Non-fiction book review part 5 - We're going outside for this one

This is part five in a series of non-fiction book reviews, based on the idea that the non-fiction books I read and request tell you everything you need to know about me. All books in this post were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I'm always honest. This instalment takes us outside, with books featuring lavender, children's plants and coyotes.

Coyotes Among Us: Secrets of the City’s Top Predator Stanley D. Gehrt Ph.D, Kerry Luft (publishes 6 February 2024)

Before reading this book I knew next to nothing about Coyotes - except someone I follow on the internet's cat stayed out one night in Nevada, and never came home, and she thought perhaps the coyotes got him. She saw this as a lesson in keeping her cat in, not in eradicating coyotes. Anyway, I live in Melbourne, Australia and have also lived in England and Scotland. I've lived with urban foxes, and many possums but not canidae. This book is thorough and engaging. It talks about how to study coyotes and why, as well as why they are important in American urban environments. There is a focus on Chicago, as that's where the authors conducted their research. It's pretty engaging for a book written by research scientists, and the photos are frequent, helpful and also often really cute.

The Lavender Companion: Enjoy the Aroma, Flavor, and Health Benefits of This Classic Herb Terry Barlin Vesci, Jessica Dunham (publishes 28 May 2024)

I love lavender. In the house I grew up in we had a lavender bush by the letterbox, and after I started balcony gardening in earnest I planted a French Lavender that is not very scented but flowers in winter, and an English Lavender that is just coming into bloom now, and smells so good.

So, requesting this book was pretty obvious. The authors run a lavender farm in Arizona, and really know their topic. The first thing that struck me about this book is how pretty it is.

It's also informative and inspiring. It had chapters on how to grow lavender, how to use it in various ways including body-care, food, drinks. At the end Terry explained how she and her partner became lavender farmers, and it made me want to try something new in life. You can also go and visit their farms, and I really wanted to. What a lovely book!

You Grow Girl by Rose Rossner (publishing 5 March 2024)

I'm not sure why I keep requesting children's books, but I do. This one called to me because of the adorable cover.

The whole book is equally adorably illustrated. The text is rhyming and it's basically all plant puns and punny plant affirmations. This is not in any way a "how to" about plants, it's a "good vibes only" about life! I could imagine reading this with a youngish child, but I'm actually thinking about buying it for my best friend, who shares and encourages my plant obsession.

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Linky Wednesday - 3/2024

It's been a bit of a week. Because of my hand , I can't really knit, so I'm doing some charity crocheting: It's quite fun, but also I'm halfway through a shrug for myself, and I'd rather be knitting. Oh well, we can't always get what we want! In reading, I'm reading Stargazy Pie , the next Victoria Goddard. This is a comedy of manners and lots of things happen. I can't say I feel deeply about any of them, but that's not the point. It's fun. I'm listening to Elin Hilderbrand's The Five-Star Weekend . It's got a lot of characters, and it took me while to get into it, but now I'm invested. Women's fiction at it's finest. Next up is a review book Tidelines by Sarah Sasson. Great cover. It's Australian, and you know how I love a local book (although I think it's set, or at least starts in Sydney). It's described as a coming of age novel, and I love those too, so it sounds like a winner. I just re-read t...

Geogradiant MKAL Part 1 - that was unexpected (spoilers)

Stephen West released the first MKAL clue on Thursday night. I started knitting it without looking at spoilers. When I got up on Friday he had sent through an "alternative" clue one. I then went and had a look at the spoiler thread to try to work out what was going on. Which was that some people thought the pattern looked like a "German hate symbol". I knit on anyway, since I was half-way through. Then he took down the original clue, replacing it with a mitred square in garter stitch. The Ravelry forums and Instagram are a complete shit-show, even though Rav is being moderated. It's been a bit disheartening, having something that is usually quite light and fun weighed down with all this. I admire Stephen's quick and sensitive response to this drama. I also feel that anything can look like anything if you squint. To me this looks like a Celtic knot. I think mine is pretty, and I'll knit on through all crises.

Linky Wednesday - the one with the pause

In meditation it's said that the pause between the in breath and the out breath is a gap, a space to rest. Well, I'm in that in-between space for reading, listening and knitting. This is a random photo of a highlight of my week - I filled up my lolly jar. These are just supermarket party mix. During the lockdowns, we sources a great pick-and-mix delivery service, but at some point they started sending from the UK, which is a bit silly. Rachey messaged me a new one she found, and I impulsed purchased a kilo of mixed lollies, and then she sent me a link to the biggest lolly shop in Melbourne, which also delivers sweets by the kilogram, so i think I'm sorted for the rest of the year! In reading I've just finished The Beckoning Lady by Margery Allingham . It's the second last book in the Summer of Mystery, and I have to admit, having now read nine Margery Allingham books, that they are OK. I wouldn't have read them if they were not connected to this club, but on...

What I made, by Sharon

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