Happy Iceland – How Icelandic Strangers Taught a Miserable American the Secret to Lifelong Happiness by Anne Marie Wells

November 12, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Happy Iceland – How Icelandic Strangers Taught a Miserable American the Secret to Lifelong Happiness by Anne Marie Wells
Publisher: Star Belt Press
Genre: Non-Fiction, Action/Adventure, LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A simple question at Iceland’s international airport-What are your happiest memories of Iceland?-sets off an unforgettable journey across the Land of Fire and Ice. Abandoning guidebooks and itineraries, a young woman on the precipice of turning thirty, newly unemployed and stuck in a faltering relationship, spends five weeks backpacking and hitchhiking to find the locations where Icelandic strangers’ happiest memories took place. From childhood sports fields and family farms to hidden waterfalls and the remote Highlands, this intimate travel memoir explores Iceland far beyond what can be seen from a sightseeing bus tour. Part adventure, part meditation on what it takes to be happy in a volatile world, Happy Iceland is a reminder that some of the best journeys begin when we shut up and listen.

Adventures are for everyone.

Some of the most memorable scenes for this reader were the ones that discussed the risks and benefits of traveling alone as a woman. The travelogue genre hasn’t always included a lot of examples of how hitchhiking, camping, and spending time alone in the wilderness can be quite different depending on one’s sex and gender identity, so I loved the fact that this book talked about it so thoroughly.

Given the promises the title and blurb made, I found myself wishing that more of this memoir had been spent exploring the concept of happiness and how Ms. Wells’ life was changed as a result of her adventures. Discussing happiness grabs my attention immediately and was my biggest reason for wanting to read this, but it turned out to be far more of a record of her travels than anything else. I was also surprised by what the author did with her life after returning home to the United States as that didn’t quite fit the tone of the blurb or title either.

The descriptions of Iceland’s geography and culture were gorgeous and made me want to visit this part of the world. For example, there were times when the author and those she met on her journey would knock on the door of a friend’s house for an unexpected visit or even find the hidden key in the garden and enter the house itself. These aren’t things that are done in my culture, so I was fascinated. I also liked the conversations that explored what many people in Iceland believe about the elves that are said to live there and cast such a strong influence for better or for worse over the fates of humans who are or perhaps who are not kind to them.

I also struggled with how the writing style switched between being a memoir and sharing the many exciting and sometimes dangerous adventures the author found herself experiencing during her five weeks of traveling in Iceland. Their themes were so different than it almost felt like reading two books at once, and having more connections between them would have made this a stronger work in my opinion.

One of the strongest themes in this book involved the many forms friendship can take, and I enjoyed learning about the many kind people that the author met in Iceland. It’s interesting to see how even brief interactions between strangers can change their lives forever, and my fingers are crossed that some of these old friends will reach out to the author and rekindle their connections in the future.

Happy Iceland – How Icelandic Strangers Taught a Miserable American the Secret to Lifelong Happiness was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Murder Among the Cornstalks by Jody Chaffin

November 9, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Murder Among the Cornstalks by Jody Chaffin
A Table Rock Lake Word Search Mystery, #2
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Holiday, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A field full of witnesses. Not one of them saw a thing. 48 word searches to the truth.

On Halloween night, a hundred people from three counties walked the haunted corn maze out on the Flat Creek bottoms. At first light, somebody found Shane Merrick in the uncut corn — the equipment operator who turned up in March looking for work, got hired off a handshake, and was leaving the day the maze closed. The sheriff’s office worked the case on people who had already gone home. Retired biology teacher Eleanor “Nell” Ashworth spent that whole evening at the ticket table. She is new here, and she is the only one still asking the questions the county is content to leave alone.

But this time, the detective is you.

Each chapter hands you a scene and a word search. Solve the puzzle, and the leftover letters reveal a hidden clue — a suspect cleared, a motive exposed, a small hard fact nobody thought to write down. Track them across forty-eight puzzles and you will be ready to name the killer, the motive, the means, and the place before Nell does.

Six suspects. One night nobody can account for. A verdict only you can reach.

Fear comes in many forms.

The corn maze setting as Halloween approached was perfect for this murder, especially given Shane’s weak and temporary ties to the Persimmon Bluff community. I’ve often wondered what happens to people who constantly travel for work and who die while far away from the place or places where they grew up. This tale gave one sad but realistic possibility of how such lives end up being concluded after the worst happens.

