Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Joining the Worm Club

I first read about Green Bean's May Be a Bookworm Challenge from Nadine over at In Blue Ink. The challenge was to read one ecologically relevant book during the month of May. I love books, and ecological books are right up my alley, but I had just started the 1990 unabridged/expanded version of Stephen King's The Stand, which clocks in at roughly 1200 pages, and I didn't think it would be right to sign up for a challenge I likely couldn't meet. I am not a big Stephen King reader in general, having only read two of his previous novels, but am a fan of apocalyptic literature, so there you go.

One could probably make the argument that post-apocalyptic stories are ecologically relevant, as they imagine futures we could very well end up with, if we don't make some pretty major changes. However, having just discovered Green Bean's blog, I wanted to respect the intent of the challenge.

Plus there are so many great books to choose from!

I finished The Stand last week, and this weekend starting reading Lost Mountain by Erik Reece. I have been wanting to read this book for a while to learn more about the evils of coal. I am so sick of hearing the greenwashing about "clean coal." How, I wonder, can coal be called clean when entire mountains are destroyed just to extract the stuff? I don't care how you burn it, destroying mountains and valleys is NOT clean. So I decided I needed to learn more about coal, and picked this book as a good starting point.

Imagine my pleasure to discover that Green Bean has extended the reading challenge through the month of June. And this time, when stumbling on the challenge a few days late, I actually happen to be reading a qualifying book? Good times. I'll let you all know how Lost Mountain turns out. Hint: it's not looking good for this mountain.

7 comments:

a/k/a Nadine said...

I had not heard of that book. I look forward to hearing your impressions.

Aliki2006 said...

I hadn't heard of that book, either. I did read The Stand years ago. It's funny, I'm partial to apocalyptic literature too...!

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I wanna be a book worm too!

I love apocalyptic literature and always have--even as a child.

Of course, I always imagine MYSELF as one of the survivors, though the older I get, the less likely that seems, or the less important.

But I would also like to WRITE apocalyptic stuff.

Green Bean said...

So glad that you are joining the club! Someone else recently recommended that book so I look forward to your thoughts on it.

BrightBoy said...

I'm still a book worm, but have trouble finding interesting things to read. In any case, I'm gpoing to be in the air for five to seven hours on Tuesday flying to Movie State, so I'd better figure something out quickly.

Debbie said...

Speaking of coal? Have you seen pictures of the pollution in Bejjing where all the HEALTHY athletes will be breathing hard?

Oh gosh...my bad smoking habit is not even making a dent in the air!

I'll check out Green Bean. Thanks!

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

AK!

I wish I could orchestrate more reading time into my life somehow.