I liked this travelogue plus a memoir by Mr. Sparks as it gave me more understanding of his life and how most of his books were based on real incidents in his life. I could see how different parts of his life gave inspiration for this book or that one and honestly I liked this one better than most of his books. But I still soldiered on and continued through the Sparks saga.

People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.

Well, I read half of it, put it down to sleep then didn't pick it up again for a few weeks. Usually a bad sign, but not really in this case. It wasn't a riveting read, but it was very well-constructed. Went back and forth between the present world-spanning trip and memories of the past, but in a way that seemed fairly natural instead of forced. Made me want to check out another Spark's book to see how his fiction reads.

I sit back and listen to many in our field "librarianship" destroy this man. He writes chick books (not my words), he has no talent, he uses software templates, every story is the same, his career has been handed to him, he's so lucky.
While what is true is that what sparks does is what many of us wish we could do; he finishes novels. He doesn't just start them.
And now that I've read this memoir I have come to realize that the man behind these novels that make me cry and laugh out loud has overcome extreme poverty, unimaginable heartache, rejection, many failures, only in the end to succeed. But his success is realizing what matters and constantly reminding his readers. This book does that unlike no other one I have read by him.
It is not five stars. I thought the historical content was forced and often placed in because the content demanded it, but often interrupted the flow. I often though he oversold some of his struggles anyone sensible realizes his family wa sout of the poverty woods sooner rather than later, but he still felt he had to remind us of the humble beginnings.

I mostly enjoyed this book. It was not quite as good as I was expecting though. I got kind of bored with his middle child attitude and his workaholic attitude. But, if you can look beyond those things, you'll find a nostalgic, sentimental story about three siblings. It made me reflect back to my own childhood and what life was like growing up with my own brothers and sister. I loved the way he interspersed the flashbacks with the modern day travelogue. It was interesting hearing about places where they traveled and gave me some more items to add to my bucket list. One downer: Soon after finishing the book, I discovered Nicholas Sparks divorced the woman he spoke so highly of in this book a few years after its publication. It was sad to find that out after being involved in their love story and courtship and partnership through so many of life's challenges.

I listened to this book with Taber on a road trip. It was funny hearing his surprise when he found out this guy was responsible for such bestsellers as A Walk to Remember, The Notebook and The Guardian.

Nicholas Sparks and his brother Micah took a trip around the world, wrote it down and recounted their childhood along the way. It was very interesting to hear the author's own story, from whom one has already read so much. The ups and downs in his life are moving. They tell a wonderful story about family, cohesion, siblings, faith and also death.

I loved this book because of it's relation to what I went through at the loss of my parents. Not with my brother but, alone. Yes, I have a step-mother & half sister but, i am alone now because those relationships are not bonds that hold me to them like the bond of my parents. There are no other siblings.

That is why I feel so deeply the pleasure of our own family and thank God every day for giving us the family I enjoy & love with every fiber of my being.

this is copied from another - I could not say it better.

I learned that:

God works all things out in the end, even if to us it doesn't seem right....

A family must stay together through it all....NO MATTER WHAT!

Investing in your children and their future is priceless...

We all must get away sometimes to sort through our bag of trash and emotions that we have picked up along life's journey....

A man and wife are truly a team and I am blessed and grateful to have that relationship with my husband.

Death and Dying are not anything to be afraid of, if we live out every day with what God has given us ...

Parents must be involved in the process of training, learning, and growing....LOVE can conquer all things!

I would love to travel the world so that I can have the kind of experiences that Nicholas and Micah experienced for themselves in 2003. and someday I will; if not, I'll be in heaven & it won't matter any longer.

My mom and dad understood how to raise children...and although not perfect, they understand that perfection only came from the sacrifice of one man for all of our imperfections....JESUS...thanks for showing me God's love...

I could go on forever...I learned so much and reinforced so many learnings that I have acquired throughout the last 50 years....and YES I CRIED LIKE A BABY....

THIS IS A MAN'S TRUE STORY ...

WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

DO YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?

WHAT IF YOUR LIFE WAS PUT TO PAPER WOULD YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE EVERYTHING, HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR MISTAKES?

HAVE YOU ENJOYED EVERY MOMENT, MAYBE NOT ALWAYS IN THE MOMENT, BUT AS YOU LOOK BACK, ARE YOU THANKFUL?

This is the only novel I read that makes me wish that it won’t end. It revolves mainly of an adventure of two brothers trying to have great time and memories with each other after a long and stressful life they both share, but this is special because if you are an avid reader of the author, Nicholas Sparks itself, you will recognize that this one is his real life story with a mix of current life events he is undergoing.

