I've had some time to gather my thoughts and think abut garden books I have known and loved. There are two different ways garden books have impressed me. One is by sheer enchantment of the writing. Many of those have already been listed here. I won't waste anyone's time with a Me-Too list; suffice it to say that many of my most beloved garden books have already been listed here above by others with excellent (similar) taste. Another way, equally important to my evolution as a gardener, is by presenting to me ideas that excite and inspire me. Sometimes this is simply reading the right book at the right time. Read another time that same book might not have had the same impact. Then again, if the book was really a powerful presentation, it might inspire me at any time. So here is an annotated list. It is not all-inclusive. I'm sure I left out several books that knocked my garden shoes off my feet at one time or another. The White Witch by Elizabeth Goudge - this is actually a historical novel set in the English Civil War. The main character is an herb woman with a deep love of her garden. You could just feel her love of plants. I read it as a teenager, and was first introduced here to the concept of old roses, different from our modern roses. The Self-Sufficient Gardener by John Seymour - vegetables, not roses, but I have probably read this book four or five times and keep making lists whenever I read it. The Nature of Landscape Design by Nan Fairbrother - after reading this beautifully written and thoughtful book, I seriously considered a career in landscape architecture. Nature's Guide to Successful Gardening and Landscaping by William Flemer III - reading this book was the first time I encountered the concept of plant communities that belong in certain environments. Making Things Grow Outdoors by Thalassa Cruso - this was the first garden biography I ever read. I was fascinated at its concept of the evolution and development of a garden over time. Maybe other people just get it. I had to learn it. Undaunted Garden by Lauren Springer - a book about gardening when the climate isn't easy - full of joy and energy. The Fragrant Year by Helen Van Pelt Wilson and Leonie Bell - after reading this book, I could never again experience a garden with my eyes and ignore the nose. Lots of old rose information as well. I knew little about old roses when I read it, so lots of it passed over my head, but it was wonderfully rich and enticing nonetheless. The Grape Grower by Len Rombaugh - what can I say? After I read this book I planted grapes on my back patio arbor. I had to. The Compleat Squash by Amy Goldman - and after this one I began to grow pumpkins in my roses. I won't repeat that, but I will continue to grow pumpkins and squashes. Onward and Upward in the Garden by Katherine White - the ultimate book on the love of seed catalogs Last Whole Earth Catalog - I'm reaching back pretty far here, but this was inspirational reading when I planted my first rose garden. Through it I found Roses of Yesterday and Today, Will Tillotson's old nursery, and practically the only nursery in the United States that specialized in old roses at the time. Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowefels and Wayne Lewis - my latest garden book discovery, fueling a long interest in healthy soil. So there you have it, a mixture of the practical, the poetic, and the ridiculous. Rosefolly

I loved "Kitchen Confidential", and I'm on the waiting list at the library for his newer book "A Bloody Valentine" which got good reviews on Amazon. "My Life in France" by Julia Child was wonderful, and I also loved "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle. I know it wasn't exacly a food book, but I have to admit that I was hooked after reading the first paragraph which was his description of their New Year's Day celebration dinner. If you're a dog lover (and maybe even if you're not), his book "A Dog's Life" was laugh out loud funny. "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser is an oldie but goodie. Several years ago I read an interesting book which profiled the history of salt, corn, olives and wheat, but for the life of me I can't remember the title. If anybody knows what the name of it was, please respond so I can stop trying to remember LOL. I struggled with "An Omnivore's Dilemma" by Pollan and didn't finish it. But I'm currently reading "In Defense of Food" and enjoying it. What an interesting thread :-) Becky

I'm not frieda, but IMHO I would have ended it when they finished the exhibit and went home. No scandal, no DaVinci code/Mission Impossilbe ending. The only thing I might have included - and was surprised that she didn't - was the visit Lola's real life person made with David, the son of the family who took her in. That takes place in the NYer excerpt and was very surprised she left it out. I can well imagine an editor insisting on some thrilling ending, which is too bad because in a book like this its the last thing you need. >This sort of novel will lead me on to other readings, hopefully, about the history of Bosnia, the former Yugoslavia, the Ottoman Empire, and the "Convivencia" time period of Spain's history Ones I've read: The Fracture Zone by Simon Winchester (non fiction), Birds without Wings (fiction). I also have read lots of history of the areas because I read travel narratives. I would recommend the classic Black Lamb Gray Falcon by Rebecca West - however its dated, and you'll get lots of gripes from all sides of the story of her different take on situations. But its worth reading just for the travel sections. I don't know any from the Convivencia period, tho I've read bits and pieces about it in other books. I'd love to know some of those as well - pass them on when you find them.

Eons ago,and almost certainly here, someone introduced me to the Literature Map website. If you type in the name of an author you enjoy, the screen pops up with other authors who write in a similar vein. It hasn't been perfect for recommendations, but it has occasionally introduced me to a new-to-me author that I've loved. https://www.literature-map.com/ I just finished Ann Patchett's The Dutch House and it was terrific. She has a gift for writing family dynamics. The narrative hopped around in time quite a bit, but I felt that by doing so, she added layers to the story as each segment helped to bring the main characters' lives more clearly into focus. It was a really good book, and one that I'd meant to read quite some time ago.