Coop

I am a voracious reader. [Isn't voracious a nice word? I'm savoring this opportunity to use it in a sentence.] Right now, I am reading Coop, a new book by Michael Perry, author of Population:485 and Truck. The tagline for Coop is "A year of poultry, pigs, and parenting" and it's a collection of the author's memories of being raised on a farm skillfully interwoven with his current attempts to raise chickens and children.

What I like best about Perry's style is that his descriptions are just detailed enough that the reader gets a complete picture without feeling overloaded by similes. Often, I find myself admiring a turn of phrase and wondering "how'd he do that?" The book is filled with little moments and delicious bits of ironic humor.

When I was a kid, my dad caught me skipping ahead and reading the last chapter in one of my Nancy Drew books. I wanted to know how it ended. My father told me that was a bad habit to develop because it ruined the story. Since then, I have followed his advice for the most part and it has served me well. With Perry's books, it's all about the journey. Chronological time doesn't seem to be a factor here. He moves back and forth between generations and stories, but somehow makes it all work. The author strikes me as a down-to-earth, solid midwesterner and that appeals to me too.

I've not finished the book yet, but I'm enjoying the ride. For more about Michael Perry, visit http://www.sneezingcow.com/.