Six novels that can teach you practical skills

Jeff Somers is the author of We Are Not Good People, the Avery Cates series, Lifers, and Chum. He has published over thirty short stories, including “Ringing the Changes,” which appeared in the Best American Mystery Stories 2006 anthology. One of his six top books that offer as much practical education as entertainment value, as shared at the B&N Reads blog:

The Revenant, by Michael Punke

Punke’s fantastic fictional retelling of the true story of the survival of Hugh Glass after he was mauled by a bear and left for dead is thrilling, and can be interpreted in many ways. Punke contemplates nature and man’s relationship to it, the value of revenge, and, ultimately, what drives us to continue living. Throughout, he also offers up a veritable survival how-to, detailing the methods Hugh Glass uses to survive with minimal equipment while horrifically injured. Many of the techniques offered are very real and could actually be useful should you find yourself lost in the wilderness, from setting up simple snare traps, to building temporary shelters that might mean the difference between freezing to death and living to see the sunrise.

Read about another entry on the list.

The Revenant is among Jeff Somers's five top novels based on bonkers things that actually happened and Melissa Albert's list of top adaptations.

--Marshal Zeringue