TheShelfieChronicles

Veg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month | Huw Richards

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Can't believe I forgot to take a picture of this one because the hardcover edition is just a delight to handle. In this book, Richards tells readers to build on 4'x10' raised bed, and then goes month-by-month telling you what to plant in each 1' section of the bed. He also has a “windowsill“ section for what plants to start from seed in your windowsill each month. There was a lot of great information here with easy-to-follow drawings and ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) step-by-step instructions, plus loads of colored photographs, suggestions for veggies to substitute in for ones you don't like, harvesting tips, etc. In many ways, this is an ideal book for a beginner because it really is just set up so nicely and makes having a vegetable garden feel very attainable (because it is!!).

However, there is no indication from Richards's book as to what growing zone he lives in - but apparently this is a ⬇ 3y

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) UK book, so maybe everyone in the UK is in the same zone so it doesn't matter? I was able to parse together which things I would do in March here vs what I would actually do in April, etc., but that's where if you're an actual beginner, things would be tricky. If you live in someplace colder than where Richards is, the steps you follow each month wouldn't actually be in that month. Richards also focuses almost entirely on legumes and ⬇ 3y

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) root crops, which is fine, but if you're wanting to grow garden-fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, corn, etc. - basically, warm-crop veggies that most of us associate with having a garden - information for those is pretty much “they have a long growing season so you have to start them early and put them in their own container.“

All in all, if you're a beginner gardener this one is worth checking out just as an example as to how much ⬇ 3y

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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) you can do in a relatively small space, and if you live in a growing zone similar to Richards's, it's a great step-by-step plan. But if you live someplace colder, this book may just end up leading you astray haha

#19822022 - 2019 @Librarybelle
#Fourfoursin22 - Renewable @lauredhel
#TheShelfieChronicles - Starts with a V
#OWLs #Arithmancy 3y

5feet.of.fury Oooh interesting! 3y

TheAromaofBooks @5feet.of.fury - There's a lot of good information in this one, especially if you're new to vegetable gardening. He does a great job breaking it down into manageable chunks. 3y

Librarybelle Hooray!! 3y

5feet.of.fury @TheAromaofBooks I live in New England so it might be different timing but I def want to get a veggie garden going this year 3y

TheAromaofBooks @5feet.of.fury - It's so rewarding and fun and also super aggravating at times LOL I'll tag one of my favorite reference books - it's also a through-the-year reference, but they base it off of your frost date (do this 3 weeks before frost date, this 2 weeks before, etc.) so it's easier to adjust to fit wherever you live. I highly recommend checking out Storey Publishers for tons of great books on gardening/homesteading. I also love the ⬇

Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener's Handbook: Perfectly Timed Gardening for Your Most Bountiful Harvest Ever

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) Johnny's Select Seeds catalogue. Even if you aren't going to grow stuff from seed (or don't want to purchase from them) their catalogue has SO MUCH great information on different veggies, varieties, pests, and common problems. It's practically its own reference book!! 3y

janeycanuck Oh man, this piqued my interest until I saw the UK thing. I would love to grow more outside the typical growing season here but I haven‘t found any resources that will help with that. I guess I either need to move or convince my partner we should build a heated greenhouse. 3y

TheAromaofBooks @janeycanuck - You may actually be interested in another gardening book I read lately. The author lives in Nova Scotia and talks about ways to extend the growing season by using row covers, cold frames, and unheated greenhouses, as well as tips for warming the soil early, protecting tender plants from late frosts, etc. She does a nice job of providing options for different levels of “want to“ haha It's not necessarily a great book for beginners⬇

The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year, No Matter Where You Live

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) because it is a lot of information, but if you already have the basics of gardening and are wanting to sort of “level up“ there's a lot of great information. 3y

janeycanuck @TheAromaofBooks My partner got that one for Christmas years ago and turned his nose up at it. I have no idea where it even is anymore 🤬 3y

TheAromaofBooks @janeycanuck - That's mostly funny because my husband also seemed to think a lot of her ideas are very impractical 😂 I think mainly because the main things that grow in those situations are salad greens, spinach, and root crops. My husband said, quote, “This seems like a lot of work for some salad in January.“ LOL 3y

janeycanuck @TheAromaofBooks 🤣🤣🤣 I‘m with him on the kale but I like a good root vegetable!! 3y

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TheAromaofBooks

The Magic of Ordinary Days | Ann Howard Creel

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This was my #LMPBC book for January so I don't want to say too much. Basically, I really liked the story, but really didn't like the main character haha She was incredibly self-absorbed, and I thought she stayed that way all the way through.

