Reading List

Reading List: Best of 2020

Its hard to say that 2020 was good for anything, BUT, it was a great year for books! I was particularly excited to find more diverse authors this year – something much needed in the outdoor book world! If you’d like to see all of the new books on my radar this year, you can check out my Bookshop. If you are new to Bookshop, it is a great way to order online and support your favorite independent bookstores. I get a little kickback as well. Here are my picks:

Migrations

by Charlotte McConaghy

This book tore my heart out and ripped in into a million pieces – and I loved every single second of it! It is the story of Franny, a woman who can’t seem to stay in one place. She decides that she wants to follow the migration of what is thought to be the last flock of arctic terns on a fishing boat. Set against the backdrop of a world in quiet peril where species are disappearing regularly, Franny is full of angst and secrets. Her secrets are revealed in a way that speaks to the nature of human beings, past trauma, and how the past can deeply affect our lives. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time!

Fiction // Published: 2020 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Miracle Country

by Kendra Atleework

This beautifully written memoir is set against the backdrop of the Owen’s Valley desert in California. Kendra’s family lived a simple life until her mother died when she was sixteen. Then it was up to her father to keep the family together. Kendra left the area as an adult but was drawn back to place she was raised and later returns. This book speaks to the pull of place and history in the vein of Mary Austin and Terry Tempest Williams. I especially enjoyed listening to the audio version.

Non-fiction (Memoir) // Published: 2020 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Nature Obscura

by Kelly Brenner

This delightful dive into nature brought me so much joy during the quarantine days. Kelly paints a vivid picture of the diverse and exciting world in our urban backyards of Seattle. She climbs onto her roof to collect tardigrades in the roof moss and discovers slime mold under seemingly benign leaf piles. She follows a flock of crows to their nesting spot in winter and marvels over dragonflies. Her tone is quiet and thoughtful, yet the enthusiasm she has for the often overlooked petri dish of a city shines through. I will never think of my backyard in the same way.

Non-fiction // Published: 2020 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Writing Wild

by Kathryn Aalto

This is a fantastic look at 25 women who have been writing about nature and our relationship to it for over a century. The featured authors are presented in chronological order from the romantic journals of Dorothy Wordsworth (yes, William’s sister) to Elizabeth Rush who looks at the future state of the environment and many more in between like Nan Shepard, Mary Austin, and Mary Oliver. Kathryn doesn’t just write about these amazing and often overlooked women but adds a personal touch through her travels and relationships with the women. This is a must read for anyone, like me, who loves reading women’s stories about the outdoors.

Non-fiction // Published: 2020 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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World of Wonders

by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

This collection of essays feels like a breath of fresh air. Revolving around an animal or plant, each essay is a slice of Aimee’s life as a brown woman who has traveled and lived all over but is rooted in nature. Aimee is a poet and clearly gifted writer, but her prose is not complicated or wordy. She masterfully crafts each essay to get at universal themes that everyone can relate to. One of my favorite essays is about how she would go on first dates and tell the men about her obsession with corpse flowers just to see their reaction. Spoiler alert: her future husband responded well.

Non-fiction (Essays) // Published: 2020 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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The Story of More

by Hope Jahren

I was excited to see Hope’s name after loving Lab Girl and couldn’t wait to hear what this brilliant scientist had to say about climate change. What she does really well in this book is explaining the vast scale of the issue in a way that is concise and can be digested. While she does not sugarcoat the realities of the destruction that climate change has and will wreak on the planet, she does provide actions that we can take to prevent the worst case scenarios. I recommend this for anyone who, like myself, has been overwhelmed with the information and science of climate change and is looking for a what to do next.

Non-fiction // Published: 2020 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Latitudes of Longing

by Shubhangi Swarup

This is one of those sweeping novels that will stay with you for a long time. Set against the backdrop of India, it is an epic story of love across generations and the continent. Steeped in mythology and magical realism, the story begins with a naturalist who lives on an island with his new wife who talks to ghosts. The story unfolds over generations and shifts points of view from the naturalist to a mother grieving over the imprisonment of her revolutionary son to a young scientist aiding in a war over a glacier. Through it all, there is a love that persists and what I can only describe as a deep feeling of connection to the earth. This book really blew my mind and left a deep impression with me. I really hope to read more from this wonderful author.

Fiction // Published: 2020 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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The Bear

by Andrew Krivak

I was nervous to read about the end of the world during a pandemic, but I was unexpectedly surprised by this slim little novel. It is about a young girl and her father who are the last people on earth. They live off the land and her father is teaching her everything he knows until there is an accident and the girl is on her own. A bear comes to aid and helps her find her way. This is a beautiful story that does not dwell on the end of the world, but rather emphasizes the beauty of life and humanity’s deep relationship to wildlife.

Fiction // Published: 2020 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Wandering in Strange Lands

by Morgan Jerkins

This is a powerful memoir that really opened my eyes to how the meaning of “outdoors” is very different for everyone. Morgan is a black American with family who moved across the country during the great migration of the first part of the 20th century. She sets out on a road trip to the lands of her ancestors to learn about the culture and what being black in America means. On her journey she digs into stereotypes like why black people don’t swim and the traditions of voodoo in New Orleans and how decades and centuries of displacement and disenfranchisement has contributed to and shaped these narratives. I’ve made it a priority this year to read more black and indigenous stories from their own mouths and to listen and learn. If you are wanting to listen and learn as well, I highly recommend this one.

