The March Selection:
In addition to finally getting out into the garden a few times this month (so far), I’ve been reading the March book club selection, The Gardener’s Year by Karel Capek. I hope others have also had time to read it, even while time spent gardening starts to increase. I’ll be posting the official “club post” on March 31st with links to all the reviews and commentaries.
And because we don’t want to exclude anyone who wants to participate, even if they haven’t read the book, we always offer a related topic to post about. This time you can post about any book you’ve read about the “mind of the gardener” or how gardeners think, or your own thoughts on that topic, because that’s ultimately what this book is about, and it is funny, too. All I need is a comment or email to let me know you’ve posted something for the “club meeting”, so I can be sure to include a link to your post on the official “club post” at the end of the month.
The April-May Selection:
As we all get busier in the garden, there seems to be less time for reading books. But at the same time, isn’t there always time to read a good book, especially about gardening? So to continue through the busy gardening months, we’ll go to a book every two months for awhile starting in April. For April AND May, we selected Passalong Plants by Steve Bender and Felder Rushing. I’ve had this book for many years, but haven’t read it for awhile. It is also one of those books you can skip around in, perfect for when it is busy in the garden. And if you just simply can’t find the time to read the book this spring, you can just post about your favorite passalong plant, either one you regularly give to others, or one you received from someone else.
The June-July Selection:
That brings us to the June-July selection, which is not yet chosen, but we still have plenty of time to chose. I’ve had a few bloggers suggest that we read some fiction that has a gardener/gardening theme. Any suggestions on a good fiction book to read? Or any suggestions on any book that you have read and you would just love to have everyone else read it, too? If so, send a comment with your ideas.
Thanks!
I just wanted to say thank you to those who have been joining in and reading and posting for this online garden book club whether for one month or several months. I hink it’s much more enjoyable to read a book knowing that others are also reading it, and are sharing their thoughts about it. So, if you haven’t posted yet for the Garden Bloggers’ Book Club, why not do so this month? The more the merrier, and it is the Internet, so we have room for everyone!
One of the great fiction books I’ve enjoyed is ~Night Gardening~ by E.L.Swan..I have mentioned to several bloggers in the past however it is out of print so it may be difficult to get.I’ve read it twice and shall a third time! Loved the story and the reference to many plants within the story…a LoVe story of two mature gardeners! hugs NG
I just wanted to say that I’m enjoying “A Gardener’s Year” so far. Capek is almost as quotable as Henry Mitchell!
As far as fiction recommendations, the only thing I can think of is “The Stone Diaries” by Carol Shields. It’s not really about gardening, but the main character loves to garden, her husband is a botanist, and she eventually ends up being a garden columnist. I’m not sure everyone would want to read it, though. It’s a little depressing. At least, it was for me. It’s a good book, though.
Carol, I don’t know if these have already been suggested or already read, but I really enjoyed the “In the Garden” series by Nora Roberts.
Blue Dahlia
Red Lily
Black Rose
They’re mystery/romance and the author is a gardener herself. “In the Garden” is the name of the nursery in the books.
Hi Carol,
I think it’s great that you are doing this – I am eagerly awaiting my copy of Karel Capek’s book and will look for the April/May selection now … I might as well get as much reading as I can done before spring arrives here.
Happy spring!
Carol – although I haven’t been participating, I’ve been keeping a running list of the books that you guys are reading, and it’s been fun to be introduced to some new gardening-related literature. A suggestion that I have for you guys, something that would be a bit different, is ‘The Wild Braid: A Poet Reflects on a Century in the Garden’. The book is relatively short, and consists of short essays and gardening-related poems by the poet Stanley Kunitz. It’s quite beautiful.
I wish that I had more time to read!
I’m so far behind! The library just got me my copy of Two Gardeners last week, which I’ve read this week and loved it, and gone back to re-read Onward and Upward, which I own. I don’t guess I’ll get to The Gardener’s Year in time to post, but perhaps if I get started on Passalong Plants now. . .
I’m so bad! I finished The Gardener’s Year days ago but haven’t posted my review until tonight.
My suggestion for a fiction book is one that I haven’t read but would like to: Old Herbaceous: A Novel of the Garden.
And thanks so much for doing this book club. I’m discovering all kinds of garden books that I wouldn’t normally have read. And it has kept me “gardening” all winter, a real plus!
Hi Carol,
Just wanted to say that I wrote a review of the March selection in my blog!! What a fun book to read…
Carol, in a few hours you will be starting the bookclub meeting. I hope you find this comment to let you know I made it before the computer switched to the 31st…LOL
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