2018 April Reading Challenge

[Elizabeth]

April is World Landscape Architecture Month. So, with that in mind, your challenge is to read something that includes gardeners, gardening or landscape architecture. You can read a non-fiction book, maybe get ideas for your own garden, like, 100 Years, 100 Landscape Designs or Gardening Complete: How to Best Grow Vegetables, Flowers, and Other Outdoor Plants or you can read a fiction book where the main character is a gardener or a florist, like A Muddied Murder. And of course, there's always the classic, The Secret Garden.

Happy Spring!

[Donna]

ooh fun, I think i'm going to read Wild Designs. If anyone is looking for suggestions I loved The Lost Garden and not for this challenge because it's not out yet but Penelope Lively one of my favorite authors has a memoir of sorts about gardening coming out in June Life in the Garden. So many books, so little time

[Debbie]

Ooooh! This sounds fun. I have my book picked. Oh! a gardening pun!

[Linda]

I read
It was one of those books that is enjoyable to look at and then wish I didn't live in a desert so I could have a garden that looked like these. It did have some good ideas.

[Elizabeth]

I hear you Linda. I often watch gardening shows, and then go Ooh, I want THAT plant. And then find out it won't really grow here at all. sigh.

[Elizabeth]

Wow! April is like... halfway over! How did that happen? Make sure you find your book and let me know.

[Greg]

I just couldn't find a book to fit this challenge. I'll try for May.

[Elizabeth]

Oh no! Im sorry you couldnt find anything that intrigued you.

[Britt, Book Habitue]

I read School of Charm, which features quite a bit of gardening. And is just a really cute coming-of-age story.

[Elizabeth]

Fantastic!

[Linda]

Greg wrote: "I just couldn't find a book to fit this challenge. I'll try for May."
Try a picture book. The Night Gardener is a good kids book

[Debbie]

I read First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew by Robbin Gourley. The children's picture book relates the history of various gardens and animal husbandry undertaken by the First Family begining with John Adams, the White House's first resident.

[Debbie]

Greg wrote: "I just couldn't find a book to fit this challenge. I'll try for May."

If you haven't read it, consider Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah or perhaps her new book The Great Alone. In Winter Garden, the garden plays a pivotal role in the relationships of the people in the family, particularly the mother. In The Great Alone, a garden is a necessity in the hinterlands of Alaska and working in the garden is an important activity. I loved both books, but loved Winter Garden just a tad more.

[Teresa]

I read The Enchanted April. Four strangers, women, rent a castle in Italy for the month of April. The story alternates between detailed descriptions of the gardens and introspection on the part of the women.

[Elizabeth]

Teresa,

That sounds interesting.

[Teresa]

It was funny, slow, and lush.

[Donna]

I loved The Enchanted April, the film is quite well done also

[Elizabeth]

Britt, Book Habitue, is our prize drawing winner for April 2018’s reading challenge. She read School of Charm by Lisa Ann Scott.

[Debbie]

Hooray, Britt!

[Alyson]

Wahoo!