Reading with Style discussion

20.4 - Harvest Season
Read a book that has the name of a vegetable/starch or a novel that takes place on a farm.

Would this book count as one that takes place on a farm?

The Wake of Forgiveness

Can we expand farm to also include ranch? (I know, it may be splitting hairs, but it's best to get these questions answered early.) :-)

Krista wrote: "Can we expand farm to also include ranch? (I know, it may be splitting hairs, but it's best to get these questions answered early.) :-)"

I've been thinking about this one...the task is in honor of harvest, so I'd rather keep it limited to the more southern/midwestern agrarian ideal of farming rather than the southwestern one of ranching.

Books that I've read that take place on a farm:
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
Land of the Burnt Thigh by Edith Kohl
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Giants in the Earth: A Saga of the Prairie by Ole Edvart Rølvaag

Books that might take place on a farm:
Jealousy: A Novel by Alain Robbe-Grillet (setting: tropical banana plantation)?
The Known World by Edward P. Jones (Southern plantation)?
Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin (Russian estate?)

Ok, adding on to my previous query. Would any of these work:

Animal Farm
Anna Karenina
The Wake of Forgiveness

Would the Little house on the Prarrie series work?

Can the word 'vegetables' appear in the title instead of an actual name of a vegetable: Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long

How about The Cider House Rules? - partially set in an apple orchard and apples are a fall fruit.

Ondaatje was born 9/12/1943, so it fits 10.3 Fall Birthdays.

Sara Grace wrote: "Has anyone read Divisadero by Ondaatje...."

You probably won't know for sure until after you've read the book, but according to the book description the France setting is also a farm, so it might fit.

Would "bean" be an acceptable title word for this task? My research (Wikipedia) indicates that legumes are technically pod fruit, but the word is derived from the French "légume," meaning vegetable. ?

I'm going a little crazy reading about fruit/vegetable classifications, so some ruling...any ruling...would be appreciated.

I was going to suggest The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden but technically a tomato is a fruit.
Maybe for these purposes it'll be a veggie. If so another that isn't too bad is Tomato Rhapsody: A Novel of Love, Lust, and Forbidden Fruit

Caity wrote: "Ok, adding on to my previous query. Would any of these work:

Animal Farm
Anna Karenina
The Wake of Forgiveness"

Animal Farm, yes...I don't think the other two will.

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Would the Little house on the Prarrie series work?"

It depends...some of them take place on farms and some don't. For example, I've been re-reading them for challenges over the past year, and I'm up to The Long Winter. At first, I thought it might work for this task, but they're not really on a farm at this point.

JenC. wrote: "Can the word 'vegetables' appear in the title instead of an actual name of a vegetable: Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long"

I'm okay with this one.

Jane from BC wrote: "How about The Cider House Rules? - partially set in an apple orchard and apples are a fall fruit."

I'm leaning towards "no" on this one...unless someone can convince me otherwise.

Donna Jo wrote: "I was going to suggest The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden but technically a toma..."

Tomato is fine.

Katie wrote: "Would "bean" be an acceptable title word for this task? My research (Wikipedia) indicates that legumes are technically pod fruit, but the word is derived from the French "légume," meaning vegetable..."

Beans are fine as well.

Would "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe" be okay?

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Would "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe" be okay?"

Should be fine as Sam approved tomato for this task.

okay since I can't do the Little House book I was planning on reading.

As I was scanning my crammed bookshelves this afternoon trolling for books that could work for ths season, I found.... Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn.

I think that's what I'll read for this task. As I recall a few seasons back lots of folks were reading this for a SRC task and raving about it. Here's hoping it's as great as I vaguely recall the reviews portrayed it.

Krista wrote: "As I was scanning my crammed bookshelves this afternoon trolling for books that could work for ths season, I found.... Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn.

I think that's w..."

Krista, you will really enjoy it.

I need some recommendations. I can't find anything on my TBR that has a title that matches and while I have a feeling that at least one of the books I am going to be reading takes place on a farm, it drives me insane not to have a book planned. This is the only task where I don't have a book that obviously fits. The closest I come is a title with apple in it which is harvested in the fall but it is a fruit!

And after that needlessly long explanatation, any recommendations?

