The libraries comprising the Read Along the Lakeshore program announce this year’s One Book, One Community selection: “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson.

This fifth annual community-wide book read features a title chosen by librarians from participating libraries. Community members are encouraged to read the book, discuss it with friends, relatives and neighbors, and attend events at their libraries related to the themes of the book. Check with your local library for upcoming events, or visit Read Along the Lakeshore.

Libraries participating in Read Along the Lakeshore are: Herrick District Library, Howard Miller Library, Saugatuck/Douglas District Library, Loutit District Library, Hackley Public Library, Fennville District Library, and Muskegon Area District Library.

Previous selections include: “Stealing Buddha’s Dinner” by Bich Minh Nguyen, “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult; “Cage of Stars” by Jacqueline Mitchard; and “The Nick Adams Stories” by Ernest Hemingway.

Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail By Bryson, Bill 1999-05 - San Val 9780613225786 Check Our Catalog Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT offers an astonishing land-scape of silent forests and sparkling lakes -- and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings. For a start there's the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa along for the walk. Despite Katz's overwhelming desire to find cozy restaurants, he and Bryson eventually settle into their stride, and while on the trail they meet a bizarre assortment of hilarious characters. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson's acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America's last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is destined to become a modern classic of travel literature. …More