I’ll make this short, this one is going to be an adventure for both the reader and the author, and you’ll enjoy and look forward to every new chapter to find new places to discover like what the story has been told. But be ready also to each new chapter because each one will give you deep connection to the book. Always brace yourself because you probably be shifting from enjoying the adventures to crying hard.

Nicholas Sparks fan will never forget this novel. This one, I think, will be the gateway of his fans to his own personal life and adventures. So if you love and want to be a part of Mr. Sparks’ life after his other novels, you surely need to read this one in order to be part of him.

I learned that:

Life is not fair...

God works all things out in the end, even if to us it doesn't seem right....

A family must stay together through it all....NO MATTER WHAT!

Noone is perfect...we should try looking at ourselves first..

Investing in your children and their future is priceless...

We all must get away sometimes to sort through our bag of trash and emotions that we have picked up along life's journey....

A man and wife are truly a team and I need to figure out how to have that kind of partnership before children come along..

Brothers have a unique bond....sisters do too!...

That siblings have experienced things together that will shape who they are and how they treat others to come...

Death and Dying are not anything to be afraid of, if we live out every day with the best of intentions....

Autism and other behavioral disorders cannot always be diagnosed by doctors or corrected with medication alone, parents must be involved in the process of training, learning, and growing....LOVE can conquer all things!

I need to travel the world and try to get on the Amazing Race so that I can afford to have the kind of experiences that Nicholas and Micah experienced for themselves in 2003.

That I love my brother, Ross, so much and enjoy watching him learn the joys of parenthood and fatherhood for himself...

My mom and dad understood how to raise children...and although not perfect, they understand that perfection only came from the sacrifice of one man for all of our imperfections....JESUS...thanks for showing me God's love...

I could go on forever...I learned so much and reinforced so many learnings that I have acquired throughout the last 30 years....and YES I CRIED LIKE A BABY....MORE THAN ANY OTHER SPARKS BOOK BEFORE....

THIS IS A MAN'S TRUE STORY ...

WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

DO YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?

WHAT IF YOUR LIFE WAS PUT TO PAPER WOULD YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE EVERYTHING, HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR MISTAKES?

HAVE YOU ENJOYED EVERY MOMENT, MAYBE NOT ALWAYS IN THE MOMENT, BUT AS YOU LOOK BACK, ARE YOU THANKFUL?

بدأت مقدمة هذا الكتاب قبل أيام، ولم أقرأ سوى عدة صفحات
وأمس في حافلة الدوام قرأت من جديد، وضحكت عدة مرات، لقد خدعني الأسلوب الفكاهي، فهذه ليست رواية مضحكة، إنها حكاية أسرة كاملة وأخوين بالأخص بآلامهما وأحلامهما وحياتهما
وعدا عن الأسلوب الجذاب، لدي (هوس) نوعا ما بالإخوة، حكايات الإخوة، لاسيما الإخوة الذكور، وهذا كان دافعا إضافيا لأنطلق في الكتاب بسرعة!
لم أحمل تصورا معينا عن الكتاب، تركته يوضح نفسه بهدوء، وتفاجئت بنفسي اليوم أبكي مرات عديدة وأنا أقرأ، لقد واجه هذان الأخوان الكثير من الموت
ويبدو أن الموت حاضر بقوة في يومي، فقد توفي والد صديقتي رحمه الله وغفر له، ووجدتني أذهب وأغمس نفسي في الكتاب حتى آخر صفحة وآخر كلمة، وكانت هناك مقطع عديدة لامستني لهذا السبب
ومع إنهائها، وعلى جمال هذه الحكاية، يؤلمني قلبي، هذا ما أسميه ألم التلصص على حياة لا تخصك، لكني أشعر بالسعادة لقراءة الكتاب، هذه النوعية الكتب تجعلك تنمو، وتشكر الله أن من تحبهم بخير، وتتمنى أن تعيشوا بسعادة دائما..

I really enjoyed this book. Traveling with his brother, then sharing memories from his childhood. I liked how you actually got to see how Mr. Sparks grew up, and how he became a writer. Such emotional book especially since its about his life.

I've read a lot of books by Nicholas Sparks in the past and I am quite curious on the life of this author. When I saw this book, I was intrigued not only by the title, but it piqued again my curiosity about Nicholas Sparks' childhood and family.

This was on my to-read list for quite a while and recently I was checking on what book I should read next. I grabbed right away the opportunity to read it and it didn't disappoint me. If you are fan of Sparks' works and also curious on his life, you should check this out so you can take a glimpse of it.

This was so good! I cried so much! A great mix of his trip with his brother and his memoir. Also good background on some of his books that were taking from his real life.