In Lieu of Autumn Group Read

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

This Autumn is proving to be a busy one inside and outside of the garden on my end of things! (Reading and otherwise). With Halloween on the way, in lieu of an Autumn group read, I'd like for us to share here in this thread our favorite scary/spooky garden themed stories and stories that feature the garden in Autumn and/or around Thanksgiving. Also, what favorite gardening books do you like to read at this time of year?

[Janet]

My favorite garden reads are spring catalogs... no autumn favorites. However, I just returned from Vermont, the home of Gardener's Supply. They had at least 12 different varieties of garlic...and I purchased 3. My autumn read will be about garlic. I know that I plant it now, but that's it. This is very exciting for me...a new cooking and garden treat.

[Cheryl S.]

I look at bulb catalogs in the fall and sometimes reread articles in old fall issues of gardening magazines. I'm not much for reading spooky or scary stuff so have no offerings along those lines.

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

It's always exciting to venture into something new and learn all about it! Good luck with your garlic adventure!

[Miriam]

I just finished reading Warriors Don't Cry and it was pretty horrifying! But, it is about human behavior during the civil rights era... pretty scary stuff. It is the book by one of the kids that integrated Little Rock's Central High School. Great book, but hard to read. Kids are cruel enough, but the segregationist kids had adults coaching them in how to harrass and harm the black kids. Horrible.

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

Sounds like a difficult read!

Any Autumn garden themed reading suggestions? Spooky or otherwise?

[Dee]

Hmmmm, The White Garden was definitely spooky in the garden in places. So was Garden Spells.

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

You're right, The White Garden! I'd forgotten about that one Dee. Actually, Practical Magic has many garden scenes in it and a few a re quite spooky!

I couldn't finish Garden Spells. The domestic violence stuff hit to close to home so I put it down. Before meeting my husband, I'd been in two very abusive relationships. Other things I've been through I've found reading about them to be a comfort - not in this area though. Not at all. Hopefully one day I will get to the point where I can stick with a book that goes into details like Garden Spells did. Practical Magic mentions it but not to the detailed extent.

[Dee]

Oh, I can see why you didn't like it. It was difficult in some ways to read. Oh, and I thought of another. That first Sookie Stackhouse (I don't really like them) had some spooky stuff in the garden too.

Have you read the one where the two people garden at night? They end up making love in the garden? I can't remember the title. Thought it was Night Gardening, but don't find anything which looks like it.

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

Hm, don't recall hearing of it. I'll take a look at my aunt's or cousin's though for the fist Sookie book - I know one of them reads those.

[Miriam]

Jo, I know what you mean about the domestic violence thing. It sometimes triggers my PTSD from my abusive marriage. A great book for everyone is Verbal Abuse Survivors Speak Out; On relationship and recovery It was really helpful for me to realize WHY his comments cut me to the quick. Night Gardening sounds like fun!

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

Miriam, I'm sorry to hear you are a fellow domestic abuse survivor but glad the book helped you! October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a great time to mention such a book that can help other women become survivors.