Praise for Books by Michael J. Tougias
The Waters Between Us
“Along with his father’s love, the other constant in the boy’s life—and the thing Mr. Tougias credits with saving him from more serious trouble—is his love of the outdoors, a dynamo of fascination and adventure, a place that draws him back endlessly. Always in the background is his father, who leaves the house before anyone else is awake and labors physically for 50 or 60 hours a week, coming home too exhausted to attend his son’s games. Michael knows his father loves him but isn’t sure the man likes him, which is what he craves. As anyone who has played a part in this ancient drama knows, there’s no single moment of reconciliation. It comes with time, incrementally. And it’s not the father who changes.”--The Wall Street Journal
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NetGalley Review: 5 stars
Last updated on 29 Oct 2021
"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."—Joan Wright, consumer reviewer
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NetGalley Review: 5 stars
Last updated on 30 Oct 2021
"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."—June Price, reviewer at Sunhusky Books
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NetGalley Review: 5 stars
Last updated on 30 Nov 2021
"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."—Kelly Long, consumer reviewer
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"There is a bombshell in the last fifth of The Waters Between Us."-- Tiziana Dearing, Host of NPR's Radio Boston
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A Storm Too Soon
“By depicting the event from the perspective of both the rescued and the rescuers and focusing only on key moments and details, Tougias creates a suspenseful, tautly rendered story that leaves readers breathless but well-satisfied. Heart-pounding action for the avid armchair adventurer.” —Kirkus Reviews
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“The riveting, meticulously researched “A Storm Too Soon” tells the true-life tale of an incredible rescue” —New York Post
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“Tougias deftly switches from heart-pounding details of the rescue to the personal stories of the boat’s crew and those of the rescue team. The result is a well-researched and suspenseful read.” —Publishers Weekly
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“Already a maven of maritime books with Overboard! and Fatal Forecast, Tougias cinches that title here. Working in the present tense Tougias lets the story tell itself, and what a story! Any one reading (A Storm Too Soon) will laud Tougias’ success.”
—Providence Journal
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PRAISE FOR THERE’S A PORCUPINE IN MY OUTHOUSE
“This is the way natural history should be taught—by a good storyteller with a sense of humor.”
—Audubon Magazine
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“Tougias recounts his experiences with candor and humor. He blends the adventures of Lewis and Clark with the vision of John Muir.” —Cape Cod Times
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“A very funny memoir. Tougias learned from his cabin experience and today he is one of New England’s leading nature writers.” —Book Views
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“This is an honest book that asks us to admit our ignorance of much of the natural process and our fears of all those unknown things that ‘go bump in the night’ when we visit friends in the country. Tougias tempers each small disaster with good humor and a growing love for a world that he at first finds completely foreign, but which he ultimately realizes he cannot part with.” —Bill Eddy, author of The Other Side of the World
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