The best natural history books

Who picked these books? Meet our 58 experts.

58 authors created a book list connected to natural history, and here are their favorite natural history books.
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The Wisdom of Birds

By Tim Birkhead,

Book cover of The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology

Melissa Washburn Author Of Draw Like an Artist: 100 Birds, Butterflies, and Other Insects: Step-By-Step Realistic Line Drawing - A Sourcebook for Aspiring Artists and Designers

From the list on natural history.

Who am I?

I grew up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York and spent many weekends hiking, camping, and fishing with my parents. Identifying and understanding the plants and animals around me was always interesting, and this love of nature has stayed with me as an adult. I now live near Lake Michigan and am an avid hiker, birdwatcher, and an Indiana Master Naturalist. I take endless inspiration from the natural world in my illustration work and believe that co-existing with, respecting, and preserving the natural world is central not just to the integrity of our planet, but to our very humanity.

Melissa's book list on natural history

Discover why each book is one of Melissa's favorite books.

Why did Melissa love this book?

This book is a fascinating look at ornithology through the ages, from mythology and legend to the evolution of our scientific understanding of birds today. It includes beautiful illustrations from medieval monks to early naturalists through the 20th century. Even the most casual birdwatcher will learn something fascinating from this book; I read it slowly, digesting a section at a time, and it’s one I’m sure I’ll return to again and again.

The Wisdom of Birds

By Tim Birkhead,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

For thousands of years people have been fascinated by birds, and today that fascination is still growing. In 2007 bird-watching is one of the most popular pastimes, not just in Britain, but throughout the world, and the range of interest runs from the specialist to the beginner.

In The Wisdom of Birds, Birkhead takes the reader on a journey that not only tells us about the extraordinary lives of birds - from conception and egg, through territory and song, to migration and fully fledged breeder - but also shows how, over centuries, we have overcome superstition and untested 'truths' to…


Under the Mountain Wall

By Peter Matthiessen,

Book cover of Under the Mountain Wall: A Chronicle of Two Seasons in Stone Age New Guinea

Jonathan Meiburg Author Of A Most Remarkable Creature: The Hidden Life and Epic Journey of the World's Smartest Birds of Prey

From the list on taking you to another world.

Who am I?

If you’re curious about the world, you can find secret doors that open onto unexpected vistas. For me, exploring the lives and origins of the caracaras in A Most Remarkable Creature revealed a vast and surprising story about the history of life on Earth, and about South America’s unique past—stories as wonderful and absorbing as any fantasy. These books are some of my favorite revelations of hidden marvels in the world we think we know. 

Jonathan's book list on taking you to another world

Discover why each book is one of Jonathan's favorite books.

Why did Jonathan love this book?

Matthiessen is best known for The Snow Leopard, but to me this book, written fifteen years earlier, rivals and in some ways exceeds it. It's a unique imaginative project: as part of an anthropological expedition to the remote highlands of New Guinea, Matthiessen was among the first people from the western world to describe the lives of the Papuan farmers who lived there. It’s an extraordinary book, full of beauty and drama, and though it isn’t a journey to the distant past—all life, as someone said, is modern life—it often feels like it: this was a place where the men of neighboring villages fought ritualized wars against one another every week or so. And Matthiessen wasn't an anthropologist; he was a writer, and he presents this insular world from the inside, in the third person, with his trademark understated lyricism. The last line alone is worth the price of…

Under the Mountain Wall

By Peter Matthiessen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Under the Mountain Wall as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A remarkable firsthand view of a lost culture in all its simplicity and violence by renowned writer Peter Matthiessen (1927 to 2014), author of the National Book Award–winning The Snow Leopard and the novel In Paradise.
 
In the Baliem Valley in central New Guinea live the Kurelu, a Stone Age tribe that survived into the twentieth century. Peter Matthiessen visited the Kurelu with the Harvard-Peabody Expedition in 1961 and wrote Under the Mountain Wall as an account not of the expedition, but of the great warrior Weaklekek, the swineherd Tukum, U-mue and his family, and the boy Weake, killed in…


More Than Birds

By Val Shushkewich,

Book cover of More Than Birds: Adventurous Lives of North American Naturalists

Michael Layland Author Of In Nature's Realm: Early Naturalists Explore Vancouver Island

From the list on the history of natural history.

Who am I?

