What to Read While Hiking the Appalachian Trail

Though it's probably a little too cold to hike the Appalachian Trail right now, perhaps these books will help you start planning your own hiking adventure so that you'll be ready to go when spring rolls around:

As Far as the Eye Can See by David Brill

Unsure of what he wanted to do with his life, recent college graduate David Brill chose to hike the Appalachian Trail in 1979.  Six months and 2,100 miles later he emerged a changed person, evolving from an inexperienced outdoorsman into a seasoned hiker.  This memoir chronicles the adversities and adventures of his trip.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

In an attempt to reconnect with America after living in Britain for 20 years, author Bill Bryson decided to hike the Appalachian Trail and record his experiences.  His narrative is both hilarious and insightful, filled with interesting historical facts, little-known trivia, and a cast of characters almost too zany to be believed.  You’ll want to lace up your hiking boots and set off down the trail by the time you’re done. 

Essays & Lectures by Ralph Waldo Emerson

A contemporary of Henry David Thoreau, Emerson was one of the most important American thinkers of the 19th century.  His essay “Nature,” included in this volume, was highly influential in its linking of spirituality with the study of nature.  The philosophies espoused in Emerson’s works have been carried out by many a hiker.  

The Appalachian Trail Reader edited by David Emblidge

The Appalachian Trail Reader is a fascinating collection of essays, trail diaries, and poems written by a wide variety of authors, ranging from anonymous hikers to famous American literary figures like Walt Whitman and James Dickey.  Recommended for those interested in gaining a historical perspective of the AT.      

Hiking the Appalachian Trail edited by David Hare

This massive two volume collection compiles the stories of 46 men and women who have hiked the whole Appalachian Trail.  In addition to the stories, Hiking the Appalachian Trail contains practical advice on everything from menu and equipment suggestions to photography and bird watching tips, making it a must read for would-be hikers.   

Guide to Shenandoah National Park by Henry Heatwole

Not interested in hiking the entire trail?  Here’s a comprehensive guide to all of the great hiking spots located here in our own backyard.  About 90 miles of the AT run within Shenandoah National Park, and this book will help you select the hike that’s right for you.

Me and the Boy by Paul Hemphill

When Hemphill set out to hike the entire AT with his 19-year-old son, he had little idea of what an intense bonding experience it would be for the two of them.  Poignant and emotional, Me and the Boy is a fine account of a journey marked by painful revelations and, ultimately, powerful healing.

In Beauty May She Walk by Leslie Mass

Think you’re too old to hike the Appalachian Trail?  Your opinion might change after reading In Beauty May She Walk, the inspirational story of a 60-year-old woman who thru-hikes the entire AT.  Mass honestly portrays the difficulties and struggles she faced on her grueling journey, while also conveying the great sense of achievement she felt upon completion.

Time For Everything by George Meek
Virginia author George Meek recommends “section-hiking” as a great way to hike the AT.  In contrast to the strenuous pace set by thru-hikers, section-hikers take a more relaxed journey by dividing the trail into portions that can be covered over several years. In Time For Everything, Meek draws from his own six-year section-hike to give valuable pointers to the novice.

AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller
Miller perfectly captures what it is like to be a thru-hiker, or someone who hikes the entire trail from end-to-end in one continuous journey.  Taking the name “AWOL” (most thu-hikers adopt a trail name), Miller quits his job to fulfill his dream.  He vividly describes the physical struggles, such as hiking through injuries, and the profound sense of community that is fostered between thru-hikers. 

Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit
Solnit tackles a seemingly mundane subject with style and intelligence, introducing many thought-provoking ideas about walking.  From its examination of the many reasons why people walk to its look at the impact of automobiles and urbanization on walking for pleasure, Wanderlust will make you rethink an activity you probably take for granted.    

Walden by  Henry David Thoreau
Walden is a must read for anyone interested in “getting back to nature.” It tells of Thoreau’s two year stint of solitary living at Walden Pond in the  1840s, where his motto was “Simplify, simplify.”  Check out Thoreau’s book The Maine Woods to read about his adventure climbing Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

Walking Home by Kelly Winters

For Kelly Winters the AT represented “not a physical place, but an emotional, psychological, spiritual one.”  Grappling with her identity and sexual orientation, Winters uses her six month thru-hike as a pilgrimage to discover the authentic self she’s long kept subdued.

