One week 'til showtime!


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It's getting closer folks.  One week until I reveal which book will be my first of the challenge.  I know you are all on the edge of your chairs just waiting to find out. 

I've decided that my first book will be one of your fine recommendations.  I plan to (hopefully) read most of your suggestions at some point during the challenge.  Chances are, if we choose a book club book by the 1st, that may just be my first book I read.  We'll see.

I will say that I broke down and bought "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer yesterday.  I've been itching to read it but have been trying to convince myself that I'm too poor to buy books.  I just read "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" though, so I've got to read a couple others before I read another JSF book.  It will definitely probably make it in to my first couple months worth of reads.  (Has anyone read it yet?  Alice, I'm mostly talking to you because I think that I saw on goodreads that you did and I know that you are also a fan of JSF.  Enlighten me with your thoughts.)

6 Responses to “One week 'til showtime!”

  1. Alice says:

    Yes, I have read (and own) Eating Animals. I'll be honest with you -- I think it's probably one of the most important books I've read about food production in the United States, if not the most.

    As I think you probably know, I've been vegan for a few years, so the stuff I read about animal welfare (or lack thereof) was really upsetting. It took me a while to actually get through the whole thing because I couldn't take so much all at once. I've read a lot of books and have seen more than a handful of documentaries on this subject, and yet Eating Animals brought a lot of previously unknown facts to the foreground for me. And maybe knowledge of that will turn you off from reading it, but please read it anyway. Even if your life remains unchanged after reading it, at least you can claim that you have a fair amount of knowledge on the subject, right? And it means something not to turn a blind eye to this sort of issue.

    Foer's prose is really personal and down to earth, so it's not so non-fictiony-feeling, if you know what I mean. It's more like you're sitting down with him on a couch and having a conversation.

    Anyway, I'm really glad to see that you're even considering it as one of your reads this year. It comes highly recommended from me (assuming that means anything to you).

    I feel like I just wrote a blog post beneath your blog post.

  2. Unknown says:

    YAY! Mini-blog in MY comment section! I just wrote a mini-blog in someone else's comment section today, so now I feel special!

    Thanks for the review. I have really wanted to read it since I heard about it coming out. Not only do I have a love for Jonathan Safran Foer, but I'd read about the topic of the book and saw him talk about it on some talk show and it made me want to read it even more. It always intrigues me and when I read books/articles/whatevs about food production, I want to learn more. I'm aware of a lot of the goings-on (is that right? going-ons... whatev?) when it comes to food production and I think reading about the details will motivate me to be more aware when it comes to my shopping/eating habits. (I mean, let's face it Alice. I'm a Schwartz. I'm going to eat meat. At least I can try to educate myself further on humane farms/companies to buy from. Luckily, being in Iowa, I would imagine that will be easier for me than it would for someone in another part of the states.)

    Your recommendation means mucho to me... that's why I specifically asked for it! :)

  3. Alice says:

    Hey, any little bit helps! It's good to know this stuff. If you're going to hear it from anyone, JSF is the guy to hear it from.

    I'd also recommend Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma," which is somewhat similar in subject matter, although Pollan still eats meat (grass-fed) and Foer does not. You'll read JSF's comments about Pollan's book in "Eating Animals," which is why I mention it.

    But, I mean, let's not dig ourselves into a pit of depression here.

  4. Unknown says:

    Ha! I want to read some Michael Pollan. LESLI is supposed to be lending it to me if she EVER finishes it. (Yes, Lesli, I am "faux" yelling at you.)

  5. Anonymous says:

    You can rent books at the library for free! Also, is it mean of me to say I will never stop eating chickens because I hate them as creatures so much?

  6. Unknown says:

    I responded to you Pam... where did it go? Either way, I said that I am not planning on cutting meat out of my diet. I just want some motivation to start eating free range, grass-fed animals instead of the ones in those horrid plants.

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