Non-fiction (Memoir) // Published: 2020 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Vesper Flights

by Helen Macdonald

I adored Helen Macdonald’s memoir H is for Hawk about training a goshawk in the grief of losing her father, so I was very much looking forward to her collection of essays. I was not disappointed and may have even enjoyed this one more than her previous book. These essays span a range of topics from being a young naturalist to learning from a refugee and traveling to Argentina with a group studying climate change. Throughout, though, there is always a theme of observing wildlife (and birds, of course) and nature. The essays feel intimate and I felt like I was a lucky fan who got a chance to get inside the brain of this wonderful person. I particularly recommend the audio book as she reads it herself.

Non-Fiction (Essays) // Published: 2020 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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*This post contains affiliate links. However, I always encourage finding books at your local library or favorite indie book store.

Reading List

Reading List: Best of 2019

Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home

by Heather “Anish” Anderson

Heather Anderson is a force to be reckoned with. Since 2003, she has hiked a staggering 28,000 miles and was named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2019. She’s set records on the Pacific Crest Trail, Arizona Trail and Appalachian Trail and has completed a “Double Triple Crown of Backpacking” hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide Trail each twice. In this breezy memoir, Heather focuses on her 2013 record-breaking thru-hike on the PCT. She speaks not just to the physical hardships on the trail (thirst was an obvious one) but to the emotional ones as well like fear and loneliness.

PNW Author // Non-Fiction (Memoir) // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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The Sun Is a Compass

by Caroline Van Hemert

Caroline, an ornithologist who studied chickadees, became disillusioned with lab work and decided to embark on a journey across Alaska with her husband. Like the birds she studied, she felt the urge to migrate back to the state where she grew up. They rowed, skied, walked and paddled over 4000 miles through the Inside Passage, the Yukon, the Arctic Coast and the Brooks Range. The arduous expedition was not without harrowing days where they did nothing but survive, but even with the hardships the feat brought the couple closer together and reminded the author of her deep love and connection with nature.

Non-Fiction (Memoir) // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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She Explores

by Gale Straub

I’ve been a huge fan of Gale Straub and her She Explores website and podcast for years. Gale has dedicated herself to sharing the stories of women in the outdoors. Whether its climbers, hikers, artists, or road-tripping nomads, she shares the stories of trials and accomplishments to inspire others and assure us that we are not alone. This beautiful book celebrates a diverse range of women who are taking charge of their lives and doing what they are passionate about. Gale also includes little ‘how-to’ sections to get started in the outdoors. I can’t recommend this book enough for any adventurous woman out there!

Non-Fiction // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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The River

by Peter Heller

When two old college buddies head out for a multi-day rafting trip, they get more than they bargained for. They encounter a couple fighting and then the next day find the woman unconscious and alone along the river with a head injury. They bring her with them and transition into survival mode to keep her alive while keeping on the lookout for whoever did this to her. To make matters worse, they begin smelling smoke and discover that they are being followed by a raging wildfire. The mystery keeps the pages turning, but what I really love about this book is the dynamic between the two friends with very different personalities.

Fiction (Mystery / Thriller) // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Hollow Kingdom

by Kira Jane Buxton

Does the sounds of ‘zombie apocalypse in Seattle told from the perspective of a pet crow’ make your eyes light up? If so, this book is definitely for you. When ST (the pet crow) discovers that his human (Big Jim) is turning all weird and zombie-like, he decides that he must find the cure. He sets out with Big Jim’s other pet, a dumb-witted dog called Dennis, only to find that all the humans in Seattle have turned. Now ST must use his knowledge (developed solely from TV-watching) to survive in the wild and figure out what is going on and how he can get his human back to normal. This book with its ridiculous premise made me laugh out loud so much and by the end I fell in love with the big-hearted, Cheeto-eating crow.

PNW Author // Fiction (Dystopia) // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Underland: A Deep Time Journey

by Robert MacFarlane

Ever wonder what is going on under your feet? After visiting the heights of mountains in his previous books, Robert decides to take to the underground. He travels through geologic time into caves and crypts while exploring how the darkness of the underworld has affected humans since cave paintings were first drawn in pre-historic times. He also touches on the mind-boggling systems of roots and funghi and how they interact and communicate with each other in an environment that is hard to understand. As always, Robert MacFarlane weaves his narrative into a story of discovery and fascinating science.

Non-Fiction // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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The Salt Path

by Raynor Winn

After Raynor’s husband, Moth, is diagnosed with a terminal illness and their home is taken away from them after a long battle with an old friend, the couple decides to take to the trails. They will see how far they can make it on the South West Coast Path, a 630-mile trail along the shoreline of Britain. Along the way they battle the ups and downs of full-time walking and Moth’s fluctuating health to being cast off as bums. You will quickly become engrossed in this sweet couple’s journey as they find that there are many definitions of the word “home.”

Non-Fiction (Memoir) // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Rough Magic

by Lara Prior-Palmer

At the age of nineteen, Lara discovered the Mongol Derby, an annual feat of endurance across 1000 km of Mongolia on twenty-five wild horses inspired by a messenger trail used in the time of Genghis Khan. She was determined to participate and signed up on a whim with no training or preparation. What follows is a miraculous story of grit and determination over 10 days of terrifying weather, a mysterious land, and stubborn ponies. She not only completed the race that few have endured, but she became the first woman to win it in 2013. Lara’s lyrical writing breathes depth into her experience written several years later with time for reflection. I could not put it down.

