Although my work with my challenges has been middling of late, I succumbed to a new one: Chris over at Book-A-Rama is hosting The Eco Reading Challenge. During these next few months, one can read 1-5 books, fiction or nonfiction, about things relating to the environment. After staring at my shelves for a few days, these are my choices:1. Clay: The History and Evolution of Humankind's Relationship with Earth's Most Primal Element - Suzanne Staubach.
2. Salt: A World History - Mark Kurlansky. Ruby Rambling generously bookcrossed this book to me a couple of years ago. I loved Cod; I don't know why it's taken me so long to get around to Salt.
3. The Edge of The Sea - Rachel Carson.
4. The Log From "The Sea of Cortez" - John Steinbeck. In 1940, Steinbeck and his biologist pal, Ed Ricketts went out on a sardine boat looking for marine invertebrates on the beaches in the Gulf of California. I've been circling this book for several months. The Eco Reading Challenge provides a great excuse to add to my Steinbeck collection.
Many thanks to Chris for coming up with such a good idea. Should I warn my bookish brain that it's about to expand? This will also help me with my nonfiction numbers -- I'm aiming for 50-50 this year with fiction and nonfiction.
If you want to follow up on your #4 book, last summer I read an excellent and VERY little known book called Beyond The Outer Shores: The Untold Story of Ed Ricketts, The Pioneering Ecologist Who Inspired John Steinbeck and Joseph Campbell, by Enno Tamm.
ReplyDeleteSuperb book.
Great story.
Cipriano,
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'll put it on the wishlist.
I never heard of the Steinbeck one. I'll have to look it up. Thanks so much for joining the challenge! It sounds like you picked some great books.
ReplyDeleteClay evolves? I had no idea. Sounds like an interesting set of books.
ReplyDeleteI was just looking up Salt, and it sounds so interesting! Much more than I thought a book about salt could ever be :P
ReplyDeleteI've read the Salt book - very interesting...
ReplyDeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming up with the challenge and forcing me to look at what's on my shelves instead of just madly stockpiling...although I do that, too.
Jeane,
Clunky subtitle, eh? I think what the author is trying to say is that we keep coming up with more and more stuff we can use clay to make.
Nymeth,
It's the only rock we eat! I wish I had some now atop a hot soft pretzel with some cheese for dunking.
Care,
I started it last night...Kurlansky's such an entertaining writer.
Ah, that makes more sense that what I was picturing in mind!
ReplyDeleteGreen(ish). Ha!
ReplyDeleteI loved Salt, but haven't made it to Cod yet. We should compare notes.
ReplyDeleteCipriano,
ReplyDeleteI looked up this book, and it does look interesting.