I just loved Animal Dreams and Pigs in Heaven, but I don't care much for her later books. She gets awfully preachy in some of them.

Yep - Kingsolver is a great weaver of stories, but she can't seem to come down from her podium. If you can get past her soapbox, you will enjoy the characters in her stories, I think.
If I recall correctly, in Prodigal Summer Kingsolver writes about three separate families who seem to have nothing to do with each other at the beginning of the book, but who, the reader discovers, are indeed connected.

This not her longest book - I believe The Poisonwood Bible is her longest.

I agree, the later books are not as good as her earlier work. I loved "The Bean Trees" and "Pigs in Heaven." I liked "Animal Dreams." I enjoyed the story in "Poisonwood Bible" but it also annoyed me, the switching between characters and the soapbox. I haven't read anything since then. But I may read more one day.

It's been awhile so I don't remember the details of the story, but I did enjoy the book. Yes it was a little preachy but I felt I learned alot about environmental concerns.

I have read several of her books but the only one I liked was The Poisonwood Bible. But I don't like most books I read so ....

Thanks, all, for your feedback. I have not yet gotten very far into it to judge....

I loved Prodigal Summer because I thought it told a great story. Yes, she can be a bit preachy but PS didn't seem particularly preachy but instead was informative on some subjects like coyotes and chestnut (was it?) trees. To be fair, when this topic has arisen in the past, I admit that with me, BK tends to be preaching to the choir. I also enjoyed her earlier books but PS remains my favorite.

Poisonwood Bible could have used some judicious and prodigious editing. Her latest, was it Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?, I thought was OK at best and had a somewhat self-satisfied tone to it.

Sarah Canary, it was Bean Trees that I liked so much, along with Pigs in Heaven. I can't really remember Animal Dreams now that I come to think of it.

I've read Prodigal Summer about a woman living in a cabin in the mountains getting 'near to nature' and started Animal Vegetable Miracle in which her family go ultra-organic and spend a year eating only food they can grow in their garden or trade at local markets.
The idea of a month of rhubarb-eating couldn't have been very appealing.
I don't know if Kingsolver asked the publishers to consider the Planet, but my copy is printed in eye-wateringly small point and very pale ink, so difficult to read.

I have enjoyed all of Kingsolver's books although I do agree that The Poisonwood Bible could have used some heavier editing. It went on too long and was also terribly depressing.
But so far no one has mentioned her book of essays which I found both informative and interesting. I believe it's called High Tide in Tucson. Kingsolver is an idealist with an agenda but what she has to say makes a lot of sense.

I tried other Kingsolders after The Poisonwood Bible but couldn't get involved.
However imo TPB is her one off masterpiece- it needs close reading for reward - alongside Conrad's Heart of Darknes. Blood River, and the contemporary (to TPB) and current political and economic situation in that area of Africa. Then one can fully appreciate BK's insight and foresight into that unfortunate region. I read it as a stand alone several years ago and found it a 'good read' it as only when I took it more seriously that I recognised its worth - fiction, fact, family, conflict etc etc.

I remember when Kingsolver wrote stories about her life in Tucson and they were very good.

I noticed a scheduled lengthy interview with her on our local cable access channel, a few years ago, and was really looking forward to hearing her. I was so disappointed. "Preachy" is a mild word. She was self-righteous bordering on arrogant, condescending, and quite full of herself in her assumptions that only her views were correct. She did this in a very soft-voiced, feminine way, but it was clear that you'd better not disagree with Barbara. I quit The Poisonweed Bible after a few pages.

If there's one thing I don't want to be when I'm reading, it's harangued.

I just finished "Prodigal Summer". I must say that I did not want it to end, as I loved some of the characters in it. I can see where some might find this novel a bit "preachy." However, This element of style did not trouble me. Perhaps because I share Kinsolver's vision that all life on our planet in our fragile ecosystem is closely interconnected and interdependent. In this sense, I see her message as somewhat spiritual and very humbling.