Today I intend to compile your AMAZING list of books.
Yesterday evening strong winds and rain from the South were forecast so after the milking Hugo and I closed up the barn, replaced spent light-bulbs, made softer and deeper beds for the pigs and calves, and led the big cows in under the trees with hay for dinner.
In the winter the focus shifts from the fields into the barns and the barn, especially the house barn, begins to swirl with magic. It is light, sound, scent and movement. Last night I felt the first strands lift up and begin the winter weaving. Just a whisper of it. Like a web but no spider, more like fairies of old. The rising of it.
Mistress Wind sings through the cracks in the doors, just a little, to let me know she is coming with her cousin: The Cold.
I am almost ready for them.
But first I shall collate our List of Books for 2015 from yesterdays page, and bring that list to you tomorrow. (Hopefully if all goes well and no pigs run off!) I loved yesterday – so many recommendations! This new list will be better than ever!
Have a lovely day,
Love,
Your celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
61 responses to “The List”
Looking forward to the book list, thanks.
You are welcome Ruth – it one of the highlights.. c
I’m embarrassed to admit that I haven’t read a book for years 😦 I have over 300 books in boxes in my garage, still totally unable to give them away. I read a lot on my laptop, but can’t imagine reading a book in this manner. Celi, do you read these books (in paper form) or do you have a kindle or reader of some other kind? Perhaps in another post, another day the fellowship could recommend the best alternative reading “machine” and of course the best sites to buy/download books from?
I have always loved the pictures of the inside of the barn in wintertime – seems like a secret world somehow. Hope the cold stays away a while longer. Laura
Kindle for waiting rooms and travelling or when I don’t have the strength to lift a book. But otherwise, real books for me.
I love reading real books too! So easy to flip back to check on details, and slip a bookmark between pages when it must be put down to do other things. And then pass on to friends and family! 🙂
Yes, weirdly I prefer to have a book on the plane, also I am a margin scribbler (with non fiction and study books!) c
But the kindle is great too.. c
Reading back over all the comments, it does seem that some clear winners emerge, with multiple recommendations. I shall eagerly await the final List. Perhaps some of them will be available for Kindle so I can get them Now instead of waiting for weeks, or vainly trying to find them in the not very good local bookshop here…
I’m looking forward to getting plenty of books to add to my TBR list. 🙂
It is a great list – I finished it last night but I have to go back over it as I was getting tired and copying and pasting brings its own problems,. c
There is certainly some magic about in your barn photos. And your beautiful words (almost) make winter sound enticing.
love from rainywindy Normandy,
Viv xox
yes there is something about being IN the barn when it is raging outside.. c
Rather like the ark, all the animals inside the safe haven waiting for the weather to improve.
Can’t wait for the book list! I’ve read so many wonderful books from the past lists of favorites from the Fellowship of the Farmy! 🙂
It is helpful isn’t – and often the fellowship is of like minds so we gravitate towards the same material.. c
The list. Great work done, Celi (& Fellowship of course). As I’m not a big or busy reader anymore (especially not in English and otherwise if, then mostly non-fiction) I enjoyed your pictures today very much. I call them “blue” – everyone, except the last one – has it’s blue area. Little ones, bigger ones, narrow or broad. So beautiful. Only the last one has a spot of green instead of the blue. And of course, you played nicely with light and shadow. So great, love it. – Happy reading to all!
Good morning Irmi! and yes the list looks wonderful I will publish it tomorrow!
Oh, I have read and enjoyed every single one of the suggestions and proposals, so many! But alas, they’re all of your English world and I must admit, I just know few authors and writers of the English book market. Shame…
Irmi what is your favourite language? c
Whew, what shall I say. Never thought of it. At the moment I feel very well with English. You see, I practise it daily now with you. – I’ve found a French blog the other day, run by a kind man living in a small village in the Provence who tries to live sustainable, like you. And yes, it’s a bit heavy or not that easy to add my two cents. Although I try nevertheless. Need some practise. And courage. And, yeah, when I have the chance to be in Italy I like to talk Italian there. It needs some time to get in – about half a week or a week or so. Love it. But that’s been long ago when I still had the chance to travel. Then, when I was in Greece or in Turkey…. the same. Just love it. So said, I cannot tell you what language I like best. It has to do with being comfortable and feeling well – yes, it has to do with my counterpart, with the people, I think. And with the Farmy and with you I’m feeling quite well. So it’s not the language what I like, it’s the exchange itself. Yes, it seems to be something else… not only the language. 🙂 But honestly: I think I could not do so in my own language, i.e. talking freely and frequently on a single German blog. Don’t know why.
thank you – what a great answer – you are a linguist – very clever.. it is wonderful that we can have you here speaking with us all in english, for practice and you always have so many good things to say.. have a lovely evening
Thank you so much, Celi. Enjoy your evening, too!
Being a gardener and Permaculture Designer, books that tell about the wisdom of the earth strike me deeply. For non-fiction I recommend: The One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka (a forerunner of Permaculture), Carrots Love Tomatoes by Riotte (about companion planting), Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway, Hemenway (about Permaculture Design for home gardens), The Backyard Homestead, Secrets of the Soil by Tompkins (an amazing overview of ground breaking earth technology), Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians by Howell, Square Foot Gardening by Bartholomew, Lasagna Gardening by Lanza, and Permaculture in a Nutshell by Poritt et al. Di
Thank you Di. The List from yesterday is done all in the day – so it is closed but I am sure many people will get to share your list here.
