Tuesday, March 27, 2007

A Buffet O'Bookery

What are your favorite books related to homesteading-your-way (any topic, style, etc)?

I'm delving into the limited selection at my local branch library while waiting on the arrival of some highly anticipated interlibrary requests to make it here soon.

While I wait, I nabbed these, a couple of which are on my Most Wanted list:

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Gene Logsdon's Practical Skills
One Man's Garden by Henry Mitchell
Let It Rot! by Stu Campbell
All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
White Trash Gardening by Mike Benton (don't ask...lol!)
A-Z of Companion Planting by Pamela Allardice
Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison
Crockett's Victory Garden by James Underwood Crockett
Stillmeadow Calendar: A Countrywoman's Journal by Gladys Taber
The Yankee Magazine Book of Forgotten Arts by R. M Bacon


The permaculture book is already a favorite of mine. I've checked it out so many times, it's really getting some mileage. I got the Skills books primarily for my husband...give him diagrams and building plans or sketches, and he's all over that.

Even as limited a selection as this is, it's still a feast for me.

Especially The Omnivore's Dilemma. I've dived wholly into that one and am taking the others in turns. I'm finally beginning to understand the concept of Slow Food. Loving this book!! (twirllll....reading and rereading it and still can't get enough)

More to come when the others arrive. In the meantime, I'm oh so happy...

6 comments:

e4 said...

In addition to several already on your list, some of my favorites include: "Gaia's Garden" by Toby Hemmenway, "New Organic Grower" by Elliot Coleman, anything by Gene Logsdon, Return to Resistance by Raoul Robinson, "Chicken Tractor" by Andy Lee... Hmm, I should stop. I didn't even delve into the food topic yet! (Maybe I should just be tacky and briefly plug my site.)

Inter-library loans rule...

Robbyn said...

Howdy, E4!

Go ahead and delve, and you're very welcome to plug your site to your heart's content (I love your site)...after all, your book list on your site's profile section is one of the lists I used in ordering from the interlibrary loan. They just haven't come in yet. If there are more books on any topic, food or any other in the broad homesteading family of topics, please happily list away!

El said...

Hi Robbyn

Nice list. You'll have some fun ahead of you!!

Robbyn said...

Hi, El!

Yes, isn't it fun? With no TV (well we have the box for DVDs and videos, but out here we don't get any regular reception, and that's fine by us) books are the thing. There are only so many movies I can re-watch, so I curl up with my hubby while he watches old John Wayne reruns and other stuff, and I read. And pester him when I find something especially good ;-)

The Companion planting book was a nice find. Instead of being a book of lists and scientific data, it's beautifully illustrated with hand drawn pencil and pastel sketches, recipes, and short well-written descriptions...kind of like a journal. Very relaxing when my brain is drained and I can't concentrate on the more serious ones.

Anonymous said...

I recommend This Organic Life by Joan Gussow in addition to some of these others recommended. And Gaia's Garden is really good, practical, and useful.

But you'll find that you can read all the books in the world, and you'll still screw up! Experience is the only real teacher in gardening, and it won't be hurried.

Robbyn said...

Thanks, Laurie

I'll be checking those out! You're right, and it's something I'm trying to learn...not to be scared of goofing...and not to wait till I have it all together ...ha! THAT's not going to happen ;-)