Final book for #JumpStart2022 as I did finish this Monday!! @Lizpixie @Clwojick
#Pantone2022 - Fragile Sprout - it seemed like it matched better in real life haha @Clwojick
#BookSpinBingo

TheAromaofBooks #RoadTripUSA - Colorado @megnews
#WickedWords - New @AsYouWish (this was a January read/word lol)
#19822022 - 2001 @Librarybelle
#OWLs #HistoryofMagic - Hogwarts, A History
#TheShelfieChronicles - 22 letters in the title (!)
#BuildYourLibrary - Set during a war 3y

AsYouWish Yay!!! Have you ever watched the movie?? I think it was on Hallmark and they still play it every once in a while. I liked the movie (but that could be more so because Skeet Ulrich is in it and I have a small…okay major crush on that man 😁)💙💙💙💙 3y

Lizpixie Well done you!👏👏👏 3y

Librarybelle Another great choice for so many prompts!! 3y

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TheAromaofBooks

Nation of Enemies | H.A. Raynes

so-so

My goal for #22booksin22 is the 22 oldest, stand-alone ebooks on my Kindle. Lingering since April of 2016, this one was the oldest!! In Raynes's 2032, the US is in a state of incredible unrest. Ten years before, MedID was introduced, a chip that tracks all of your medical data & also assesses your DNA to determine your medical ID number based on how likely you are to develop medical conditions or diseases. There's a magic cut-off number that I ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) can't remember now, like 72 or whatever, & everyone above a 72 is able to get jobs, move freely from place to place, or emigrate to another country. If you're below a 72, no one wants to hire you, countries don't want you to come live there, and consequently you struggle to find housing or ways to support your family. The 2032 presidential election is looming, and the book focuses on various characters trying to control the outcome. ⬇ 3y

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) The creepy thing is that this book was actually published in 2015, long before anyone was talking about vaccine mandates or passports, so this book felt both behind and ahead of its time, if that makes sense. The beginning of the book was very good, setting the stage, but it slowly devolved into a rather basic thriller, with a wild-eyed religious man pulling the strings behind the curtain. It still would have been a soft pick except ⬇ 3y

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) the ending was dreadful, with basically no resolution to any of the questions that had been raised. I'm glad to have this one off the list, but I struggled with it - it was also way too long at 528pgs. Still, first book down for #22booksin22 @jb72 !!!

Also:
#JumpStart2022 (finished this last week haha) @Clwojick @Lizpixie
#Pantone2022 - Daffodil @Clwojick
#RoadTripUSA2022 - New Hampshire (bit of a stretch, but we were there for a couple⬇ 3y

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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) chapters haha) @megnews
#Fourfoursin22 - Incubator @lauredhel
#AlmostaChunkster
#MountTBR
#OWLs #Divination
#BeattheBacklist2022 - Forgotten on ereader
#TheShelfieChronicles - Character with 2 different lives
#BookSpinBingo 3y

Clare-Dragonfly Jeez, that sounds like it could have been really interesting if it had stuck with it! 3y

TheAromaofBooks @Clare-Dragonfly - So much of his premise was really intriguing, with an entire country full of civil unrest, small communities popping up created by people whose MedID numbers aren't high enough to get good jobs, this idea of an underground MedID operation that can change your number, people who are proponents of the system because they believe it will lead to the eradication of health issues... but it just sort of fizzles away into a typical ⬇ 3y

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) “crazy religious people want to kill the president, manly man must stop them“ plot without really any resolution to any of the concepts brought up by the MedID. It was quite frustrating when the book just... ended! 3y

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TheAromaofBooks

Wuthering Heights | Emily Bront�

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Honestly, I am so delighted that the #PemberLittens inspired me to participate in #WanderingThroughWutheringHeights - this is a classic I read in high school and hated, but have always thought I should try again, and I'm so glad that I did. I didn't really enjoy this book, because everyone is absolutely ridiculous. I also can't get my head around ANYONE thinking Heathcliff is romantic!??! I was THRILLED to put a vindictive X through him when ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) he finally kipped over! The happy ending was what saved this book for me. I actually found the romance between Cathy & Hareton to be believable & liked the way that they were able to redeem each other. Hopefully Cathy matures into a decent person instead of staying such a spoiled brat. I did feel like her time living at Wuthering Heights helped her character development. As for the “main romance“ between Heathcliff and Catherine - ⬇ 3y

