Animals (The Life and Times of Barbara Book 7)

Sometimes the only proof I want is the emotional residue. But sometimes that, too, is inaccurate -- like the blinding "pop" in Codi's recurring dream, even the subconscio My memory, like Codi's, is for shit. But sometimes that, too, is inaccurate -- like the blinding "pop" in Codi's recurring dream, even the subconscious can get flipped around and rewritten.

Codi's memory has a terrible price when she finally gets hold of it. But then again, she gets to keep Loyd. That should be enough for any girl -- some of us would be wise to choose him over epiphany any day, especially if we're as callous and distant as Codi is throughout most of the novel. It's probably silly to say that the moral of a story is that sometimes life chooses you, since fictional characters are by nature figments of imagination, and get to enjoy the plotting out and tidying up that their authors are wont to do for them.

But maybe belief in fiction is an extension of belief in an interventionist God. Maybe the reason this book left me sobbing and shaken is that it gives the right answer. Isn't that why we read novels -- in the hopes that someone else's imagined life will provide the answers for our own questions? We take books like medicine.

But like medicine, it's still practice We can only keep trying for that perfect, elusive match of cure to symptom. Oct 20, Dana D. This is my favorite Kingsolver novel, and I've re-read it several times, not because it's the best "literature" but because I loved several the characters and some of the imagery I even named my cat after the main character's sister. Anyway, it's readable in a day or two; it's a little preachy and the plot is contrived, but of great sentimental value to me.

And the scene of Cody's aging father developing black and white photographs meant to resemble completely unrelated objects reall This is my favorite Kingsolver novel, and I've re-read it several times, not because it's the best "literature" but because I loved several the characters and some of the imagery And the scene of Cody's aging father developing black and white photographs meant to resemble completely unrelated objects really affected me.

Aug 18, Donna rated it really liked it Shelves: This is the 7th book I've read by this author. She falls between 3 and 4 stars for me, but this book was a solid 4 stars for me. I think it's my favorite one so far. I loved the writing more than the actual story. She is great at linking the past with the present. She is also quite expressive with her ideas and with her the descriptive strokes. Some of this was beautifully written and some of it was humorous. The story line was a little too perfect with a lot of convenient coincidences, but I en This is the 7th book I've read by this author.

The story line was a little too perfect with a lot of convenient coincidences, but I enjoyed the messages. The pretty woman in her early 40's refused to sell it to me, instead wanting me to take it for free. I insisted and gave her a buck for all three. She lives in a tiny little pink and turquoise casita around the corner and up the street from my flat which I have always lovingly admired. Now having read the book I feel like there was some sort of "Never Endi Picked this one up for next to nothing at a garage sale in September along with Sol Yurik's "The Warriors" and S.

Now having read the book I feel like there was some sort of "Never Ending Story" type connection between her and the protagonist. Something in how she came across like an ex-high school teacher, pretty but exhausted, well educated but broke and especially with the combo of these three particular books strewn on a Mexican blanket in her front yard. What can I say.. Having read several of Kingsolver's other books I was looking forward to hearing her voice again.

I couldn't say it any better than another Good Reads reviewer who says she, "has this infectious, cultural curiosity that drives her to learn anything and everything about a place and its people And this is why I love Kingsolver. I always come out knowing a place, wanting to walk it's streets or interact with the people she creates. It's just really whole and healthy fiction. It's simple I guess, a good dose of some Kingsolver between some other heavy genre like crime, noir or sci-fi always brings me back to being human. Cause' in the end, that's all I can really be.

Jan 30, Jeffrey Taylor rated it it was ok. The book was interesting light reading, easy to read; not very demanding. Overall, however, I found it disappointing. An essential quality of a novel is its ability to take us into the consciousness of another person. In that respect Kingsolver succeeds. Codi is a feminine, anti-hero. Kingsolver takes us into all of Codi's doubts and misgivings. We experience the broken and the whole moments of her life. Unfortunately there are unexplored and incomplete elements in Codi's life that are not fully The book was interesting light reading, easy to read; not very demanding.

Unfortunately there are unexplored and incomplete elements in Codi's life that are not fully developed in Codi's story We are left shielded from the experience that took her from her dream of becoming a doctor to becoming a seven and eleven clerk.

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Was it a traumatic experience, there are hints of this, or was it her self doubts? Codi is damaged as a child by the loss of her mother and the remoteness of her father. This theme is never resolved to my satisfaction. She explores it when Codi returns to Grace but never comes to grips with it, or with grace for that matter. Codi is the catalyst for the events that save Grace but the activists are others. She in tangentially involved but stand on the sidelines.

