One word comes to mind when reflecting on this novel: coddiwomple, “(v.) to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination.” This is exactly what Tougias did when he set forth into the wilds to become the self-sufficient mountain man he longed to be. What follows is a highly amusing tale of blunders and lessons learned.

Laugh out loud funny! My wife was giving me the side-eye, wondering if I had finally lost the rest of my marbles, because I was snorting and guffawing throughout the reading of this book. As an added bonus, I learned a lot from it. I cannot wait for his next book!

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Michael Tougias buys a cabin in the woods way off the beaten path. This is an account of the misadventures of off grid living. Young and impressionable, he loves nature, fishing and hanging out with his friends. What he didn't expect was the threat of nature that can hurt him, getting lost, lack of the usual facilities and comforts. He blogs about these adventures until pressed to compile them into what you hold in your.hands, a book. Exciting, humorous, and interesting nature book. Curl up in your armchair under a cozy blanket with your favorite beverage kind of read. Wait! Check under the chair for bears! Need the loo? Open door carefully and listen for porcupines! Enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a fun book to read! I loved it! Reading of the author's (mis)adventures of being a "flatlander" to becoming a mountain man with a rustic cabin was laugh out loud funny. I could relate to some of his fears of the wild animals and the darkness that comes without light pollution. My parents live in the mountains and they call us city dwellers flatlanders too.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the wild outdoors and needs a funny, light book to read.

If you have read Michael Tougias other books concerning various seafaring disasters and rescues, this one will be a little different. This is a rerelease or continuation of the book of the same title from first published in 2002. It is also a sequel or book 2 of his saga The water's between us where he first mentions the cabin he purchases in Vermont. This cabin is so primitive that it still has an outhouse (therefore its name) . There is a lot of humor in this book not only from the authors adventures of trying to be a mountain man. One being can you imagine being afraid to use the outhouse because you may get porcupine quills in your butt and have no one there to help get them out. He also talks about his adventures with only the truest of friends who he can convince to come up the cabin the type of friends who always have playful digs that are almost painful at times but the kind of friends you do not want to be without. This is a short read so give it look. Thank you to Netgalley and Rowan & Littlefield for an ARC for a fair and honest review.

I have to admit, having had a porcupine visit my own spruce tree last year, the title is what drew me to "There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse" to begin with. I'm so glad it did. This book is a delight. Part whimsical, self=deprecating humor and part fascinatingly informative, it was just what I needed to read over this alternately snowy and rainy weekend here in Alaska. Author Michael J. Tougias has the soul of a teacher as well as the eye of a modern day Thoreau. He'll make you grin one moment, then ponder whether it's true spider's can walk on water, so to speak, or is that really the best fishing hint ever, then sneak in a teaching moment about the critters involved and the need to not conquer the land but protect it. I found a bit of Gary Paulsen in him, too, and was delighted to find a mention of Paulsen's book "Hatchet" as he flew over the land wondering about his pilot's health and if he could really fly a plane if necessary. Thank you, Michael J. Tougias for inviting me along to your cabin and sharing your friends, neighbors, and wildlife about you. If you have any interest in living wild, so to spea, nature and the outdoors, I think you'll love this book. Accept his invite into his rustic cabin and give this a read.

Thanks to #NetGallery and #RowmanAndLittlefield, #LyonsPress for the ARC.

Michael J. Tougias writes about buying a cabin in the woods of Vermont and wanting to live like a mountain man. He shares his adventures and misadventures, the mistakes he made, what he learned, and what did and didn't work for him. He is a storyteller, which makes the story come alive as you are reading it.
He learned along the way he didn't want to be a mountain man, but a steward of the land. He didn't want to change his cabin or his land, and make it more of what he had at home, because he wanted to keep it the way it was, when he fell in love with this little A framed cabin and piece of land.
He had a guestbook at the cabin, and each time he left, or a friend or guest came up, they would write a sentence or paragraph in the book of their thoughts of this visit which he shares in his story. His adventures takes us from Massachusetts to Vermont, and Maine, and many dirt roads, fishing holes, and woods, along the way. It was good for his soul, and it was good for mine as I read the story. He writes in a way that makes you feel you are right there with him at the time and living the adventure with him.
Things I have in my state, as he talked about things, I stopped and thought about them, as I saw them through his eyes. I was taking these things for granted, and not paying attention to things, so as I was reading about them, I stopped and really looked at them, and saw what he saw, like the Luna moth.
Being with him on his adventures in the book, was good for my soul, too. Sometimes, I laughed, sometimes I just relaxed, and I enjoyed the journey as I learned about the great outdoors through his stories.
I received an ARC from Lyons Press.