Bookwyrme's Book Selection Process

Every now and again, someone asks me how I decide which books to read. It is a long and careful process, the secret of which I am now going to share with you.

I pick up books for any of the following reasons, alone or in combination:

1) I like the author. I already know I'll enjoy anything by Neil Gaiman, Robin McKinley, or Sue Hubbell, for example.

2) The author is shelved next to an author I know I like. I first read Patricia McKillip (now on the list of authors I know I'll like) because her books were persistently shelved next to Robin McKinley's. It was fate.

3) I like the cover. I found Carola Dunn this way. I still think the covers on the Daisy Dalrymple are tremendously fun and charming and exactly reflect the contents.

4) I like the title. Frankenstein's Cat caught my eye for this reason (and because of the cover and because of the subject).

5) I'm curious about the subject. Carousels, genetic engineering, the development of our concept of time, rose names... Interests come and go and return again.

6) I like the publisher. This one is new to me, but I find I'm now paying a lot of attention to Quirk Books these days. They've published Pride and Predjudice and Zombies, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, the Lovecraft Middle School books, The Last Policeman, Cooking with Flowers, and now Shakespeare's Star Wars. They match their name and that makes me very happy.

7) I read a review or two. I've found a lot of books that way--too many to list, really, but for now I'll mention Tuesdays in the Tower and Plain Kate.

8) Someone recommended the book to me. Oddly, this sometimes means it will take me longer to read the book. I'll save it for a rainy day, so to speak, a day when I don't have anything else to read.

9) It's an old favorite. I do reread, quite a lot, actually, though a bit less than I used to. My room is full of old friends, and they get taken down and reread.

There. Now you know the secret to finding good books!

Or at least, you know how to find books, and you also know why I am a long-term library addict.

Worms!

This is one time when I can point to my sister and say "She started it!" without hearing any protest from her.

In fact, she'll probably brag about it. Several years ago, she got interested in organic gardening, took some classes, and started a worm bin. I was initially fairly neutral about the whole thing. I'd put my garbage in the pail if I remembered, but I left the tending to her.

Except, of course, she left from time to time & I ended up in charge of the garden and, thus, the worms. I got hooked. Maybe I'm easy to please, but the quiet change from apple cores, banana peels, rice-that's-been-in-the-fridge-too-long, and general gunk into rich, dark soil continues to fascinate me. I like peeking in to see what's going on, and I love having nutrient-rich soil to put on my plants.

It's usually pretty much automatic, too. In several years of worm composting--and of doing it wrong (kind of, see below)--we've had only a handful of problems.

In fact, it's our most recent "problem" that prompted this post; we've been getting too good at giving the garbage to the worms rather than dumping it down the garbage disposal and have outpaced the worms; some of the garbage has been outright rotting rather than composting--When things are in balance, it's a pretty seamless transition from scraps to dirt with little to no "yuck" in between.

So, I spent part of yesterday afternoon setting up a new bin. This is where we have the "wrong" setup: The bin is a large, plastic trunk with some holes punched into it for air and something underneath to catch drips. We're not always terribly consistent about the ratio of leaves or paper to garbage, either, which can, but doesn't usually, cause problems. Honestly, if we really *did* chop up the garbage like some of the instructions demand, the composting simply wouldn't happen. And, like I said, our arrangement mostly works quite well.

The bin layout is on the left. The smaller garbage cans are used for holding leaves & other garden waste. The worms munch on those, too.

The picture on the right is the new bin.
Both bins are usually kept covered; I've the lids off in order to arrange things and to let them get some air.


It's quite satisfying, really, sitting out in the sun, setting up a new worm-home, transferring leaves and shredded paper in, and feeling just a bit smug about doing something "good for the environment."

I don't suppose this post by itself will convert you into vermiculturists (or whatever the correct term is), but should you happen to be in the area, and happen to be interested, I've got some nice, red worms you can have to start with; don't worry, this batch is bedded down in leaves--you won't have to take our garbage home with you.

Oh, and whether or not you're interested in composting, I recommend The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms by Amy Stewart. It's a well-written, fascinating book. I suggest picking up Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful, also by Amy Stewart, while you're at it. It has nothing to do with earthworms, but it's equally well-written. Try your local library before going to the bookstore to buy it; you can read a lot more books that way!