In Nature’s Realm is my third book on the theme of exploration of Vancouver Island, my home for the past thirty years, and my first focussed on the history of natural history. In it, I call upon decades of experience in mapping hitherto scarcely known parts of the world, combined with a keen fascination with the fauna and flora of the many places where I have lived and worked. I have marvelled at the work of the exploring naturalists and am fascinated with their personal histories. I find it enthralling how they each added to the sum of human knowledge of the wonders of the natural world, now so sadly threatened.

Michael's book list on the history of natural history

Discover why each book is one of Michael's favorite books.

Why did Michael love this book?

Here is an excellent introduction to the “birders,” those amateurs, professional collectors, scientists, and artists—men and women—who have investigated ornithology in North America. The author, a Canadian, covers 22 fellow enthusiasts from Wilson and Audubon through Peterson, Bateman, and Sibley. She relates how each of her subjects studied and built upon the work of their predecessors to construct what we know today. 

Her book is well-constructed, easy to follow, and delightful to read. There are a few monochrome illustrations, portraits, and maps. I discovered this fine book during my research for my most recent book, and much admired the writing style and structural plan.

More Than Birds

By Val Shushkewich,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked More Than Birds as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Once people encounter the natural world and become aware of its intricacy, fragility, beauty, and significance, they will recognize the need for conservation.

The fascinating development of natural history studies in North America is portrayed through the life stories of 22 naturalists. The 19th century saw early North American naturalists such as Alexander Wilson, the "Father of American Ornithology," John James Audubon, and Thomas Nuttall describing and illustrating the spectacular flora and fauna they found in the New World.

Scientists of the Smithsonian Institution and the Canadian Museum of Nature worked feverishly to describe and catalogue the species that exist…


A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America

By Donald Culross Peattie, Paul Landacre (illustrator),

Book cover of A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America

Thomas Leo Ogren Author Of The Allergy-Fighting Garden: Stop Asthma and Allergies with Smart Landscaping

From the list on allergy-friendly landscapes.

Who am I?

I am now considered by many as the expert on creating allergy-free and allergy-friendly gardens and landscapes. I have lectured on the subject all across the US and Canada, and also in Israel, Ireland, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. For 30+ years now I’ve been researching the connections between urban landscaping and allergies and asthma. My articles have appeared in dozens of fine publications, including The New York Times, The London Times, The Guardian, The Los Angeles Times, Atlas Obscura, Scientific American, Der Spiegel, and The New Scientist. I have owned two nurseries and taught horticulture for twenty years. 

Thomas' book list on allergy-friendly landscapes

Discover why each book is one of Thomas' favorite books.

Why did Thomas love this book?

A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America by author and naturalist Donald Culross Peattie is probably the very best book on trees that I have ever read. I used this book (and also his book on Western trees) as a marvelous resource when I was working on my books. 

I learned many a new thing from this book, things I could not find in books written by botanists or horticulturists. This in large part is because Peattie was first and foremost, a naturalist. He tells the reader things that others didn’t bother to mention (for example, that with Honeylocust trees, each branch is of only one sex). The author also has a wonderful way of writing that makes the text come alive…always interesting.  As a naturalist, Peattie looks at the whole picture; one of the few writers about trees who was also a dedicated ecologist. A…

A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America

By Donald Culross Peattie, Paul Landacre (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Gives the economic facts regarding the trees of northeastern North America and identifies a wide variety of species


Mozart's Starling

By Lyanda Lynn Haupt,

Book cover of Mozart's Starling

Sohaila Abdulali Author Of What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape

From the list on breaking out of the way we are taught to think.

Who am I?

My book is ostensibly about rape. But it’s mostly about breaking out of the way we are taught to think, about turning things inside-out and checking out the hidden parts, about joy and rage and unexpected twists. So I am attracted to anyone who does this: defies gravity, finding monsters in clouds, and salvation in birds.

Sohaila's book list on breaking out of the way we are taught to think

Discover why each book is one of Sohaila's favorite books.

Why did Sohaila love this book?

I picked up this book when I was writing my book about rape and was immediately reminded about the joys of music and art and birds and all the unlikely connections life has to offer. Mozart wrote music inspired by a starling, and the author, inspired by a baby starling in her own life, followed his story to Europe and back. Most unexpected, most illuminating. Gravity-defying because the Muse follows no earthly laws.

Mozart's Starling

By Lyanda Lynn Haupt,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Mozart's Starling as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

On May 27th, 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart met a flirtatious little starling who sang (an improved version of!) the theme from his Piano Concerto Number 17 in G to him. Knowing a kindred spirit when he met one, Mozart wrote "That was wonderful" in his journal and took the bird home to be his pet. For three years Mozart and his family enjoyed the uniquely delightful company of the starling until one April morning when the bird passed away.