Cody's childhood is most dramatically effected by her relationship with her sister and her loss of her first child due to miscarriage. This sense of loss is never explored as our only contact with her sister is letters from the wings of the stage after she goes of to Guatemala. My feeling of disappointment was fueled by the impression that Kingsolver was telling us the wrong story,Codi's story rather than her sister's story.

Although Cody reestablishes her relationship with Loyd I never got that feeling that this marked Cody's recovery of loss or of grace. I was impressed with the feeling of interiority that Kingsolver created, we experienced Codi's rekindling relationship and felt the interplay of love and doubt as the relationship deepened. I was fascinated by the revelations of Indian culture and Codi's place in that culture. I wished that had been explored further. The story was good and had great potential. It could have been far better had Kingsolver done a better job as an author in handling the fascinating themes she created.

Nov 07, lucky little cat rated it really liked it Shelves: It's been nearly thirty years since I've read this, and it's amazing which details linger. Their old shoes were in the attic, arranged neatly by size in a row. As if they'd ever need them again. View all 8 comments. I found this at Brattleboro Books, the used bookstore in town, and thought that if I actually bought it, maybe I would finally read it.

I've checked it out of three different libraries now at least five times, but somehow have always been too distracted to get into it. I have paid enough library fines because of this to have paid for my used copy several times, I'm sure. My early- mid-winter desert escape. How do these things find us just when we need them? I think I found this at Brattleboro Books, the used bookstore in town, and thought that if I actually bought it, maybe I would finally read it. I think Barbara Kingsolver has taught me more about love and hope than anything else has I'm not sure what that says about my relationships..

So if he was dreaming about what he does when he's awake as this book would have it , he was dreaming of I'd forgotten about this. Tucked away between two pages of this book were two little paper cut-out people folded together in a passionate 2D embrace. One more reason to buy used books! Could have done without stereotypical white woman falls in love with super hot native guy because he shows her the meaning of life with his native knowledge or something.

I too would like to go back to my hometown at 35 and have a super hot native guy waiting there to fall in love with me and put up with all my whining about how no one understands my pain. Other than that I enjoyed the story. View all 7 comments. Jul 04, Laurel rated it liked it.

I was surprisingly happy with the ending of this book, but the problem was the rest of it. Throughout, I found myself feeling like there was something missing about Codi. I understood that she was troubled, but I couldn't figure out if I liked her anyway. I understood that she was working through her issues, but I couldn't decide if she was taking too long or not taking long enough.

I understood that she loved her sister, but I couldn't tell if the relation I was surprisingly happy with the ending of this book, but the problem was the rest of it. I understood that she loved her sister, but I couldn't tell if the relationship was healthy. Yeah, let's talk about Hallie. Again, I was happy with the ending - view spoiler [ well, obviously I was sad for Codi that she died, I'm not saying I was happy because of that.

I'm just happy that Hallie got knocked off of her pedestal a bit because of what she wrote in her letters. You know, how Codi realizes that Hallie was actually doing this whole Nicaragua thing for herself, too, to give herself a point in life? I was glad she came to that realization. I was like, "Please, I don't want to hate Hallie but I kind of do just because of your biased memories of her.

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Does that happen to people? You don't even KNOW you've blacked out half of your memories? I liked the different aspects of the book, but I thought they were a little disjointed. Her transitions between the book's plot lines were abrupt and I lost something in the movement, and in the rapid passage of time. Codi spent a lot of time thinking - a lot of time looking - and a lot of time explaining what she did that brought her to the thinking and the looking.

Granted, I appreciate a bit of that; sometimes I don't want to see pointless scenes. But other times I do, you know? Other times I would like to have Codi take her time spending a night in the city rather than thinking, "Oh, I spent a night in the city. Here's a deep thought I had about it.

When I first was introduced to the prospect of Loyd, it was as view spoiler [ the father of the dead child that disturbed her enough to block out her memories, give her the image of herself that she's inadequate compared to her sister, and haunt both her and her father. Not to mention, she acted like Loyd never mattered! I liked his love for her better, but I wasn't buying that her history led HER to this guy, of all people. When she first met up with him, I really thought it was going to be about her getting over this guy's role as her dead baby's father It was more about other things, like whether she could decide to love any guy enough to make Grace her home.

