Thursday, May 24, 2012

currently reading...

it's been ages since i've done one of these, but some shiny new books got delivered this morning so i thought i would share what i've been reading recently.

currently reading

on the top of the pile is civilization and the limpet, by martin wells. someone recommended this book to me on flickr a while back, and it has been really enjoyable. wells got me from the very first page with the observation that 'some poor people work all their lives and all they ever make is money'. his basic assertion is that modern society is increasingly focused on itself, and in some cases you would 'hardly know that other animals existed.' this book is a collection of essay on some of the more curious members of the animal kingdom, more specifically those of the marine world. each one is entertaining and informative and if you are a nature nerd like me it is a good read.

i just finished the last great sea and mentioned it here. a broad spectrum yet detailed history of the north pacific ocean that i've now read twice, and probably should again at some point. good, but a lot of information to absorb.

i found this curious 30 year old soft sculpture book in a pile of things at my friend's house, as she was cleaning out old things while she moved. i haven't fully explored it yet but there are some very quirky sculptures featured. i may give it its own post soon.

wild color is a book i've had for quite some time, but i've been referring to it a lot recently as i'm getting back into natural dyeing as the weather warms (something about summer and dyeing works perfectly together, don't you think?). i think this book is an excellent reference for anyone playing around with natural dyeing.

the last two books arrived this morning, and are further inspiration for the summer of dyeing (see above) i have planned.  indigo is not so much a how-to book as a comprehensive history of indigo use. maybe someday i'll get to actual successful indigo dyeing and then i can be part of that history... eco colour is natural dyeing under the guidance of the amazing india flint. i actually borrowed this book from the library, but due to its high demand i was only allowed a 14 day loan with no renewal. a quick browse told me i would be referring to this volume for a while to come, so it seemed a good idea to get my own copy.

what are you reading lately? (ps, i'm looking for a good summer novel to whisk me away - any suggestions?)

2 comments:

julie schmulie said...

my copy of wild colour is so thumbed through and earmarked it's ridiculous. such a great reference.

as far as novels - have you read the art of fielding by chad harbach? it's a doozy - 800 something pages and about...er...baseball (kind of), but so so good. beautifully drawn characters and truly engrossing. i highly recommend it.

dawn said...

I love the "soft sculpture" book. She is one of my favorite soft sculpture artists.