Bill Bryson

Many of my favourite books contain an element of humour, particularly dry humour. When the going gets tough, the tough get a funny book. When I was confined to bed for an extended illness recently I turned to Bill Bryson to keep me entertained. Many of his books are travelogues, technically, but he sees everything through a cynical and hilarious eye, and his style is casual and familiar. Bill and I have travelled together through England (Notes from a Small Island), Europe (Neither Here nor There), Africa (Bill Bryson's African Diary), The U.S.'s Appalachian Trail (A Walk in the Woods)and Australia (In a Sunburned Country). I love his other books too; my kids were highly entertained by his anecdote in The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid about peeing on Lincoln Logs to make them turn white. Lots of fun.