Book Review: Hatchet

I think I have a 'thing' for survival books, especially if they are a true story (although fiction is fine by me too!) Possibly it is because I am living in someone's house who has a great love of survival books so when I go to find something to read it's like choosing which 'boy becomes man' adventure novel that looks the coolest.

Hatchet ---> I read this book in one evening plus one morning before getting out of bed, it was not only a easy read but the adventure was something difficult to put down. So engaging is the true story that you don't realize you are even hungry or have a life outside of reading this book... until the character is stranded after a plane crash and starts describing his hunger so thoroughly that my own stomach growled too.
One of the neatest things about Hatchet was the boy survives in ways I would not have even thought of, and for a 13 year old facing death he is pretty freaking crafty! I wondered if when I was 13 could I have survived something so incredible as to be months in the wilderness without so much as a pack of matches to start a fire? Not unless I was Snow White and coulda lured animals into my arms... even if I did watch tons of TV like the boy Brian in Hatchet did (which he uses to figure out ways to survive).
His survival and his quick learning of the forest is really impressive, most amazing is how intuitively he learns to understand the behaviors of the creatures around him (bears, wolves, moose, etc). Not to mention, his rescue rocks.
All these years later it looks as though Brian never fully meshed with normal society again (he was from New York City afterall, then was living like Tarzan all alone, I wouldn't mesh either)...
follow up books exist! See here.

Anyone have other suggestions for fun survival books? True or not. :)

XoXO00

Book Review: Southern Highlanders and Animal Farm

Constant snow = alot of reading while stuck inside.

Here is a quickie review of the books I borrowed to read:::

Southern Highlanders ->
I thought at first that this book would not interest me, mainly because I am not a historical reader... but this particular book is written like a story telling journal of the author's experience when he moved into the Appalachian Mountains around the year 1907. Being that I live in these mountains I found the descriptions of the early houses, people, and the natural habitat to be something that sucked me in without expecting it. It also amazed me when he describes which native animals were still abundant, the plants in their thickest tangle, and the trees before they were logged to hell. Another fascinating point for those into wilderness survival, the settlers of the mountains here were extremely isolated and could not rely on outside help or trade for survival so the inventive, almost barbaric, and extreme ways in which they created a code of surivial within their community is something to be in awe of.
On a side note, if you love to read about people taking the law into their own hands, moonshining and family feuds (not the game show but real murderous ones) , then 70% of the book will thrill you.

Animal Farm ->
You might guess that I am like a little kid when picking up a book, if it says "animal" in the title I pretty much will read it whether it has to do with animals or not. This book is all about animals, although with some deeper political meaning that is beyond me cause I don't know dookie about politics. I still really enjoyed the book though - the basic story is that the farm animals decide to have a revolution against the farmer who takes care of them... the animals feel they are working too hard and not getting enough food and become inspired after a sage like pig tells them to revolt. This is the kind of story that pulls itself full circle and is full of little life lessons about community, society, and the nature of... well nature (in a Darwin sort of light). This book is not happy, not uplifting, and does not end good. Whatever the detailed political meaning was that went over my head, the end is very clear. (It also might make you hate humans and pigs, so beware!)
The best part of the book is that one of the characters is a donkey... and of course, the donkey is the smartest one of all the animals. :)

Anyone ever read these too? Ya'll know I love book suggestions, so please keep them coming!

XoXo

Book Review: Clan Of The Cave Bears, Handmaid's Tale & Island Of The Blue Dolphins

With big snow storms and holidays I got into the groove of reading again this past week... in fact I plowed through all three of these awesome books - all of which had a unifying factor I happen to love in a novel. A female character who changes her life, learns skills to cope with life as is, yet also effects great change in the process... freeing herself. This is the theme which never seems to stop thrilling me and whenever I am asked what kind of book i want to read i always say "about a girl who changes her life".
Thanks to the peeps who gifted me these cool books! Here's my review::::

Clan Of The Cave Bear : It wasnt just the beloved girl changes her life plot that made this book rock, but it was the vast amount of research of flora and fauna knowlege, the primitive interptations, the cultural and DNA difference over time - which all sucked me in like lips on the straw of a chocolate milkshake. This book takes ya back in time while somehow unifying and defying time all at once. It is apparently part of a 5 part series, so the only flaw is the end leaves ya hanging bit. Even though it has dragged you through more detailed description then most human minds could ever think to plot on paper- you want more, you feel like if the book ends maybe you will too.

The Handmaids Tale : This is one creepy freaky, terrible tale which still has beauty in the sick and mundane. Maybe lots of grotesque things happened in this story, but somehow it is described in such a way that you are only moved as much as the main character is moved. It is not entirely apocoplytic, but somewhat of a disintegration of society as we know it- and for this I find that I like it's offshoots and reasoning as to why things have become a little bit like Pink Floyd's THE WALL meets Hilter meets The Stepford Wives for the people in America. OF course the main character is a woman, and oh hell does her life change and then change some more. This book is not cheery and is good for a day when you are depressed and wanna stay that way, or would enjoy thinking of all the ways things really could go wrong and how simple it would be for the government to control us like frightened sheep.