Reading Lists - Non-Fiction Dog Narratives

They star in movies.  They survive shipwrecks and live on desert islands.  They stop robberies and solve crimes.  They provide service to the needy.  Perhaps most importantly, they fill our lives with love, joy, and excitement.  Yes, dogs truly are man’s best friend.  Here is a list of true stories involving our fine four-legged friends:

A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz

Best-selling author Dean Koontz’s A Big Little Life may be quite different from his suspense novels, but fans of the writer and dog lovers of all kinds  will enjoy this entertaining and emotional narrative.  Koontz and his wife become first-time dog owners after many years of marriage, and the book tells how Trixie, a Golden Retriever, enriches their lives in unexpected ways.

Born to Bark by Stanley Coren

Psychologist and canine expert Coren, author of many dog training manuals, shares the story of the beloved pet that inspired his research.  In training Flint, a rambunctious but lovable Cairn Terrier, Coren gains new insight into the complex inner lives of our canine companions. 

 

A Famous Dog’s Life by Sue Chipperton

A Famous Dog’s Life is the biography of Gidget, a Chihuaha famous for a series of Taco Bell commercials.  Told by her owner and trainer, it is an insightful behind-the-scenes account of a dog trainer’s job in Hollywood.  Also included are many delightful anecdotes of Gidget’s life among the stars. 

A Friend Like Henry by Nuala Gardner

Gardner tells the story of her autistic son Dale and the dog that dramatically changed his life.  The family sees almost instantaneous results when they adopt Henry, a Golden Retriever puppy, to help Dale cope with his autism.  Readers will be brought to tears as Henry helps Dale open up to the world around him. 

Last Dog on the Hill by Steve Duno

When Steve Duno finds an injured Rottweiler mix on a hill by the side of a country road, he rescues the puppy, nurses him back to health, and christens him Lou. From these humble beginnings Lou goes on to amass a long list of impressive achievements, including stopping a rapist and preventing a robbery,  while also providing Steve with 16  years of devoted companionship.

Marley & Me by John Grogan

Marley, a Labrador Retriever, is the world’s worst dog.  He is full of energy and is always getting into trouble, yet Grogan and his family love the adorable rascal anyway.  The author goes into great detail about Marley’s 13 years with the Grogans, from his hilarious puppy mishaps to his heartbreaking final days.  A perfect read for anyone who has adopted a dog as a member of the family.    

 

Merle’s Door by Ted Kerasote

Ted discovers Merle, a Labrador mix, while on a camping trip and decides to bring him home.  Once there, Ted gives Merle the freedom to come and go as he pleases, and the two strike up a unique friendship in which both man and dog learn a great deal from each other.  Merle’s Door is a fascinating book that will cause dog owners to rethink their relationships with their pets.

 

My Dog Skip by Willie Morris

My Dog Skip is a heartfelt memoir about a boy and his dog growing up together in Mississippi in the  1940s.  The tender nostalgia of Morris’s descriptions of a bygone era merge beautifully with his fond memories of his adventures with Skip, his Fox Terrier.  

Part Wild by Ceiridwen Terrill

Part husky and part wolf, Inoyo is adopted by the author for protective purposes.  As Terrill tries to train Inoyo, she begins to question whether the wolfdog can ever be completely tamed.  An engaging mixture of personal testimony and thorough research, Part Wild is extremely informative and powerfully moving. 

Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean

The history of Rin Tin Tin, the famous German Shepherd of countless films, is so amazing that one might believe the story was taken straight from a movie.  Found in the bombed remains of a dog kennel near a battlefield in France during World War I, Rin Tin Tin was brought back to Hollywood, where he would become the biggest box-office draw in the nation.

Scent of the Missing by Susannah Charleson

Charleson and her Golden Retriever, Puzzle, work together as a search-and-rescue team for the Metro Area Rescue K9 unit in Dallas, Texas. Charleson writes about her decision to become involved in search-and-rescue, the intense training she and Puzzle must undergo, and the difficult but rewarding nature of the job.

Sophie: The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog by Emma Pearse

A genuinely remarkable tale, Sophie relates the details of an Australian cattle dog’s unbelievable adventures as a castaway.  When Sophie is lost at sea during a storm, she beats incredible odds by swimming six miles to a deserted island, where she survives for five months before being reunited with her owners.

Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalván  

Tuesday is a Golden Retriever with trust issues.  Luis is an Iraq War veteran struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and physical injuries.  When Luis is given Tuesday as a service dog, an incredible bond is formed that brings healing into the life of each. 

