It's that time of year again... I'm committing to read the books I already have, and not buy more! Won't you join me? The rules are 1) no buying books for more than $1 (for those with clutter issues, preferably don't buy any), 2) post a review on Goodreads, and 3) donate or sell the book when you're done. My goal for the past year was to read one book per month.
2015 Results
I'll admit, I didn't adhere strictly to this goal in 2015. I posted eight reviews. I read the eight books plus a few more, which I didn't get around to reviewing. Those reviews will be coming! I also ended up buying about three new (used) books and one Kindle ebook in 2015. So, not a perfect record but I think it was okay.
2016 Books Read
A lot of my reading happens during the winter months. Surprise! This year I've already finished two books, and I'm posting a review for Square Foot Gardening, which I read last year. This book is a MUST MUST READ for anyone who plans to have a garden, ever. It is packed with not only square foot techniques, but also seed starting, fertilizing, composting, and individual plant care techniques and ways to extend the growing season. I just wish I would have read it sooner.
The other two books I read (mostly while on vacation) were Margin by Richard Swenson, and Bananas, by Peter Chapman.
I received Margin as a Christmas gift, and Bananas was in our condo when we arrived in Panama. I thought about reading it, but didn't until I saw someone reading it on a bus. It must be a good book if some random person was reading it on a bus, right??
Bananas is about, as the title says, how the United Fruit Company changed the world. It was absolutely fascinating! The one tiny piece of information that I could not believe was how bananas were originally marketed and sold. There obviously was no market for bananas in the US because nobody knew what they even were. After a while, the company started "educating" the general public about bananas and marketing them as a health food, even going so far as to tell mothers that bananas could be fed to children as a meat replacement. Does this sound familiar? A bit like soybeans perhaps, or how about all of those fake "milks" on the market today that are supposedly healthier than real milk? Yes, history has relevance because it repeats itself.
Ranting aside, Bananas was a fascinating book about fruit, politics, marketing and history. I'd give it a 7 on a scale of 1-10. Margin was a good reminder on why we should strive to have a little extra time in the schedule (probably a 6.5), and Square Foot Gardening was absolutely, postitively worth my time and $0.50 of garage sale money to read (9 out of 10).
How did you do in your reading last year? What are you goals for this year?
Happy reading!
-Bethany
2015 Results
I'll admit, I didn't adhere strictly to this goal in 2015. I posted eight reviews. I read the eight books plus a few more, which I didn't get around to reviewing. Those reviews will be coming! I also ended up buying about three new (used) books and one Kindle ebook in 2015. So, not a perfect record but I think it was okay.
2016 Books Read
A lot of my reading happens during the winter months. Surprise! This year I've already finished two books, and I'm posting a review for Square Foot Gardening, which I read last year. This book is a MUST MUST READ for anyone who plans to have a garden, ever. It is packed with not only square foot techniques, but also seed starting, fertilizing, composting, and individual plant care techniques and ways to extend the growing season. I just wish I would have read it sooner.
The other two books I read (mostly while on vacation) were Margin by Richard Swenson, and Bananas, by Peter Chapman.
I received Margin as a Christmas gift, and Bananas was in our condo when we arrived in Panama. I thought about reading it, but didn't until I saw someone reading it on a bus. It must be a good book if some random person was reading it on a bus, right??
Bananas is about, as the title says, how the United Fruit Company changed the world. It was absolutely fascinating! The one tiny piece of information that I could not believe was how bananas were originally marketed and sold. There obviously was no market for bananas in the US because nobody knew what they even were. After a while, the company started "educating" the general public about bananas and marketing them as a health food, even going so far as to tell mothers that bananas could be fed to children as a meat replacement. Does this sound familiar? A bit like soybeans perhaps, or how about all of those fake "milks" on the market today that are supposedly healthier than real milk? Yes, history has relevance because it repeats itself.
Ranting aside, Bananas was a fascinating book about fruit, politics, marketing and history. I'd give it a 7 on a scale of 1-10. Margin was a good reminder on why we should strive to have a little extra time in the schedule (probably a 6.5), and Square Foot Gardening was absolutely, postitively worth my time and $0.50 of garage sale money to read (9 out of 10).
How did you do in your reading last year? What are you goals for this year?
Happy reading!
-Bethany
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