Non-Fiction (Memoir) // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Erosion: Essays of Undoing

by Terry Tempest Williams

These days it feels like everything is eroding: our public lands, our democracy, women’s rights, and the earth itself, both literally and figuratively in this time of climate change. In this collection of essays Terry Tempest Williams reflects on these and other difficulties in her personal life. I am usually weary of books that focus on politics and current issues, but Williams brings you in like a confidante and maternal figure, pouring her heart out for all to see. Ultimately this book is a nudging call to action and a comfort in this time of uncertainty. I loved her previously published memoir about the loss of her mother, When Women Were Birds, and now I am determined to read everything she’s written.

Non-Fiction (Essays) // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Inland: A Novel

by Tea Obreht

This haunting take on a western is like nothing else I’ve ever read. Its the story of a frontierswoman in Arizona waiting with her youngest son, who talks of a mysterious beast he sees at night, for her husband who went off to bring back water. The other story is about a former outlaw making his way west on a camel who is haunted by the ghosts of his friends who have died along the way. Inspired by true voices in this time that are rarely shared, Tea Obreht paints a stunning picture of surviving in the west and the things that haunt us. I loved Tea’s debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife, and could not wait to get this one in my hands – it did not disappoint!

Fiction // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Orange World and Other Stories

by Karen Russell

She may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I do love me some Karen Russell. Her latest collection of disturbing stories starts off with a duo of girlfriends escaping the depression and attending a special grand opening party at a lodge in the mountains. Its dark and snowy when they arrive at the ski lift that will deliver them to the lodge but when they arrive, the party is not what is seems and they soon find themselves fighting for their lives. The title story depicts a new mother, desperate to keep her baby safe, who agrees to breastfeed the devil in return for safety. Karen Russell’s stories are absurd and outlandish yet they manage to reveal true feelings that are often just below the surface. She is truly a genius and I can’t wait for more.

PNW Author // Fiction (Short Stories) // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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The Word for Woman Is Wilderness

by Abi Andrews

Erin, a nineteen year old with wanderlust, sets off from her home in England to follow in the footsteps of Chris McCandless of Into the Wild fame. She wants to prove that women can also take to the wilderness and live on their own. She creates a documentary along the way to explore why it is only men who have the freedom to go off on their own based on a masculine idea of shunning society and survivalism. She finds her way through Iceland, Greenland, and Canada by working locally for money and hitching rides. She makes it to Alaska and lives in a remote cabin hunting for her food. She knows she can do better than McCandless because she is better prepared. More philosophical than adventure story, this original and brooding novel explores the meaning of feminism in the wilderness.

Fiction // Published: 2019 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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*This post contains affiliate links. However, I always encourage finding books at your local library or favorite indie book store.

Reading List

Reading List: Little Adventurers

This list is for the littlest adventurers in your life. These are some of my daughter Evie’s very favorite board books from her first years. Some of these books were gifts from family and friends, others I bought for her before she was born. They all have worn covers and spines and each one now has a special place in my heart.

This is Sadie by Sara O’Leary & Julie Morstad // A little girl with a big imagination shares her adventures

Adventures with the Barefoot Critters by Teagan White // Wildland creatures find adventure inside and outside for every letter of the alphabet

I Love You More and More by Nicky Benson & Jonny Lambert // Bear and cub explore and share how much love they have

Bunny Roo, I Love You by Melissa Marr & Teagan White // Mama soothes baby and makes her feel at home

Jamberry by Bruce Degen // A rhyming bear and his friend pick berries and have an extravaganza

All Aboard! National Parks by Haily & Kevin Meyers // Travel the US coast to coast visiting National Parks and learning what wildlife lives there

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury // A family romps through the mud, grass, forest, snow storm and more to find a bear

*This post contains affiliate links. However, I always encourage finding books at your local library or favorite indie book store.

Reading List

What Should I Read Next?

I had the absolute pleasure of being a guest on the podcast What Should I Read Next, Episode 163 with Anne Bogel. Anne is a brilliant match-maker of books. In each episode she asks her guests for three books they love, one they hate, and what they are reading now. Based on the selections, she diligently chooses three books for the guest to read next. I had a wonderful time talking books with Anne and discussing the book club, pairing travels with books, and my obsession with spreadsheets. When I was asked to come back on with an update for the 200th episode celebration, I panicked a little. This time I would chat with Brenna, the producer of the show, and I knew she would ask me what I thought about Anne’s picks for me, BUT, I hadn’t read them all yet! Brenna was gracious and assured me it was no problem (her and Anne are both SO sweet). But since then I’ve finished them and wanted to share my thoughts!

Three Books I Love

St Lucy’s Home For Girls Raised By Wolves by Karen Russell

Karen Russell is a genius with magical realism. This short story collection centers around somewhat creepy children with dysfunctional families and a little bit of magic. Russell takes us to the swamps of Florida with a little girl whose family owns an alligator theme park, there are brothers diving in the ocean with magic goggles to find their dead sister, and a seemingly normal family that travels west to claim land in the territories and then you find out that the dad is a minotaur. In the title story, daughters of wolves are “civilized” in a school run by nuns, bent on getting the wild out of them.