In 2013, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author of Crow Planet, rescued her own starling, Carmen, who has become a part of her…


Ten Million Aliens

By Simon Barnes,

Book cover of Ten Million Aliens: A Journey Through the Entire Animal Kingdom

Melissa Washburn Author Of Draw Like an Artist: 100 Birds, Butterflies, and Other Insects: Step-By-Step Realistic Line Drawing - A Sourcebook for Aspiring Artists and Designers

From the list on natural history.

Who am I?

I grew up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York and spent many weekends hiking, camping, and fishing with my parents. Identifying and understanding the plants and animals around me was always interesting, and this love of nature has stayed with me as an adult. I now live near Lake Michigan and am an avid hiker, birdwatcher, and an Indiana Master Naturalist. I take endless inspiration from the natural world in my illustration work and believe that co-existing with, respecting, and preserving the natural world is central not just to the integrity of our planet, but to our very humanity.

Melissa's book list on natural history

Discover why each book is one of Melissa's favorite books.

Why did Melissa love this book?

This book is probably my favorite among natural history reading I’ve come across. A chance encounter at the library, I ended up buying a copy for myself as well as gifting it to several friends. Barnes weaves together short vignettes about science, observation, and personal encounters with nature organized from the tiniest life forms to some of the largest. Biologist JBS Haldane once said, “The universe is not only stranger than we imagine; it is stranger than we can imagine.” This book proves it with memorable anecdotes and a wonderful sense of kinship and compassion for life both like us and completely unlike us.

Ten Million Aliens

By Simon Barnes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ten Million Aliens as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Life on Planet Earth is not weirder than we imagine. It's weirder than we are capable of imagining. Ten Million Aliens opens your eyes to the real marvels of the planet we live on.


The Case of the Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost

By James Preller, Jamie Smith (illustrator),

Book cover of The Case of the Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost

David A. Kelly Author Of The Fenway Foul-Up

From the list on kids with a touch of mystery and adventure.

Who am I?

As the father of two boys, I know how hard it can be to get kids engaged in reading. My boys were excited about mysteries and sports, which is why I created The Ballpark Mysteries series, in which cousins Kate and Mike solve mysteries at different MLB stadiums. By including facts and history in the books I can also engage readers who like real-life stories. For me, the best mystery and adventure chapter books for kids will meet readers where they are and take them on an exciting (and perhaps even scary or thrilling) journey while keeping them safe in their chairs and coming back for more. 

David's book list on kids with a touch of mystery and adventure

Discover why each book is one of David's favorite books.

Why did David love this book?

Jigsaw Jones books by James Preller are classic mysteries for developing readers. Totally grounded in real-life, Jigsaw and his friend Mila spend their time solving cases around their neighborhood. These books have great, natural illustrations that bring readers into the stories. I also love the humor sprinkled throughout and the way that Preller encourages his readers to step up and solve the mystery alongside Jigsaw. 

The Case of the Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost

By James Preller, Jamie Smith (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Case of the Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

James Preller's wry, witty, Jigsaw Jones chapter book mysteries are once again available to inspire the next generation of young readers, featuring both new titles and classroom classics!

The Case of the Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost

Glow-in-the-dark footprints, eyewitness accounts of a ghost haunting school grounds—something doesn't add up! Ghosts don't have feet, do they?

Either way, Jigsaw Jones and his partner Mila Yeh are on the case, and they'll do whatever it takes to solve this spooky new mystery . . . even if it means they have to be at school extra late!


Darwin in Galápagos

By K. Thalia Grant, Gregory B. Estes,

Book cover of Darwin in Galápagos: Footsteps to a New World

Tui De Roy Author Of A Lifetime in Galápagos

From the list on humanity and nature in the Galapagos Islands.

Who am I?

I was born in Brussels, Belgium, but my parents followed their dream to live a pioneering life close to nature, settling in the Galapagos Islands when I was just two years old. The raw yet gentle nature of these islands, combined with my parents’ artistic eyes and naturalist interests, plus contact with visiting scientists, taught me everything I needed to know to become the islands’ only resident nature photographer and writer at an early age. Although my travels have taken me to the remotest corners of all seven continents, with publications about many of them, Galapagos draws me back like an irresistible magnet. These islands made me who I am; they are my spiritual home.