Oh, I was going to add to your list, but since it is closed I will wait until you are ready for another list. 🙂
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Oh yes! It is just for the day otherwise i would go mental adding and adding to The List- there are so many good books. But of course you are welcome to leave your favourite read of 2015 right here for us all to see! c
I’m sure you would…just think if you got over 4,000 suggestions….whew!
Those are all great books!
I substitute Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West for Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians in my own collection, but I’m from Idaho 🙂
There are many amazing plants that grow in the Southern Appalachians that can’t grow in the Mid-Northern Rockies
While I’m sure that escaping pigs can be a complete nuisance, the stories about the escape always make good reading 😉
Yes!! but not today.. hopefully! c
Fingers crossed 😉
They certainly are highly entertaining – as long as it’s not my pig!
Can’t wait for the list, so many good books to choose from. It’s such a good idea as sometimes I just cannot find a decent book. I will be like a kid in a sweet shop!
This is how I feel too! Though I have already read many of what is on the list there are some wonderful new books that i have never even heard of! I love book day. c
Ohh sorry, thank you celi for your efforts to put it all together !
You are welcome.. c
For simple enjoyment, have you ever read any of Alexander McCall Smith’s books about The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency? [Book 1 of all 17] They all take place in Botswana and they are delightful. I read every one of them over the course of July and half way through August, while I was waiting for my mobilehome to sell and I could move into my new little apartment and I was staying with friends who didn’t have “regular” TV … Roku and Netflix simply do not cut it for me! LOL So, I read … one book after the other!!
If you have never tried any of Jan Karon’s wonderful Mittford based stories, you should give them a try. They make you laugh, then cry, then laugh some more! Love all of these books and I have every one of them!!
And for a bit of racy and sexy and OMG reading, try Janet Evanovich’s Stephany Plum series … they are hilarious … and her newest book, No. 22 hits the shelves on the 17th, I believe it is. I have to wait a bit before I can buy the book since next Tuesday [the 10th] I’m having full knee replacement surgery … but the book will still be available at the end of the month when I should be able to get out and buy it!
Hugs from Colorado … Marcia
Hi Marcia, wonderful – of course the list is closed for this year but just for fun which of all these is your favourite book of 2015! It is hard to choose!!
and good luck with your surgery and remember the surgery is only part one the EXCERCISES after the surgery are 70 percent of the healing.. so gird your loins!! c
Books! You have to hold them. Smell the pages. Turn them and read on into another world. Fifteen years ago our library system went on-line. The system tracked everything you borrowed and the date. There were some DVDs and magazines but as of today I borrowed 3,947 items. Mostly books. Add to this list several hundred books I have bought or been given by friends. Books. They are my life.
wow that is a lot of books – I hate libraries they always want the books BACK!
Those library people!!! They are funny about their books. I solved the problem by actually buying a book IF I REALLY LOVED IT.I pick them up at Thrift Shops and Used Book Stores.
I love talking books too – usually non fiction – I listen while i am cooking or cleaning – I get a lot more done that way!! c
The best thing in the world is someone reading to you. The second best is talking books!!!!
Hi Farmy Fellowship. Just thought I’d add this great resource for internet book searches. I go to http://www.used.addall.com, enter either the author’s name or a book title, then a list pops up: I have requested that the list go from least expensive to most costly. You are given a list of books to buy from many different online sources, all rated from least to most expensive and often the seller lists comments on each book. A friend of mine suggested bookfetch.com but I don’t like it. It’s way too expensive. Well, that’s it for now. Happy reading, everyone!!! Lots of love, Gayle, hoping her book list gets included, even though it got added at 2.00 a.m.
I’ve been going to Amazon but like the idea of this suggestion.
Then you will be pleasantly surprised by the bargains you will find at add all! Happy reading.
LOVE the photos in today’s post – something very magical! And not sure why I always fall asleep reading an actual book, but have read SO MANY books since getting my Kindle. There must be fewer words on the Kindle pages, so my mind doesn’t have time to wander.
that is interesting – I wonder why that is – c
I used to always fall asleep whenever I began reading too… until I had my eyes checked and new glasses ordered. Might be worth a try.
The 2015 list will be amazing. My process is open both the list and Goodreads to look up contenders to compile a mini list, then I open the library website where I search and reserve the books they have. Others I search for on Kindle and add them to my wish-list if they are inexpensive, the rest remain to be found in markets and second hand book shops! Like beloccio if I love a library book, I look for my own copy and also hard copies of kindle books if I think they are bookshelf worthy.
I thought of you this early morning; our days are getting longer, brighter, warmer… it’s good to know you have the barn, a fire and a new book list!
You have a great system. I am on goodreads but seldom visit.. c
Ella, since you are Down Under do try ‘AbeBooks’ as an alternative also. In the last half-year I have bought from them about half-dozen times – brilliant prices and a lot of different offers world-wide. Did just buy some 1/2 dozen from them about an hour ago for less than fifty bucks tog with postage [and Andra Watkins is still expensive wherever – that was half the total sum] – have just seen most confirmations fly into my box already . . . not one scruffy book and all arriving within about a fortnight with tracking all the way . . .
Thanks Eha, I buy special books i.e. family history/ancestry/collectible books via Abe…
wonderful! c