It would have been helpful to have a little more development for the ending, especially considering how few clues were shared earlier on that the plot was moving in that direction. I thought it was a creative approach to this murder mystery, but I also would have liked to see the characters discuss why the murderer wasn’t following certain safety protocols involving outdoor activities in the autumn that most people who live in rural areas are taught from a young age. This omission felt a little odd to me, although I would have gone for a full five-star rating had the narrator explained it better as it definitely was a unique twist.

I enjoyed getting to know the permanent residents of this town a little better than I did in the first instalment of this series, and I’m hoping this trend will continue in the future. While everything in it definitely can be read as a standalone novel from what I’ve observed so far, fans who follow the mysteries in chronological order will be rewarded by small moments of character development that new readers might not notice.

Murder Among the Cornstalks made me yearn for the scariest time of year.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Murder in Persimmon Bluff by Jody Chaffin

November 5, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Murder in Persimmon Bluff by Jody Chaffin
A Table Rock Lake Word Search Mystery, Book 1
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

They stopped speaking in 1980. Forty-eight word searches to the truth.

Earl Halstead and Joe Sowder came home from Vietnam like brothers and built most of this end of Table Rock Lake with one truck between them. In December of 1980 they divided the company down the middle and stopped speaking. Neither man ever said why. Their families have bid against each other ever since.

Now Marla Sowder, the engineer who runs the Sowder half, has been found dead in a Halstead driveway on a Friday night, and the county has already closed the case. Retired biology teacher Eleanor “Nell” Ashworth has been in Persimmon Bluff six weeks. Nobody here tells her anything.

But this time, the detective is you.

Read the chapters. Solve the puzzles. Track the clues. Each chapter hands you a scene and a word search, and the leftover letters spell out what the scene would not — a suspect cleared, a motive ruled out, a place crossed off. Across forty-eight puzzles you will gather everything you need to name the killer, the motive, the means, and the place, and you will get there the same way Nell does.

Six suspects. Two families with nothing to say. A verdict only you can reach.

Autumn is the perfect time of year to solve a murder.

I continue to be impressed with the author’s understanding of both the positive and negative aspects of living in a small town. The scenes that explored how characters maintained relationships with each other over the decades, especially with people they didn’t like but needed to see regularly for a variety of reasons, were among my favorite ones.

There were some pacing issues in the beginning that prevented me from diving as deeply into this book as I was hoping to do so. It took me a while to cozy up to the characters and become emotionally invested in solving the murder. This is something I’m saying as a reader who enjoyed the author’s previous Larkspur Hollow Garden Mystery books and was quite excited to see what he’d written next. My fingers are crossed that the future instalments in this new series will have smoother pacing as the word search aspect of each instalment is unique and quite a bit of fun to participate in.

The murder itself was creative and interesting. I liked the way it was folded into the patterns of everyday life in Persimmon Bluff and thought the characters’ reactions to that moment were as reasonable as they were illuminative of their personalities. Based on this introduced to these characters and their community, I am definitely interested in visiting them again through the power of the written word in the near future.

Murder in Persimmon Bluff piqued my interest in these new adventures.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Amazing Answers for Curious Kids – Space Edition by Ross Austin

November 3, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Amazing Answers for Curious Kids – Space Edition by Ross Austin
Publisher: Beyond Why Press
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Amazing Answers for Curious Kids: Space Edition

Why do planets orbit the Sun? What would happen if you dropped a hammer and a feather on the Moon? How do astronauts go to the bathroom in space? And what does it actually feel like when a rocket launches?

Amazing Answers for Curious Kids: Space Edition turns the questions children genuinely wonder about into 84 fascinating space discoveries they can understand, remember, and want to explore further.

Designed for curious kids ages 6–12, this full-color book explores the Solar System, planets, stars, black holes, rockets, astronauts, and the universe through clear explanations, vivid visuals, surprising facts, and questions that encourage kids to think before discovering the answer.

Older readers can explore independently, while younger readers can enjoy the questions, pictures, and discoveries with a grown-up.

Science is filled with endless possibilities.

The conversational writing style made this easy to read even when complex topics were being broken down into something that elementary-aged kids can better understand. It honestly felt like sitting down with a scientist and talking to them about subjects so many people may quietly wonder about but not actually bring up in some cases. This was an excellent stylistic choice and was one of the many reasons why I chose a full five-star rating.

