Happy Earth Day!

It’s a beautiful spring day here in Twin Falls, which makes it even easier to think about ways to live green. It may seem a bit overwhelming to tackle conservation on your own, but each little step helps. Here are a few items that might help you make changes in your own life to help extend the earth’s:

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living by Trish Riley

The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green by Starre Vartan

The Everything Green Living Book: Easy Ways to Conserve Energy, Protect Your Family’s Health, and Help Save the Environment by Diane Gow McDilda

The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen

Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home by Linda Mason Hunter & Mikki Halpin

Green Living for Dummies by Yvonne Jeffrey, Liz Barclay, & Michael Grosvenor

Going Green: A Wise Consumer’s Guide to a Shrinking Planet by Sally Kneidel and Sadie Kneidel

It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living by Crissy Trask

The Little Green Book: 365 Ways to Love the Planet by Joe Provey & Owen Lockwood

True Green: 100 Everyday Ways You Can Contribute to a Healthier Planet by Kim McKay

April is National Poetry Month

Poetry often gets a bad rap (and rap is often bad poetry…hmm…). Many people complain that poetry is difficult to read, too personal, or simply uneventful. If you find yourself agreeing, maybe it’s time to give poetry another chance.

This month is National Poetry Month. My challenge to you this month is to read a book of poetry, written by a classic poet or a one you’ve never even heard of. Better yet, read one of each! TFPL has a great selection of poets and anthologies to get you started. We’ve even got a few books that will help you understand how to read poetry.

If you’re extra-daring, try writing a poem or two. Even if you haven’t written a poem since you were an angsty, lovelorn teenager, expressing yourself through a poem might just be uplifting. I’ll start; here’s my haiku (pardon the pun in advance – I couldn’t help myself):

Readers touching books

As if they’re fresh fruit, hoping

To find the ripe one.

Have fun!

Books:

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Poetry by Nikki Moustaki

The Discovery of Poetry: A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems by Frances Mayes

How to Interpret Poetry by Laurie Rozakis

How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry by Edward Hirsch

The Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry by Kim Addonizio

Sites:

Poets.org

Poetry at the Library of Congress