Good Reads: Sleeping Naked is Green by Vanessa Farquharson (+ Giveaway!)

If you fancy all things eco-related, then you probably know of Vanessa Farquharson … though maybe not by her name. She’s the Toronto gal behind the now-infamous Green as a Thistle blog, where she pledged to make one green change every day for an entire year. The irony: she picked a leap year.

While you can still read about her daily experiences from that year in the Green as a Thistle archives, Vanessa’s new book, Sleeping Naked is Green: How an Eco-Cynic Unplugged Her Fridge, Sold Her Car, and Found Love in 366 Days, hits stores on Thursday, June 11th (my 25th birthday, haha). It gives readers a true behind-the-scenes view that you won’t read about on her blog.

I had the delight of getting my hands on an early copy of Sleeping Naked is Green. Three words: honest and hilarious. Vanessa gives a brutally authentic view at the constant conundrums of being a sustainable consumer, all the while trying to live a “normal” life of work, friends, and family. I can’t even begin to describe how much I enjoyed the book, being able to read many of the thoughts & frustrations that I have regularly, knowing I’m not the only one.

My only complaint is that I wish the book was longer. Only about half of the changes that she made each month are talked about in the book. Looking at Vanessa’s full list of eco-changes, I’m tempted to go through and note which ones I already do & ones I’m thinking about taking on … but you don’t want to see all that.

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Here comes the fun part. I’ve got two copies of Sleeping Naked is Green to give away! All you have to do is post a comment with the one eco-friendly change you would never dream of doing (check Vanessa’s list if you need some inspiration). Make sure to include your e-mail address in the space provided or I can’t contact you if you win.

The contest will run from now until next Friday (June 19th). Since my blog is new, please help spread the word about this contest – Tweet it, Facebook it, Stumble it, even mention it on your own blog … whatever you like. An early thank you & good luck!