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) I do NOT get it. Is two people moping about and making everyone else miserable and thinking only of themselves considered romantic?? The mortality rate was high in this one, as you can see, but honestly I was ready to bid each of those characters farewell as they went (some of them hung around too long for my taste). I only wish I could have Xd out grumpy, undecipherable Joseph as well! I do have a lot of other thoughts & feelings on ⬇ 3y

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) this one, but I'll save it for some of our upcoming discussions!! Thanks for hosting @Caroline_Laphroaig - sorry I couldn't wait and just had to finish!! 😂

#JumpStart2022 @Lizpixie @Clwojick
#AestheticallyMatched @Clwojick
#OWLs - #CareofMagicalCreatures - Niffler
#BeattheBacklist2022 - Everyone has read it
#TheShelfieChronicles - Spans more than 22 years
#BuildYourLibrary - Beautiful cover
#BookSpinBingo 3y

inthegreensandblues I just finished and had similar feelings. Hated this book so much on first read, I had forgotten the actual romance at the very end 🤦😂 3y

TheAromaofBooks @inthegreensandblues - I think maybe because I'm older now, a lot of this book that made me mad when I was in high school just made me laugh now haha I was just like “oh my gosh, drama much??“ most of the time. 😂 3y

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TheAromaofBooks

The Story Girl | Lucy Maud Montgomery

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I finished this one yesterday in a big gulp, after being true to my chapter-a-day for most of the month haha I hadn't read this one in probably 15 years so it was lovely to visit these characters again. A fun little story about a group of cousins/siblings/neighbors. I can remember always wishing I had an amazing orchard with such a rich family history. Looking forward to discussing this one for January's #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead !!

TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean
#JumpStart2022 - @Lizpixie @Clwojick
#Booked2022 - Set in a Canadian province @Cifhen @4thhouseontheleft @barbarathebibliophage
#SeriesRead2022 @TheSpineView
#Fourfoursin22 - Familiar @lauredhel
#OWLs #Charms - Favorite author
#TheShelfieChronicles - Author name starts with 2 initials
#BookSpinBingo 3y

TheSpineView Excellant! 3y

Clwojick Great job! ❤️ 3y

BarbaraJean There‘s that beautiful vintage edition! 😊 Looking forward to discussing this one tomorrow! 3y

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TheAromaofBooks

The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year, No Matter Where You Live | Niki Jabbour, Joseph De Sciose

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I finished this the other day but apparently forgot to review!! Jabbour explores wats to extend the gardening season via cold frames, row covers, unheated greenhouses, etc. She has a lot of practical information about building and using these items, and about what kinds of veggies will grow in these conditions. The second half of the book is a vegetable reference with tons of different veggies listed by cold/cool/warm needs, and the basics of⬇️

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) raising them. This isn't really a book for beginning gardeners, although the reference section does have a lot of great information. But if you've been gardening for a year or two and are wishing you could harvest things like kale, salad greens, carrots, etc. all year long, this book is full of color photos, clear instructions, and lots of tips. Mostly this book made me wish that I had a good place to set up grow lights so I can start ⬇ 3y

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) seeds, but with our small house and no basement, I'm just still not sure where that spot is lol

#JumpStart2022 @Lizpixie @Clwojick
#MtTBR
#OWLs #Herbology
#19822022 - 2011 - @Librarybelle
#BeattheBacklist2022 - Reading for research
#Fourfoursin22 - Vegetation @Lauredhel
#WickedWords - Winter @AsYouWish
#TheShelfieChronicles - TBR 2+ yrs 3y

Librarybelle So many challenge prompts covered! 3y

Lauredhel Wow, sterling reading challenge work there :) 3y

TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle @Lauredhel - It's one of the best parts about reading in January - so many empty challenge slots to fill, it's hard to miss! 😂 3y

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TheAromaofBooks

Sea Spell | Jennifer Donnelly

First off, my first attempt using Canva to make a collage and I love it!! It's all @Clwojick's fault since she keeps having these challenges that involve other pictures and colors 😂 Sea Spell was a fabulous conclusion to Waterfire Saga. I wasn't sure I was going to get into a story about mermaids, but I actually really enjoyed this series a lot, and Donnelly did a surprisingly fantastic job of pulling together two huge plot lines in the end ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) I was afraid she was going to have to rush one of them, but actually felt like she gave both sides of the story the attention they deserved. I'm not sure this is a new favorite series that I'll revisit time and again, but they were quite well done and I can definitely see myself trying some of Donnelly's other books - anyone have a favorite?? 3y

TheAromaofBooks #Pantone2022 - Spun Sugar @Clwojick
#19822022 - 2016 @Librarybelle
#SeriesRead2022 @TheSpineView
#AestheticallyMatched @Clwojick
#OWLs - #Arithmancy - Involves music
#MtTBR
#TheShelfieChronicles - Character more than 2000yrs old 3y

vlwelser This is my favorite.