Why I Love It: There is nothing new about stories of children and their growing pains, but I love Karen’s twist on the characters and their situations. The imagery, sense of place, and magical realism is a bit over the top but I can’t get enough of it. It makes for wonderful stories that have stayed with me for a long time.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist, professor, mother, and Native American. She combines all of these into this masterpiece collection of essays. She argues that the study of nature and science can be enhanced by the wisdom of the indigenous people of the land. She conveys that humans have spent the least amount of time on this planet and should only learn from the plants and animals that were here before. She teaches reciprocity and calls on us to care more about our planet so that it can care for us in return.

Why I Love It: This book has truly changed my life. I think about humanity’s relationship with nature in a completely different way after reading this book. I try to emulate Robin’s grace and gratitude for the planet and all living things. I look for how everything on the planet has a purpose and a place. I also relished in the essays about motherhood since I read this just after having my own daughter, Evie. She shows her girls love by picking strawberries with them and making maple syrup together. It inspires me to raise Evie the same way and to teach her gratitude. This book also has a special place in my heart because we read it for book club and had one of my very favorite weekends together

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

My final pick is a novel. It is the story of a mysterious author named Vida Winter who is famous for her collection of twelve stories. She’s stokes the mystery by making up alternate lives for herself, not letting anyone know her true self. But as she grows older, she decides she wants to tell the truth in a tell-all biography. She chooses an unknown biographer, Margaret, to tell her real story. Suddenly Margaret is thrown into Vida’s life and her troubled past. And learning about Vida’s past opens up questions of her own upbringing. This gothic tale is set in the English countryside in a mansion with a creepy garden. There are ghosts, a devastating fire, and lots of books.

Why I Love It: I’m intrigued by family sagas with mysteries hidden in creepy old houses. The mystery was enough to keep me interested but didn’t overwhelm the story, in fact, the author focuses more on Margaret’s self discovery and growth which I really loved. The novel is deeply steeped in setting and place which is basically a requirement for any book I love. Also, its a book about books which I just can’t seem to resist.

What I’m Reading Now

Florida by Lauren Groff

This is the first book I’ve read by Lauren Groff and I am now obsessed. This collection of short essays set in Florida pack a punch. From the surface, the stories seem to touch on the overlap of people and place; there is a family vacation where they are stalked by a panther and a whole essay about snakes. The Florida heat is palpable, but its about more than just the place, its about the fascinating tidbits of everyday life: motherhood, conflicting feelings of love and hate, loneliness, and rage. In my favorite story, one of those conflicted characters goes on a run through her neighborhood. Groff ingeniously turns this seemingly mundane evening run into a compelling look into a mother’s head.

What Anne Thinks I Should Read Next

I was lucky in that Anne gave me a two freebie picks since they are written by authors that I mentioned. I already had The Monsters of Templeton on my bookshelf but needed this gentle nudge to get to it. The other, Once Upon A River, was not out yet at the time we recorded the episode, but I already had it pre-ordered. She knows me well!

The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

Verdict: Love it!

The main character, Willie, returns to her quirky hometown of Templeton, New York. The town is a character in itself nestled on the shores of Lake Glimmerglass, the rumored home of a prehistoric monster. As Willie returns, the monster is found and brought ashore, turning the sleepy town upside-down. Meanwhile, Willie is staying with her lovable but somewhat strange mother when she finds out that the secret of her father’s identity can be found in the family history. So begins a search into her family’s and the town’s past to fill a big void in her life.

Why I Loved It: Lauren’s depiction of small town New York is impeccable. She has truly mastered the art of creating a character out of a setting. This book fulfills my love of a mysterious family history while still being quirky and funny and has just a hint of the magical realism that I find delicious. I’ve also been really into books that bring characters back to their hometown when they’ve been living away for a while. I guess I relate to that since I grew up in small town Pennsylvania and now live in Seattle and often wonder what it would be like to move back. This had the added bonus of a strong female lead character who shows growth throughout the book. This was an unexpected and perfect pick for me!

Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield

Verdict: Love it!

When I saw that this book was coming out my eyes literally widened and I made an annoying squeal. After seeing the cover, I didn’t need to know anything else about it. I just knew I was going to love it. Anne thought so too and she was right on. This is a novel set on the river Thames in England in medieval times. There’s a small town on the river where folk stories and lore flow like the current of the river. It is hard to tell truth from fiction here, so when a little girl washes up on the riverbank, is declared dead, and then awakens, the town vibrates with rumors.

Why I Love It: Are you beginning to sense a theme? This one’s got the fairy tale magical quality I love with a family mystery involved. The river town itself is a character as the plot changes, coursing back and forth to a final and satisfying truth.

Now onto the “official” picks from Anne. I must say that I felt like a kid on Christmas morning waiting to unpack three delightful gifts.

Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen

Verdict: Like It

When Anne started out describing this book I was worried. It begins with a man, Harry, who is down on his luck. His wife dies (in the most unbelievable of ways) and everything he does turns out wrong. This immediately smelled of the book that I chose that I did not like: A Man Called Ove. Anne assured me that I should stick with it though, and I did. Harry, who works for the forest service, decides to disappear into the Endless Mountains. While living in the trees he meets a young girl named Oriana. She just lost her father and she believes Harry can help her and her mother in their grief. Oriana finds a fascinating book in the delightful neighborhood library and convinces Harry to go on a philanthropic mission with her to fulfill a child’s dream and sooth their pain. Harry goes along with it and finds love and purpose along the way.

