#COLLABOREADS: Green With Envy
If you're new to #COLLABOREADS, welcome!
Every month, Kristin from Taz + Belly and I host this fun little book-loving link-up, and we're so happy you've stopped by!
Here's how this works: We pick a theme every month, you pick a book that fits (we all read different books! it's fun that way!) and then all link up and share our thoughts (with a handy-dandy R.E.A.D.S. acronym usually--see below!) and link up and become BFFs. You can read more about this whole thing here.
Riveting.
What part of the book could you NOT get enough of? This entire book is riveting. It's also sickening, eye-opening, cringe-inducing, heart-breaking... you get the idea. When you're reading about the realities of the meat industry and how animals are treated (mis-treated is more like it), you will want to cry and only consume vegetables for the rest of time. (This might just be my reaction since it's been more than 7 years since I've eaten meat and I feel VERY strongly about being vegan... but you get the idea.) This book isn't for the faint of heart, but it's also one I highly recommend reading since it shares so much of what goes on behind closed doors and out of the public eye. There are so many lax or nonexistent protocols or humane procedures in place, and it's incredibly shocking to read about how things really go down. If nothing else, reading this book will help you understand how your meat gets to you and what that process looks like, and I can only hope that knowing so will help spur you into action when it comes to advocating for better animal practices whether you eat meat or not. How you spend your money matters, and supporting the best practices really can and will make a difference in how animals are treated, and I'll never stop advocating for the very best for all living creatures.
Elements.
How did you relate to/care for the characters? What's your thought on the plot line and twists and turns? There aren't characters in this book as it's non-fiction, but reading different accounts from farmers, butchers, and other workers in the meat industry was really, again, eye-opening. There's so much to the industry that I had never considered, and I'm glad to have heard from folks all across the spectrum on why they do what they do, how they handle their work, how they feel about animals, etc. This book is so thoroughly researched and well written, and even though I had to read in small chunks because my poor heart and stomach couldn't handle all the cruelty and injustice I was reading about, it was laid out in a thoughtful and compelling way.
Associate.
What other books are like this one? If none, did it remind you of a particular TV or movie with it's themes and characters? Does it serendipitous-ly line-up with things going on in your life or the news right now? This one is in the same category as books by Michael Pollan (like In Defense of Food, Cooked, etc) as well as documentaries like Food, Inc., Cooked, Forks Over Knives, etc. Being both gluten-free and vegan, books about food in general and especially the meat industry are fascinating (as well as horrifying) and always worth reading to me!
Design.
You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents of the novel? And the font and layout of the pages? The cover of this one is definitely green (which finally was the motivation I needed to read it!) and the typography is bold and attention-grabbing, and also pretty similar to other books by Foer. I appreciate consistency like that with different books from the same author, but admit this wasn't particularly a cover I had heart eyes for. There were some really cool graphic design elements throughout this book before each new section, and I really liked those! They also included really compelling facts about the meat industry on those pages that on their own would have made the book worth reading.
Stars.
How many out of five do you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend? Four! I'd definitely recommend it (and already have), especially to meat-eaters. It's eye opening!
LET'S LINK UP NOW.
FOR THE FUTURE:
Look at this awesome (and so helpful!) graphic Kristin made! We wanted to give you all advance notice for the rest of the year so you can plan your reading accordingly. :)
April's theme is "A Young Adult Novel". Find any YA book that interests you, read it this month, blog your thoughts (you can use our R.E.A.D.S acronym or whatever style you want!) and link up at the end of the month!
Kristin from Taz + Belly and I are so excited to have you joining us, and we can't wait to see this fun little link-up grow this year!