Book Club Chooses Appalachian Odyssey "Because It's a Good Story"

Lori Jareo, senior editor at Turning Point Books in Cincinnati, read Appalachian Odyssey; Walking the Trail from Georgia to Maine and recommended it to her book club.

Julia Older, co-author with Steve Sherman, was the 19th woman to hike the famous 2000-mile Appalachian Trail through 14 states in a single outing. Older is also the author of Tahirih Unveiled, a novel-in-verse about Persia's first women's rights activist. Kevin Walzer of Turning Point Books published the book.

Jareo saw material about Appalachian Odyssey and read the memoir. "I went to college in Appalalchia, but I never made it to The Trail," she said. "I suggested the book to my club because I felt it was a good story."

Some of her book club members are "outdoorsy," Jareo said, but none had been on the Appalachian Trail, although they had friends and relatives who had walked some of it.

One club reader said "the book made her tired just reading it!" Others didn't want to hike the famous trail because many sections seemed dangerous.

"The biggest thing we discussed was water, "Jareo said of the importance of finding it on The Trail. (Sherman and Older write about their dependence on clean water and how attuned they became in often hearing a spring or stream before they saw it.

Added Jareo. "Everyone admired the feat and the writing!"

Book Scene: April 'Verso' Book Survey

Two Verso Digital surveys of book-buying behavior find that avid readers (those who spend at least five or more hours a week reading) comprise 28% of the U.S. population, with avid readers buying 10 or more books a year.

Among 50- to 60-year-olds, 65% said they would not buy an e-reader, a higher figure since an earlier Verso survey. This age group buys 75% of the books in the U.S.

To view Appledore Books Newsletter archives or to subscribe to this newsletter, click here.
If you are having trouble viewing this email, click here.