I love how detailed so many of the answers were. For example, one section described what astronauts’ spacesuits smell like after they’ve returned to the space station from a mission. It never would have occurred to me that the molecules out in space might have a particular scent to them, although the explanation of why and how that happened made a great deal of sense. This was one of many examples of things I wouldn’t think to ask but am glad I learned about while reading this book.

Some of my favorite sections were the ones that discussed how scientists are preparing now for future longterm missions to Mars and similar places. For example, figuring out how to have enough food and water for people living that far away would be a constant challenge. There are experiments currently being done on how best to grow food on spaceships or other enclosed areas so that there could be a continuous supply of it for everyone who lived there. These topics are complicated and it will probably be a long time before we’re able to grow enough food for an entire community in such a closed system, but the exploration of some of the techniques they’re trying was absolutely fascinating.

I’d recommend Amazing Answers for Curious Kids – Space Edition to people of all ages who love this topic and want to learn more about outer space.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Witches Save the World – Covens, Cauldrons, and Curses Gone Right by Rebecca Buchanan (Editor)

October 30, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Witches Save the World – Covens, Cauldrons, and Curses Gone Right by Rebecca Buchanan (Editor)
Publisher: Gorgon’s Gaze Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Holiday, Poetry, Contemporary, Historical, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Covens. Cauldrons. And Curses.

The witch is a complex figure. Hero? Villain? Victim? Practitioner of a nearly-forgotten faith or just misunderstood? An elder who should be respected but is instead reviled? Or the member of an oppressed ethnic or sexual minority?

Witches of every sort appear in this anthology, and its companion volume, Witches Save the World: Hags, Harridans, and Hexes Gone Right. In some tales and poems, the witch embodies the primal forces of balance and karmic retribution, or they act in support of social justice, defending those who cannot protect themselves. Or they act in defense of Nature, calling to heel the corrupt governments and corporations that would strip the world in the name of power and profit. Or they are caretakers of their communities, mending minds and bodies, sometimes at the cost of their own freedom or even their own lives.

These are witches who do what must be done, because someone has to save the world.

Justice has many faces.

“The Blackened Grin of Justice” followed Agatha, the only healer in a town stricken with a terrible disease that was rapidly killing people. I enjoyed her character development in this piece, especially when it came to her devotion to her community and what she was willing to do to end the epidemic. Had this one been a full-length novel, I would have relished getting to know her even better than I already did.

I relish the challenge of reviewing anthologies given how many different authors and writing styles are typically included in them, although it can be tricky at times to choose a rating when I loved many of the stories but didn’t connect so well to other ones. That is something that happened to me again when I read this book, and “The Momentonomicon,” in which Sylvie took photos of roadkill and other deceased wild animals to commemorate their lives, was one such example. I struggled to understand why she thought this was a good way to remember them and would have found it helpful to explore her feelings on this topic on a much deeper level.

Sorrow was forced to become betrothed to a man she found repulsive in “The Witch’s Bridle” because her parents needed his money to keep the family farm running. This was one of my favorite stories due to how determined she was to find a way to evade this fate and how slim her odds were of getting out of this arrangement. She was an intelligent and resourceful young woman, and I never stopped hoping for a happy ending for her.

This is part of a duology that can be read in either order.

Witches Save the World – Covens, Cauldrons, and Curses Gone Right was an empowering and deliciously scary read.

Filed Under: Horror, Poetry, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Witches Save the World – Hags, Harridans, and Hexes Gone Right by Rebecca Buchanan (Editor)

October 30, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Witches Save the World – Hags, Harridans, and Hexes Gone Right by Rebecca Buchanan (Editor)
Publisher: Gorgon’s Gaze Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Poetry, LGBTQ, Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Hags. Harridans. And Hexes.

The witch is a complex figure. Hero? Villain? Victim? Practitioner of a nearly-forgotten faith or just misunderstood? An elder who should be respected but is instead reviled? Or the member of an oppressed ethnic or sexual minority?

Witches of every sort appear in this anthology, and its companion volume, Witches Save the World: Covens, Cauldrons, and Curses Gone Right. In some tales and poems, the witch embodies the primal forces of balance and karmic retribution, or they act in support of social justice, defending those who cannot protect themselves. Or they act in defense of Nature, calling to heel the corrupt governments and corporations that would strip the world in the name of power and profit. Or they are caretakers of their communities, mending minds and bodies, sometimes at the cost of their own freedom or even their own lives.

