A wild ride of a read as someone who is terrified of heights this book of climbing Everest was a true nightmare for me.I was immediately caught up in this adventure dangerous full of terror.I could not put this book down,#netgalley#the nexteverest

“Mountaineering is a form of moving meditation.” — Jim Davidson

THE NEXT EVEREST is a harrowing true story of how climber Davidson survived a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that set off avalanches across the world’s highest peak. It was April 25, 2015, Everest’s worst disaster.

Davidson’s evocative descriptions made me feel I was right beside him, taking one step on perilous ice, then a breath, another step, then another breath, heart racing to three times normal. I recalled climbing the highest point on the Continental Divide, the 14,278-foot Grays Peak in Colorado. Incredibly fit, I still found myself frighteningly breathless. It was summer without ice, just a long steady hike to heaven. I understand why climbers climb.

Yet only the most courageous of them climb Everest. And on that fateful day, disaster trumpeted its arrival, startling Jim from sleep:

“Ice dust thickened the air. When I inhaled, frozen sludge choked my windpipe. I gagged and gasped hard, which sent even more ice daggers down my throat. They scratched and burned and chilled my airway.”

Miraculously, Jim and his team survived and were helicoptered off the mountain two days later, deeply shaken. It took two more years before Jim healed enough psychologically to consider trying again. In 2017, he mounted Everest’s summit.

Why do climbers put themselves at such risk? How could Jim even think about doing Everest again? The questions are eloquently answered in this thrilling memoir that kept me up into the wee smalls. Most highly recommended!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 20 Apr 2021
#TheNextEverest #NetGalley

Thanks to Jim, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

Great read I recommend for any lovers of Mountain climbing, true disaster reads or anyone who just likes a good book.

Exciting and terrifying comes to mind when reading this book. I enjoyed this memoir of Jim Davidson's on his first attempt in April of 2015 to summit Mt. Everest and the 7.8 earthquake that aborted the attempt. He trains hard and returns to Mr. Everest in 2017 to accomplish this. I am afraid of heights and this book was difficult for me to read in parts. I loved all the geologic and environmental science information that the author was able to provide regarding the earthquake and climbing Mt. Everest.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this fascinating read in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt like it could have been split into two as it was quite long. Both parts were interesting but it seemed odd that more detail was provided for the second attempt. I enjoyed the writing style and the brief glimpses into how his past experiences shaped him. I really would have loved photos to be included so we he talked about taking pictures throughout. It was interesting to hear the intricacies of how much time and money goes into Everest and all the dynamics of base camp.

What a freaking page turner. To try to make the Everest summit and to not make it due to a earthquake that almost takes your life. And to lose friends and family. And then to go back and try again. This book is full of heartbreak, love, and hope. Don’t get me wrong I will never attempt this. But it gives me the faith we can all succeed in everything we try if we believe. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Absolutely riveting!

Fans of Jon Krakauer will love this account of adventure on Mt. Everest. As an ELA and Creative Writing instructor in high school, I often talk with students about creating suspense in narrative fiction and narrative nonfiction. This book would easily fit into lessons in my classroom! I have paired Krakauer's account with Jon Miller's "The Rest of Everest" documentary with students, but now I think I'll use Jim Davidson's book with the documentary.

Davidson takes us along on his trip to Everest on one of the most deadly days on the mountain. When a devastating earthquake hit Nepal, killing almost 9,000 people, 18 of them on Everest, Davidson was there. It doesn't get more dramatic than this. Davidson has a storyteller gift which is so important in narrative nonfiction.

Loved it and I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

It was difficult to rate this book because I felt as though I read two different stories.

To be honest, the best part of this book is the front. About halfway through, when the book suddenly shifts gear, it starts dragging. It feels like the author started off strong only to slow down toward the middle/end.

Also, the author does a back and forth thing, from his.past to the present which was a tad annoying. This is a method in writing that I dislike as it gets confusing and at times boring.

Descriptions.of being on Everest are vivid and the author gives us a very detailed and entertaining look at Mt Everest and just how dangerous climbing is.

I just recently discovered how much I enjoy books on climbing, even though I would never do it myself.

So...4 stars for the front part and 3 stars for the rest = 3.5 stars.

This was the true story of Jim Davidson's two attempts to summit Mt. Everest. His first attempt, in 2015, was cut short when a huge earthquake caused much damage and many deaths throughout the area. He and his team were stranded for two days at Camp One after the earthquake and avalanches hit, until they were eventually helicoptered out. Not long after going back home to Colorado, he decided he wanted to try Everest again. He trained hard for two years then went back in 2017. There was a lot of description of both the process of climbing and the area around Nepal, and it was very interesting. Even though I knew the eventual outcome, I was so nervous while reading about his final push to the top - it was very suspenseful. In fact, I had to postpone reading the last section until daytime - I was afraid I'd have nightmares all night if I continued reading before I went to bed! Thank-you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

One criteria of greatness of non-fiction books is, how relatable they are. Jim Davidson is about my age (mid 50s), and enjoys these man vs. nature challenges. This story is probably the most daring and challenging one of his life, though he may had tougher ones.

This is an enjoyable memoir, which focusses on the events between 2015 and 2017, between the Earthquake that rattled the region to his final attempt to conquer Mount Everest,

Jim Davidson writes his story in a very approachable way. You can feel his emotions throughout the story and it is a very readable and adventurous. Very relatable.

I really enjoyed this harrowing and engaging tale of survival! Mount Everest is not an easy place to be, especially during the events that take place in this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about mountain climbing and survival!