Bill Bryson

I adore BB. I used to have a lot of them as audio books on tape, read by Kerry Shale. Absolutely got me through many a insomniac night.

I read them all but have bodies on library loan and can't be bothered to finish it at all. Got down as far as the mouth!

I did Notes on a Small Island for A Level English back in the day.
So much more enjoyable than Dubliners.

I recently listened to A Short History... on audible having read it maybe a decade ago. I still loved it.

I have The Body on my bedside table ready and waiting.

To my annoyance, I found out that several of his books have a different title in America, as opposed to the UK market.

This happened to me too, his non fiction book about American English also has two titles.

Agree with posters that Notes from a Small Island is fab. Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals, followed by Birds, Bees and Relatives, are also laugh out loud funny.

He genuinely makes me cry with laughter.. Notes from a small island is hilarious

Sorry, I didn't read each reply, so apologies if its been mentioned.

To my annoyance, I found out that several of his books have a different title in America, as opposed to the UK market. If buying off ebay in particular, check you aren't buying the same, exact book, just with a different name (as I did)
Down under and notes from a small island are 2 that I recall, which have different names in the US. Great books though!

The imaginary scene with the blow-up doll in Neither Here Nor There makes me weep with laughter.

‘Mind her tits. They get hot.’

I loved America one summer, home and walk in the woods.

Down Under was amazing. I snorted with laughter the whole time. Especially when he ended up that woman's garden and the description of passing the other car on the long stretch of empty desert road. Hilarious.

My favourite is The Lost Continent. It made me feel like I was on a road trip around America. Perfect if you feel like some escapism.

I've just "read" The Body. It's not really a book to read from beginning to end. I just dip in and out between other books. It's too heavy going for me otherwise. There's a really good section on pandemics!

I am enjoying Little Dribbling. Perhaps because I am getting cantankerous to in my old age!

Little Dribbling was disappointing - he'd started doing moany old man and it wasn't at all original. The Africa one he flat out says after two chapters, sorry, this book isn't going to be funny. Kids starving and lack of infrastructure just isn't funny.

All his other books are excellent, though. Notes from a small island is spot on - my mum moved from the Midwest to southern England the same year and had almost identical experiences.

I can still recall how much I laughed on a train reading Down Under. He writes physical humour very well.

All of the are very good though I found Made in America hardgoing. I love Thundebolt kid

Just looked on our shelf and there is another called At Home though I can't remember it

If you read them in the order he wrote them, you can see him changing and his life changing throughout- I love now comparing the him of The Lost Continent with the him of The Road to Little Dribbling.

I haven't read The Lost Continent in years and am going to dig it out this weekend now. Also Neither Here Nor There, which after reading made me wish I could meet Katz.

Made In America and the other language ones are good

Oh and if you like Bill's style and pace of writing you may also like Gerald Durrell, you dont need to know anything about animals ( or even like them really ) his books are very funny too , particularly My Family And Other Animals

I agree with PP Small Island is his best imo , I read it years ago and am now listening to it on Audible , I want to read The Body next

I've just reread Notes From a Small Island, I read it a few times when it first came out and soon afterwards, but hadn't picked it up for about 20 years.

Two things struck me - firstly, in my head it's a recent book, but at times it reads like history, so much of daily life has changed since it was written.

And secondly, he kept going into crowded places and my brain was saying not, you can't go in there, social distancing!!!'

I may be taking the current situation a bit too seriously...

I love Bill Bryson, he is my comfort read,

I think my favourites are (in no particular order)

Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - His own childhood, I was almost crying laughing at the description of his mother's cooking.

Notes from a Big Country - comments on life in America - esp the chapter describing the US tax system (really!)

*A Short History of Nearly Everything" - and he really does cover a lot.

Enjoyed Down Under, esp the descriptions of all the things that can kill you horribly in Australia and the Aussie "No worries" attitude to then all
I haven't read Notes from a Small Island for years - want to re-read now!

I’ve read them all, some of them over and over again. I think Down Under is my favourite- definitely the book I turn to for comfort reading when I’m ill.

Notes from a Small Island is best to start with. Just brilliant.