Why I Like It: This one took me a while to get past the cliche of the sad middle-aged man in the beginning. But once Oriana is introduced, I was sold. This story needed a strong female character and it delivered. Anne described this book as having a sense of magic without having any actual magic in it, and I totally agree and loved that. I also love that it is set in Pennsylvania in a small town that could have been my hometown which gives me all the warm fuzzies. This was a great recommendation and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Verdict: Not for me

This is the story of Kambili, a privileged teenage girl living in Nigeria. Her brilliant father is respected in the community, but is a religious tyrant at home. Kambili and her brother, Jaja, are sent to live with their aunt outside of the comforts of their gated home after some political unrest in the country. Here they are exposed to the real and vibrant part of Nigeria that their father kept them out of. Their paternal grandfather, who the father no longer speaks to, keeps the traditions of their culture alive and stays out of the church. Kambili and Jaja find freedom living with their aunt and they get to spend time with their grandfather, but when they return to their old lives, the tensions in the family rise.

Why Its Not For Me: I really wanted to love this book! Anne admitted this one may be a stretch, but I liked how she described the setting and atmosphere of the African setting. Unfortunately, though, it took half of the book to get the siblings into this interesting setting outside of their father’s strict home. I did enjoy the character of Aunty Ifeoma, but I couldn’t get past all of the abuse and religion in the first part of the book. I mentioned to Anne that I could handle dark subjects, but this book made me realize that I perhaps prefer the dark stuff to be a bit more abstract.

The Overstory by Richard Powers

Verdict: Love It!

This is a story about people and trees. Its broken up into sections: roots, trunk, crown, and seeds. Roots begins with the individual stories of eight characters, all having something to do with trees. A man in Iowa continues a tradition of his great grandfather of taking a photo of their chestnut tree, another is shot out of an airplane during the Vietnam war and is saved by a banyan tree, another finds solace in a stand of trees out her office window. The trunk part of the book brings the characters together in an effort to save old growth forest from the chainsaws. In the crown section, the characters find their own paths again and finally, seeds are planted.

Why I Love It: I picked this up and started to read it after the podcast interview and I knew right away that this was a special book. I put it down because I wanted to give myself time and space to really savor it. When I did the follow-up interview with Brenna, she encouraged me to take a day off and just read it. So I took her advice and did just that. This book is truly a masterpiece and won the Pulitzer Prize for a reason. There is a magical quality to the stories and to the relationships with the characters and their trees, it ingenuously conveys the feelings we have when we are in awe of nature. It is also an important call to action to think about human’s future on our planet. This is definitely in my top favorite books of all time. Anne really nailed this one!

What I Think YOU Should Read Next

I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel

I adore Anne’s thoughtful and caring insight on the What Should I Read Next podcast. She brings so much joy to readers everywhere, just by recommending books. Her delightful collection of essays about books and reading give us a peak into her bookish life along with ruminations on reading as a lifestyle. I inhaled this slim delight of a book in one sitting and reveled in the succinct observations on why books bring people like us joy. As an added bonus, this slim hardback also looks beautiful on your bookshelf.

So now that I finished all of Anne’s picks, what do you think I should read next?

*This post contains affiliate links. However, I always encourage finding books at your local library or favorite indie book store.

Reading List

Reading List: Best of 2018

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.

*This post contains affiliate links. However, I always encourage finding books at your local library or favorite indie book store.

Reading List

Reading List: Witchy Vibes

If you know me, you know I love a little bit of magic. This month I’m embracing my inner witch by getting close to nature and harnessing its power. I’ve been reading about strong and powerful women with a little bit of magical powers of their own and wanted to share them with you just in time for Halloween.

The Green Witch

by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

The green witch “is a naturalist, an herbalist, a wise woman, and a healer. She embraces the the power of nature; she draws energy from the earth and the universe; she relies on natural objects… she calls on nature for guidance; and she respects every living being, no matter how small.” YASSS! I literally gasped when I saw this book. It is basically a guide book to being an outdoor woman who wants to connect with nature on a deeper level. You’ll learn how to ground yourself, perform seasonal rituals, tap into the energy of flowers, use stone, start a witch garden, and craft, cook, and heal with your new witchy finds.

Non-Fiction // Published: 2017 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Buy on Amazon

Alchemy of Herbs

by Rosalee De La Foret

Get closer to nature by exploring the benefits of herbs. This cookbook puts a twist on the classics remedies like garlic for immune support and hot tea to sooth sore throats with recipes for Ginger Lemon Tea, Cayenne Salve for sore muscles, Cardamom Chocolate Mousse Cake for heart health (yes, please!), and Spiced Cold Brew Coffee for a kick of antioxidants. In addition to the recipes, there is in-depth history and research for each of the herbs to guide you on your way to natural health.

