Saturday, August 8, 2009

My Summer Reading

Yes, yes...I know. You haven't been able to sleep at night because you've been wondering what in the world has happened to Trish! Thanks for the thoughts, but you needn't worry. I'm here. I'm still trying to hang on to every last drop of summer... I'm gardening for the first time ever and am enjoying it immensely. And, I'm working on getting my act together to start school. But, enough about all that...
One of the things that I have enjoyed so much this summer is getting to read. So, I thought I'd do a little book list/review... I checked several of these books out from the library, so I don't have them in front of me, so I might not be able to give you the authors. You're smart. You can find it if you want to.

A Handmade Life - written my the gal that has the blog www.orangette.blogspot.com. I really liked this book. It is a memoir that chronicles her life and the food that she associates with the times of her life. It has 50 recipes...including the Winning Hearts and Minds Chocolate Cake. I've made this twice and it's fantastic.

The Egg and I - By Betty MacDonald -- This book was written in the 40s, I think, and was a bestseller, which was rare for a woman. It tells about her and her chicken-loving husband living on a farm in Washington state. It was a funny book. I liked it.

Onions in the Stew - Betty MacDonal - Continues her story after a divorce, and a new marriage. She and her husband and 2 daughters move to an island in Washington state. It was ok, but I like the first book better.

Country Matters - Michael K? - Another book about a New York couple buying a farm and how they came to love it. It was a good book...easy to put down and pick back up. Has some language.

The Curate's Awakening - George MacDonald - A fabulous fiction book that deals with questions about God and faith. I try to read this book at least once a year.

A is for Apron - a book of apron patterns. I actually made an apron to hold clothespins and harvested produce. I love it.

The Magic Apple Tree - Another book that chronicles a life on the farm. Written by a gal that's famous in England. Another book that's easy to put down and pick up. I like reading about this stuff...do you see a pattern?

I read several books about raising chickens. The one that I actually bought as a reference is The Joy of Keeping Chickens.

Made from Scratch - I loved this book. The author is Jenna W. and she has the blog www.coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com Her book tells about her transformation from a city dweller to a country dweller in the city. She tells about her first attempt to raise chickens and other endeavors. And, she gives info on how you can start small as you head towards the goal of homesteading.

Hobby Farms - a sort of reference book on how to do things on a farm, but as a hobby.

I subscribed to 2 magazines that I really like. Hobby Farms is a magazine that deals with mainly the outside stuff...barns, pens, gardens, tractors, etc... The other magazine is Hobby Farms Home, which deals with the inside stuff. I like them both, but would go with HFHome if I had to choose one.

I read LOTS of cookbooks and information about canning and preserving...

Wow... I guess I was a little single-minded this summer.

4 comments:

Suzanne said...

Holy speed reader batgirl! I wish I could read faster, um even relatively unslow would be great!

"A good book, in the language of the book-sellers, is a salable one; in that of the curious, a scarce one; in that of men of sense, a useful and instructive one."
Oswald Chambers

Wendy said...

Haaa! Suzanne, you distract me! Your comments are so totally hilarious, that anything worthwhile I might have said has flown the coop. ;-) Keep it up. I like the laughs.

Trish, you amaze me. Really, how do you read so fast?? I finished two books and partial-read about 10 more. By partial I mean that I would pick up whatever struck my fancy at the moment and read until interrupted.

Chickens, chickens, farm, farm... our little town is considered "country," I believe. Stick around!

Melissa Flaming said...

Trish, we must be kindred spirits. We are raising 6 chickens for the first time and LOVING IT! Our goal is to hobby farm someday. I just read some of "The Joy of Keeping Chickens" last week. Good info. One of my favorite websites is www.backyardchickens.com. We are almost ready to paint our coop.
Also, Anna and I are going to start sewing aprons for Christmas presents. I know few ladies wear them, but maybe they'll at least be inspirational hanging around the kitchen!

Mom Keena said...

I'm with you, Suzanne! I'm eeking my way through Jane Eyre. Although I only started it after my birthday in July. Before that, I have no excuses, only blank book report forms!