Book Review: If You Didn’t Bring Jerky, What Did I Just Eat?
It’s Monday. It’s overcast and raining and I’m catching up on the last couple of weeks of “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me!” A little humor on a dreary morning, and it got me thinking: humor reading.
Most of the books reviewed so far are business-oriented and, for lack of a better term, heavy reading. Randomly browsing summer reading lists, there is a fair amount of heavy reading. Thought-provoking. Serious. Business-oriented. Self-improvement. Heavy reading. There’s just something about summer that begs for a break from heavy reading.
Summer is a time for brain candy.
Books totally unrelated to work, management, self improvement or even change. Harry Potter, the Hunger Games and the Shopaholic series spring readily to mind. Fun, light hearted, quick reads. Brain candy. And while back home for a family vacation, I stumbled upon one such book that combines wit, humor and a topic I normally have no reason to follow: the great outdoors.
Enter Bill Heavey and his book, If You Didn’t Bring Jerky, What Did I Just Eat? Misadventures in Hunting, Fishing, and the Wilds of Suburbia.
I picked this book up on a whim sometime ago, intrigued by the title. Thumbing through, I discovered it was a collection of columns. Turns out Heavey is editor-at-large for Field & Stream, and he has been writing for the magazine since 1993. Even during my time as sports editor of my high school newspaper, I hadn’t picked up a copy of Field & Stream but it rare to find me without the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, tucking it inside a textbook so I could read it during class and still look like I was paying attention.
My curiosity got the better of me, and I was laughing in the aisle at the bookstore.
His writing is light, witty, sarcastic and, at turns, serious and heartfelt. From the emotional, poignant story of “Lilyfish” to the hilarious stories “The Art of Lying” and “One Moment, Please…”, his observations and commentary will make you laugh and smile as you go about your day.
It’s a wonderful quick, humorous read, perfect for killing time waiting at the courthouse, lounging by the pool or at the beach or simply wanting to unwind and smile before bed.
About Gwynne Monahan
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I love books like these during the summer months. I've been reading "Falling for Eli," a book about first-time horse ownership, and I love it. It makes me laugh out loud on the train to work in the morning...which certainly earns me some strange looks!
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Likeannedreshfield Me too. Another of my favorites is "I'm A Stranger Here Myself" by Bill Bryson. He's probably my favorite travel writer. Haven't heard of "Falling for Eli," will have to check that out.
Have you read "The Undomestic Goddess"? Same author as the Shopaholic series, and downright hilarious.
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Likeeconwriter5 I haven't! My summer reading list is getting longer by the day. :)
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