Non-Fiction // Published: 2017 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Buy on Amazon

Crystals for Healing

by Karen Frazier

One of my favorite children’s book is Everybody Needs a Rock which instructs a young reader on how to choose the perfect (and essential) rock companion. I totally agree that everyone should have their very own rock. There is something about holding it in your hand that is grounding, and many people believe, healing. This book is the comprehensive guide to crystals and their healing powers for whatever ails you. There are crystals for those dealing with grief, looking for love, or those who want to increase their gratitude. I have my own little pink crystal that I hold when I’m feeling stressed and there is a meditative quality to just tracing the edges with my fingers.

Non-Fiction // Published: 2015 // My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Buy on Amazon

What Should Be Wild

by Julia Fine

Maisie has been born with a curse. A simple touch renders any living thing dead or alive. Her father raised her in seclusion and taught her to mind her touches. She doesn’t feel different until she sees a group of school children walking and holding hands. And when her father mysteriously disappears in the nearby woods, she begins to realize that she is not the first of the women in her family to be cursed. In fact, legend has it that their ghosts haunt the forest. This coming-of-age story about a resilient, magical girl kept me turning the pages to the wee hours of the night.

Fiction // Published: 2018 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Buy on Amazon

Uprooted

by Naomi Novick

Agnieszka’s peaceful medieval village has a Dragon. Dragon is a wizard who takes a girl from the village every ten years to serve him. This deal between Dragon and the village keeps the dark and mystical terror of the nearby Wood at bay. Everyone in the village assumes that Agnieszka’s best friend, the young and beautiful Kasia, will be taken by Dragon, and there will be nothing that she can do to stop it. But when Kasia is not chosen, and instead Agnieszka herself is taken, her life takes a new path in discovering her inner strength and power and saving her friends, family, and beloved village.

Fiction // Published: 2015 // My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Buy on Amazon

Circe: A Novel

by Madeline Miller

In this modern retelling of the classic myth, Circe, daughter of the mighty sun god Helios, always knew there was something strange about her. In a moment of desperation, she determines that she can change people into gods and rivals into monsters. The witchcraft that she has harnessed terrifies the gods and she is banished to a deserted island. Here she relishes in nature and strengthens her powers as she encounters some classic characters from mythology. This approachable novel has a glossary of characters in the back that is essential for someone like me who hasn’t encountered the Titans and Olympians in a while. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year!

Fiction // Published: 2018 // My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Buy on Amazon

*This post contains affiliate links. However, I always encourage finding books at your local library or favorite indie book store.

Reading List

Reading List: Thrilling True Stories

I love a good page-turner, especially this time of year. Here is my round-up of outdoor related true stories that will keep you reading till the wee hours of the night.

 

Blind Descent by James M Tabor

This is a claustrophobia-inducing wild ride through the largest cave systems in the world. In 2004, two competing adventurer / scientists were searching for the deepest location in the world. They spent months in supercaves battling not only the psychological terrors of living two miles below the surface of the earth in pitch darkness, but also raging underground rivers, passages the width of a single body, and dead end after dead end. It is nothing short of amazing that anyone can explore and live in these conditions. I swear I held my breath through the whole book!

 

 

 

 

 

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

In 1925, a British explorer named Percy Fawcett went into the Amazon jungle looking for a lost civilization and never returned. Over the years, many others have went looking for Percy and his lost city but they came back with nothing, or in some cases, like Percy, didn’t return at all. David Grann goes on an adventure of his own to the area and reports the horrific conditions that these explorers endured in the harsh jungle, a place filled to the brim with poisonous animals and plants and where water permeates everything creating a breeding ground for disease and infection. The story, one of the greatest adventure mysteries of the twentieth century, was recently made into a movie.

 

 

 

 

 

The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson

This one can be summed up in what sounds like the beginning of a joke: a flute-playing college student goes into the British Museum of Natural History and comes out with a million dollars worth of feathers. I would like to follow this with: chaos ensues, but sadly I can’t. It took the museum months to even realize that anything was missing. The museum is home to one of the largest ornithological collections in the world. It includes feathers of the most rare birds in the world, including specimens collected by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. And why did he steal them? Well, because he was obsessed with the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying. Need I say more?

 

 

 

 

 

Pilgrim’s Wilderness by Tom Kizzia

If you are into stories about strange cultish families, then this one is for you. Papa Pilgrim moved his family of fifteen children to the town of McCarthy, Alaska at the edge of the Wrangell – St Elias National Park. The tiny town greeted the seemingly pious family until it was discovered that the so-called pilgrims left chaos in their wake. The family’s story is sometimes jaw-dropping and I often found myself reading passages out loud to my husband in disbelief. Other than its shock value, it also highlights the contrast of environmentalists and pioneers in these National Park towns that is fundamentally American.

 

 

 

 

 

The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant

There once stood a single golden spruce tree on an island off the coast of British Columbia. This tree was long beloved and honored by the indigenous people of the island until the day it was found chainsawed to death. The man who performed this terrible act was an obsessive logger turned activist. The deed was an act of defiance, of protest. But why did he feel he had to take it to this extreme? Vaillant explores the island, its history, and the history of the clash between environmentalist and logger, and the story of this fascinating man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean

Here is another story of an obsessive man, this time the obsession is with orchids and the setting: the swamps of Florida. The eccentric and self absorbed “orchid thief” was John Laroche who attempted to harvest endangered orchids in order to clone them. Orlean writes about her own journey meeting Laroche and interacting with him in true journalistic style. The book was famously made into the movie, Adaptation, an equally strange story about a screenwriter desperate to develop this book into a movie. It’s a strange adaptation with little resemblance to the actual story in the book. Stick to reading the book, which like others on this list, explores the gray lines between helping and hurting the things we love with the best (if not crazy) intentions.

