Pages

Showing posts with label survival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label survival. Show all posts

Monday, March 2, 2015

Review: The Art of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse by Lauren Wilson!


Title: The Art of Eating through the Zombie Apocalypse: A Cookbook and Culinary Survival Guide
Author: Lauren Wilson
Illustrator: Kristian Bauthus
Format: Paperback, 320 pages
Pub. Date: October 28th 2014
Source: BenBella Books


Book Description via Goodreads:



Just because the undead’s taste buds are atrophying doesn’t mean yours have to!

You duck into the safest-looking abandoned house you can find and hold your breath as you listen for the approaching zombie horde you’ve been running from all day. You hear a gurgling sound. Is it the undead? No—it’s your stomach.

When the zombie apocalypse tears down life and society as we know it, it will mean no more take out, no more brightly lit, immaculately organized aisles of food just waiting to be plucked effortlessly off the shelves. No more trips down to the local farmers’ market. No more microwaved meals in front of the TV or intimate dinner parties. No, when the undead rise, eating will be hard, and doing it successfully will become an art.

The Art of Eating through the Zombie Apocalypse is a cookbook and culinary field guide for the busy zpoc survivor. With more than 80 recipes (from Overnight of the Living Dead French Toast and It’s Not Easy Growing Greens Salad to Down & Out Sauerkraut, Honey & Blackberry Mead, and Twinkie Trifle), scads of gastronomic survival tips, and dozens of diagrams and illustrations that help you scavenge, forage, and improvise your way to an artful post-apocalypse meal. The Art of Eating is the ideal handbook for efficient food sourcing and inventive meal preparation in the event of an undead uprising.

Whether you decide to hole up in your own home or bug out into the wilderness, whether you prefer to scavenge the dregs of society or try your hand at apocalyptic agriculture, and regardless of your level of skill or preparation, The Art of Eating will help you navigate the wasteland and make the most of what you eat.






Review:


★★★★

Wow. This book is SO much more than I was anticipating. I was blown away, just like the zombies you'll slay am I right?

This book is one part zombie prepper, one part nature survivalist, and one part gourmet. If you are fighting for your life in a post-apocalyptic world, this is one book you'll want to have in your prep kit.

I learned so much it's insane. Wilson has you covered for every type of zombie scenario. Whether you need to forage for your own food, start a fire, trap your own animals, or loot for supplies- there's tips for it in this book. The amount of knowledge jam packed into this paperback is incredible. Because of it, I know how to pack for a successful escape, cook with no electric, and how to raise and grow my own food. Each bit of advice is coupled with step-by-step illustrations so that you can do it correctly, which I thought was a really helpful touch to add to this book. I have had survival guides that haven't had that luxury.

Speaking of food, this book has a bunch of recipes to help your taste buds survive the impending doom while still maintaining flavor and variety into your diet. Plus, the recipes have pun titles and as you know, I love me a good pun. Some of the recipes included in this guide are: Life is Not Just Peachy-Blueberry Cobbler, Dawn of the Bread Salad, and of course Twinkie Trifle and Squirrel Jerky.

This guide is absolutely fantastic. Whether you're a doomsday prepper, an avid fan of The Walking Dead, or just a camper who wants to live off the land, this is a book you ought to have on your shelf or in your car for an emergency. It'd also make a great gift for any horror/zombie lover or prepper!

Thank you so much to BenBella Books who sent me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Review: Ice Dogs


Title: Ice Dogs
Author: Terry Lynn Johnson
Format: egalley.
Pub. Date: February 4th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

★★★★

Four stars.

---

Teenager Victoria Secord loves racing her sled dogs. It helps her feel closer to her dad, and get in touch with the Alaskan outdoors that she adores so much. But one routine outing, she finds herself lost while trying to help out a young stranger named Chris. Together, and with the dogs of course, they must find their way back and survive the food, the wilderness, and the wicked Alaska cold.

First of all, look at this cover. It's mesmerizing. I am a big fan of huskies and wolves, so the cover alone drew me in at first glance.

This is a very vividly written story. I've never been to Alaska, but I felt that I had competed on the track alongside Victoria, and had been in the wilderness with her and Chris. Additionally, I have only ridden on a dogsled once, and it was a tourist attraction at an ice festival somewhere in Michigan. Therefore, my knowledge of the sport is essentially nothing. That being said, Terry Lynn Johnson did a great job in her description. I never felt lost or confused with Victoria's dogsled jargon or explanations about her skills and know-how.

Going based off of that, I didn't always care for Victoria as a character. I completely understand why she is written the way that she is, and it's not poor writing or character depth on the author's part. I just found her a bit too snarky at times, and I never completely connected with her. It didn't hinder my reading experience all too much, in the grand scheme of things.

All in all, I think this is a great book for middle-grade aged kids that love animals. It's educational about dogs and sledding, and gives a clean and intriguing story of survival. Honestly, it put me in mind of a book I read when I was in elementary school called My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen. So if you or your child loves dogs, animals, or nature, this is definitely a good book choice.

Thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Books for Children for my copy.