Read Alike: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Oprah's famous book club has returned (now with webisodes) and her first selection is Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. Ms. Strayed's memoir has been receiving positive reviews and numerous holds here at Carnegie-Stout since its publication earlier this year. Prior to Wild, Ms. Strayed worked as a columnist and wrote a novel, Torch. You can read more about her background and writing on her website: cherylstrayed.com

Wild is an inspirational, lyrically descriptive story of grief, hiking, and personal growth. After her mother's sudden death from cancer, Ms. Strayed's life fell apart. On impulse, she decides to challenge herself by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs 2,650 miles from the Mexican border of California to the Canadian border of Washington.

You can read more about the Pacific Crest Trail by following these links:
www.fs.usda.gov/pct/
www.pcta.org

We've also gathered together some read alike suggestions for Wild available at Carnegie-Stout:

Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman
When children's author Rita Golden Gelman is confronted by a divorce and an empty nest, she impulsively sets out for Mexico, starting her decades long journey from home to home around the world. I included this book in a list of some of my favorite female travel narratives in a blog post last summer.

The Cactus Eaters by Dan White
Dan White and his girlfriend Melissa leave their jobs at a Connecticut newspaper to tackle the Pacific Crest Trail. Mr. White writes with humor and honesty about their misadventures, neither was an experienced hiker, though his transformation is somewhat less inspiring than Ms. Strayed's.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (917.40443 BRY)
Mr. Bryson is known his witty travel writing. In A Walk in the Woods, he tells of his journey along the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, along with local trivia, natural history, and more. Mr. Bryson is a more experienced hiker than some of the others he meets along the trail, but this is also a less difficult trail.

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch (028.8 SAN)
After Ms. Sankovitch's sister is killed by cancer, she works through her grief by reading, an activity the sisters had shared. This is a moving story about family, reading, and the strength of relationships and memory. This book was also the topic of an earlier staff review.

Library Journal has also created a list of reading suggestions for readers who loved Wild, which you can check out by clicking here.

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!