Island Of The Blue Dolphins : This book fascinated me because it is based on the true story of a women who ends up living on a island for a looooooooooog time all alone. Like Clan of the Cave Bear, this book has cool survival elements to it, where I felt like i was learning more then just the story of her life- but about how humans come to survive any situation we are in, our adaptability and our willingness to continue on in the face of bad odds. It is compelling, lonely and creative- and includes animal enemies and animal friends (which i happen to love that stuff in stories!) It's not a long book, it does not drone on, nor is it filled with plotted fluff - it's a simple read with a simple ending.

Do you know of any books with these kinds of story lines that I might also like?!? It can be about a guy who changes his life too ;) !!

XoXo

Book Review: Animal Dreams

"If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." - Animal Dreams

I have been reading a ton of books this summer, and I think this one might be my favorite. I was attracted to the title cause, well it says 'animal' - and because I love Barbara Kingsolver (or I think I love her, I certainly love every book I read by her, The Poisonwood Bible, Animal Vegetable Miracle and The Prodigal Summer.) I got the book off my neighbor's "goodwill table" when they were moving out, and it was a good score! Without going into detail, because what the book is are the details of people's lives laid in the most true way I could possibly imagine someone can write... It's fiction that feels more real then your own life you are living - Barabara Kingsolver shows a talent for writing out thought patterns creating a larger then life, living breathing character. It takes you through a modern drama without being contrived and dramatic, it touches on that personal drama residing in each person's heart, who wants to understand their family, love, their town, their place in life, and the future.

Enough said, it rocks! I love it. If you see at your used book store pick it up!

XoXo

Book Review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Whether or not Barbara Kingsolver meant for her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to be a work of environmental, spiritual, and financial art all at once I am not sure - but this books delves into so many realms normally left purposely isolated by corporations and she ties them together perfectly. It's like unwinding the mystery of how our food really gets to the grocery, how to grow your own instead, and how to save tons of money while eating organic - a revelation which totally left me re-thinking the way I eat. And that is quite a big deal since I have celiac sprue, which leaves my food choices limited to special brands, particular foods, and the feeling I am a slave to grocery chain in order to literally survive. The challenge she and her family set out to meet was simply eating all local & home grown food for one whole year straight - which put the fear of starvation in them before embarking and left them with full tummies of the greatest food they ever tasted by the end. Farm life is not glamorized (although her description of a chicken slaughter was certainly more at poetic ease then what I experienced) - she does however convey the heavenly awesomeness of the miracle of life (without being religious in any way whatsoever & with the touch of a beautiful writer). The main game of the book is concentrated on the Appalachian mountain region she is from but she also travels on vacation up north & to Italy...mmmm Italy. What she has to share (and accidentally teaches us) applies to anywhere you live - it's not a how to book on gardening but an informative memoir of her food experience. What becomes undeniably apparent throughout the book is that our environmental probs are greatly tied to our shipping & growing of food the conventional 'cross the globe way. Changing our diet to include a few local meals a week or maybe just going solely local makes a huge positive environmental impact, something I am going to learn to incorporate into my medical diet.
In Summary: This book pretty well rocked - it was as laid back a read as the slow food movement being described. :)

Used Books: Help Me Find a Good Fiction Novel

Yesterday I went scouting for a new book to read. Being that I have an education from New Orleans, Louisiana & I never read a single book in highschool...that is except Stephen King's The Needful Things (by force of it being my X-mas present from my skater boyfriend) - I haven't a clue where to begin looking for a fiction novel. I walked into the Used Book Store downtown Asheville on Lexington Ave., and I knew as soon as I walked in I was in a sea of possibilities and confusion. I felt like I was going cross eyed, having anxiety, and knew the Rico Sauve hipster boy behind the counter was not going to be helpful since he was busy flirting with a punk girl. I have read somewhere between 100-200 books on health, healing, Buddhism, all things spiritual, and before that phase I unfortunately read a shit ton of true crime books by Anne Rule, horror & true stories.

I know what I want to read now, and maybe ya'll can help me find it: I want a fiction novel that is not violent, nor about war- it can not contain a depressing heart sinking ending. I am hoping for a story where someones life changes, preferably a female character, and the ending is like actually good! (It can start out a little tragic kinda like the Goya drawing pictured here, and than go uphill from there). I read the whole Golden Compass series and loved it till the very end which just made me so upset and heart broken I didn't want to read another novel for like 6 months. (Extreme, I know! Content is so important though, especially the ending.)

I told every customer in the used book store's fiction aisle this same plight for uplifting fiction as stated above, at first I think they were weirded out by the fact that I knew no authors and hadn't a clue (and was actually speaking to them), but once I announced which State I had gotten my education everyone was scrambling to help get some classics in my hand, like The Great Gatsby. I sensed their horror at my deprivation from "great works of literature". So I made sure to announce "No Gone With The Wind either", to which everyone shook their head like 'no way of course'!

Does anyone else have some suggestions of good happy ending fiction novels?

PS-Used books are everywhere & are more eco friendly! When you are done with them, donate to your local library or a book swap :)