Tui's book list on humanity and nature in the Galapagos Islands

Discover why each book is one of Tui's favorite books.

Why did Tui love this book?

I had known the authors for decades, as friends and neighbors, so when their book came out it took me by surprise, even more so when I discovered just how outstanding it is. This is a remarkable blend of meticulously researched historical facts about the life of the great 19th-century naturalist Charles Darwin, combined with sensitive commentary by retracing his Galapagos experiences step-by-step, as well as his life before and after. Every page is engaging, delving deep into his thoughts through his notes and correspondence, and his personal observations and how they led to his revolutionary theory of evolution.

Darwin in Galápagos

By K. Thalia Grant, Gregory B. Estes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Darwin in Galápagos as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 1835, during his voyage on HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin spent several weeks in Galapagos exploring the islands and making extensive notes on their natural history. Darwin in Galapagos is the first book to recreate Darwin's historic visit to the islands, following in his footsteps day by day and island by island as he records all that he observes around him. Thalia Grant and Gregory Estes meticulously retrace Darwin's island expeditions, taking you on an unforgettable guided tour. Drawing from Darwin's original notebooks and logs from the Beagle, the latest findings by Darwin scholars and modern science, and their own…


Out of School and Into Nature

By Suzanne Slade, Jessica Lanan (illustrator),

Book cover of Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story

Kaye Baillie Author Of Railroad Engineer Olive Dennis

From the list on girl-power picture book biographies.

Who am I?

I’m an award-winning children’s author who lives in Australia. I love reading and writing picture books, and although I mostly write fiction, I also love writing biographies. I am drawn to stories about women who have achieved something inspirational and unexpected and who may have not received wide recognition at the time or that any recognition has faded from public knowledge. I find it exciting to work with a team, that is the illustrator and the publisher, to create books that will find their way to children and allow them to imagine and feel another person’s life, and to see that everyday people do amazing things.

Kaye's book list on girl-power picture book biographies

Discover why each book is one of Kaye's favorite books.

Why did Kaye love this book?

The Anna Comstock story shows us a girl who loved the natural world. She was a naturalist and an artist who was determined to encourage schools to take students outdoors to increase their interest in nature. Outdoors! ‘Didn’t she know school rules?’ Her persistence paid off when several schools agreed to let students tromp through forests and fields. Her art which is beautifully represented in the illustrations, and her books helped children realize that all living things are connected. I love a book that shows passion for wildlife and the environment. Anna’s story does just that. 

Out of School and Into Nature

By Suzanne Slade, Jessica Lanan (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Out of School and Into Nature as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**2018 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book**This picture book biography examines the life and career of naturalist and artist Anna Comstock (1854-1930), who defied social conventions and pursued the study of science. From the time she was a young girl, Anna Comstock was fascinated by the natural world. She loved exploring outdoors, examining wildlife and learning nature's secrets. From watching the teamwork of marching ants to following the constellations in the sky, Anna observed it all. And her interest only increased as she grew older and went to college at Cornell University. There she continued her studies, pushing back against those…


Serengeti Shall Not Die

By Michael Grzimek, Bernhard Grzimek,

Book cover of Serengeti Shall Not Die

Carsten Krieger Author Of The Crossbill Guide to Ireland

From the list on natural history that take you on a journey.

Who am I?

I have been interested in natural history since my early childhood. A bit later I discovered photography and much later writing. Eventually I was lucky enough to combine the three and make a living from it. Over the past 20 years I have been working with conservation groups in Ireland, have published over 20 books, and more recently started developing and managing conservation projects. 

Carsten's book list on natural history that take you on a journey

Discover why each book is one of Carsten's favorite books.

Why did Carsten love this book?

This is the book that kindled my interest in natural history and ecology. It was published in the early 1960s and probably the first widely read book on nature conservation. The work of Bernhard Grizmek and his son Michael (who died during the project in a plane crash) was vital in getting the plains of the Serengeti and their inhabitants the protection status they deserve and even over half a century later the book is a thrilling and interesting read. 

