15 Months of Winter: My Year in North Dakota

by John Bayer

In July 2012, John Bayer left Los Angeles and moved to North Dakota. He moved there with a dream in his heart – the dream was to not live in Los Angeles anymore. John quickly discovered that North Dakota is the most "not Los Angeles" place in the world. Fifteen Months of My Year in North Dakota contains John's reflections and musing about living in the Dakota that doesn't have Mount Rushmore. Many of the essays in this book come directly from his award winning O! Pioneer newspaper column (ND Newspaper Association – 2012 First Place Humor column – weeklies 2000+ circulation). Also contained in this book are all of the random thoughts, notes and writings that just simply weren't good enough to be put into print. Until now!

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 2014

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very talented writer. I literally laughed out loud and that's not common for me. I don't know how he's not famous. This book is kind of in the same vein as a David Sedaris or Dave Barry. He uses his move from LA to North Dakota as subject matter for his newspaper column in which he describes his impressions of North Dakota and the people there. It's not just that he describes comical events though, the author is just funny. His observations are funny, his metaphors are funny, his insights are funny. I was reading this as research for a North Dakota project I'm doing and wasn't expecting to be very entertained but now I've recommended this book to my husband and friends who don't have a connection to North Dakota but do enjoy a watching comedy shows like Stephen Colbert etc.

[Jessie Gussman · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book that will make you laugh out loud, right here it is!! Clean humor, with great insights. Fabulous book. He captures small-town life beautifully. So many times we get accused of being "small-minded" and "homophobic." He looked beyond the name-calling and truly grasped what a large influx of people into a small town does to the community (vs. a big city, where you don't even know who lives in the apartment beside you, let alone anyone in the next building). He picked on Norwegians (because they settled in ND) but, honestly, a lot of the things he said applied to my German and Polish ancestors. Hard work. Self-sacrifice. Humbleness. Thriftiness. No PDA or PDE (public display of emotion). Hilarious! I can't wait to read it again!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by comedic writer who spent 13 months in Northwestern North Dakota writing a column for the town's paper. John Bayer wrote his experience of moving from Sunny California to a very northern spot. Loved his observations and his sense of humor.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has been living in North Dakota for the past 17 years, the entertaining observations in this book rang almost too true! An entertaining and quick read!

[ash · Rating 1 out of 5]

I arrived in North Dakota from my life-long suburban Los Angeles home exactly four days before John Bayer. I didn't know that when I bought the book, I was just looking for a goofy memoir about how miserable North Dakota winters are. I didn't know this was a collection of "humor" columns either. This wasn't funny -- I laughed maybe twice? and I'm an eaaaaasy laugher -- and the observations weren't insightful or clever or interesting. It had all the worst parts of North Dakotans -- complaints about "outsiders," whining about "high" crime levels in the bigger cities, incessant nattering about Norwegian heritage -- and all the worst parts of people who live in L.A. and think they're natives -- whining about how no one walks, complaints about superficiality, faux-mocking obsession with celebrity -- and nothing redeeming to be found. Having lived in nearby Williston for the last 4 years and 5 months, It's hard to imagine anyone in this column's readership actually reading it, let alone fawning over this dude.

Also, you barely made it a year, dude. Settle down with your "15 months" shtick.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining, quick read.

If you're from North Dakota, you'll get it. You just nod your head and laugh as you read through the chapters.

This place certainly isn't for the frail of constitution in the winter. I'm glad the author spent some time here and managed to make it out before being stuck in the permafrost permanently.

Very enjoyable!

[Victoria Ledum · Rating 3 out of 5]

i picked up this book because i thought i would find it relatable and interesting to see his experience of moving to nd - and i did! north dakota has such little representation that it’s fun to see north dakota - and even better - medora mentions! the column on medora was definitely my fav, especially his note on how “LA is too cool for north dakota” #realandtrue
also ngl i was close to shedding a tear when he described the “i’m coming back” signs in the flooded yards of minot. i think it is the perfect example of the spirit and heart of north dakotans. overall a really refreshing and honest taken on life in north dakota

disclaimer: pissed me off when he was being a climate change denier… let’s hope he’s changed since 2012 😤

[DeAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heck! I’m only halfway through the book and I’ll rate this 5 stars! I, too, am a transplant from California to North Dakota (2010, but here for the long haul) and can TOTALLY agree to everything John has written in this lovely homage to this awesome state. Humor and all...he is right on. A person has to have a positive...and, again, humorous outlook when living here. For me, it doesn’t hurt to be married to a Norwegian but just reading about life in good ole Nort Dah-kOH-tah is truly a hoot because John is pretty much on point. I smile & chuckle through each page as this writer has a great way with words. My kind of humor! Uff Da...this is a good read!

[Shilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I live in rural North Dakota and while it is not the same town where the author lived, I found the book to be very funny. I don't know if I enjoyed the book more because I am not from the rural town so I have many of the same observations as the author, but regardless, it is a light and fast read that reminded me of Dave Barry's book about Florida. If the book about Florida focused on one location. There are many aspects of North Dakota the author missed, but that is fine, he was only here for a year.

[John Gennaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am moving to North Dakota

I am, really. I am retired. I can no longer tolerate the New York metropolitan area. Mr. Bayer confirmed my instincts. I hope to have similar adventures. Uff da!

[MissSusie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great look at small town North Dakota. Even though he is in Crosby this book could be set in any small town in ND.

Highly recommend!

[Lynn Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good fun.

I enjoyed the book but writing anything more would be too much like showing emotion and very un-North Dakota like.

[Joseph King · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very poor!

[Bradley Meduna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is hilarious and entertaining!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this light-hearted book while on our third trip to North Dakota. (Yes, we find it an interesting state rich with history and nature.) While we enjoy visits in summer or fall I can never imagine surviving anNorth Dakota winter. Natives and residents have my utmost admiration.

[Kenn Staub · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of newspaper columns by an author who moved from California to North Dakota and lived in one of the state's ubiquitous small, rural towns for a year. Though written with the intent of being humorous, I found it to be somewhat light in this regard. Having lived in North Dakota for a few years myself, however, I found much of what the author had to say to be accurate and he dredged up some fond memories. Thankfully the condescension, that is frequently rife in such books, was kept to a minimum. This book took place 10 years after we left the state, so I was particularly interested in his take on the recent oil boom and the flooding that took place a few years ago (and how it was pretty much ignored by most of the rest of the nation, to the disgust of both the author and myself). In a way it gave some voice to a disenfranchised group of US citizens, the people of North Dakota who are largely ignored because they live in a state that is so foreign to many. A quick, easy, and enjoyable read that many will find quite informative.

[Shayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because I know the author and think of him as a friend. Comedy is not one of my normal genre reads as those kinds of books that I have picked up in the past have been rather crude and raunchy. This one had none of those despised elements. It was entertaining and informative on the subject of North Dakota and what it would be like from the perspective of someone who has grown up in a hot dry climate like Arizona, but most recently lived in Los Angeles. What a change for him! Although he pokes plenty of fun at himself and the tiny town of Crosby, North Dakota, the reader can sense the author's love for the people and the town where he lived for those 15 months. This was an enjoyable and easy read in which I learned a little more about the North Dakota area. The closest I've been to ND is visiting Mount Rushmore. As the author of this book points out though, Mount Rushmore is in South Dakota. I hope that John will continue to follow his dreams wherever they lead him.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in Crosby so when a coworker loaned this to me, I was curious to see what he had to say. Reading this was like a warm, cozy walk down memory lane, even though I still live in North Dakota. John captured Crosby in the best way and had me longing to go back to the threshing bee where I could potentially lose my hearing at the tractor parade. It brought a smile to my face as he mentioned people and places familiar to me. I'm glad he enjoyed his time in Crosby. And through that it made me glad to be North Dakotan. And Norwegian

[Pugalicious · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, even more after a few glasses of wine. The first few chapters I laughed out loud at and I continued to chuckle throughout. The author is self-deprecating and observant about his time living in North Dakota. He had to be as he was hired to write a weekly humor column "O Pioneer" about his little corner of the Dakota's. Fun and light

[Natalie K. Groesbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite funny, made me almost want to visit.

This was a very funny book. I liked his writing and if it didn't sound so cold, I would want to go there.