 

 

 

You might also like:

 

Reading List

Reading List: Arizona

The first thing I think about when preparing for a trip is not what am I going to wear or pack, but what am I going to READ? I am a true believer that reading is the best way to get to know a place and to enrich any trip with an understanding of the land, history, and people. As I prepare for a trip to Arizona I wanted to share what books I’m reading. Hopefully you will find one to enrich your next trip to the land of desert and stone.

 

In the Heart of the Canyon by Elisabeth Hyde

I love a good story that puts strangers together in uncomfortable situations. Twelve people come together for a trip of a lifetime; a two week long rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. It is a great mix of personalities including enthusiastic couples, parents with young boys, a teenager reeling with body image issues, a lonely middle aged female professor, and of course, some fun-loving, drinking river guides. The senior guide, though, is celebrating his 125th trip down the river. He was hoping for a straight forward and easy run, but these trips are never particularly predictable. This beautiful and subtle novel celebrates the impressions and developments in character that come with such epic adventures.

 

 

 

 

 

The Anthropology of Turquoise by Ellen Meloy

This beautiful and original ode to color sucked me in on the first page. Ellen is grieving the loss of her brother as she travels the desert Southwest to make her art. While she waits for her brother to speak to her through her paintbrushes and crayons, she observes the natural world down to its bones. Science and natural history is so effortlessly placed in the stories that you won’t even notice that you are learning some fascinating stuff. Ellen was renowned in literary circles for her exquisite nature writing when she suddenly and sadly passed away in 2004. Shortly before she died she wrote, “…in the desert there is everything and there is nothing. Stay curious. Know where you are—your biological address. Get to know your neighbors—plants, creatures, who lives there, who died there, who is blessed, cursed, what is absent or in danger or in need of your help. Pay attention to the weather, to what breaks your heart, to what lifts your heart. Write it down.”

 

 

 

 

Pure Land by Annette McGivney

This fast-paced true crime story packs a punch. In 2006, a young Japanese nature lover named Tomomi Hanamure was brutally murdered at the popular hiking destination Havasu Falls in the Havasupai Indian Reservation. Her alleged killer was an 18 year old Havasupai. Annette McGivney traces both Tomomi and the young killer’s steps that led to the murder. But more than just a murder mystery, Annette dives deep into the history of the Havasupai reservation and its fraught ties with the National Park system and local authorities. She also gracefully builds Tomomi’s world as a young ambitious women who traveled to the US from Japan by herself and fell in love with the land of the American West and its native people. I could not put this book down and can’t recommend it enough.

 

 

 

 

 

Canyon Solitude by Patricia C. McCairen

When Patricia got a chance to raft the Grand Canyon and couldn’t find anyone to do it with her, she decided to just do it by herself. It is truly a grand undertaking and one not to be taken lightly. But she is a seasoned rafting guide and fiercely independent, and nothing was going to stop her from accomplishing her goal. She takes us along on her journey down the canyon, and also through her sometimes contradictory thoughts along the way. She knows the importance of solitude and certainly embraces it, but she also battles with the voices in her head that tell her she should be enjoying other’s company. It’s a state of mind that I can relate to, and Patricia does a lovely job of explaining these emotions while accomplishing something that has only been achieved by few.

 

 

 

 

The Turquoise Ledge by Leslie Marmon Silko

Leslie begins this memoir by telling stories of her walks into Tucson from her home in the foothills of nearby mountains. It is a desert, but what she finds on her daily walks is the stuff of beauty. She finds turquoise rocks that appear out of nowhere, and so much life, a seemingly unlikely find on the edge of the Sonoran Desert. Geology, history, and Native American lore spider through these stories like the dark veins of a turquoise gemstone in this important memoir about life in the Southwest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond the Hundredth Meridian by Wallace Stegner

This is the incredible story of John Wesley Powell, a soldier who lost an arm in the Civil War and then went on to lead expeditions through the Grand Canyon in wooden boats, and in the Rocky Mountains and surrounding rivers. During his explorations, he found intrigue in the Native Americans and was ahead of his time in considering the affects and detriments that people can cause to the land. He was a staunch advocate of conservation and discouraged settlers from establishing farms that would tax the little available water in this arid land.

 

 

 

 

 

You might also enjoy:

Reading List

Reading List: Hygge Vibes

For me, winter is all about hygge. I love curling up with a good book, a blanket, and a mug of hot chai tea. As I thought about which books to include in this list, I realized that they don’t all fit into one category. For some people, hygge is all about peace and comfort. For others, it is the feeling you get while reading a scary book while it rains outside and you are safe and dry. And yet for others, it’s all about nostalgia. I think everyone would agree, though, that it’s all about getting a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

So here are my picks for all of your hygge vibes, whatever they may be.

Become a Hygge (and Fika) expert:

 

Enjoy a dark, cozy novel:

    

 

Revisit a classic:

  

 

Be inspired:

  

 

Find peace:

   

 

Lose yourself in another world:

   

 

Devour a sprawling novel:

   

What are your favorite books to get cozy with?

 

Reading List

Reading List: Best of 2017

It’s that time of year again! Here are my favorite new outdoor books released this year.

