I bought three emergency preparedness books the summer before Hurricane Sandy, because my area was about due for another big hurricane season. Boy, did we get one. Of those three books, Just in Case was by far my favorite, and the one most relevant to my life. I was not a competitive survivalist. I was a mom with two tiny children, a husband skeptical about prepping, and not a lot of money to spare. Harrison made it easy for me to figure out where to begin, what to prioritize, and how to talk about the hurricane, once it was on the way, with my kids. If I could recommend only one preparedness book, it would be this one.
Reviews and Comments
Writer of epic and contemporary fantasy. Winner of 2015 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Escaped academic.
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Sarah Avery reviewed Just in Case by Kathy Harrison
Review of 'Just in Case' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Sarah Avery reviewed Blood of Ambrose by James Enge
Review of 'Blood of Ambrose' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I've been enjoying Enge's short stories about Morlock the Maker in the pages of Black Gate since the first issue of my subscription. When I saw this book on the display table at my local bookstore, I let out an involuntary whoop of joy.
My husband and I both found this book un-put-downable, which was problematic, because we were both trying to read it at once. The book surprised us both, in some fairly impressive structural ways that I won't spoil for you. I am quite confident that, no matter who you are, there will be at least one moment when you stop short and say, "Well, I wasn't expecting that!"
The funny bits are laugh-out-loud funny. The ending both opens out into the series to come and provides a very satisfying sense of closure--the book could have stood alone, even if the publisher hadn't signed on for sequels. …
I've been enjoying Enge's short stories about Morlock the Maker in the pages of Black Gate since the first issue of my subscription. When I saw this book on the display table at my local bookstore, I let out an involuntary whoop of joy.
My husband and I both found this book un-put-downable, which was problematic, because we were both trying to read it at once. The book surprised us both, in some fairly impressive structural ways that I won't spoil for you. I am quite confident that, no matter who you are, there will be at least one moment when you stop short and say, "Well, I wasn't expecting that!"
The funny bits are laugh-out-loud funny. The ending both opens out into the series to come and provides a very satisfying sense of closure--the book could have stood alone, even if the publisher hadn't signed on for sequels. The characters are absolutely themselves.
Warning: the creepy bits toward the end are very effectively creepy. (Many readers will find that to be a plus.) The villain does a wide variety of especially disturbing things. I think it's not too much of a spoiler to say that, if you are unable to tolerate zombies or bad things happening to children, you might not make it all the way through this book.
Sarah Avery rated Motherless Brooklyn: 5 stars
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
From Amazon: Brooklyn's very own self-appointed Human Freakshow, Lionel Essrog is an orphan whose Tourettic impulses drive him to bark, …
Sarah Avery rated Lud-In-The-Mist: 5 stars
Lud-In-The-Mist by Hope Mirrlees
Lud was a prosperous, bustling little country port, situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Dapple and the Dawl. …
Review of 'Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I picked this up as research for a novel that's on my back burner. Deep Survival is a fascinating combination of the latest research on brain function, astounding tales of survival against all odds, darkly hilarious accounts of people who ought to be up for the Darwin Award, and connections between them that illuminate how survivors think. Gonzales says it's impossible to distill his project into a handy set of survival instructions, but he does offer some general principles that can be applied by almost anyone.