© 2014 by BLACK, WHITE & READ BOOKS.

Proudly created with Wix.com

Photos of Gilmore girls courtesy of The CW

Custom graphics by Human Illustrations

 

  • FB smaller.jpg
  • instagram smaller.jpg
  • tumblr smaller.jpg
  • twitter smaller.jpg
  • email smaller.jpg

Wild by Cheryl Strayed


Wild by Cheryl Strayed.jpg

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

With my internet feed being full of Reese Witherspoon's dirty face with a backpack strapped on, I figured it was time I finally picked up Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I am fascinated by people who take on this kind of challenge. As a Northeastener myself, I am more familiar with The Appalachian Trail. In fact, Husband and I spent 75% of our time during the last meeting with our financial advisor, forcing him to regale us with stories about the journey, his trail name, his equipment, etc. But I was not at all familiar with the Pacific Coast Trail. I guess we could say that my first introduction to it was recently, when I read John Muir's My First Summer in the Sierra. That was when I realized the majesty and glory of the trails and mountain ranges of the West coast.

I loved Strayed's voice. I loved even more when I learned that she named herself Strayed after a painful divorce. Although I think she should've gone for Princess Consuela Bananahammock when filling out the change of name form ;) What I especially loved about the telling of her story was how she didn't hide her own ignorance and ineptitude during her time on the trail. While her inability to understand and respect the dangers of the wild (i.e. throwing away items that would be useful down the trail, not taking care of her water supply, not being careful of the various dangers Mother Nature throws at you) made me want to scream at my Kindle repeatedly "ARE YOU REALLY THAT FUCKING STUPID?! DO YOU EVER LEARN?", I liked that she owned her stupidity in these poor choices. And in the end, she accomplished something that I will likely never do. And in doing so, she learned so much more about the person she is and the person she wants to be.

Synopsis:

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone. Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor,Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

#wild #cherylstayed #johnmuir #myfirstsummerinthesierra #deepthoughtsfromdamptresses

recent posts

Educated by Tara Westover

The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplace

The Girl and the Grove by Eric Smith

The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michel

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital by David M.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of WWII by Liza Mundy

{"items":["5fd76a2a13334a00177b1b61","5fd76a2a13334a00177b1b59","5fd76a2a13334a00177b1b5a","5fd76a2a13334a00177b1b5f","5fd76a2a13334a00177b1b62","5fd76a2a13334a00177b1b5d","5fd76a2a13334a00177b1b5b","5fd76a2a13334a00177b1b60","5fd76a2a13334a00177b1b5c","5fd76a2a13334a00177b1b5e"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"max","cubeRatio":1.7777777777777777,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":5,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":0,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":3,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":0,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":["SHOW_ON_THE_LEFT","SHOW_BELOW"],"galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":26,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":65,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":292,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(246,246,246,0)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"MANUAL","targetItemSize":292,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|max|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":true,"externalInfoHeight":26,"externalInfoWidth":0.65},"container":{"width":220,"galleryWidth":225,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}
archive
  • August 2018 (1)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • June 2018 (1)
  • May 2018 (2)
  • April 2018 (1)
  • March 2018 (3)
  • January 2018 (2)
  • November 2017 (2)
  • October 2017 (1)
  • March 2017 (2)
  • February 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (3)
  • July 2016 (1)
  • June 2016 (5)
  • March 2016 (2)
  • February 2016 (4)
  • January 2016 (6)
  • December 2015 (4)
  • November 2015 (11)
  • October 2015 (7)
  • September 2015 (7)
  • August 2015 (6)
  • July 2015 (9)
  • June 2015 (8)
  • May 2015 (7)
  • April 2015 (18)
  • March 2015 (12)
  • February 2015 (6)
  • January 2015 (14)
  • December 2014 (16)
  • November 2014 (13)
  • October 2014 (22)
  • September 2014 (13)
  • August 2014 (8)
  • July 2014 (7)
  • June 2014 (17)
  • May 2014 (18)
  • April 2014 (31)
  • March 2014 (15)
  • February 2014 (7)
  • January 2014 (18)
  • December 2013 (11)
  • November 2013 (13)
  • October 2013 (7)
  • September 2013 (18)
  • August 2013 (17)
  • July 2013 (18)
  • June 2013 (12)
  • May 2013 (11)
  • April 2013 (7)
search for stuff
  • blog

  • writing

  • the official list

  • ...and beyond

  • podcasts

  • faq

  • about

  • More

    reading all books referenced on gilmore girls

    reading all books referenced on Gilmore girls