Welcome to Litsy!

Had this on my shelf for a long time. Picked it up to read because of the #ToyCover prompt. It's such a hoot! Such fun reminders of growing up in the1950s as he did: No novocaine dentist, Sky King on Saturday TV, Chuckles candy (always gave my mom the black one), Fels-Naptha soap (which I still use on poison ivy), Jello "salads", "circular-spoke stitching" Maidenform bra ads, and a hilarious story about bleaching Lincoln Logs.
#NewYearNewBooks

4⭐️ I first read this about 10 years ago and I remember really loving it. Now, seeking an audiobook to keep me company during a boring work project, I found this from the library and thought it would hit the spot. I was right! It‘s about childhood in Iowa in the 50‘s and what that looked like from the author‘s vantage point, so if you‘re looking for a fast-paced, hard-researched memoir, look elsewhere. For a funny look into the past, it‘s a win.

Another solid trip down memory lane with a fair few belly laughs and dollops of nostalgia. I've gotta say that it's not his best though. At times he forces through the involvement of the eponymous Thunderbolt Kid and I was surprised at how dated some of his ideas already felt (yes, I know it's about the 50's, but you can tell the book is also a product of its own decade). It's definitely worth a read, but not one I'll return to, unlike his others.

"Theirs truly was a match made in heaven, for no one could burn food like my mother or eat it like my dad."

Sometimes these were car trips to places like Sioux City or Burlington, but at least once a summer we boarded a big silver plane—a huge event in those days—and lumbered through the summery skies, up among the fleecy clouds, to St. Louis or Chicago or Detroit to take in a home stand. It was a kind of working #holiday for my dad. #QuotsyMay19

Very funny memoir of growing up in idyllic small town America. Captures an era that defined a nation's memory and will never be recreated.

Choosing a paint color and reading this lovely book. I want to underline every damn word.

It was cute!

I laughed so hard my sides hurt when Mr. Bryson described how his dad did isometrics for exercise.

I read this for the #ReadHarderChallenge of a book within 100 miles. I like Bill Bryson, and it was interesting reading about Des Moines, but I wasn‘t extremely interested. I like his humor and descriptions, but I wouldn‘t have picked this up without the challenge. Which, I suppose, is the whole point of the challenge!