Tuesday Book Club
On our long road trip, listened to 14 1/2 hours of an audio book that I guarantee has changed my life: Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It’s about her family’s one-year experiment in eating only what they could grow or buy from local farmers. Incredible. It will change how you think about what you buy, what you put in your mouth, the kind of world you want to see for you and your children in the next fifty years and beyond. And she managed to do what two years of guilty self-nagging have been unable to do: convince me to begin cooking again. On purpose. Joyfully.
I mean I do cook, but begrudgingly. Under compulsion. Because it’s my duty. And without any creativity whatsoever, despite all my former years of happy creation in the kitchen. But last night when we rolled in from our trip, instead of taking our usual route of going out to eat because who wants to cook after ten hours of driving–instead I printed out one of the recipes from the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle website, shopped for the ingredients, and treated us to real and wonderful food. And my husband and I now have a standing date to visit a farmer’s market every weekend. And we’re going to have homemade pizza night on Fridays. And last night I baked some bread. Yep–a real sea change here, whatever that phrase means.
I’m sending the audio book on to another foodie friend of mine, which is no problem since I also happened to buy the hardcover version of the book before I bought the audio. I just thought it would be perfect for a long road trip, and I was right–particularly since Barbara Kingsolver, her husband, and her daughter all read their parts themselves, and all have fabulous voices. I could have listened to Barbara all day. Wait–I did.
I also read Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements. Remember when I printed this excerpt? Well, the book is far, far richer and deeper than that, and I thought the excerpt was pretty profound. I also read a book for research for my current novel, but I can’t tell you what that is. Secret . . .
How about you guys? What have you been reading?
Technorati Tags: Tuesday Book Club, Reading Clubs, Book Clubs, Books, Reading, Book Reviews, Book Recommendations, Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Vegetable Miracle, Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements
August 14th, 2007 at 5:29 am
Well, I read HP7 because I was being left out of conversations.
Have you seen the Stephen King article on it?
Only half finished Bird by Bird.(I really shouldn’t announce what I am reading, because I often get distracted and pick something else up instead)
Couldn’t find Boy Toy, so I am going to wait a few weeks and get a signed copy. They better have it!!!
And I wanted to mention, I have started the reading assignment that annette and I have due. I’m at the part where Henry leaps into the future and MegaGalatidiuos the GigantiTech Android is destroying the moon, while Clare is tied to the intergalactic space way with buckyball rope.
VERY TENSE!
August 14th, 2007 at 7:25 am
Well,I finished Austenland(Thank you,Robin,for bringing this book to my attention,it was great fun)and a movie tie-in collection of Jane Austen qoutes called Becoming Jane: The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen. Basically it was “Austen’s Greatest Hits” with some refresher and/or basic JA info. Not bad,but a Mr. Bennet qoute was attributed to Mr. Darcy:(
I’m still reading by George by Wesley Stace(which is so good that it makes me regret not reading his first novel Misfortune)and also read that Stephen King write-up on HP7 that Patrick mentioned. King really gives the final word on the whole Potter phenom there. It’s certainly alot better than Christopher Hitchens’ review of HP7 in the NYTBR by a country mile!
August 14th, 2007 at 7:59 am
Hi Robin:
I have to admit that I’m afraid of the Kingsolver book, because I’m afraid it will change my life too much. Make sense?
I’m listening to “The Woman in White,” by Wilkie Collins, which is awesome. And, I’m reading a ton of kids books, many of them good.
It’s great to have you back, Robin. If you have a chance, stop by my new “everyday etiquette” series and leave your 2 cents.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:51 am
Thanks for linking to that Stephen King article, Patrick. Someone mentioned it to me just yesterday and I’d meant to track it down.
I’m reading Drop Dead Beautiful by Jackie Collins. It’s my first Jackie Collins read.
Welcome back, Robin!
August 14th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Okay, you sold me. And it sounds like a great gift for my husband’s upcoming birthday.
I’m reading Gabrielle Zevin’s latest YA novel, lots of poetry, and Owlboy. Lots of wonderful Fall ARCs arrived at my doorstep yesterday, too. When you get Love, Stargirl by Spinelli, well, it’s easy to drop everything to read it, but I’m trying to be true to the novels I currently am reading now and hold off on Spinelli.
Welcome back, Robin! I’m sure you arrived earlier, but my blog-reading’s been so spotty lately.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:44 am
Re: the Stephen King article. Do you not love this quote:
“Another was that kids exhibiting paranoid-schizophrenic tendencies are simply accepted in most societies.”
?
Wonderful.
I agree with him about Rowling’s use of the word “bitch.” It was kind of shocking, but also completely appropriate.
I’ve read most of Kingsolver but have been avoiding Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for Kelly’s reason. I already worry a lot about food; I’m not sure I can take any more.
Speaking of food, though, I’m currently in the midst of an anthology of essays about food that a library patron gave me to read, The Adventure of Food. So far, so good.
August 14th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Finished Too Late to Say Goodbye and realized it is my calling to write true crime.
Also read Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr. Anyone else read it? There were parts of it that were extremely good, but I wouldn’t say it was an extremely good book. I would love to hear what others think.
August 14th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Finished The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean. Loved every word of it, and it’s featured on my blog today. Also, The Talented Clementine, written by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Marla Frazee…oh my, did this make me cry and laugh. The line illustrations are genius and the writing is as good as Beverly Cleary’s, and I don’t say that lightly.
August 14th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Finishing Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies by June Casagrande.
Fun read.
