There were SO MANY great books published this year, I had a hard time choosing which ones to share with you! There is a little science, a tad of whimsy, a few badass women, and a tiny bit of mystery all steeped in nature and a sense of place in these book selections. I hope you love them as much as I do! I would love to hear if you’ve read any of these or if you have a favorite that’s not on the list. Happy reading!

Forest Bathing by Dr Qing Li

This is your guidebook to bliss. Dr Li takes you on a step-by-step journey through the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. Shinrin-yoku was developed in the 1980’s as a form of medicine to immerse oneself completely in the forest and reap the benefits of our natural world. There is no destination or goal except to fully engage all the senses, to connect with the nature around you and to get fully grounded in the earth. I love that forest bathing can be practiced anywhere, even in small parks in the city. In this busy and distracting world, I know I could use a little forest therapy.

Lands of Lost Borders by Kate Harris

Kate Harris had big ambitions since she was a kid. She was obsessed with big, famous explorers like Magellan, Darwin, and Marco Polo. She studied science and math and was determined to be the ultimate explorer, a Mars astronaut. But when a trial run in the deserts of the southwest made her realize that what she really loved was right here on earth, she decided to follow in one of her beloved explorer’s footsteps. Marco Polo traveled the Silk Road from Turkey to India and Nepal in medieval times, a journey that seems almost incomprehensible these days. Kate set out with a friend to travel the famous route by bicycle. This memoir of crazy weather, long cycling days, and endless red tape explores not just sketchy international borders, but also those inner boundaries that are rarely clearly defined.

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

I love a good story about a house and its history. This one is about a house in New Jersey that, in contemporary times, is falling apart, just like its inhabitants. The aging couple is deep in debt, both recently losing their jobs and livelihood, all while supporting an ailing parent and a grieving son. The other story in this book is set in the same house a century before and tells of a family with a teacher finding resistance in teaching Darwin’s revolutionary science. Barbara explores the repercussions of building on unsettled ground in these stories that reflect our current times. For me, this novel reflected a little too much of the current times in the beginning, but the stories are told with the grace and wisdom that only Barbara Kingsolver can deliver and ultimately she leaves the reader hopeful.

It Happened Like This by Adrienne Lindholm

This is not the first memoir about a twenty-something moving to Alaska to follow their dream, but it is the most compelling one I’ve read in a long time. Like many of us, Adrienne felt a strong pull to wild places from a young age and decided to do whatever it takes to live and work in one. She found work in Alaska and joined a group of young “outsiders” finding their way in an unforgiving landscape. My favorite thing about this book is that it’s really a book about creating community in a new place and putting down roots, something I can relate to. Not to mention Adrienne’s voice is honest, refreshing and oh so relatable. If that doesn’t sell this book, then I mean, just look at that cover!

End of the Rope by Jan Redford

Jan grew up admiring men who climbed mountains and accomplished seemingly unattainable goals. But instead of wanted to be with these men, she wanted to be them. Fueled by rebellion against her parents including her alcoholic father, she set out to do what few women did in the 1980’s, she climbed with the men. Inevitably this led her into reckless relationships with reckless men, but it also helped her to find what she was ultimately capable of, including a relationship with a man that would become the love of her life. Most memoirs end here, but Jan digs into the difficulties that come after the finding love part. She ended up having a child at a young age and struggled with little money, little support, and an ambition to get a degree and fulfilling job while grappling for balance between her adventurous and dangerous climbing life and being a mother. This is the writing of a woman who is brutally honest yet accepting of the mistakes of her younger self, and for this I greatly admire her.

Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield

I literally gasped a few months ago when I saw this book. First of all, I loved Diane Setterfield’s novel The Thirteenth Tale, a gothic story set in the English countryside about a mysterious author and a young biographer’s quest to find out the truth about her past. This one is set in an old inn on the banks of the river Thames. The inn is full of stories and storytellers weaving tales over the years, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. When an injured man arrives at the inn carrying a dead girl who comes back to life, the town is determined to weed through the rumors and stories to find out who she is. This book reads like a fairy tale set in the dark, cold winter and is oozing with mystery, folklore, and myth. I could not get enough of this book!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

When a popular man is found dead in the depths of the marshland, the town suspects the reclusive “marsh girl.” But as we learn more about this girl, we find out that all is not what it seems. Set in the marshlands of North Carolina in the 1960’s, the young girl’s harrowing story unfolds in alternating chapters with the detective’s investigation. The marsh girl, Kya, has lived on her own for years, finding ways to feed herself and make a little money for grits and gas for her boat. She befriends a local boy who helps her learn to read and she opens herself up to new opportunities, but are the opportunities truly what’s good for her, and will she survive the accusations? I really love this book and I’m so excited to hear rumors that Reese Witherspoon is making it into a movie.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

When thirteen-year-old Leni learns that her father wants to move the family to remote Alaska, she is excited. She believes it will be the fresh start that her father, a recent Vietnam veteran, desperately needs. He is suffering from PTSD and has taken to drinking as therapy. This is not the first time the family has moved to get a fresh start and as exciting as this move may be, the family also quickly finds out how difficult it will be to survive the winter in the remote Alaskan wilderness in the 1970’s. They need to fix up their shack, plant a garden, and cache enough food for the winter. The hard work provides distraction throughout the summer, but Leni is worried about how her father with depressive tendencies will survive the dark and cold Alaskan winter. 

Rough Beauty by Karen Auvinen

Destined to be a solitary writer living in the remote Colorado Rockies, Karen enjoyed her independent life with just her husky named Elvis to keep her company. But when her little cabin in the woods burnt to the ground along with all of her possessions and, maybe more importantly, all of her writing, she must rely on the help of the nearby town to get back on her feet. As Karen begins to open up to her community she begins to rethink her solitary lifestyle. This is a beautifully written memoir with a strong poetic voice that will remind you what really matters in this life.

Two more of my favorite books of the year are Circe by Madeline Miller and What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine. You can find these on my Witchy Vibes Reading List.

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