Irreverent and funny! Branch takes the time to laugh at the wild situations he's experienced and people he's met, but he also talks about the values of desert land and not developing every space in the world or using every resource. He's a bit grumpy and avoids people he doesn't like. I generally like that in an author or character, so I enjoyed this one. I'd recommend this one for people who like books about the desert/natural living and stand-up comedy (without the risk of being called on to speak).

The desert is not the place you usually think of when you think of humor. It seems like this barren wasteland where nothing can live except cactus. But, people do love deserts and they live there. The author of “Rants from the Hill” is one of them. They call themselves desert rats. And the desert is indeed full of humorous anecdotes, as this hilarious collection of essays will attest. Originating as a series of monthly columns for High Country News, this eclectic collection will appeal to just about everyone.

Some are serious. Some are laugh-out-loud funny. All deal with the desert environment in a unique voice. I found the author’s sense of humor to be wonderfully dry at times and even sarcastic.

I loved the story of the Mary Kay lady. The shoe tree and “Desert Insomnia” were my other favorites. There are many to choose from. All of them are enjoyable and funny. This is a book you can pick up and read whenever you need a short burst of humor to brighten your day.

I enjoyed how to author combined his environmental knowledge with the stories. Not only do you learn some facts about desert life, plants, animals, history, and more, but you get a story to go along with this knowledge. He and his wife are raising their two kids there and some of the stories are from the perspective of parents, and tell tales many parents can relate to. There is something for everyone in this book.

Overall, I give this book a five-star rating. The author has an excellent sense of his audience and the writing is smooth and each essay just the right length. None of them are boring. The book can be read quickly or you can take your time and savor it, one essay at a time. Any way you read it, I think you will enjoy it.

I am usually drawn to and reading about those who live in cold climates, but in an effort to expand my reading intereste I decided to read this, about a man and his family who decided to make their home in the desert. Plus, quite frankly, I loved the title. Branch himself is a self avowed, certified curmugeon, and in this book of essays we get a wide range glimpse of everything from his inhospitable mail woman, to his wife and two young children, the youngest whom he calls a feral child.

From his daily walks we travel along to see the contours of his space and the animals, including a bee infestation, to finding a stash of Playboy's in an abandoned campsite. A dissertation on Christmas trees, past and present and the origin and meaning of the song, Auld lang sine. All done with a very personal voice, light touch and plenty of humor, yet his love for this barren place he calls home shines through. Loved his amusing essay on bumper stickers, of which I wholly agree. Plenty of good stuff is presented here, in this place where I can't even imagine ever wanting to live.

ARC from Netgalley.

Rants from the Hill is a compilation of essays Mike Branch wrote for “High Country News” and other publications. Overall, the collection is hilarious, thought-provoking, entertaining, and full of incredible details about the high desert in which he and his family live. The subject matter varies greatly from a visit from a Mary Kay representative (one of the funniest stories) to a postwoman who refuses to deliver The New Yorker magazine to Branch (also very funny) to environmental affairs such as the lingering effects from bomb testing (not remotely funny and something I knew absolutely nothing about). While I would never want to live where Branch does, I very much enjoyed his stories. His writing is so descriptive and witty; at times, I felt that I was there in the desert wilderness with him. Thanks to Roost Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this advance review copy. The opinions are all my own.

Rants from the Hill: On Packrats, Bobcats, Wildfires, Curmudgeons, a Drunken Mary Kay Lady, and Other Encounters with the Wild in the High Desert by Michael P. Branch is so rich in humor I had laughed all the way through the book! If you've read Patrick F. McManus' funny books on hunting and fishing well these books are similar only on the desert and all it has hidden. Just as crazy and funny! I love the way Branch describes his crazy neighbors, his kids, the animals, the desert itself. His encounters with wildlife had me in stitches. At the same time you can see he has such a love for his dry piece of the earth, the animals, and the crazies around him. I can't wait to read more of his books! He is so witty and clever! I loved this book so much! Rant on! Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this awesome book!

This book is a funny title about the perils of living out west and the crazy animals and nature that the author experiences. The author has a curmudgeon feel to it, and his humor is dry and contagious.

I absolutely loved this book. I learned a lot about the high desert and laughed out loud about some of the things that happen there. Michael P Branch will keep your interest with serious and humorous essays.