August 14th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I didn’t finish a single book this week. *sigh*
However, I was not idle. I added the 1500+ books in my classroom library to LibraryThing, my classroom is ready, and by the end of the day tomorrow, I should know what my first week of lessons will be. Bring ‘em on! Let the school year begin!
On another note, Barbara Kingsolver worked her magic in our house at the beginning of the summer. I am back to baking all our bread, and we no longer buy someone else’s homemade cinnamon rolls — I make a batch every two weeks or so for the price of ONE of theirs! (And we get ALL the aroma!)
August 14th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
I finally finished “Twilight”.
I will definitely have to get “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”… I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I think my husband would really like it, too. Maybe I’ll get the audiobook from audible.com!
August 14th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Mary Lee, that’s so cool that you’re a BK conver,t too! And making your own cinnamon rolls? I’m coming to your house.
Lady T, I’m so glad you liked Austenland! And how nice that you’ve been fully immersed in Jane Austen now for the past couple of weeks. You must be so calm and happy–she always does that for me, as do books about her books.
Heather, what a great title! But I really loved that grammar snob book Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. Would I have to choose sides?
Sara, The White Darkness–love that title, too, by the way–sounds so lovely. Another must-read. Dang it. My TBR pile will never go down. And then you had to say that about the other book being as good as Beverly Cleary’s. You know where to strike.
Molly, I’m glad you realized your true calling is to write true crime fiction. It’s too scary for me, but someone’s got to do it. So do.
Kelly and Adrienne, do not fear the Kingsolver book. You’re not going to have to give up brownies, I swear. It’s a gentle book, a sweet and funny book, that also just happens to make you rethink whether to buy the nectarines from New Zealand in the middle of winter. And look at Mary Lee–you might end up baking cinnamon rolls. And then I might have to come to your houses, too.
Jules, yay! I’m glad you’ll buy it for your man (and you). And I need to tell you I admire your restraint in not grabbing the Spinelli or any of those new books that came. I have such a hard time with always buying new books instead of reading the ones on my pile. Which is why my office looks the way it does (well, one of the reasons).
Laura, I don’t think I’ve ever read a Jackie Collins. Is it just so dishy? And juicy? Must be like my old Judith Krantz and Sidney Sheldon favs.
Patrick, stop trying to defraud us on The Time Traveler’s Wife. You’re excused from that assignment, although Annette is not. And thanks for that King link–wonderful!
Katie, for sure get the audio! You’ll love listening to Barbara’s great voice.
August 14th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
I finally finished John Marsden’s Tomorrow series this week. And now I’m re-reading Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s Green Sky trilogy. But I have so many others that I want to get to. My copy of Eclipse came in the mail today, and am eager to get to that one, too. So many books, so little time…
August 14th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Would I lie about something like that? I just want to know how annette is coming along. We only have something like 9 months left to finish.
August 14th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
OK, but you guys who are scared to read “Animal, Vegetable…” — don’t be! She doesn’t ask you to do what she’s done. She really acknowledges the beauty and power of every small act. And when you go to the farmer’s market on Saturday it’ll feel a little more important than it did before. Really. Right, Robin?
I read the new New Yorker cover to cover today. Wheee….
August 14th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Liz, that’s exactly right. I do feel different about all of that–shopping, cooking, going to the farmers market this afternoon, as a matter of fact.
Patrick, I would never accuse you of lying about reading a book. I mean, what kind of shallow person does that?
Jen, my copy of Eclipse was here waiting for me when I got home from vacation. I SO want to read it right now, but I have other books that must be read first–books for research for me, so I can’t really skip them. Sigh. Eclipse really wants to jump the line, just like Harry Potter 4-7 did.
August 14th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
Today, I shall read Dangerously Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Little Willow, I love how specific you are. “Today I shall read . . .” when I know you read more in a week than any of us mere mortals.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Sigh.
I didn’t get to read anything this weekend either. But! I did send a manuscript to my editor today!
So now my life will get a lot better and include other people’s books. Whoo hoo!
August 14th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Robin, thanks for sharing the Animal, Vegetable, Mineral website. I am intrigued by the recipe for zucchini chocolate chip cookies.
Jules, I just started reading Owlboy with my little boys. They laughed so hard at the nicknames on page 7!
I finally finished My Sister’s Keeper. It involved a lot of sobbing.
August 15th, 2007 at 6:25 am
I am late. Was at the coast with members of my book club. We were there to decide books for the coming year. The Kingsolver book came up but we passed on it. I think I will check out the audio.
I got The Secret of the Old Clock read and The Giant Rat of Sumatra. Two more from the ambitious list made earlier this summer.
August 15th, 2007 at 9:40 am
@patrick. i’m on my third re-read. it’s soooo deep i want to make sure i pick up on all the cabalic symbolism. i’m thinking of translating it into the sanskrit.
i did read “bird by bird” (though not this week, or last)and enjoyed it much.
August 15th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
I’m going to quiz you in Phoenix.
August 15th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
damn!
August 15th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
1. Who gets sucked into the black hole?
a. henry
b. The Jedi
c. Gigantor the bloodsucking Robot Vampire
d. Clare
e. Claire
f. Gomez
August 15th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
please define “blackhole.”
August 15th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Yes, Robin, Eclipse is still calling out to me, and wanting to jump the queue. But what’s interesting is that another book that arrived today is calling out to me even more loudly: an ARC of Gabrielle Zevin’s Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac (with thanks to Jules). This one is on the verge of making me drop my half-completed, old favorite title, to check it out. Very mysterious, this power that certain books have.