Reading Lists - Culinary Memoirs

Culinary memoirs are a branch of food writing in which the personal story of a great chef, struggling home cook, or knowledgeable foodie is explored. Like other food writing, culinary memoirs focus on the importance, preparation, consumption, or meaning of food — often including recipes or other types of suggestions.

52 Loaves by William Alexander
Alexander chronicles his attempts to bake the perfect loaf of bread, including growing, harvesting, and milling his own wheat. During his quest, he attends a kneading conference in Maine, spends time in a French monastery, and goes to Morocco. His bright writing highlights a pleasing variety of comical misadventures. As Alexander sums up, "Bread is life.”

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Best-selling novelist Kingsolver and her family moved from Arizona to Virginia to undertake an experiment. The family joined the locavore movement, which promotes eating only what is locally raised, grown, and produced. Part memoir, part how-to, and part agricultural education, this book is both timely and entertaining, especially for residents of the Southern Appalachian region.

The Apprentice by Jacques Pépin
The popular television cooking show host traces his rise from an intimidated thirteen-year-old apprentice to a famous chef, recounting his work under prestigious teachers, his journey to America, and his experiences with contemporaries. This is a fast-moving, warm, richly written memoir. Pépin’s life is a joy to read about, and not just for his fans.

Born Round by Frank Bruni
New York Times restaurant critic Bruni traces the unlikely path to his profession and offers an honest exploration of his lifelong struggle with food. Although this memoir is often funny, it is also a powerful, book about desire, shame, and self-image. Bruni's painfully honest, tartly humorous life story will also be a hit with anyone who has struggled with the numbers on the scale.

The Cloak and Dagger Cook by Kay Shaw Nelson
In a 1950s spy’s world of secrecy, food makes appealing and harmless conversational fodder. Combining personal memories, travel narrative, and food writing, Nelson shares her life traveling the globe as a CIA operative, gathering recipes, and amassing confidential intelligence in Greece, Italy, Korea, Lebanon, France, Libya, Germany, and beyond.

A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
Author of the internationally famous blog Orangette, Molly Wizenberg recounts a life with the kitchen at its center. From her mother's pound cake, a staple of summer picnics during her childhood in Oklahoma, to the eggs she cooked for her father during the weeks before his death, food and memories are intimately entwined.

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci
This delectable memoir follows New Yorker Melucci through failed relationships from college to midlife, detailing the recipes she used to reel the men in, sustain the romances, then comfort herself when they fizzled out. Anyone who has wondered, "Will I ever find Mr. Right?" will appreciate this sprightly work.

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell
Powell recounts how she escaped the doldrums of an unpromising career by cooking every recipe in Julia Child's 1961 Mastering the Art of French Cooking, a year-long endeavor that transformed her life. Her writing is feisty and unrestrained, especially as she details killing lobsters, tackling marrowbones, and cooking late into the night in an effort to eat well and enjoy life.

My Life in France by Julia Child
Here is the captivating story of Julia Child's years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found "her true calling." Filled with her husband's beautiful black-and-white photographs as well as family snapshots, this memoir is laced with wonderful stories about the French character, particularly in the world of food, and the way of life that Julia embraced wholeheartedly. Bon appétit!

Service Included by Phoebe Damrosch
Damrosch, former waiter at the four-star New York City restaurant Per Se, details her career as a waiter, describing the intimate workings of restaurant table service at its best. Tales of critics and celebrities spice up the memoir with a few tips on how to earn a waiter's respect sprinkled throughout. Her romance with the sommelier completes this youthful, exuberant memoir.

The Spice Necklace by Ann Vanderhoof
While sailing the Caribbean, the author tracks goats in the hills of the Dominican Republic, gathers nutmegs in Grenada, makes searing-hot pepper sauce in Trinidad, crams for a chocolate-tasting test at the University of the West Indies, and sips moonshine straight out of hidden back-country stills. Add great people, island traditions, and breezy, evocative prose, and this is a must-read.

Stuffed by Patricia Volk
Volk explores the lives of her Austrian-Jewish-American family, including profiles of her father, a restaurateur and inventor, and her grandmother, who won the 1916 trophy for "Best Legs in Atlantic City." The larger-than-life members of Volk’s New York restaurant family leap off the pages of her stylishly written memoir. In a restaurant family, "you're never full, you're stuffed,"

Whatchagot Stew by Patrick McManus
In a fond, frequently hilarious recollection of his Depression-era childhood in Idaho, humorist McManus introduces a cast of characters whose recipes are found in the volume's second half. His memoir includes dozens of down-home recipes from his mother and grandmother, outdoorsmen pals, other friends, and his coauthor sister.

