Don't Jump!: The Northwest Winter Blues Survival Guide

by Novella Carpenter, Traci Vogel, Alli Arnold (Illustrator)

The one thing all Northwesterners--rich, poor, old, young, newcomers, and lifelong residents--can agree on is that winters here are long and dark. This spunky little book will guide you out of your winter funk with equal parts humor, advice, and panache. Weather got you down? Worried you're going to spend yet another winter overeating, catching colds, and feeling depressed? Don't move to Los Angeles or check yourself into a sanatorium just yet, because darling, we're here to help. Read Don't Jump! to find out whether you're a Prisoner of Weather (POW) and discover how the whipped cream on your mocha can forecast the weather better than any hack on TV. Soon you too will be asking your loved ones the all-important why give me a bathrobe when you can get me a Dawn Simulator?

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 22, 2002

About the author

Novella Carpenter grew up in rural Idaho and Washington State. She majored in biology and English at the University of Washington in Seattle. While attending Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, she studied under Michael Pollan for two years. Her urban farm began with a few chickens, then some bees, until she had a full-blown farm near downtown Oakland.

Author photo courtesy of author website.

Reviews

[Anna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the illustrations and humor in this book and being a Washington State native, I can def relate to the struggle with endless rainy, gray days.

Very fun book to thumb through and read various sections.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick read, because it is awesome. Also because the illustrations are awesome.
The second half is a bit more serious than the first half, which was disappointing. But the general consensus is that it's locally published (Sasquatch Books) and it's funny and you should read it. If you live in BC, Washington, or Oregon. Otherwise you wouldn't get it.
Yes, I'm going there.
Because the constant drizzle makes us cool.
That's a pun.

[Jess B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, but as someone who lives in the Pacific Northwest, I've heard a lot of "it's too grey and wet in the winter and so let's try to not kill ourselves, shall we?" jokes / comments before, and this book didn't have a lot of originality to it. That said, there are a few beautiful moments, such as the "Northwest Weather Persona: R.E. Inn" which stereotypes all the REI addicts with our "five Gortex jackets".

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone who lives in the Northwest, Seattle especially, will get a kick out of this hilarious book!

[Bellamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book very much! haha