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