Comments on: Ten-pages-in book review: Hitching Rides with Buddha

By: Tim Trowbridge

Tim Trowbridge — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:23:10 +0000

I’ve also read both Hitching Rides with Buddha and Happiness, and I enjoyed both a great deal. You asked for reading recommendations, so here’s one:
Slick by Daniel Price
I read it about 8 months ago, but it still leaves an impression on me. It’s one of my all-time favorite novels.

By: mrsgryphon

mrsgryphon — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 21:23:03 +0000

I enjoyed Hitching Rides with Buddha as well – it combined both my passion for supporting Canadian authors and my love of travelling
Another one that fit both criteria: An Embarassment of Mangoes (Toronto couple sells everything to buy a sailboat and sail the Carribean for 2 years – great characters, fun tie-ins with local food and recipes and lots of good storytelling).
I also just finished A Boy of Good Breeding by Miriam Toews. A hilarious and touching novel – highly recommended summer read!
Cheers!
~mrsgryphon

By: Shelley

Shelley — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:54:26 +0000

I share your crush on the Fabulous Ferguson, although I’ve read neither Hitching, nor Beauty Tips. However, I truly hope we see more fiction from him in the future – Happiness(tm) was an amazing read, and far less “cerebral” than much Canadian fiction tends to be. And I too, hope one day to be the subject of the line “Her writing is very similar in style and substance to that of Will Ferguson.” He really does have an amazing way of putting the words together, anc conveying his perspective.
I wonder -does he know he’s got such a fan base amongst the Gen-X mommy set?

By: miyoshijohn

miyoshijohn — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 07:38:54 +0000

Thought you might like to know this book gets pretty mixed reviews from foreigners who live here in Japan. Usually it tends to be the Japan-newbies that love it and the old Japan-hands that are pretty disparaging.
I’ve been here nearly half my life but I reckon Will Ferguson’s book was a great read. Very refreshing. It took me back to when I first arrived here nearly 20 years ago, and I think he captures a young male foreigner’s existence in Japan very well.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 22:38:57 +0000

I read Gem Squash Tokoloshe recently–the first half was really good, but the second half annoyed me. And Wideacre by Philippa Gregory, which was so bad I almost feel compelled to discuss it as a pinacle example of literary badness. Honestly, if I never read the phrase “chestnut tresses” again, it will be too soon.
So count those as two anti-recommendations. And everything else has been non-fiction. And reviewed on BB.
Speaking of book reviews, am I going to get one for TWM? If so, let me know!

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 20:15:46 +0000

Elinor Lipman’s “My Latest Grievance.” I’m about two chapters from the end, and was a little late to work this morning from not wanting to put the book down.

By: James

James — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 19:02:24 +0000

This sounds like a really interesting book. I’ll have to look into it since I’m a big fan of travel books that have a quest type feel to them.
What you said about rediscovering one’s own region is cool. It’s easy to forget when you live in a place that there are fascinating and wonderful things right under your very nose.