These are witches who do what must be done, because someone has to save the world.

Not everything can be described in black and white terms.

Madison had recently moved from Minneapolis to a rural community in that state for her first job as a new teacher and was struggling to make friends in

“Minnesota Comfort.” The plot twist in this tale was delightfully scary and made the beginning even better once I went back to reread it. There’s definitely something to be said for being surprised like this, so I will be keeping an eye out for what Ms. Thynes comes up with next.

Honestly, I wish I had enough space to mention a dozen stories here instead of only a few of them. I adored almost everything in this anthology, and it was incredibly difficult to narrow down my list while writing this review. With that being said, there were a few pieces that I thought would have been even stronger with a little more development, and “Weather Witch on the Main Portal” was one of them. As much as I liked Ebbie and Fletcher, I was a little puzzled by why they were the only witches who were trying to figure out why the magical storms had become so strong and why certain supernatural things in their universe that had been dormant for so long were now active again. These seemed like topics that should have interested every witch affected by them instead of just two of them. Had the explanation for this been longer, their adventure might have been my favorite one in this entire book as I thought both of these characters were well written and memorable.

“The Weaver’s Song” showed how a witch taught her students to repair cracks in the earth through music. So much attention was paid to the world building here that I nearly felt as though I were visiting another world while I got to know Nora and Opal as they made their dangerous walk home. This was an excellent example of how quickly a setting can feel three dimensional and how important it is to create characters that are equally well rounded.

This is the second instalment in a duology that does not need to be read in order.

Witches Save the World – Hags, Harridans, and Hexes Gone Right made me yearn for Halloween. Reading it was a treat!

Filed Under: Horror, Poetry, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Izzy’s Dilemma by Robert Pais

October 28, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Izzy’s Dilemma by Robert Pais
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What If The Easiest Way To Belong Meant Changing Who You Are?

On the planet Mirron, your eye color determines your place in society.

Topaz are at the top. Emeralds and Sapphires occupy the middle. And Pearls are at the bottom.

Twelve-year-old Izzy Ashford is a Pearl.

Growing up in the wealthy Topaz community of Covington with her loving adoptive parents, Izzy has never thought her eye color should matter. But when bullying and prejudice begin to make her feel like an outsider, she starts to see Mirron’s color system in a very different way.

Then, during a family vacation, a mysterious stranger named Sam makes Izzy an extraordinary offer.

He can change her Pearl eyes to Topaz.

Permanently!

Suddenly, Izzy has a chance to become the person of interest Mirron’s society would accept without question. BUT there is a price.

And Izzy has only one summer to decide whether that’s a price worth paying.

At River Valley Camp, Izzy meets new friends, encounters people from every level of Mirron’s society, and begins to discover that the world she thought she understood may be far more complicated than it seems.

As secrets from the past begin to surface and her choices become harder, Izzy is forced to confront a question that goes far beyond the color of her eyes:

How much of yourself should you change just to be accepted?

Izzy must make a choice.

Change her eyes and finally fit in – or stay true to herself and discover what it really means to belong.

Differences should be celebrated.

One of the reasons why I like reading middle grade fiction so much is that the preteen years are often when kids begin to develop separate identities from their families. Some of the best examples of this genre in my opinion are the ones that explore what this separation means for their characters and give glimpses of the adults they will become in the future, both of which this story did incredibly well. Due to Izzy’s eye color, her adoption could never have been a secret to begin with, but now that she was a preteen the meaning of that difference began to impact her in ways that she had not previously thought about in as much detail. While she still had a lot of maturing to do, I thought the protagonist was already developing into a kind and compassionate young woman who was going to make her world a much better place. Bravo for that!

Judy and Tom’s parenting decisions about how and where they raised Izzy puzzled me. Obviously, this book was intended to be a metaphor for the racism in our own world, but I couldn’t understand why a couple would adopt a child they knew was going to face a lifetime of prejudice and then raise her in such a close-minded community when there were more diverse and welcoming neighbourhoods easily available to them. This was something that could have included some powerful messages about what it truly means to be an ally had more time been spent exploring the difference between what these characters said and how they actually chose to live their lives. As an adult reader, I can make those inferences easily, but I think the intended middle grade audience would have benefited from much deeper discussions on this topic due to how important it is both on Izzy’s world and in our own.