Serengeti Shall Not Die

By Michael Grzimek, Bernhard Grzimek,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Serengeti Shall Not Die as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Wir müssen fliegen lernen. Diese Worte des 23-jährigen Wildtierenthusiasten Michael Grzimek, Sohn von Bernhard Grzimek, stehen am Anfang eines der ganz großen Abenteuer des internationalen Naturschutzes. Im Jahre 1957 fliegen Vater und Sohn mit ihrer Dornier-27 in Zebrastreifen-Lackierung nach Afrika, um das Wanderverhalten der großen Herden der Serengeti zu studieren, ihre Tierbestände zu erfassen und so die willkürliche Festlegung von Wildparkgrenzen zu verhindern. Eine legendäre Pioniertat. Während ihres Aufenthalts nähern sie sich nicht nur den Wildtieren, sondern suchen das Gespräch mit den Bewohnern der Steppe, und dies, anders als die Kolonialherren, von Gleich zu Gleich. Serengeti darf nicht sterben hat…


The Immense Journey

By Loren Eiseley,

Book cover of The Immense Journey

Teri Dunn Chace Author Of Seeing Flowers: Discover the Hidden Life of Flowers

From the list on flowers.

Who am I?

Hiking in the flower-covered hillsides of Central California as a nature-loving kid, I couldn’t help but wonder about my companions. One of my first purchases (with babysitting money!) was a wildflower guide. I’ve moved around the country many times and every time I’ve had to start over, make new plant acquaintances and discoveries—always an orienting process. Of course, I’ve also studied plants formally, in college and in my career, and (honestly, best of all) via mentors and independent study. All this has shown me that flowers are more than just beautiful! They’re amazingly diverse, and full of fascinating behaviors and quirks. In fact, they are essential parts of the complex habitats we share.

Teri's book list on flowers

Discover why each book is one of Teri's favorite books.

Why did Teri love this book?

This book is a revelation! The author (1907-1977) was a scientist (a naturalist, anthropologist, and paleontologist), and, boy, could he write. The title refers to the arc of time on this planet. There are chapters that describe and ponder fossils, evolution, so-called missing links, “the great deeps,” and so forth in the most captivating, poetic language. But the chapter to read is “How Flowers Changed the World.” I consider it the most important and insightful essay ever written on the dramatic arrival of angiosperms (flowering plants)—because he takes into account all context, and because he marvels. As we should.

The Immense Journey

By Loren Eiseley,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Immense Journey as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Anthropologist and naturalist Loren Eiseley blends scientific knowledge and imaginative vision in this story of man.


The Consolations of the Forest

By Sylvain Tesson, Linda Coverdale (translator),

Book cover of The Consolations of the Forest: Alone in a Cabin on the Siberian Taiga

Bill Murray Author Of Out in the Cold: Travels North: Adventures in Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and Canada

From the list on to understand the high north.

Who am I?

There’s nothing like personal experience. You have to read the literature, it’s true. That’s how we’ve all met here at Shepherd. But you have to roll up your sleeves and get down to visiting, too, if you want to write about travel. I first approached the Arctic in 1991 and I return above sixty degrees north every year, although I must confess to a secret advantage; I married a Finn. We spend summers at a little cabin north of Helsinki. I know the region personally, I keep coming back, and I invite you, whenever you can, to come up and join us!

Bill's book list on to understand the high north

Discover why each book is one of Bill's favorite books.

Why did Bill love this book?

This is through and through simply a gorgeous little book.

I enjoyed rereading it for this article. The largest body of fresh water on earth is Lake Baikal, not far east of Irkutsk in Siberia.

(If you’ve never heard of Baikal, that’s a measure of the variety of wonders to be found in the high north. Baikal holds so much water because it’s so deep: the world’s deepest at more than 5300 feet). If you ever have the opportunity you must visit.

My wife and I have traveled together a good bit, and I don’t feel we’re cloistered in any way, but to turn up in the ramshackle town of Listvyanka, Russia, at the beginning of this century, and then to charter a small boat to cross Baikal made me feel, I don’t know, maybe like Dorothy in the Emerald City.

I was just a total alien in a place…

The Consolations of the Forest

By Sylvain Tesson, Linda Coverdale (translator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Consolations of the Forest as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sylvain Tesson, found a radical solution to his need for freedom, one as ancient as the experiences of the hermits of old Russia: he decided to lock himself alone in a cabin in the middle taiga, on the shores of Baikal, for six months. Noting carefully his impressions of the silence, Sylvain Tesson shares with us an extraordinary experience.


Book cover of A Natural History of Dragons

McKenna Miller Author Of Wyrforra (Wyrforra Wars)

From the list on with weird writing styles.

Who am I?

