Bean Chips and Reusable Hand Towels

The Date: Wednesday, April 20

The Delivery: Bean chips in assorted flavors from Beanitos and reusable personal hand towels from People Towels

Staff Pick: The Black Bean Beanitos

The DL: We love two-for-ones: at the grocery store, the book store...well, really any store that wants to give us something for free is good. With these dippers, you get another two-for-one: a wheat-free, corn-free chip! These bad boys also contain a bunch of protein (as they are made from beans), are gluten-free, and vegan. Okay, so maybe they're a five-for-one. Need some mental sustenance to go along with your snacking? Head on over to the VegNews Book Club, where this week we are discussing Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's Vegan's Daily Companion!

Cleaning Products

The Date: Friday, March 25

The Delivery: Lots of cleaning products from Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day

Staff Pick: The lemon-verbena scented hand soap

The DL: Happy Friday from all of us at VN! Spring has officially sprung, and you know what that means: sunbathing! Opps, we mean, spring cleaning! With this host of all-natural goodies, we're sure to have one spic and span office (not to mention some lemon-scented hands). If you've already cleaned out your home (you over-achiever, you) and find yourself in need of some new items to spruce up your pad, check out VN Associate Editor Jennifer Chen's guide to decorating for less on Savvy Vegan. While you're kicking back, make sure to check out VegNews Book Club for Kathy Freston answering readers' questions. And take a breather already, yeesh.

Deodorant and Raw Cookbooks

The Date: Wednesday, February 23

The Delivery: Deodorant sticks from Clinique, Ani's Raw Food Asia by Ani Phyo, Rawlicious by Peter and Beryn Daniel, and Live Raw by Mimi Kirk

Staff Pick: Ani's Raw Food Asia

The DL: We were delighted to see Ani's new cookbook in the mail today. While we like a big baked-up batch of mac and cheese pretty much always, we love Ani's creative take on raw eats and treats (so much so that we once threw a party for her). We are looking forward to trying out her recipes for "Fried" Vegetable Noodles and Lychee Asian Lime Crêpes with Ginger Pear Sorbet, but only after we finish this month's VegNews Book Club pick, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. Or we'll read them both. Or we'll read them both and start Veganist by Kathy Freston (the Book Club's next pick), too.

A Book and (More) Deodorant

The Date: Thursday, February 17

The Delivery: Change of Heart by Nick Cooney and natural deodorant from Tom's of Maine

Staff Pick: Change of Heart

The DL: A quote (from Rory Freedman, former VN columnist and co-author of Skinny Bitch, no less) says on on the cover of Change of Heart, "If you want to create a better world, read this book!" Sounds good to us! We are excited to check out Cooney's new tome to see what psychology can teach us about spreading social change. Is there a chapter dedicated to the science behind converting people to veganism with giveaways, book clubs, and cooking demos? Probably not, but maybe we can contribute a page or two for the next edition.

Oil and Books

The Date: Tuesday, January 4
The Delivery: A Sea in Flames by Carl Safina galley, Planet Home by Jeffrey Hollender, and Kelapo's coconut oils
Staff Pick: Planet Home

The DL: While it's tough for us to choose a non-food thing as the staff pick, both of these books look so interesting that we had a harder time deciding between the two of them than forgoing our usual predilection for edibles. We very much liked one line on the cover of Planet Home, which reads "Live with Less and Have More"—a perfect idea to kick off a new year. Here's hoping your enjoying reading another book at the moment, specifically The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life with the VN Book Club!

Books and Raw Goodies

The Date: Thursday, November 11

The Delivery: Books and raw treats

Staff Pick: Blonde Macaroons, Chocolate Cherry Macadamia Cookies, Vanilla Crispies, and Buckwheat and Hemp Granola from One Lucky Duck

The DL: For a federal holiday, we certainly managed to receive a decent collection of goodies! Among the books (Comfortably Unaware, E3 For Life, and a gorgeous hardcover edition of the book we discussed in the VegNews Book Club last month, Animal Camp), but of course, our pick goes to the edibles. These raw goodies from One Lucky Duck in New York City are tantalizing in their adorable packaging and delicious-sounding varieties. The macaroons are especially tempting, much like the offerings in our brand-new VegNews Holiday Cookbook. Check it out!

An Animal Rights Book

The Date: Wednesday, November 3

The Delivery: A book

Staff Pick: The Animal Rights Debate by Gary L. Francione and Robert Garner

The DL: Academics Gary L. Francione and Robert Garner bring us this intriguing debate into what separates many AR supporters into taking either the abolitionist or regulation stance on animal rights. The two authors spar throughout the book, which sounds like a fascinating read to compliment the book we at VegNews HQ are already enjoying immensely, the novel My Year of Meats, featured in the VegNews Book Club for November.

My Year of Meats

The Date: Tuesday, November 2

The Delivery: A VegNews book club book

Staff Pick: My Year of Meats by Ruth L. Ozeki

The DL: We're sure that by now you've all heard of the awesome phenomenon known as the VegNews Book Club. We just finished reading Kathy Stevens' Animal Camp, culminating in a fascinating Q & A with the Catskill Animal Sanctuary founder and author, Stevens herself. This month, book club hostess and superstar VegNews Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig is leading us through the novel My Year of Meats. Our lunchtime conversation today revolved solely around this scintillating read, and when you dive in and join our discussion you'll understand why.

Books and Bags

The Date: Friday, October 8

The Delivery: Books and eco-friendly bags

Staff Pick: Dogs and the Women Who Love Them by Allen and Linda Anderson

The DL: We're five women in the office today accompanied by three chihauhuas, so this book just kind of picked itself. Really though, who can deny the inevitable bond that develops between a dog and his/her biggest fan? The irresistible pup on the cover alone is going to sell this book. What's that? You also love stories about adorable animals? Well, you're in the right place, as the VegNews Book Club hosted by VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig is currently reading Animal Camp by Kathy Stevens, a book filled with heartwarming sanctuary success stories. Because everybody's Fridays should be filled with cute animals.

Helpful Advice

The Date: Tuesday, July 27
The Delivery: A book
Staff Pick: Will Write for Food by Dianne Jacob

The DL: Deliveries were down today, so we couldn't be too choosy for the Staff Pick. Although this book isn't really relevant to the vegan cause, it does look helpful if you're an inspiring food writer.

Speaking of writing, do you have questions for Howard Lyman, author of Mad Cowboy? Head over to the VegNews Book Club to submit questions to be answered by Lyman himself!