Author Tree lover Environmentalist Wanderer/hiker Grandfather
The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,627 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

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My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World: Essays

Anthony D. Fredericks Why did I love this book?

Hands down, Barry Lopez is the best nature writer ever!

Lopez displays his considerable authorial skills in this distinctive collection of essays published posthumously. Older pieces, in concert with new themes, move readers to discover more about the natural world and all its wondrous connections.

Lopez has a distinctive way with words – creating visions, experiences, and insights available in no other book. This is writing as it should be: a tour de force of precise words and compelling language that draws you in and doesn’t let go until long after the final page is turned.

You will be stimulated and awed, excited and moved. He is a distinctive steward of environmentalism and a consummate wordsmith of observation and emotion. This book should be in everyone’s library!

By Barry Lopez,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An ardent steward of the land, fearless traveller and unrivalled observer of nature and culture, Barry Lopez died after a long illness on Christmas Day in 2020. The previous summer, a wildfire had consumed much of what was dear to him in his home and the community around it - a tragic reminder of the climate change of which he'd long warned.

At once a cri de Coeur and a memoir of both pain and wonder, this remarkable collection of essays adds indelibly to Lopez's legacy, and includes previously unpublished works, some written in the months before his death. They…


My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

Anthony D. Fredericks Why did I love this book?

Science, in the hands of accomplished author Kimmerer, is both passion and awe. It is a blending of fact and sensation into a tapestry that invites us to journey through new fields, past distant horizons, and amongst an environment previously unseen.

She celebrates nature as an integral part of the human experience and masterfully draws readers into a world that is equally mystical and inviting.

This is a nature writer at her peak, a keen observer and dynamic chronicler of natural history who expertly guides us into new worlds and vast possibilities. If you love nature, you will most certainly love this book.

By Robin Wall Kimmerer,

Why should I read it?

45 authors picked Braiding Sweetgrass as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Called the work of "a mesmerizing storyteller with deep compassion and memorable prose" (Publishers Weekly) and the book that, "anyone interested in natural history, botany, protecting nature, or Native American culture will love," by Library Journal, Braiding Sweetgrass is poised to be a classic of nature writing. As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer asks questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces indigenous teachings that consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take "us on a journey that is…


My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Heartbeat of Trees

Anthony D. Fredericks Why did I love this book?

The best-selling author of The Hidden Life of Trees does it again – a masterful epiphany that clearly demonstrates our connection with the natural world.

Wohlleben draws on the latest scientific research to illustrate the profound and natural interactions humans can have in the midst of a long forest, along a puddled trail, or beside a lazuline lake.

This is extraordinary nature writing that details the language of the land, the impact of plants, and the betterment of humankind. Readers will learn how to take better advantage of their senses to absorb commanding lessons and robust teachings.

Our links with the forest have much to do with our overall well-being, personal associations, and spirit of adventure. A most positive read!

By Peter Wohlleben,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Heartbeat of Trees as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER,THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES

'A simultaneously stimulating and soothing blend of nature writing and science ... Strongly encourages tree hugging for our own, human sake' Guardian Summer Reads 2021

A powerful return to the forest, where trees have heartbeats and roots are like brains that extend underground. Where the colour green calms us, and the forest sharpens our senses.

In The Heartbeat of Trees, renowned forester Peter Wohlleben draws on new scientific discoveries to show how humans are deeply connected to the natural world. In an era of climate change, many of…


Plus, check out my book…

In Search of the Old Ones: An Odyssey among Ancient Trees

By Anthony D. Fredericks,

Book cover of In Search of the Old Ones: An Odyssey among Ancient Trees

What is my book about?

Throughout my decades, I have come to see trees as wise counselors. They have offered some of life’s best lessons and necessary respites from an overcrowded schedule or demanding project. They are my compatriots. I camp under their limbs, study their spread, and travel long distances to view their splendor. I have become an ardent admirer of trees not just for their magnificence but also for their longevity.

This book is an odyssey of geographies where old-timers have survived, endured, and lived far beyond human perception.

These escapes into mysterious territories of ecology and contemplation are exercises in admiration as much as they are descriptions. Through them, we will look at life through several lenses—environmental, geographical, anthropological, and historical, and, of course, with wonderment!