I appreciated how much time was spent exploring how it feels to be part of a minority group. While some negative interactions can definitely be overt and blatantly fueled by prejudice, what can be just as difficult to cope with over the longterm are the little moments where someone says something that could be interpreted in multiple ways or where a group gives the subtle impression that someone is not fully welcomed there. This can be a difficult topic to discuss with kids this age who may or may not have personal experience with it, so I’m glad the author gave so many examples of what these subtle slights can look like. Had the entire book been written this way, I would have happily given it a much higher rating.

Izzy’s Dilemma was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Dina Gets Lucky by Uzma Jalaluddin

October 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Dina Gets Lucky by Uzma Jalaluddin
Publisher: Lake Union
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

At a sumptuous family wedding, two former friends rediscover their own love story and the lies that tore them apart in a chaotic and swoony second-chance romance by the author of Yours for the Season.

Toronto attorney Dina Haq is looking forward to her influencer sister’s lavish South Asian wedding. She wouldn’t dream of overshadowing the event of the season by revealing her carefully guarded secret: Her own marriage has gone bust. She just needs to make sure her odious ex keeps his mouth shut, too. Complications arise once she discovers that the groom’s best man is none other than Luqman “Lucky” Latif, a law school crush who ghosted her six years ago.

Forced to abandon his lawyerly ambitions to help his struggling family in Chicago, Lucky rebuilt his life, and a successful contracting business, and has moved on from past hurts…or so he thinks. Then he sees Dina again, the woman who not only rejected him but also had the nerve to marry his best friend instead. He’s not sure his heart can survive another encounter.

As the wedding festivities unfold, Dina and Lucky rediscover their connection and begin to unravel the part her manipulative ex-husband played in their almost-love story. The past isn’t quite what they thought, but is it too late to imagine a new future together?

Even etiquette eventually has its limits.

As soon as I met Dina in the first scene, I knew I was going to love her due to her deep connections to her family and community and how much effort she put into maintaining those ties. She was the sort of character who would do anything for a friend or relative in need without hesitation, so I was curious to find out if she’d learn to balance that admirable personality trait with her pressing need to take care of herself as well. Women are so often socialized to put others first, even to their own detriment, that I always cheer on female characters who try to push back on those cultural scripts and think about what they want out of life as well.

It would have been helpful to have more character development in this novel, especially for the antagonist. While there were some revelations about him later on in the plot that softened my opinion of him a little, I still would have liked to see more time spent explaining why he behaved the way he did and what his positive qualities were. Everyone has their own combination of virtuous and destructive traits, after all, and knowing about all of them helps to create a well-rounded characters.

This was such a funny and lighthearted story in general. I adored Dina’s relationships with her relatives and friends, many of whom had heartwarming quirks that made me smile. Given the more serious nature of later chapters, it was also nice to have some comedic breaks now and again as Hania’s wedding approached and then began to be celebrated.

Dina Gets Lucky made me want to read more from Ms. Jalaluddin. What a charming tale!

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

The Protocol of Indifference – A Patient’s Memoir from a Post-Soviet Healthcare System by Yury Hrynko

October 21, 2026 By 1 Comment


The Protocol of Indifference – A Patient’s Memoir from a Post-Soviet Healthcare System by Yury Hrynko
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A bilateral tonsillectomy was supposed to be a step toward better health. Instead, Yury Hrynko woke up in intensive care unable to see, unable to speak, and fighting for every breath.

After regaining consciousness, he found himself facing a terrifying reality: unbearable pain, the sudden loss of his vision, the inability to communicate, and a desperate struggle to survive.

The Protocol of Indifference is a medical memoir about survival, resilience, and the human cost of traumatic complications after a medical procedure. Told through the voices of Yury and those closest to him—including his wife and parents—this book follows one family’s journey through a year of uncertainty, fear, determination, and hope.

Following complications that occurred during and after the procedure, Yury faced a cascade of life-changing consequences: a loss of vision that gradually returned over time, nerve damage, loss of his voice, severe neurological complications, and a dangerous infection that threatened his recovery. For months, he had to relearn basic abilities, including speaking, while adapting to a body and life that had suddenly changed.

Yet the greatest challenge was not only physical recovery—it was being heard when his condition was repeatedly underestimated.

