Speaking of books, since we're in a tomato forum, I have a question for everyone: Do you know of a really comprehensive book on tomatoes? By that, I mean one that covers everything about tomatoes that a tomatohead might want to know. I have looked at the following, none of which (it seems to me) is quite what I have in mind: 1. Tantalizing Tomatoes , ed. by Karen Davis Cutler (New York 1997) 2. The Tomato in America, by Andrew Smith (Columbia, S.C. 1994) 3. The Great Tomato Book, by Gary Ibsen (Berkeley 1999) 4. The Great Tomato Book, by Sheila Bluff (Short Hills, N.J. 1999) (the last two books have the same title and were published in the same year; rather remarkable) 5. In Praise of Tomatoes, by Steven Shepherd (New York 1996) 6. Exploring the Tomato, by Mark Harvey, Steve Quilley and Huw Beynon (Cheltenham, U.K. 2002) 7. All About Tomatoes, by Walter L. Doty (? 1981) 8. Terrific Tomatoes, by Mimi Luebbermann and Faith Echtermeyer (? 1994) 9. 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden, by Carolyn J. Male (New York 1999) (by far the best of the lot - :)) What I do have in mind is something broader, that would cover at least the following subjects: 1. Biology and cultivation (including different species and cultivars), 2. Genetics and genetic modification (e.g., sad story of the Flavr Savr gene), 3. Origin and evolution (your cousin the tomato), 4. World-wide diffusion and subsequent history (how did the tomato get to India and China, anyway? The English? The Portuguese? The Spanish? One author suggests early sea contact with Peru) 5. Adoption and use in different food traditions (e.g., how do tomatoes fit in with the powerful religious aspects of Indian food tradition?), 6. Health aspects (e.g., effect on prostate and lung cancer, macular degeneration, sun damage to skin), 7. Commercial and economic issues (do they really eat 200 pounds per person per year in Egypt?), 8. Connections with famous people (e.g., Ronald Reagan), 9. Film and literature (nobody should miss Attack of the Killer Tomatoes or its sequels), 10. Myths (e.g., the Robert Gibbon Johnson story) and misconceptions, 11. Tomatoes and sex (no misconceptions there, and no conceptions, either, I suppose [smile]), 12. Enthusiast organizations and festivals (the most spectacular is in Spain), 13. Etymology of popular and scientific names (where did the name lycopersicum -- Wolf Peach -- come from?), and 14. Home growing and cooking (somewhat). I know of course that there are many books on how to grow tomatoes, and many recipe books, but what I am thinking of is something broader, one that would not only contain quite a lot of information about tomatoes, but also use tomatoes as a lense to look into some of the things mentioned (history, biology, even cosmology: for example, without supernovas, tomatoes could not exist). Do you think there is a significant market for such a book? Would you buy it? At Amazon prices? As is probably obvious by now, I am considering writing such a book, and in fact already have prepared an outline and introduction. But before I put a year's work into it, I would very much appreciate any opinions anyone may have on the subject. Thanks very much, Jonathan

Hmmm...I'm torn about what would constitute a good book forum. Just MHO, but I think there can be an intimidating factor that is off-putting on some book forums. As I mentioned in my post above, even my best friends and I don't always agree on what constitutes a good book. But because of our history of friendship, we don't feel hurt or harshly judged when someone says, "that book didn't do it for me." It's especially hard to convey a difference of opinion when it's delivered in a post. Sometimes I re-read things I've posted which I've meant to sound funny or wry, and am worried that my tone might have been misinterpreted. So how about this - For now, how about a thread where we can list books that we've enjoyed recently, and some of our all-time favorites? Without giving away too much, we can give some general info and maybe alert people if they contain coarse language/graphic violence/sex, etc. I mention this because my MIL often passes on "CSI"-type mystery novels that she enjoys to me. I'm not especially prudish, but I do a lot of my reading at night instead of watching TV and I've found that reading books with disturbing themes like child abuse/decapitations/rapes, etc. are too disrupting to my sleep to read at bedtime. What prompted my OP is that I just finished a heartwarming read and was looking for something good to start on. Seeing a list of what you've all been reading is a good place to start looking. I'd already been thinking about "Snowball" that gina w mentioned above. I may download a chapter on the Kindle to check it out. Do any of you have other suggestions on how to approach starting a thread?

Life of Pi ... one of my all time favorite books about a boy who, after a shipwreck at sea of a ship carrying zoo animals ends up stranded on a raft with some wild animals. The ending will have you scratching your head. The movie is coming out in November of this year. Sarah's Key ... a heartbreaking story of a little girl who's family is sent to concentration camps during the WWII Nazi occupation in Paris, France. The film is excellent too. The Poisonwood Bible ... follows the life of a Southern family that moves to the Congo to be missionaries. Each chapter is written in the voice of the three kids in the family. Jodi-

Well, I just killed another author. (Back in the 80's my husband would give me a couple of books, I'd love them, and a month or so later he'd announce "Guess who just died." Happened three times in a row! he stopped giving me books.) So this time, the author isn't dead (thank goodness), but she ended her series just as I caught up to present day. Darn! The author is Margaret Coel, and her Wind River mystery series. All are set on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, featuring a recovering alcoholic priest. First book, The Eagle Catcher, came out in 1995. The 20th, Winter's Child, was published in 2014. I read them all over the course of this summer. When you binge-read a 20-book series, you do notice similarities. How many times do the main characters get run off the road? But, in this case, the rich details contained in each book made them all worth while. Margaret Coel weaves accurate historical detail, Arapaho tradition, and human nature into her stories. I'm no Plains Indian expert, but she made me feel like I understand a different way of life. And I definitely got a dose of history in a most enjoyable format. She recently published two books featuring a new character, also enjoyable. So I hope for more!