Revolution

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vlwelser But this series is really awesome also.

The Tea Rose: A Novel

Librarybelle I love Donnelly‘s historical fiction…to go along with @vlwelser ‘s shout outs, I also really liked

A Northern Light

Clwojick 😏☺️😉Can‘t stop, won‘t stop making reading challenges! 3y

TheAromaofBooks @Clwojick - I just love all your creative ideas!!! And now you've got me being creative, too, because I had to learn how to use Canva 😂 3y

TheAromaofBooks @vlwelser @Librarybelle - Thank you for the recommendations!!! I'll be checking these out!! 3y

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TheAromaofBooks

Rogue Wave | Jennifer Donnelly

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Book 2 for the year is the 2nd in the Waterford Saga. Things really start to ramp up. Having six protagonists should feel ridiculous, but overall Donnelly does a good job focusing on just a couple at a time, giving the story enough emotional investment to make it work. Looking forward to seeing how this one plays out.

TheAromaofBooks #AestheticallyMatched - They're exploring underwater ruins & this one just seemed to fit!! @Clwojick
#Booked2022 - Non-patriarchal society @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @barbarathebibliophage
#19822022 - 2015 @Librarybelle
#SeriesRead2022 @TheSpineView
#OWLs #AncientRunes - fictional language
#BeattheBacklist2022 - unusual pet
#TheShelfieChronicles - 2nd in a series
#BookSpinBingo 3y

Librarybelle Yay for so many challenge prompts fulfilled! 3y

Cinfhen Whoa!!! #ChallengeSlayer ⚜️🙌🏻 3y

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vlwelser I love this author. I'm pretty sure she's part of a small crowd of people that could convince me to read a series about mermaids (though I only read the first 3 books so far). 3y

TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle @Cinfhen - I love January, when every book fills tons of prompts because there are sooo many to choose from!! 😂 3y

TheAromaofBooks @vlwelser - I had never even heard of this author, and can't remember how this series ended up on my radar, but I'm really enjoying them!! Getting ready to start book 4 (& final!) this evening! 3y

Clwojick woohoo! 😍 Way to go!
3y

BarbaraTheBibliophage Look at you! Crossing off #somanyprompts !! 3y

TheSpineView Fantastic! 3y

71 likes9 comments

TheAromaofBooks

The Trouble with Hating You | Sajni Patel

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My first book of 2022 was one I was supposed to read in December since it's an #LMPBC pick 😂 Don't want to say too much here for that reason. I did like this one, but found the MC a little difficult at times. Also there is a lot of marriage-bashing and I wasn't a fan. But on the whole, a good story and I was totally rooting for the main couple.

Hoping to mail this one today!! @robinb @DanaManiac @kimmypete1

TheAromaofBooks First book of the year obviously qualifies for a million challenges 😂
#RoadTripUSA2022 - Texas @megnews
#Fourfoursin22 - Alternating (every other chapter from a different POV) @lauredhel
#AestheticallyMatched - I totally meant to include the photo I thought went with this one! @Clwojick it's the phone tangling from the end of the cord - as soon as I saw that pic, I knew it was the one for this book. I also love that this challenge is weirdly ⬇ 3y

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) about gut-matching 😆
#NoShameReadathon22 - Contemporary Romance @nessavamusic
#19822022 - 2020 @Librarybelle
#OWLs #MuggleStudies - Rubber Duck
#TheShelfieChronicles - 22+ chapters
#BookSpinBingo
3y

Librarybelle Yay!!! 3y

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Nessavamusic Great job! 3y

Clwojick woohoo! 😍 Way to go! 3y

robinb @TheAromaofBooks Hey Sarah! Do you know when I might should look for this one? Just checking in. 😊 3y

TheAromaofBooks @robinb - Oh I did mail it!! Onnnnnn last Thursday? But I can't seem to find the tracking number?? It is coming media mail so hopefully it is just taking its time 😬 Keep me posted, and I will keep rummaging around for that tracking number!!! 3y

robinb @TheAromaofBooks Will do...thanks. 3y

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