I’ve been reading and writing stories for as long as I can remember—and the weird ones have always been my favorite. I discovered many of my favorite books by wandering into my local library, telling the librarian about my strange reading interests, and allowing them to set me up with literary masterpieces of the most unusual kind. Once I knew how to bend the rules of genre and form to create something original, I took to creating my own weird stories, and have been doing so ever since in my novels, short stories, D&D characters, and bedtime stories for my bird.

McKenna's book list on with weird writing styles

Discover why each book is one of McKenna's favorite books.

Why did McKenna love this book?

Due to my short attention span, I was hesitant to read this book at first, due to the words “History” and “Memoir” in the title; however, “Dragons” sold me, and I’m very glad it did.

This book reads like a classic Victorian travel narrative, following an intelligent and likable protagonist in her quest to learn more about the natural life around her—namely, dragons. The way this genre-bending novel treats dragons, showing them in scientific diagrams and field drawings, makes for an interesting semi-fantasy world that’s exciting to step into and so much fun to explore.

A Natural History of Dragons

By Marie Brennan,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked A Natural History of Dragons as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Everyone knows Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, prospects, and her life to satisfy scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the mountains of Vystrana, where she made discoveries that would change the world.


Bats of the Republic

By Zachary Thomas Dodson,

Book cover of Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel

McKenna Miller Author Of Wyrforra (Wyrforra Wars)

From the list on with weird writing styles.

Who am I?

I’ve been reading and writing stories for as long as I can remember—and the weird ones have always been my favorite. I discovered many of my favorite books by wandering into my local library, telling the librarian about my strange reading interests, and allowing them to set me up with literary masterpieces of the most unusual kind. Once I knew how to bend the rules of genre and form to create something original, I took to creating my own weird stories, and have been doing so ever since in my novels, short stories, D&D characters, and bedtime stories for my bird.

McKenna's book list on with weird writing styles

Discover why each book is one of McKenna's favorite books.

Why did McKenna love this book?

Bats of the Republic is by far one of the most engaging, unique reading experiences I have ever had the delight to enjoy. The breathtaking art decorating every page (and I do mean every page, from the copyright page to the back of the dust jacket) enhances a deep and intriguing story.

One of my favorite parts of this book is that every piece of writing you encounter comes from one of the characters in the story. This makes for a completely immersive experience as you flip through maps, examine drawings of new animal species, and even uncover a few secret messages. Dodson’s incredible art and one-of-a-kind narrative style create a complex, deep world that I couldn’t help but fall in love with.

Bats of the Republic

By Zachary Thomas Dodson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bats of the Republic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Archetypes of the cowboy story, tropes drawn from sci-fi, love letters, diaries, confessions all abound in this relentlessly engaging tale. Dodson has quite brilliantly exposed the gears and cogs whirring in the novelist’s imagination. It is a mad and beautiful thing.”
--Keith Donohue, The Washington Post

Winner of Best of Region for the Southwest in PRINT’s 2016 Regional Design Awards

Bats of the Republic is an illuminated novel of adventure, featuring hand-drawn maps and natural history illustrations, subversive pamphlets and science-fictional diagrams, and even a nineteenth-century novel-within-a-novel—an intrigue wrapped in innovative design.

     In 1843, fragile naturalist Zadock Thomas must leave…


Arctic Dreams

By Barry Lopez,

Book cover of Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape

Bill Murray Author Of Out in the Cold: Travels North: Adventures in Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and Canada

From the list on to understand the high north.

Who am I?

There’s nothing like personal experience. You have to read the literature, it’s true. That’s how we’ve all met here at Shepherd. But you have to roll up your sleeves and get down to visiting, too, if you want to write about travel. I first approached the Arctic in 1991 and I return above sixty degrees north every year, although I must confess to a secret advantage; I married a Finn. We spend summers at a little cabin north of Helsinki. I know the region personally, I keep coming back, and I invite you, whenever you can, to come up and join us!

Bill's book list on to understand the high north

Discover why each book is one of Bill's favorite books.

Why did Bill love this book?

Barry Lopez was a nature writer and environmentalist.

He died on Christmas day 2020, and although we are fortunate to have his valedictory book Horizon, published when his traveling days were pretty well behind him, Arctic Dreams is the real deal, with Lopez as raconteur, but practitioner too, thoroughly in his element.

Lopez writes about exploration and the aurora, animals and the weather, ice and myth and survival and joy. He’s effortless. You’ll learn more than you knew there was to know about the high north, and the pleasure is in the learning.

If you must cut to the chase with these five books, Arctic Dreams is the book, because Barry Lopez got things right.

