Day 351: 100 Plants to Feed the Bees

Chatting Books Online Day 351. Today's recommended book is: !00 Plants to Feed the Bees from The Xerces Society. ( and yes , those are our hives in the background )

This book is aimed at adding plants to your garden that will provide a healthy habitat to help pollinators thrive. As we start to think about our spring time gardens I hope we also think about what plants will help the bees which will in turn help our gardens thrive. I think we all know about Milkweed (Page 74) for Monarch Butterflies but are you aware that Hummingbirds love Salvia (page 92) and that Honey Bees love herbs like Basil, (page 190), Lavender , Mint , Rosemary and so much more ( pages 181-213)? And did you know that all pollinators like Magnolia (page 142) ? Well with this book you will know these and many other plants to help attract the pollinators your garden wants and needs. A Perfect pick for springtime.

This paperback book is 237 pages and currently sells for $16.95 a copy.

To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you .Now get outside and go make a comfortable home for those bees , butterflies, and birds!

Day 350 : The Week In Review February 22-28, 2021.

Chatting Books Online Day 350 The Week In Review February 22-28, 2021.

Thanks for joining us again this week as we tried to bring a book to your attention each day that you may not have read before or perhaps just recommending a book for those of you out there who prefer to get your meat products in the great outdoors rather than a grocery store. If that describes you then The Meateater Fish and game Cookbook is the pick for you.

Then we moved onto Tuesday on which I recommended a beautiful edition of Rumpelstiltskin as retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

After that I started to feel the weight of the lockdown lifting (perhaps just in my imagination) and so I recommended : 1,000 Places To See Before You Die so we can get planning.

Then it was on to a book I described as " the wild west meets Station Eleven meet The Handmaids Tale" in Anna North's Outlawed.

Later in the week I introduced a new storybook about the life of Beatrix Potter with "Saving the Countryside" and then we wrapped up the week by looking out into the garden (or what is left of it) to recommend The New Southern Living Garden Book.

If you missed any of these reviews and want to read what I had to say about them you can see all of our Chatting Books Online picks by visiting our website at: http://www.conundrumbooks.com/chatting-books-online .

We still (and always will going forward) offer shipping if you cannot make it to the store. Or just stop by the shop during or normal hours . See you soon !

Day 349: The New Southern Living Garden Book

Chatting Books Online Day 349. Today I am heading out into my garden to try to bring a little life to it so naturally today's recommended book has to be "The New Southern Living Garden Book" .

This edition, though called "new" was actually published in 2015. It is the encyclopedia of all things plants in our region. And not just garden plants but houseplants as well! With over 2,000 full-color photos, 500 garden ideas, and over 8,000 flowers , vegetables , trees, and assorted other plants there is a whole lot of information packed into this handy volume.

Each listing tells you the plant name , including scientific names, how much sun or water it needs, some information about the plant and information on varieties of this plant. The back of the book gives you more information on soils, fertilizing, when to plant what , etc.

An indispensable volume to help you identify any southern plant.

This cardboard backed softcover is 767 pages and sells for $34.95 a copy.

To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you .Now get outside and get a little mud under your nails!

Day 348: Saving the Countryside

Chatting Books Online Day 348. Today's recommended book is a brand new storybook : Saving the Countryside : The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit by Linda Elovitz Marshall.

This storybook tells the inspirational story of Beatrix Potter. A young girl of means in England who was not expected to go to school, get a job, and certainly not to own property who through her love of the countryside, drawing and her pet rabbit Benjamin Bouncer discovered a love that allowed her to right books which in turn allowed her to buy property, and then more property, and then more ...eventually donating over 4000 acres to the National Trust to be kept as countryside, cared for and protected for ever. It also tells how even though she was already selling her artwork to greeting card companies publishers would not at first take up The Tale of Peter Rabbit because they did not employ women , so she self-published it and it was such a success the publishers eventually changed their minds but smarty she kept the copyrights. Love that gumption. I know this sounds like a lot for a storybook but it is recommended for ages 4-8 and is written in such a way that I believe they will not only enjoy the story but will also find inspiration. A wonderful book to teach from a young ages that barriers are not insurmountable where the spirit is strong .

This hardcover storybook filled with lovely illustrations sells for $17.99 a copy.

To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you .Now Mask Up and Inspire Someone !

Day 347: Outlawed

Chatting Books Online Day 347 . Today's recommended book is Outlawed by Anna North.

This book is set in a post-pandemic (flu) world that is indeterminate in time (is it in an alternate past or a distant future I could not tell) . I would call it the wild west meets Station Eleven meets The Handmaids Tale. with a bit of the Salem witch trials thrown in for good measure. It tells of a world where born from a need to repopulate after a great flu motherhood is praised and valued above all else and those who are not mothers are shunned and ostracized if not out right hung causing them to flee (when lucky) as outlaws and live a life on the run. It is a captivating and unforgettable tale of family, born and chosen, and of acceptance.

It is currently available in hardcover only, it has 272 pages and sells for $26.00 a copy.

To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you .Now Mask Up and enjoy the day.

Day 346 : 1,000 places to see before you die

Chatting Books Online Day 346. Today's recommended books is : 1,000 Places To See Before You Die : A Travelers List by Patricia Schultz.

I like this book so much I have 2 copies at home. One I keep whole and unmolested. The other I tear apart. You see this is my favorite travel guide for many reasons: It covers the whole world and it covers each area succinctly. Say you are on your way to England and don't know what you want to see - just pull out that section of the book and you now have a handy dandy pocket sized overview of everything. Each section lists the city. gives a little overview/history , then tells you the best things to see there, the best places to stay there , the best times to go there, and the best places to eat there. I love to not actually read the section until I am in the airplane on the way there - then it is sort of a planned spontaneity to see the best of an area when you get there. I am slowly working my way through the book (slower this past year than most) but I am determined to see all 1000 places before I die.

This paperback book sells for $23.95 a copy.

To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you .Now Mask Up and let's get back to traveling !

Day 345: Rumpelstiltskin

Chatting Books Online Day 345. Today's recommended book is Rumpelstiltskin as retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

This beautiful classic storybook is done by the same author/ artist that did the lovely edition of Rapunzel I recommended back on Day 320. It is done in the same classical art style and tells the story of the Miller's daughter whom the king believed could spin straw into gold and in order to get herself out of the bind of having to perform this task or lose her life struck a bargain with a magical and mysterious little man that later led to trouble .

This hardcover storybook has won a Caldecott Honor and copies currently sell for $17.99 each.

To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you .Now Mask Up and keep reading !

Day 344 : The Meateater

Chatting Books Online Day 344. Today's recommended book is : The Meateater Fish and Game Cookbook, Recipes and Techniques for every Hunter and Angler by Steven Rinella.

Do you know someone who likes to hunt and fish , or someone who wants to take up the hobby? If so this book will be indispensable. Written by Steven Rinella of the show and Podcast The Meateater this hardcover cookbook starts with what to do once you bag the animal. How do you gut and butcher it and prepare it for cooking. Then what to cook and how to cook it. With lots of full color pictures - even of the step-by-step butchering instructions this book really takes you from hunt or boat to table.

This hardcover cookbook is 350 pages and sells for $35.00 a copy.

To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you .Now Mask Up and get outside !