Read-alike Guides - Eat, Pray, Love

If you liked Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, you might enjoy one of these books:

 
Enlightenment for Idiots by Anne Cushman
A disillusioned freelance writer travels to India to write a how-to book on enlightenment. Cushman writes with wit and knowledge of her subject, evoking an India that fills the senses and stirs the spirit even as it occasionally turns the stomach, You will laugh with and root for Amanda as she comes to terms with her messy life. (F Cus)

Hold Me Tight and Tango Me Home by Maria Finn
Like Gilbert, Finn is a divorced woman who chooses to recover by embracing life. She learns about life from tango lessons—love and loss, how to follow and lead, how to live with flair, and how to take risks and find out what you really want. She also explores the culture, history, music, moves, and beauty of the Argentine tango. (793.3 Mor)

How Starbucks Saved My Life by Michael Gates Gill
A former executive loses his job and develops a brain tumor. He takes a job at Starbucks under a young black manager, whose positive character helps him heal and understand the value of respecting others. This is a moving tale of a privileged person whose life falls apart but who is able to pull himself up again. (647.95092 Gil)

The Motion of the Ocean by Janna Cawrse Esarey
Janna and Graeme go on an unusual honeymoon—a 17,000-mile, two-year voyage across the Pacific. Follow their quest to resolve the uncertainties so many couples face—how to know if you've found the One; how to balance couplehood and selfhood; and whether to jump ship or navigate together when the waters get rough. (910.9164 Esa)

Now is the Time to Open Your Heart by Alice Walker
A woman reaching mid-life shrugs off all she has done in order to discover who she might be. Kate has been profoundly unhappy for some time, dreaming of rivers, until she takes off for the Colorado and the Amazon. This story resonates with spirituality, the feminine, and exotic travel. (F Wal)

Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman
Nearly 25 years ago, Gelman left behind her lifestyle and marriage to begin a world odyssey that continues to this day. Using a well-paced and fluid writing style, she describes observing orangutans in the rain forests of Borneo, canoeing in Indonesia, eating psychedelic mushrooms in Mexico, and skirting landmines in Nicaragua. (910.4 Gel)

A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena De Blasi
Chef and food writer De Blasi chronicles her relationship with Italian bank manager Fernando and her move from St. Louis to Venice to marry him. She recounts her effort to adjust to marriage and a new country, binding her love of Fernando to her love of food in one delicious narrative. (945.31 De B)

Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks
Bestseller Sparks and his brother take a three-week spiritual journey to the world’s most holy sites in an attempt to cope with their grief over the deaths of their parents and only sister. “I began to think of the trip less as a journey around the world than a journey to rediscover who I was and how I developed the way I did,” says Sparks. (813.54 Spa)

Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd
Kidd and her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, describe their introspective, New Age odysseys together to Greece, Turkey, and France as Sue grappled with midlife challenges and writer's block and Ann struggled with heartbreak and post-college career questions. They also find a new understanding and appreciation of each other. (818 Kid)

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
Poet and travel writer Mayes describes her experiences in Tuscany during the restoration of her country villa. In her mind, cooking, gardening, tiling, and painting are never chores, but skills to learn, arts to practice, and activities to enjoy. Above all, Mayes’ observations about being at home in two very different cultures are sharp and wise. (945.5 May)

Also by Elizabeth Gilbert:

Committed
Continuing the personal narrative begun in Eat, Pray, Love, Gilbert chronicles how the United States government gave her and her Brazilian-born lover, Felipe, an ultimatum—marry or Felipe cannot enter the country again—and how she tackled her fears through research and personal reflection on the institution of marriage. Written in conversational, easy-going style, this tale is intriguing and insightful. (306.81 Gil)

The Last American Man
Gilbert explores the meaning of manhood through the life of Eustace Conway, a countercultural man who lives in a teepee in the Appalachian mountain wilderness. She excels at capturing Conway's inflexibility and inability to keep friends, his "man of destiny" monomania, and his superbly honed, altogether rare skills. (813.54 Gil)

Stern Men
In Gilbert’s only novel to date, a spunky young woman born into the midst of a feud between two factions of Maine lobstermen, attempts to negotiate an end to the conflict. The coming-of-age tale is peppered with lobster lore and a cast of sly villains and oddball characters. Authentic dialogue and atmosphere lights up this entertaining, thought-provoking romp. (F Gil)