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Monday, October 14, 2013

Our October/November 2013 Book Pick: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle!

The next book selection for the Cook the Books Club is "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life", written by Barbara Kingsolver, her husband Steven L. Hopp, and her two daughters, Camille and Lily, after they relocated from Tucson, Arizona to their new farmstead in Kentucky. The Kingsolver/Hopp family decided on a year-long experiment in which they would try to only buy food from their local community or raise it or grow it themselves.


As a longtime Kingsolver fiction fan, I made sure to get my hands on a copy of this book shortly after it was originally published in 2007. I sped through it then, and wrote down lots of notes and dog-eared a bunch of pages of cheesemaking, recipes, turkey-rearing and horticultural tips. I wanted to share this book with others who may not have dipped into it and also thought it would be interesting to re-read this book to see not only how I could renew my efforts to eat more locally-grown foods, but to see how influential it has been on the locavore and farmer's market movements.

As always, anyone can join us in reading and blogging about this book by the November 25, 2013 deadline. There are no requirements to sign up or log in to Cook the Books. You just need to cuddle up with our featured book, blog up your thoughts and cook up something inspired by its prose. Oh, and just let me know that you did so by leaving a comment below.

Can't wait to see what you think about this great book!
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9 comments:

  1. Alicia FoodycatOctober 14, 2013 at 4:24 PM

    I'm a bit apprehensive, I confess! The only one of hers I have read is the Poisonwood Bible, which I found brilliant but difficult.

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  2. RachelOctober 14, 2013 at 5:18 PM

    Hey Foodycat, I wouldn't worry about the book being dense. It's a linear narrative about how they dealt with their self-imposed challenge through the seasons. Lots of anecdotes about how they grew stuff, raised turkeys, made some mozzarella, tried to do without tropical delights such as citrus, coffee and chocolate, but it's not difficult reading. Poisonwood Bible was a bit a slog, as I recall. I really prefer her other novels: Bean Trees, Animal Dreams, and especially, Prodigal Summer. Hope you can find a copy and take a chance on this delightful read!

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  3. ElizabethOctober 14, 2013 at 6:02 PM

    I've had this book on hold at the library for ages. I'm with Rachel - Poisonwood Bible was quite a slog. But I liked Bean Trees and Animal Dreams too. And I loved Prodigal Summer - it's one of my favourite books of all time.

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  4. Heather S-GOctober 14, 2013 at 7:23 PM

    This is a great pick...I read it years ago, and promptly bought a withdrawn copy from my library. I look forward to reading it again!

    FC - it reads very quickly.

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  5. Nilu AOctober 21, 2013 at 3:35 AM

    I've never read this book.. Will check if I can find a copy.. Do visit my blog.. http://kitchenserenity.blogspot.in/

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  6. GwenOctober 24, 2013 at 8:15 PM

    One of my favorite authors and books! I actually met her here in Phoenix several years ago, very nice lady.I'll have to participate in this one as I've been meaning to try more recipes from this book. I actually considered moving to the Appalacian Mts and starting a farm after reading this ;}

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  7. RachelOctober 25, 2013 at 10:11 AM

    Elizabeth, Nilu and Gwen:

    We would love to have you participate in this round of Cook the Books! The more the merrier....

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  8. Heather S-GNovember 25, 2013 at 8:42 AM

    skin of my teeth! http://www.girlichef.com/2013/11/RoastedDelicataSquashKalePasta.html

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  9. Simona CariniNovember 26, 2013 at 1:13 AM

    Still Monday in California. With apologies for being so late: http://www.pulcetta.com/2013/11/pane-zucca-siero-latte-winter-squash-whey-bread.html

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