From the frightening moments immediately after the procedure, to the days when his symptoms were dismissed, and finally to the doctor who recognized the seriousness of his condition and called for emergency help, this memoir presents a firsthand account of a patient’s struggle to survive, recover, and reclaim his life.

Set within a post-Soviet healthcare system, The Protocol of Indifference is not a story about blaming individuals. It is a story about human vulnerability, family support, resilience, and the importance of compassion in medicine.

Medical mistreatment is never acceptable.

I was flabbergasted by Mr. Hrynko’s experiences with the medical community both as a child when he had his adenoids and part of his tonsils removed without the use of any anesthesia as well as how he was treated as an adult after he had multiple infections of his remaining tonsils and was advised to have a tonsillectomy for health reasons. Untreated pain can be quite traumatic, especially when it’s this severe, and he shared his memories of these surgeries openly and in great detail.

Some of the most memorable portions of this book for me were the ones that explored how people who have disabilities, chronic illnesses, or other medical conditions can struggle to convince the doctors and nurses who are treating them to take their feedback seriously. This is unfortunately far more common than the general public may think it is, and it can cause long delays in treatment and diagnoses that aren’t always accurate. What made this particular case even worse is that the author’s physical difficulties with talking, eating, drinking fluids, and swallowing among a long list of other problems were caused by the same surgery that was supposed to cure him!

What ultimately encouraged me to give this a full five-star rating were the sections written by the author’s wife and parents. Family support is so important for people who are going through health issues, but not everyone necessarily thinks to ask the patient’s support system how they’re feeling during those moments. I loved learning how everyone worked together to make the best of a terrible situation, especially when it came to the soups they made and the daily visits they arranged. Little things like these can be so meaningful and life-saving, especially in a country where a hospital has such limited resources.

The Protocol of Indifference kept me perched on the edge of my seat from the first sentence to the last one. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Snow – Finding Paradise Below Zero by Hap Wilson

October 19, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Snow – Finding Paradise Below Zero by Hap Wilson
Publisher: Latitude 46
Genre: Non-Fiction, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: Best Book
Reviewed by Astilbe

Henry David Thoreau famously explains that “he went to the woods because he wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life,” a principle Wilson adopted when he spent a lifetime searching for answers while exploring Canada’s wilderness in all seasons. SNOW – Finding Paradise Below Zero, follows Wilson on his many escapades in the dead of winter, suffering frostbite, isolation, near-death experiences, surviving six months enduring a remote winter with two infants in diapers, and as a park warden in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. This is a deeper look into the evolution of camping gear and techniques, but more importantly, how to overcome adversity to live comfortably in the wilds of winter, to find paradise below zero.

Few things are more beautiful or potentially more deadly than long winter trips in the wilderness.

I loved how honest Mr. Wilson was about the mistakes he’s made on various winter trips. There were multiple occasions when his assumptions about the weather or his own breadth of knowledge or ability to survive under such harsh conditions could have ended in tragedy, and he wasn’t hesitant to admit that these were bad decisions in retrospect. One of the most memorable examples of this happened when he and his wife decided to spend six months living in an isolated cabin over the winter with their infant and toddler. This was a baffling choice to me at first, especially given how many hours a day the parents needed to spend washing cloth diapers and how fragile children these ages can be, but I admired how deeply the author dug into what happened to him and his family over those long, cold months and why he thought this was a good decision.

Understanding the appeal of hiking, camping, canoeing, or living in remote cabins over the winter was key to enjoying this book, and the author gave plenty of examples of why the risks were well worth it to him. I particularly enjoyed his descriptions of the peaceful days he and his companions knew when all was going well and the many different types of wild animals they had safe interactions with along the way. His warm feelings about nature permeated almost every single scene, and they helped to explain why he was so eager to return to it no matter what else was happening in his life at the time.

This was an illuminating look at the recent history of a subculture I knew very little about which is one of the biggest benefits of being a reader in my opinion. One never knows what they’ll discover in the next chapter! I’ll admit to being shocked by some of the trips Mr. Wilson took due to how many risks were involved with them, especially in the 1970s and 1980s when hikers did not have cell phones or other types of technology to assist them during an emergency, yet I always remained interested in his motivations for doing so and learned a lot about him and people who crave time in remote corners of nature and winter adventures in the process. ,

Snow: Finding Paradise Below Zero couldn’t have been a more exciting or thought-provoking read.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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