|
CallaFirestormBW -> RE: Member's fav books... (6/22/2009 9:51:08 AM)
|
Ok, these are what I'm reading now, or have planned to finish before September.
Skin-Trade I haven't started this one yet, but I've been following Anita Blake (Laurel K. Hamilton) since the first book. The storytelling has disintegrated a bit in the previous two books, so I'm hoping that this one restores some of Anita's 'rawness'.
French for Dummies (used in concert with a class and Rosetta Stone-French 1&2) This is an adjunct to my French Language classes. So far, it's pretty banal and I've already moved beyond it with my Rosetta Stone -- definitely a very base 'starter' look at French, but the exercises are fun.
"Fantasy and Science Fiction" June/July issue While not a book, this small-format mag has a number of really incredible pieces, including some nice novella-length works from authors I'll be seeking out in the future.
Practical Cheesemaking I'm just getting started with this book as well. So far, it is a very well detailed look at the process and science of cheese-making, not in an academic manner, but very pragmatically. I've started making some soft cheeses and had them come out very successfully, and I'm looking forward to doing some of the more complicated hard cheeses this winter.
Charcuterie I've always loved charcuterie (the creating and use of meats in food preparation). In particular, I'm focusing on ground meats and force-meats, since I've always been a big fan of sausages and pates, and they go so well with the cheeses I'm working on.
In Defense of Food This book by Michael Pollan follows The Omnivore's Dilemma and covers, in greater detail, the reasoning behind knowing the people who produce your food, and how to nourish yourself with the food you eat, instead of just filling your stomach. He has a wonderful conversational style, and even though he's got a message, he never really feels 'preachy', which I like -- because getting all preachy with me usually means I just tune you out. *LOL*
Tropical Dairy Farming: Feeding Management for Small Holder Dairy Farmers in the Humid Tropics This is the first in a series of books I'm selecting to help me to understand what I need to have in place to raise and keep dairy animals in a variety of climates. I've selected several places that I'd like to live, and figuring out how to manage dairy animals in each climate, as well as the special requirements that would make it more or less difficult to keep a small herd of miniature cows or goats will help me to determine where I will eventually settle down. This book is pretty technical, but it's been very interesting to see what goes into keeping dairy animals in the climate I live in now (which is considered Humid Subtropical/Tropical)
Micro Eco-Farming Again, like the book above, I'm reading this book (which is pretty technical) to get a leg up on what it's going to take to be able to manage a small farm in a variety of climates. I'm at the point where one selects one's crops, and I'm finding that the information is giving me some really solid ideas about how my farms would differ depending on where I settled, and how to figure out the best blend of what I want to -produce- vs. where I want to -live-.
and, of course, shameless self-promotion, I have two fiction novels of my own out (Long Walk Home and If A Tree Falls). The first one starts off a little slow, but it's gotten some good reviews. The slow start is one of the big flaws I've been working to correct in my writing, and I hope I've done better in the sequel. A third book in the trilogy is due out in March of 2010, depending on publishing schedules.
Dame Calla
|
|
|
|