That was fine, but why with the father? And it wasn't really resolved in the end - she's just like, "Oh, I told Loyd about the baby. I didn't think he'd be sad. That's all you get? That's all that story gets? I liked Loyd's character; I liked his back story and his culture and his personality. I was rooting for him. As a whole, I liked the themes in the book. I'm not a HUGE environmentalist, but I felt myself really caring about the environmental issues the book brings up.

Especially the native American ideas about land and respecting nature; some of my favorite parts were the bits where Loyd explains that culture. I'm sorry to say that I didn't know anything about the Nicaraguan Revolution or the contras. I was confused for a while. I googled it, though. Maybe if I had read this in , when it first came out, I would be better equipped to place myself in a position to really care for Hallie's cause, but unfortunately, I was born approximately two decades after that started.

It's now, and whatever is going on in Nicaragua, it's not making front page news - maybe that's ignorant of me to say, but it's the truth, okay? Actually, the first thing I found on what is going on there now had the headline "Nicaragua Prospers Under an Ex-Guerrilla. So maybe I missed something there.

Kingsolver has beautiful writing. I can't decide if I like how Like, you were supposed to read them and glean some greater knowledge. With some colorful characters thrown in. I was a reasonably disturbed by Homer's decline. I loved Evelina and the Stitch and Bitch club, despite how I was really hesitant about them both. The thing was that Grace as a whole was introduced like I was supposed to be annoyed with it's small-town traits, but then I realized that no, I was supposed to love it.

Wait, CODI was supposed to love it. It made me a little confused. On the whole, I kept thinking I knew where this book was going. By the end, I just let it wash over me, bits falling in and out of importance, and that was a better strategy. So I'd say this is a solid mediocre book. I'm glad I read it. But I appreciate what it was going for. Aug 30, dipandjelly rated it it was amazing Shelves: What is the hunger that drives this need? I did it because you were right. Mar 09, Jill Wasberg rated it it was ok Shelves: This was pretty silly.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

I loved Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer, and this was promising, with complex themes of environmental ethics and international social justice issues. I thought the narration first person, mid-thirties female who teaches high school biology in her tiny southwestern hometown was so trite and annoying!

I think Barbara Kingsolver is a talented writer, so I'm not sure what happened here. Much of the story was about Codi, the narrator, coming to terms with coming to the h This was pretty silly. Much of the story was about Codi, the narrator, coming to terms with coming to the home that she felt always treated her like an outsider because she was tall and smart--this is what I gathered from the two qualities of herself on which she was fixated throughout the story-- but nowhere in the story is it indicated that she was treated as such.

The opposite, in fact. She finds out boys in high school were intimidated by her beauty and aloofness so much so that their nickname for her was "Empress"; her high school students vote her as the best teacher in their high school because she acts like one of the kids and curses in class and draws penises on the blackboard; the boy she loved in high school is now madly in love with her and wants her to marry him, but she's just too damaged from their past to settle.

What is the deal with this book? Aug 18, Debra Anne rated it it was ok. Animal Dreams has everything in it that I love about Kingsolver's writing -- her vision-filled writing style, and sense of place. I loved immersing myself in the Latino-spiced culture, and the Native American wisdom of the nearby pueblo people enriches the mix. That being said, two things almost made me put it down, and only Kingsolver's talent as a writer kept me going.

The book is basically a romance novel, not my favorite genre, but I can endure a romance novel if there is more to the plot, w Animal Dreams has everything in it that I love about Kingsolver's writing -- her vision-filled writing style, and sense of place. The book is basically a romance novel, not my favorite genre, but I can endure a romance novel if there is more to the plot, which there is in this book. The other strike against it, for me, was that I disliked the main character, Cosima.

She is everything I dislike in female leads -- bitchy, angst-ridden, a person whose biggest trouble for the majority of her life has been satisfying her vague inner yearnings.

I have trouble empathizing with people who have great choices available to make in life but who refuse to seize their opportunities because they are too bitchy and moody to decide. Cosima does grow as a person in the book, her understanding increases, so by the end of it, she isn't completely intolerable. Jun 29, Z rated it really liked it.

It deals with family issues, Alzheimer's, environmental issues, political issues specifically Nicaragua in the 's , and Native American issues, yet it is not an "issue book. That may make it sound sappy, but it's not, because Cosima, our protagonist and narrator, This is the Kalamazoo Public Library's Reading Together book, and I would highly recommend it. That may make it sound sappy, but it's not, because Cosima, our protagonist and narrator, is anything but sappy.

Oct 08, Amy rated it really liked it Shelves: Barbara Kingsolver has a gift that allows the reader to identify with the land that she is writing about. This story is as much about the main character, Cosima Noline, as it is about her hometown Gracela Canyon, where she grew up and moves back to as a thirty-something. As with Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible, this story has the characters reflect on their place in the world as individuals as well as in their family, community and workplace.

