I just read 22 books over 8 weeks, while being stationed in the bush of Alaska. Here are some quick reviews and recommendations!

For context, my job was working a sonar count on the Copper river for the sockeye salmon, and I had plenty of free time when I wasn’t actively counting. After all, I was 40mi away from the nearest town, had very little cell connection, and the field site was boat/air access only.I had friends give me recommendations, and here is what I ended up reading on a kindle. Hope you enjoy or find something you like!Digging Up Mother – Doug StanhopeA fantastically entertaining autobiography, if you’re able to handle and sometimes laugh at squeamish to downright ugly stories. It’s a great mix of the coming up of comedian Doug Stanhope, and an explanation of why he is how he is due to his mother and upbringing, in the face of her death. Haven’t set down a book briefly to have a good laugh like I have at this one in a while. It gets dark but it’s worth it. 9/10The Fellowship of the Ring – TolkienGreat book. People were right about Tolkiens tendency to give context in terms of names and places and such that are only delved into in other books, and sometimes those sections can draw on long. The songs he made up, while often clever, don’t really seem important to me. However the rest of the plot of the book and character development was great, as a first time reader who knew the movies well. I enjoyed seeing the differences between the book and what was cut out of the movie. 8/10Educated – Tara WestoverHoly cow. This book is insane. I have never had to legitimately throw a book down and take a breather, holding my hands to my face often. Tara has an incredible story and it is amazing to see someone come out of the depths she did, while being able to recreate exactly how she felt and why she acted as she did in the moment (aided by journals as well as stories from her family and friends). Additionally, it gave me an insight into the psychology of women or children who dont leave a situation that is obviously terrible, abusive, destructive, etc. It shows at least a couple ways of how they might rationalize it and force themselves to stick through it. I think this is very valuable knowledge for anybody to have. 10/10The Two Towers – TolkienFewer songs than Fellowship! Much of the same feelings as how I reviewed the first book. Enjoyed it, good character development, exciting plot. However I did find it interesting how the book is split straight down the middle with one group taking on Saruman and all the doings to get to that point. Then the next half is just frodo, Sam, and gollum. I feel like I enjoyed the movies version of this more, with side by side scenes leading to one huge climax at the end, rather than the books which has a climax in the middle and a small one at the end. 8.5/10The Fifth Science – Exurb1aIf you’re into science fiction and existentialism, and haven’t read this, you need to get on it. Or if you’re a fan of Ray Bradbury. Similar to bradburys collection of short stories in (a book title I can’t remember, something with a rocket) this collection of short stories is an incredibly creative look at space and the future, and how it relates to humans, our purpose, and ethics. lots of fun little stories, a couple longer ones, and a very strong ability of the author to move through time in a believable way. 9/10A Sand County Almanac – Aldo LeopoldI had been told about this book many times during my environmental management bachelor’s degree. It was fascinating to read a book from the 30s/40s written by one of the earliest conservationists, and see how much was similar to today. Many of the same issues, including politics, economics, education, etc and how they harm natural resources. He made predictions too, so seeing what has and hasn’t happened was interesting. Could’ve done without most of the first half of the book – very well written natural descriptions and experiences in nature but seemed a bit like it’s purpose was to make a reader that isn’t familiar with conservation understand why it’s worth fighting for. Cool stuff but I personally didn’t need it. 8/10Annihilation – Jeff VandermeerVery interesting plot and setting, was very able to picture what the author was writing, so props to him. Creative ideas. But the main character was pretty shallow, as well as being annoying enough when it delved into her personal life that I didn’t really care what happened to her at the end. Also the author is pretty ham fisted in creating tension or suspense/foreboding something to happen. 