I tried to start this book multiple times but I simply didn't connect with it. I REALLY wanted to but I just couldn't find a passion for this even though I have a dear love of running and a deep respect for mental wellness.

A beautifully written memoir that straddles the line between mystical, inspirational, and an ode to running that made me want to lace up my shoes and take to the pavement. While I've never been a devoted runner, mostly hating it during gym class, Thompson's wonderfully written book made me see everything in a different light. I might just have to try it out again.

Such an enjoyable read!

This work is really well written. The author's story - is the perfect representation of our human experience full of good and bad moments. Thompson never emphasis that running could be a therapy for everyone but sure enough, everyone can find something useful in his story

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!*

As a ultra runner, I was estatic to get my hands on this book! Just like an ultra marathon itself, this book takes you on a journey. There's ups and there's downs but this memoir never bored me. His writing was absolutely beautiful and I loved the focus on mental health and how running helped saved him. Even if you are not a runner, I think this is such a beautiful story and great writing, that I would highly recommend it!

This book was exciting in its premise, but sadly reading it was not as thrilling. The story is disjointed and difficult to follow the chronology. The worst of its overbearing note of spiritual clairvoyance, as though it's written by a second Buddha himself. When I read a book I want to be inspired without it reading like a textbook on inspiration. Sadly I will not be recommending this book to anyone.

When we first meet Mr. Thompson he is happily preparing to run 200 miles around Lake Tahoe with the support of his loving wife and daughter. As he runs he takes us back in time and tells us how he got here to this punishing and exhilarating 200 mile run, one of many 200 miles runs.
The severe depression that brought him here is shattering. I’ve been depressed. We all have. For many of us it, fortunately comes and goes. To picture a Thompson curled into his wife’s lap in a fetal position crying his eyes out repeating, “I can’t, I can’t” is heartbreaking. At her insistence he finally gets serious help and admits himself into hospital, where he has the epiphany one night. “RUN” said his inner survival voice. So run he does. From running laps around the hospital roof to running 200 mile ultramarathons Thompson regains his spirit, mind and a full life through movement. It is during this long runs that he enters a dreamlike state that allows him to process his past, childhood to present and become at peace.
Thompson reminds us that only we can save ourselves. Yes, sometimes that includes medication and therapy, sometimes it means divorcing, cutting ties with toxic people, leaving a job or place too…but it always involves tuning in to our inner voice that wants to save us. Survival the natural instinct of all animals, humans included. Listen to that survival voice for guidance.
Thank you #netgalley for allowing me to read and review #RunningIsAKindOfDreaming

As he runs a 200+mile ultramarathon around Lake Tahoe, the author chronicles his traumatic childhood and his descent into depression, substance abuse, and psychosis. This memoir doesn't hold back and I found myself rooting for the author, both on the trail and off. He says running saved his life. I have no doubt. Beautiful writing makes this a great read for runners and non-runners.

The way this book was written was so very interesting. The focus is on one of the ultra-marathons Thompson has run, but his mental health experiences and history of trauma are interwoven throughout the run. The way this is done is almost stream of consciousness. The result is a feeling of working through something physically demanding, feeling at the end of your ability, and having memories and thoughts randomly pop into one's head. Thompson's descriptions of suicidal ideation and the state of mind someone is in when suicidal was spot on. A very difficult read that took me a while to work through, but also very deep and thought provoking.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Nature, ultra running, mental illness, healing from trauma. This book has it all. Nature is always good therapy and Thompson got the urge to start running and realized it was very good for not only his physical health but his mental health too.
Enjoyable book that takes the reader on quite a journey.

A harrowing tale of madness, addiction, and eventual solace and recovery through (ultra)running. JM Thompson juxtaposes scenes from a 200 mile ultramarathon he is participating in with flashbacks of his traumatic childhood, wayward young adulthood, and eventual descent into the abyss of depression as he attempts suicide and is admitted to a psych ward. It's a brutally honest memoir: Thompson pulls no punches in his depictions of his family, his own poor decision making, and drug usage. The reader is dragged into the darkness with the author as he stuggles to find hope while his mind actively rebels against life. It all seems overwhelming until Thompson finds himself born anew on the trail, concentrating only on the next step forward, and the next, and the next.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Netgalley and HarperOne**

"Running is a Kind of Dreaming" by J.M. Thompson is a memoir of the author's life, specifically how running saved his life. The book opens with the beginning stage of a 200 mile run that Thompson is doing around Lake Tahoe, and the ensuing chapters go back and forth between different stages in the run and other parts of Thompson's life. I wasn't sure how much I was going to enjoy reading about Thompson's participation in the race, but it fits in really well with the rest of the book, and by the end, I am rooting for him to finish when he doesn't want to go on anymore! Thompson is born and raised in the U.K., and on a whim, he decides to attend the Burning Man Festival where he meets his wife and ultimately becomes a California transplant. His childhood is scarred by the mental and emotional unraveling of his parents, and the trauma he experiences as a result of this is a catalyst for his own unraveling as a husband and a father. Thompson spends years being incapacitated by severe depression coupled with drug and alcohol addiction. Through it all, though, he finds solace and strength in running, and eventually establishes a career for himself as a psychologist. I couldn't put this book down!