The writing is moving and beautiful. And although I rea Barbara Kingsolver has a gift that allows the reader to identify with the land that she is writing about. And although I read this is just a couple of days, the story will most likely stay with me for a while. View all 6 comments.

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Jun 30, Samidha Kalia rated it really liked it Shelves: This book wrecked me. I just read it because I loved the way Kingsolver took time to creat and portray her environment, as well as setting. And I think that's when my perspective on this novel changed. It's a brilliant piece of work, that needs to be read slowly and cherished fully - to finally gra This book wrecked me. It's a brilliant piece of work, that needs to be read slowly and cherished fully - to finally grasp what wonderful emotions and histories, the author has woven into the pages. Jun 20, Lisa rated it really liked it Shelves: This book is really about understanding oneself amid a lifetime of memories and secrets Codi must address all of these issues in order to move forward with her life.

It's a little preachy and the plot is contrived, but it is meaningful especially for me at this age almost Oct 04, Mica rated it liked it. I just wish they environmental justice aspect was explored more-i felt like it was a cheap plot device and could have been delved into more. May 11, Mimi rated it it was amazing Shelves: While I intellectually understand that The Poisonwood Bible is Kingolver's Magnum Opus, this is the one I brought when I had the opportunity to have her inscribe one of my books swoon!

This is such a beautiful story of reframing your story in adulthood, love, parenthood, and who we are. I had forgotten how much the environment was involved and had forgotten how much of the politics of Nicaragua got into the story, but they were both relevant and well done. Brimming with ethological insights and boosted by anecdotes about individual animals such as Ursula the pig, Mr Henry Joy the rooster, and Olive the octopus , there is no doubt that after reading Personalities on the Plate people will be compelled not just to rethink what to eat for dinner, but who they might be eating.

A rigorously researched, eloquent, thoughtful and potentially life-changing book for all consumers of animals.

Personalities on the Plate

You may purchase this title at these fine bookstores. Outside the USA, see our international sales information. University of Chicago Press: About Contact News Giving to the Press. Wild Mammals in Captivity Devra G. Run, Spot, Run Jessica Pierce. What Is a Dog? In recent years, scientific advances in our understanding of animal minds have led to major changes in how we think about, and treat, animals in zoos and aquariums.

The general public, it seems, is slowly coming to understand that animals like apes, elephants, and dolphins have not just brains, but complicated inner and social lives, and that we need to act accordingly. Sure, there are vegetarians and vegans all over, but at the same time, meat consumption is up, and meat remains a central part of the culinary and dining experience for the majority of people in the developed world. With Personalities on the Plate , Barbara King asks us to think hard about our meat eating--and how we might reduce it.

Rooted in the latest science, and built on a mix of firsthand experience including entomophagy, which, yes, is what you think it is and close engagement with the work of scientists, farmers, vets, and chefs, Personalities on the Plate is an unforgettable journey through the world of animals we eat.

Knowing what we know--and what we may yet learn--what is the proper ethical stance toward eating meat? What are the consequences for the planet?

How can we life an ethically and ecologically sound life through our food choices? We could have no better guide to these fascinatingly thorny questions than King, whose deep empathy embraces human and animal alike. Readers will be moved, provoked, and changed by this powerful book. Insects and Arachnids 2. Chimpanzees Afterword Acknowledgments References Index. Much of Personalities on the Plate reads like a fascinating zoological primer, exploring the social and emotional intelligence of animals.

It is not anthropomorphism, Ms. King writes, 'demonstrate decisively that, to varying degrees, they think their way through their days and experience feelings about what they make happen and what happens to them. Readers will finish the book and resolve to go forward--eating meat, abstaining from it, or consuming less of it--in a more purposeful way.

The animal-welfare debate needs more thoughtful, informative and level-headed discussion--not least because it makes for effective advocacy. Personalities on the Plate is a good place to start. Did that make it easier for me to eat the chicken? Or would I have more enjoyed biting into a leg of a chicken I knew? Perhaps I couldn't have done it at all. King makes you think about such matters because the lives of animals matter to her.

King takes us chapter by chapter on a cook's tour of animals we humans eat, from insects to octopus to chickens, fish, goats, pigs, cows, chimpanzees and dogs, exploring the latest scientific discoveries about their intelligence and sentience--building a case for them as beings that deserve more out of life than a trip down our gullets. King is not a scold, but she is good at stirring up.