7/10The Return of the King – TolkienAgain the separation of this book into the main battles and Frodo/Sam was interesting but I think better done than the last book. I felt like Gimli and legolas didn’t get along quite as well as in the movies. And there’s a significant part of the book after the final main battle with saurons army, which never got into the movies… Perhaps because it’s pretty anti-human. These books weren’t the massive undertaking I thought they would be. 8/10Marching Powder – Rusty Young and Thomas McFaddenAuthor did an incredible job telling the story from Thomas’s perspective. They mustve been really close and working together closely. Dude experience hell and heaven in one of the weirdest prisons ever. As a tourist, I hope to experience something like what happened at San Pedro… Something special, brief, first starts just as recommendations at a hostel and then big enough that lonely planet picks up on it and a year or two later it’s gone. 9/10Hell I’d even consider doing coke with Thomas if I visited him and took his tour.Naked Lunch – William Burroughs… What?The Soul of an Octopus – Sy MontgomeryI love octopuses and Marine life, so this was a solid mix of science and storytelling. I’ll admit I have had an interesting resume, but the author here is on another level. So many adventures and experiences and it helps her add details and context to the wonders that are octopus. 8/10The Chain – Adrian McKintyFinished it within half a day right after I finished naked lunch. Thrilling thriller. Very creative plot. Mostly believable characters. Solid twist at the end. Decent foretelling. 8.5/10The Snow Child – Eowyn IveyWow. Such a great book, very good characters and such great descriptions of rural alaska homesteading. Very easy to picture it all. Also an important one to take in context of the time period it’s set in. 9/10The Prince of Milk – Exurb1aA definite departure from what I was used to with the Fifth Science by same author, but not totally… Lots of similar themes and a well constructed story, mixing time travel, futures higher beings, and existentialism with great characters. If you’re a Sci fi fan I highly recommend it. 8/10Anxious People – Fredrick BachmanOne of the two best books I’ve read so far in this hitch. So well written. Usually not a fan of crime thrillers but this was so fantastically done. Made me laugh out loud and be close to tears the next chapter. Some great wisdom and experience here in the writing. Touching. 9.5/10Prayers for the Stolen – Jennifer ClementI’m the guy who sits in a brewery alone and reads alone. This book was recommended to me by a pretty girl who sat next to me at a Taproom in rural coastal CA  and talked with me about books. The book was ok, dark material (kidnappings in drug gang Mexico) obviously, but glad I read it. Can’t say it really grabbed me, but it was a quick read. Also I couldn’t tell if it was an autobiography or fiction, and I think I’ll leave it that way. 7.5/10The Starless Sea – Erin MorgensternWell it was fantastically written, and I loved stepping back for a few seconds after reading a new chapter and making definite and potential connections within the story. Would be a great book to reread, if only to figure it out more and understand the ending more… Which still felt… Rushed? Or wasn’t setup properly, I was often confused. I already finished it while very sleepy. 8.5/10The Buried Giant – Kazuo IshiguroSo many twists and turns, reveals, this book was almost like a thriller. Using a trick of characters having poor memory to slowly hint at developments when memories come back worked great. Crazy juxtaposition of orcs and dragons and people praying to Jesus. Very unique, great book. 8.5/10I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream – Harlan EllisonPretty solid, short collection. Downloaded for the title story and the rest of them were good too, slightly unsettling, and an interesting writing style to convey action. A nice read for a dark evening. 8/10City of Thieves – David BeniovHaving been to st Petersburg in person, it was incredible just to read more of the history and recognize some of the names. But the plot of the book and the stories were incredible, and based on truth. Such strong characters, would highly recommend this if you have any interest in coming of age novels, history, ww2, Russia, etc. 9/10Cadillac Desert – Marc ReisnerOne of the reviews on the book labels says that this should be required reading if you live west of Nebraska. I wholeheartedly agree. I’d always heard about it while studying for my environmental science degree, finally got around to it. It’s a long book, but the author has such a well researched grasp on context, history, politics and major players in environmental and water changes during the west being won. And at some points even makes it exciting. Worth the read. 8.5/10The Indifferent Stars Above – Daniel James BrownWell researched and makes an almost novel out of the very real Donner party disaster. It’s one of those books where one thing after another keeps going wrong, it’s a miracle anyone survived at all. I’ve been in that area too so being able to imagine the area helped a lot. 8/10 via /r/books https://ift.tt/36lodJO