Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Skimming: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle



I used to feel like I had to finish any book I started. But these days, my reading time is too precious to spend on something that doesn't catch my attention quickly or promise to be worth my time.

I've wanted to read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver for a long time (her book Poisonwood Bible is one I remember the most from my women's lit class as an undergrad). In it, Kingsolver and her family move to a farm and live off the land. It discusses our culture of food and the benefits of eating locally and organically.

I got it from the library last week, read a couple of paragraphs and then abandoned it. I picked it up again today and skimmed through it. I mostly read the mini essays by Kingsolver's daughter which included recipes and some menu ideas for different seasons.

Even though I didn't finish this book, I'd still recommend it. In fact, I'm recommending it to my future self--it's right back on the TBR list and I'll probably keep my eye out for a used copy so that I can have it on my shelf to pick up and read someday when I have my own house and garden, maybe more money to spend at farmer's markets, or even just my own kitchen again. Since I have no means to make the changes I'd like to with gardening and cooking, I just felt that this was the wrong time for me to invest time in reading this book. But if you're there, definitely read this one. (I think my younger sister Beccah would especially like it.) If you want to dabble before you dive in, check out the website created for the book: AnimalVegetableMiracle.

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