Arctic Dreams

By Barry Lopez,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Arctic Dreams as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4**

'A master nature writer' (New York Times) provides the ultimate natural, social and cultural history of the Arctic landscape.

The author of Horizon's classic work explores the Arctic landscape and the hold it continues to exert on our imagination.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ROBERT MACFARLANE

Lopez's journey across our frozen planet is a celebration of the Arctic in all its guises. A hostile landscape of ice, freezing oceans and dazzling skyscapes. Home to millions of diverse animals and people. The stage to massive migrations by land, sea and air. The setting of epic exploratory…


Grand Obsession

By Elias Butler, Tom Myers,

Book cover of Grand Obsession: Harvey Butchart and the Exploration of the Grand Canyon

Diane Winger Author Of The Long Path Home: Walking the South West Coast Path in Cornwall, England A Novella

From the list on long walking adventures.

Who am I?

I didn’t really take up hiking until I was in my 30s, but outdoor adventures have become a way of life. I love walking along a trail, marveling at my surroundings and wondering what new delight I’ll discover around the next bend or over the next hill. Upon turning 70, I tackled my most challenging walk yet – trekking over 250 miles along the spectacular South West Coast Path in Cornwall, England. I found the immersion in focusing solely on walking each day to be both meditative and uplifting. The books on this list reflect my love for the outdoors, with some inspiring me to try something new, while others I prefer to experience vicariously.

Diane's book list on long walking adventures

Discover why each book is one of Diane's favorite books.

Why did Diane love this book?

I guarantee this amazing history of Butchart will leave you in awe, especially if you have explored a bit of the Grand Canyon as I have or have dreamed of doing so.

Butchart tackled an astonishing number of remote and extreme formations in this remarkable place. Very well-written and meticulously researched.

Grand Obsession

By Elias Butler, Tom Myers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Grand Obsession as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of a 2008 National Outdoor Book Award, a 2008 Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY), and named a Book of the Year by the Pima County Library, "Grand Obsession" continues to gather recognition for its striking portrayal of a man who felt compelled to do what no one had dared attempt in modern times: explore the deepest, most inhospitable reaches of the Grand Canyon, crown jewel of America's national parks - something which took decades to achieve and exacted a great personal cost.

Writers Elias Butler and Thomas M. Myers (co-author of the book "Over the Edge: Death in Grand…


A Walk in the Woods

By Bill Bryson,

Book cover of A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

Diane Winger Author Of The Long Path Home: Walking the South West Coast Path in Cornwall, England A Novella

From the list on long walking adventures.

Who am I?

I didn’t really take up hiking until I was in my 30s, but outdoor adventures have become a way of life. I love walking along a trail, marveling at my surroundings and wondering what new delight I’ll discover around the next bend or over the next hill. Upon turning 70, I tackled my most challenging walk yet – trekking over 250 miles along the spectacular South West Coast Path in Cornwall, England. I found the immersion in focusing solely on walking each day to be both meditative and uplifting. The books on this list reflect my love for the outdoors, with some inspiring me to try something new, while others I prefer to experience vicariously.

Diane's book list on long walking adventures

Discover why each book is one of Diane's favorite books.

Why did Diane love this book?

This is probably the funniest book I’ve ever read. Who knew hiking the Appalachian Trail could be so hilarious?

These true-life adventures – no, better to describe them as misadventures – will delight everyone from experienced hikers to weekend warriors to armchair adventurers. If you need a lift to your day, this is the book to pick up.

A Walk in the Woods

By Bill Bryson,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked A Walk in the Woods as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the author of "Notes from a Small Island" and "The Lost Continent" comes this humorous report on his walk along the Appalachian Trail. The Trail covers 14 states and over 2000 miles, and stretches along the east coast of America from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south. It is famous for being the longest continuous footpath in the world. It snakes through some of the wildest and most specactular landscapes in America, as well as through some of its most poverty-stricken and primitive backwoods areas.


Feathers

By Melissa Stewart, Sarah S. Brannen (illustrator),

Book cover of Feathers: Not Just for Flying

Peggy Thomas Author Of For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson

From the list on for budding birders.

Who am I?

I’ve always loved birds, especially the red-winged black birds; their song was the first I learned to recognize as a kid. My first field guide was written by Roger Tory Peterson, and through that book and many others I’ve learned about the amazing world around us. Now, as a children’s nonfiction author, I get to share similar stories with young readers through my books and at school presentations. And as a writing instructor, I collect well-crafted and well-researched nonfiction, and use them to encourage budding children’s writers at workshops, in blog posts for the Nonfiction Ninjas, and as co-host of the annual Nonfiction Fest that celebrates true stories for children.

