Play Book Tag discussion

I have not wanted to geek out like this over a book series since I started reading Harry Potter with my kids 20 years ago. This is not for kids, but it's more thought-provoking, and every bit as creative as Potter.

This is now my absolute favorite Margaret Atwood book. It's book #2 in the Maddaddam Trilogy. It's even more inventive than Oryx and Crake, and I found it to be much more humorous. The story runs concurrently with Oryx and Crake, and we get a broader view of life during this time, outside of the compounds. I really enjoyed the variety of characters in this book, especially Toby and Ren. We learn about Secret Burger, Anewyou, the Corpsecorps, and life in the Pleebs. My favorite part was God's Gardeners, led by the charismatic Adam. Each character played an interesting role in the group, and many teach classes about plants, healing, self-defense, gleaning and survival after the waterless storm hits. I also enjoyed the clever nature-science mix in Adam's sermons and his songs. I loved the little creative touches, such as the names of people who who were celebrated as Saints. Saints day celebrations often involved feasts, lessons, games, children's craft projects, or costumes. Even though I didn't recognize most of the names at first, I found this very entertaining. I can see myself re-reading these books to make connections between them all.

I highly recommend this book on audio. It includes songs written by Atwood and sung by Adam. The music is quite good, and the lyrics are at times clever, funny, touching, informative, earnest, or silly. She actually put out a CD of the songs.

While I was reading this book, I probably reread a good 25% of Oryx and Crake. I intended to simply cross reference names (e.g. to see if Jimmy mentioned Ren, or if Glenn/Crake referred to God's Gardener's at all.), but it was so well written I just kept reading.

SAINTS - How many of these names do you recognize?

Rachel Carson and All Birds
Mahatama Gandhi
Bashir Allouse
Yossi Leshem of Barn Owls
Dian Fossey, Martyr
Shackleton
Crick
Farley Mowat of Wolves
Brendan the Voyager
Mendel
Maria Sibylla Merian of Insect Metamophosis
Allan Sparrow of Clean Air
Euell Gibbons of Wild Foods
E. F. Schumacher
Jane Jacobs
Sigurdsdottir of Gullfoss
Wayne Grady of Vultures
James Lovelock
Blessed Gautama Buddha
Bridget Stutchbury of Shade Coffee
Linnaeus of Botanical Nomenclature
Stephen Jay Gould of the Jurassic Shales
Gilberto Silva of Bats
Orlando Garrido of Lizards
Francis of Assisi
Jacques Cousteau
E. O. Wilson of Hymenoptera
Aleksander Zawadzki of Galicia
Suryamani Bhagat of India
Stephen King of the Pureora Forest in New Zealand
Odigha of Nigeria
Jerome of Lions
Robert Burns of Mice
Christopher Smart of Cats
Ikhwan al-Safa
Karen Silkwood
Anil Agarwal
Nganeko Minhinnick of Manukau
Wen Bo
Henri Fabre
Anna Atkins
Tim Flannery
Ichida-San
David Suzuki
Peter Matthiessen
Chico Mendes, Martyr
Terry Fox and All Wayfarers
Crozier
Sojourner Truth
Laurence "Titus" Oats of the Scott Expedition
Julian of Norwich and All Souls

I'm so glad you liked this one. It was the favorite of the trilogy. I love her snide sense of humor.
My favorite saint was Euell Gibbons of Wild Foods who "taught the dangers of the poisonous species, which however can also be of Spiritual value, if taken in judicious quantities.”