Books: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

I have to say first off, that I love, love, LOVE this book! It reads more like a novel than a non-fiction book, Kingsolver's writing style is so evocative, and she's funny too.

It follows a year in Kingsolver's family, who decided to move from the desert in Tuscon, Arizona (US) to the much more verdant Virginia, in order to live on only produce they could grow themselves, or was grown locally on surrounding farms. Apart from olive oil, some grains and some spices I think it was, they managed very successfully.

Of course, they had to ditch convenience foods, and eat seasonally, unlike most of the rest of use who find it hard to know what is in season when practically everything is available all year 'round in the supermarket. (My sister-in-law was only just complaining about how bananas have gone up so much in price recently, implying some sort of conspiracy... until I pointed out that it's MID-WINTER at the moment here and 'nanas aren't a winter crop. She looked a bit stunned, and then had the decency to look a bit embarrassed).

Needless to say, it was this book that was, in part, the catalyst for my recent vegie garden revamp, and I took to late-night re-reading of the cooking, cheese making and bread baking books I've bought in the past year with gusto, LOL.

I could go on for pages, but I'll just say READ IT! It's one of the most enjoyable and inspirational books I've read in a long while :-)