Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting
Michael Perry
April 2009
368 pages
Published by HarperCollins
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FTC disclosure: I bought this for Calliope (my nook), because she needs regular feeding.
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I loved Population 485, which is a collection of essays about small town life. I tried Truck, but it just didn’t grab me. Still, I was looking for an excuse to read Perry’s latest, Coop, and when Kim and Andi announced Coop as their book of choice for their inaugural Book Club Sandwich, I was in! Especially since around that same time Perry was contributing daily reports to Shelf Awareness while he was on tour for Coop. Did anyone else see those? I thought it was a great series.
At first I found Coop to be a little disjointed, but about halfway through I realized what Perry was up to. While initially each chapter seemed like a series of sometimes unrelated essays, in reality each chapter is centered around a bigger issue. Like Death. Or Marriage. Or Parenthood. Or Religion. Perry talks about what is happening with his family (and a lot happens) during roughly the year that surrounds the birth of his second daughter. But he intersperses it with tales from his childhood, and lessons he learned from his parents and siblings. He talks about growing up on a farm as part of a huge family (his parents were foster parents to many, many kids), and the struggle to establish his own small farm (while still working as a writer). It’s good stuff, especially if you like to read about people reflecting on marriage/religion/parenthood/death while also trying to raise pigs and chickens.
I love the cover…does he write about raising the poultry at all? I’ve dreamed of having chickens in a backyard coop.
michelle´s last [type] ..One Crazy Summer-Teaser Tuesday
This sounds like a book I would love! I used to dream of owning a farm – now I know I’m far too lazy to be a farmer.
Oh wow, I’ve seen reviews for this book all over the place but I think only yours mentioned that he was also the author of Population 485, which I loved! This book is now rocketing up my to-read list.
Christy´s last [type] ..Teaser Tuesday- Middlemarch
It seems like we’re all of the same mind: hard to get into at first, but it all evens out in the end. I found that to be true, and I love it now that I have about a quarter left. Hoping to finish up today or tomorrow.
Andi´s last [type] ..I surrender!
I read this a couple of months ago and loved it! It made me want to go out and grab a few of his other books and give them a try as well. I am glad that you liked it and thought it was a fun read!
zibilee´s last [type] ..Houthouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire — Review and Giveaway
I loved Pop 485!!! But I still have zero interest in reading this.
Care´s last [type] ..Zeitoun
I’ve heard some great things about this book, but it’s fairly low on my wishlist. I’ll get to it at some point!
I had wanted to join in on this one, but my library never got it in for me. Eventually maybe I’ll read it.
Lisa´s last [type] ..Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn
It took me awhile to get used to the rhythms of the book too. It felt so disjointed until you just settled in and enjoyed where Perry was taking you. Glad you got a chance to read it. I keep meaning to check out his past books.
Jenners´s last [type] ..Karma She Can Be A Bitch Sometimes!
I’m wondering the same thing as Michelle: does he talk about raising animals or is it more of a meditation about life and such?
I like the way you describe the structure, but liked the way he enumerates all the gritty realities of trying to raise animals; for me the charm was in the details.
Jeanne´s last [type] ..Selecting a Reader
I think I’d like this – especially since you’ve already ‘deciphered’ the framework for me.
Dawn – She Is Too Fond of Books´s last [type] ..Saving the earth- one cone at a time
I’ve been on the (chicken-wire) fence about Coop. I’m still there. Ouch.
Beth F´s last [type] ..Weekend Cooking- Fast- Fresh & Green by Susie Middleton
I did see his stuff on Shelf Awareness for his tour and thought it was great. It’s nice to know the book turned out well…..we do the chicken thing around here and I think this would fit in well with my reading these days.
Michele@ A Reader’s Respite´s last [type] ..Good versus Bad
You’re totally right about the way the book is organized. It didn’t click with me that it was more a series of essays than one long story, and that was throwing me off. But I liked it a lot anyway!
I read some of the tour stuff on Shelf Awareness and thought it was pretty funny, too.
this sounds interesting – good to know its about more than chickens and pigs!
Colleen (Books in the City)´s last [type] ..Mailbox Monday- Aug 16 2010
I have seen a couple reviews on this book today and it sounds interesting. I may need to do a search and conquer at the library.
Sheila (Bookjourney)´s last [type] ..Morning Meanderings – Mockingjay Anticipation and an Itchy trigger Finger