Rachel Lee, here's a listing of books under "farm life, fiction" on Library Thing. Make sure you check each book's description though, because some of them (A Northern Light, etc.) look like they might not qualify. Hopefully you can find something here. :o)

http://www.librarything.com/tag/farm+...

Cait wrote: "Rachel Lee, here's a listing of books under "farm life, fiction" on Library Thing. Make sure you check each book's description though, because some of them (A Northern Light, etc.) look like they ..."

Thanks!

Hi Rachel Lee:

I just scanned some of the books in my Read shelf, and I've come up with a few more titles for you.

The Beet Queen
The Bean Trees
The Milagro Beanfield War

The Persian Pickle Club
Alice's Tulips (+ Civil War combo)
Feather Crowns
All Over Creation
Gap Creek
Cane River
A Painted House
Ethan Frome

I am trying to figure out which task to it Wideacreby Philippa Gregory.
The novel takes place on Wideacre which is a farm in Britian during the 18th century. The enitre novel follows Betrice Laccey who loves the land but has no rights to it. It follows her struggles of manangeing the farm through 5 seasons of harvesting.

Would this book count?
Thanks!

I am currently reading East of Eden- Epic book which I feel farm life plays a significant role. Will this book be allowed for this task?

Thanks!

Liz wrote: "I am currently reading East of Eden- Epic book which I feel farm life plays a significant role. Will this book be allowed for this task?

Thanks!"

Yes.

Sam wrote: "Liz wrote: "I am currently reading East of Eden- Epic book which I feel farm life plays a significant role. Will this book be allowed for this task?

Thanks!"

Yes."

Yay!

Could Thoreau's Walden, or Life in the Woods count for this task? He raises beans and vegetables during his stay at Walden Pond, and talks about purchasing a farm.

Dan wrote: "Could Thoreau's Walden, or Life in the Woods count for this task? He raises beans and vegetables during his stay at Walden Pond, and talks about purchasing a farm."

LOL -- I'm staying out of this decision. Rye, IS a starch. :-)

Yeah -- I guess I'll fall back on Catcher in the Rye if Walden doesn't work out :)

bump

Dan wrote: "Could Thoreau's Walden, or Life in the Woods count for this task? He raises beans and vegetables during his stay at Walden Pond, and talks about purchasing a farm."

Sam wrote: "20.4 - Harvest Season
Read a book that has the name of a vegetable/starch or a novel that takes place on a farm."

I believe Walden is not a novel & therefore doesn't qualify.

I suppose we'll get into some serious literary debate if we try and debate what does and does not constitute a novel, but I suppose I'll just have to count it elsewhere if Sam upholds that opinion.

Dan wrote: "I suppose we'll get into some serious literary debate if we try and debate what does and does not constitute a novel, but I suppose I'll just have to count it elsewhere if Sam upholds that opinion."

What Liz says is usually right...she's basically our "fifth Beatle."

As to the "novel" discussion, while the definition of the term is up for debate in a broad sense, it has a more narrow definition for challenge purposes:

Novel = Long-form fiction
Book = Non-fiction, drama, poetry, short & long-form fiction.

Does Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery count as a novel that takes place on a farm? Anne lives on the Green Gables Farm, but I'm not sure because the action doesn't take place entirely there. Anne has a job in Avonlea and visits other places.

Rhea wrote: "Does Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery count as a novel that takes place on a farm? Anne lives on the Green Gables Farm, but I'm not sure because the action doesn't take..."

I would accept the first book in the series, but the farm is such a non-entity thereafter that I have to say "no."

Sam wrote: "Rhea wrote: "Does Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery count as a novel that takes place on a farm? Anne lives on the Green Gables Farm, but I'm not sure because the action..."
Okay, thank you!

Does a dairy farm count for this task? I'm reading Front and Center, book 3 of the Dairy Queen trilogy and all three of the books have included lots about milking the cows, taking over farm tasks, etc.

Dairy Queen

The Off Season

Front and Center

Karen GHHS wrote: "Does a dairy farm count for this task? I'm reading Front and Center, book 3 of the Dairy Queen trilogy and all three of the books have included lots about milking the cows, taking over farm tasks, ..."

That's fine.