "Imagine your life if you'd had a father who loved you as a father should." (p133) and she doesn't want to even consider that, because it's too painful. So she tries to help this pain with drugs, sex, etc.

Fredonna wrote: "Confession: I'm not sure whether I like Cheryl or not. Half the time I want to hug her neck and half the time I want to wring it."

She is a very frustrating person, that's for sure. I had to stop in the middle of a section last night because I was reading at work--but the stuff about her last name was interesting to me. She just chose a new one! I think that's cool.

I think that's a pretty accurate assessment, but I also feel like part of her reason for making the journey was just the same as all the other drifting around she did--to escape. But maybe the arduousness of this journey was what would make it really mean something.

I'd rather read about hiking than actually doing it, ha!

This line from pg 80 made me laugh: "I felt better than I'd ever felt in all my life, now that the trail had taught me how horrible I could feel." This is why I'm not outdoorsy. Though I can relate to this concept --after a really strenuous hot yoga class I'm just glad to be alive.

A bear and a rattlesnake in the same day? Yeah, I'd have thrown in the towel right then.

Being accosted by a bull on a hike--that was a surprise!

And then when she gave up a little bit and asked those guys to help her--that was a very fraught situation, being all alone with strangers who you aren't sure whether they are nice people or not. Self reliance only goes so far.

Oh, interesting, I hadn't heard of it.

She's one of those characters you watch doing stupid things and think, "No!! What are you doing?!"

I appreciated the humorous moments with her gigantic unwieldy backpack, but at the same time that was also a "What are you doing?" moment because of her poor planning.

Karen, what's Philmont?

Try not to read the first chapter at work, unless you enjoy crying in front of coworkers. It's very well written, but quite intense and heartbreaking.

Discussion questions: http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/W...

I wasn't aware that this had been an Oprah's Book Club selection.

Discuss it here!

His tattoos sound amazing!

Choose your favorite in the poll!

Wild by Cheryl Strayed: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey to the Heart of Russia by David Greene: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Jennifer, Gwenyth and Me: The Pursuit of Happiness, One Celebrity at a Time by Rachel Bertsche: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Year of No Sugar by Eve O. Schaub: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Fredonna wrote: "One of my favorite things about this book so far is how it juxtaposes librarians and circus workers. That's not a pairing I'm used to seeing, lol"

Ha! We have a lot in common!

I agree with you on the voice difference in the audiobook--that was one of the things that made me actually able to pay attention to the story, the narrator was very good.

Fredonna wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/videos/8591...

Above is the link to the book trailer. Such gorgeous imagery!"

Wow, that is really cool!

Hi Tina! Glad you are enjoying the book. If you want to discuss spoilers, just put Spoiler Alert at the beginning of your post and those who don't want to read it will know to skip over it.

I'm so irritated with myself right now, because I have no idea where my copy of the book is! I flipped through it but didn't read more than the first couple of pages--I want to get a better look at those illustrations!

I remember from listening to the audiobook that I thought the author did a pretty good job portraying what the work of a librarian is like, and I was a little surprised, since you don't see a ton of accurate portrayals of librarianship in popular culture.

I think this will be an interesting experience for me because I listened to the audiobook a few months ago as I drove to and from work, with my attention drifting in and out. I really can't pay attention to audiobooks, so it will be interesting to see what I actually remember from listening versus what I'll be noticing for the first time as I read it.

The author's Tumblr: http://erikaswyler.tumblr.com/

And her twitter: https://twitter.com/ErikaSwyler?ref_s...

And some discussion questions from the publisher: http://images.macmillan.com/folio-ass...

Discuss!

All right, it looks like The Book of Speculation is the winner!