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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
Not much I haven't heard before - feedlots are bad, local eating is good, etc...but a witty and informative book. I'm probably just not the target audience, though I have been moaning all week about not having a garden/farmhouse/giant kitchen... (A woodstove in the kitchen! Could life get any better?) Because she grew up in the area where she has moved to, Kingsolver seems a bit more authentic than, say, Michael Pollan going hunting for wild boars, and has a good understanding of what it means to be a farmer today.
I had to come back to this, one of my faves, to see what i should learn in round 2, also known as now "I have a garden!" This book, though now many years old is still worth a second look. I appreciated the audio the second time around as each writer narrates their own section.
Well shoot…
I really enjoyed this one. I’m currently reading the first few GR reviews that pop up and giggling a bit. I get it. We all can’t be farmers, pick up everything live off the land and have the best food source for our bodies… but those who can let’s give them a round of applause!
If I can put this book into one word it would be inspiring… I went in with a physical copy as well as audio! The audio definitely worked better for me. I also loved having the physical for the seasonal menus and other tidbits. I read this book a chapter a day and that was just enough to digest the seasons and the labor that goes into living this lifestyle that I so wish I could. It’s actually sad that it’s unrealistic to some but who knows maybe one day!
I loved Kingsolver part memoir, part education. To be honest I’m curious for more. I also will never look at a banana the same again. For anyone that is looking to eat more intentionally/seasonally. Also who may love a foodie memoir. This is for sure one I think you will enjoy!
I really enjoyed this one. I’m currently reading the first few GR reviews that pop up and giggling a bit. I get it. We all can’t be farmers, pick up everything live off the land and have the best food source for our bodies… but those who can let’s give them a round of applause!
If I can put this book into one word it would be inspiring… I went in with a physical copy as well as audio! The audio definitely worked better for me. I also loved having the physical for the seasonal menus and other tidbits. I read this book a chapter a day and that was just enough to digest the seasons and the labor that goes into living this lifestyle that I so wish I could. It’s actually sad that it’s unrealistic to some but who knows maybe one day!
I loved Kingsolver part memoir, part education. To be honest I’m curious for more. I also will never look at a banana the same again. For anyone that is looking to eat more intentionally/seasonally. Also who may love a foodie memoir. This is for sure one I think you will enjoy!
Great writing, interesting subject matter; buying locally grown food, sustainability, self sufficiency, nutrition, environmentalism. Kingsolver's writing has moderate left leaning overtones that are wearisome, but i pushed through to the end. Despite the political grating on my nerves, I really enjoyed the farming anecdotes and gardening advice. It was great to read that there are kindred spirits out there; conscientious about being self sufficient and taking care of the earth.
This book makes you love vegetables. Even if you think you already love vegetables, read this book to see what it feels like to REALLY love vegetables.
Very cool experiment where Barbara Kingsolver (beautiful writer, author of The Poisonwood Bible) and her family live off the land, and only the local land, for one year. Very interesting!
Very cool experiment where Barbara Kingsolver (beautiful writer, author of The Poisonwood Bible) and her family live off the land, and only the local land, for one year. Very interesting!
I really enjoyed this book. It made me want to try again, and try harder, to have a successful vegetable garden. I'm going to try out the farmer's market this year, and try to eat more local food.
This book is REALLY good. If you are at all interested in eating locally and cutting down on your carbon foot print this book is very inspiring! We can't all do what they did, we don't all have a farm! But every little bit helps. I am more dedicated to eating locally and I am even going to start looking into making and growing more things on my own. If we don't do something about the way we buy food as a nation then we are just going to continue to hurt our planet. I don't like that idea with children that will have to deal with the fallout. Read this book, it's eye opening!
Originally read this in early 2010s before I was a Goodreads user, reread it for my library book club. Her writing is really lovely and she gives lots of ideas and insight into how to be a better food consumer. The book holds up well ten years after pub date. Also, some good recipes thrown in! There are bits that feel like padding though, the book could have been a little shorter.
#readharder read a book you've already read, One Book One Chicago pick 2016-17.
#readharder read a book you've already read, One Book One Chicago pick 2016-17.
Barbara Kingsolver and her family uproot from the dry, malnourished lands in Arizona and move to a rural home in Virginia surrounded by greenery and fruitful soil to take a "sabbatical" of nourishment and agricultural education. Fleeing from the mainstream concept of buying processed and carefully reared foods from the grocery store, the family makes a pact to only consume foods that they grew, made, or bought from a local farmer. It was a challenge and journey to bring them back to the nature of humanity, close with earth, with the people and ultimately benefit their well-being and the earth that provides sustenance for them. Filled with statistics of our food culture (and the commodity of corn and ethanol), recipes for every season, and brief accounts of this experience from Kinsolver's eldest daughter, it's an informative and inspiring read to ask you... what is on your plate?
I really really recommend this book. It informs nicely about eating locally, without being too preachy. I tend to disagree with parts of it (vegan things) but the overall spirit of the book is refreshing.