Stephen Fry in America: Fifty States and the Man Who Set Out to See Them All
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

In this companion to a television series already aired on the BBC in the UK and likely to be aired stateside soon, actor and writer Fry (Revenge: A Novel) chronicles his adventures visiting all 50 states-a feat even most Americans will never accomplish. He travels mostly in a London taxicab, a motorized manifestation of his "quintessential Englishness," and offers an outsider's refreshing perspective on the vastness and variety of America. In Vermont, Fry creates his own ice cream as a "Guest Flavorist" at Ben and Jerry's. In South Carolina, he attends a Gullah community choir performance. He interviews Native Americans on a reservation in South Dakota and swims with sharks in Hawaii. As Frey predicts of his readers, this reviewer turned first to her home state of New Jersey, which he admits is an easy target for criticism. Fry's is witty enough to relieve any chagrin one might feel about the tackiness of Atlantic City as he describes his gig as a blackjack dealer. As this book is written primarily for a British audience, American readers might miss an allusion or two, but they will find much that is delightfully funny and informative.-Megan Hahn Fraser, UCLA Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In this companion to a television series already aired on the BBC in the UK and likely to be aired stateside soon, actor and writer Fry (Revenge: A Novel) chronicles his adventures visiting all 50 states—a feat even most Americans will never accomplish. He travels mostly in a London taxicab, a motorized manifestation of his "quintessential Englishness," and offers an outsider's refreshing perspective on the vastness and variety of America. In Vermont, Fry creates his own ice cream as a "Guest Flavorist" at Ben and Jerry's. In South Carolina, he attends a Gullah community choir performance. He interviews Native Americans on a reservation in South Dakota and swims with sharks in Hawaii. As Frey predicts of his readers, this reviewer turned first to her home state of New Jersey, which he admits is an easy target for criticism. Fry's is witty enough to relieve any chagrin one might feel about the tackiness of Atlantic City as he describes his gig as a blackjack dealer. As this book is written primarily for a British audience, American readers might miss an allusion or two, but they will find much that is delightfully funny and informative.—Megan Hahn Fraser, UCLA Lib.