Peggy's book list on for budding birders

Discover why each book is one of Peggy's favorite books.

Why did Peggy love this book?

For this recommendation, I’ve chosen something different. 

Every bird nerd should know the bird basics, and Melissa Stewart’s book on feathers is the perfect place to begin. You’re sure to learn something new. I did. I had no idea that feathers came in so many different shapes and sizes. You might be surprised, too, to discover all the things feathers can do. I won’t give them all away, but some are used for warmth, and others for floating! 

Bird lovers will also appreciate the illustrations by Sarah Brannen, which resemble a naturalist’s sketchbook. They may even inspire you to create one of your own.

Feathers

By Melissa Stewart, Sarah S. Brannen (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Feathers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Young naturalists explore sixteen birds in this elegant introduction to the many, remarkable uses of feathers. A concise main text highlights how feathers are not just for flying. More curious readers are invited to dig deeper with informative sidebars that underscore how feathers of all shapes and sizes help birds with warming or cooling, protect them from the sun, help them swim, glide or even dig. With a range of common and exotic species readers will be engaged by both the new and the familiar. Beautiful and delicate watercolor illustrations showcase life-size feathers and compare them to everyday objects. With…


The Breathing Burren

By Gordon D'Arcy,

Book cover of The Breathing Burren

Carsten Krieger Author Of The Crossbill Guide to Ireland

From the list on natural history that take you on a journey.

Who am I?

I have been interested in natural history since my early childhood. A bit later I discovered photography and much later writing. Eventually I was lucky enough to combine the three and make a living from it. Over the past 20 years I have been working with conservation groups in Ireland, have published over 20 books, and more recently started developing and managing conservation projects. 

Carsten's book list on natural history that take you on a journey

Discover why each book is one of Carsten's favorite books.

Why did Carsten love this book?

The Burren is a limestone karst landscape in the west of Ireland, not too far away from where I live, and one of the reasons I settled in Ireland. This area is unlike anything you would expect in Ireland and blends a stark but beautiful landscape and unique flora and fauna. Gordon D’Arcy is an artist, author, and naturalist and has been exploring the Burren since the 1970s. This book is an accumulation of memories mixed with stories on the Burren’s natural heritage and its wild inhabitants and is illustrated with Gordon’s mesmerizing watercolors. Of all the books on the Burren I have read, this one truly captures the heart and soul of the area.

The Breathing Burren

By Gordon D'Arcy,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Celebrates the flora, the fauna, the people, and the places of the Burren region of Ireland with stories and original watercolors that convey a deep affection and intimacy for the land. First captivated by the Burren in the early 1970s, D'Arcy has spent


The Ends of the Earth

By W.S. Merwin,

Book cover of The Ends of the Earth: Essays

Akiko Busch Author Of How to Disappear: Notes on Invisibility in a Time of Transparency

From the list on essays by poets.

Who am I?

I am drawn to what happens when writers skilled in one form of expression explore their ideas in another. Poets write with a sense of distillation. Prose allows for something different, the essay form bringing to the surface something more expansive, less concentrated. Clarity is constant, but it takes on a different rhythm, a spaciousness, a sense of one thing leading to another and another.

Akiko's book list on essays by poets

Discover why each book is one of Akiko's favorite books.

Why did Akiko love this book?

W. S. Merwin writes about place with both a sense of rich material texture and evanescence. Science and history may be referred to as well. Somehow these assorted sensibilities, or views, create a genuine and full sense of place that reflects what is both visible and invisible. For some reason I don’t quite understand, I would rather encounter a monk on a tractor in a Merwin essay than in a Merwin poem.

The Ends of the Earth

By W.S. Merwin,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

W. S. Merwin is widely acknowledged as one of the finest living poets in English. Less well known is the power and range of his work in prose. For his first new prose collection in more than ten years, The Ends of the Earth, Merwin has gathered eight essays that show the breadth of his imagination and sympathy. A memoir of George Kirstein, publisher of "The Nation," stands alongside one of Sydney Parkinson, explorer, naturalist and artist on Captain James Cook’s Endeavour. A wonderful portrait of the French explorer of Hawai’i, Jean-Francois Galaup de La Perouse is followed by a…