 

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
This enchanting retelling of an old fairytale will have you wishing for snow. It is the story of Vasya, a young girl living in the medieval Russian wilderness where winter rarely releases its grip on the land. She loves sitting by the fire with her siblings listening to their nurse’s old tales. As Vasya grows up, she finds that she has special powers that others do not and more and more, her beloved fairytales become reality. On top of all that, she must make a decision between marrying a man of her father’s choosing or entering a convent. This is my favorite book I read this year and I’m so excited that this will be a trilogy. The second book, The Girl in the Tower, is now available, although this book can thoroughly be enjoyed on its own.

 

 

 

 

 

The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
We all know that time spent in the outdoors makes us feel good, but could it be essential to our health? Florence Williams dives deep into the science of the effects of nature on the brain. She travels the world from Korea to Scotland to find ways that people use nature for healing and therapy. She finds that time spent in the outdoors can help people with depression, PTSD, ADHD, and many other physical and psychological ailments. And she has good news; it doesn’t take much time in the outdoors to experience these benefits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel
For years, police in a small town in Maine had been looking for a thief. The thief was pillaging through cottages and cabins, never disturbing anything or hurting anyone, only taking things like books, food, and warm clothing. There was talk of a hermit who lived in the woods nearby, but no one had ever seen him or could figure out how he survived the harsh Maine winters. The story that follows is truly extraordinary. Christopher Knight left his home in 1986 to live in the solitude of the woods for 27 years before police arrested him for burglary. In those years he only ever saw a few people and didn’t say a word. After his arrest, he returned to society which had changed greatly over the years. All he wanted was to be completely alone, but is it possible in this day and age? Should he have just been left alone instead of being forced back into society? Michael Finkel brings Knight’s remarkable story to life and highlights not just the strangeness, but the humanity of this remarkable man.

 

 

 

 

Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
The wilderness doesn’t always have to be in the woods or in the mountains. Sometimes it can be our own communities and neighborhoods. Brene Brown explains, “The wilderness is an untamed, unpredictable place of solitude and searching. It is a place as dangerous as it is breathtaking, a place as sought after as it is feared. But it turns out to be the place of true belonging, and it’s the bravest and most sacred place you will ever stand.” In her latest book, Brene Brown encourages us all to be our own true selves and to have the courage to stand alone when necessary. In this day and age, it is easy to stay within the comfort of our ideological bubbles, but Brown wants us to brave the wilderness of uncertainty and criticism to reach across ideological lines and challenge what we believe about others and ourselves. This is a timely call for civility when it feels like the world is full of chaos.

 

 

 

 

 

The Push by Tommy Caldwell
Tommy Caldwell is probably most famous for his 19 day climb up Yosemite’s 3000 foot vertical Dawn Wall in 2015. But his life and early climbing career is even more interesting than this seemingly impossible feet. He was raised by his mountain-guide, weight-lifting father and was taught to always push the limits to the max. Tommy became a climbing prodigy and won many competitions, often as the youngest climber. He was destined to become a great climber, but in his early twenties he suffered many tragedies. He travelled to Kyrgyzstan with a climbing team and was taken hostage by militants in the middle of a remote mountainous region. He later lost his index finger in a freak accident and his wife and main climbing partner, struggling to cope with the PTSD of their hostage situation, left him. But even with these obstacles, he kept pushing himself. This is a raw and thoughtful story of resilience, love, and determination.

 

 

 

 

There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather by Linda Akeson McGurk
When Swedish-born Linda Akeson McGurk moved to Indiana with her husband and two young children, she felt very different. She was the only one walking with a stroller in the cold winter weather, people even pulled over to ask if she needed a ride. In the summer she was fined for allowing her kids to swim in a nearby creek. This was much different than how she grew up in Sweden where parents let their babies outside in freezing weather to nap, as recommended by their doctors, and where children spent more time outside playing at school than in the classroom. McGurk wondered if the Swedish way of raising children would lead to better lives for her own girls, so she took them back to Sweden for six months to see for yourself. The differences between her old and new cultures are quite drastic and emphasize the need to get our children outside more, no matter the weather.

 

 

 

 

 

A Sideways Look at Clouds by Maria Mudd Ruth
Maria Mudd Ruth’s enthusiasm is contagious. She already got me to care about a silly little not-so-smart bird called a marbled murrelet in her book, Rare Bird. Now her latest book has me obsessed with clouds. Each chapter of the book takes a closer look at the ten words that are used most often to define clouds: a visible mass of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the earth. She breaks down what each of these words mean and makes the science easy to understand while also having a great sense of humor. She’s not afraid of asking the big questions, like why is the sky blue? She even gets her very own meteorologist from NOAA to answer all of her probing questions. I know I am a bit of a nerd, but you guys, this book about clouds is downright riveting and I could not put it down!

 

 

 

 

 

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang
This is the story of an orphan boy named Weylyn Grey who was raised by wolves, can control the weather, and has a pet horned pig named Merlin. Need I say more? Weylyn’s story is told from the perspective of the people who knew him and were affected by his unusual presence. Never quite fitting into his surroundings, he moved around the country escaping messes he always seemed to get himself into. But no matter how people treated him, he always kept his optimism and eagerness to help others. This heart warming tale is a must read for anyone who has ever felt different or like the odd one out. Haven’t we all?