Nature Reads
From birds & birding to the incredible creatures of our oceans, get inspired to immerse yourself in all the beauty nature has to offer with this list of books for Earth Day (and beyond).
Birds & Birding:
Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing by Lili Taylor
Eye-opening essays about searching for peace in the cacophony of birds and discovering a world of meaning in small moments—from award-winning actor Lili Taylor.
“What can an actor—even a consummate one like Lili Taylor—tell us about birding? Plenty, as she brings her profession’s keen observation skills to Turning to Birds, exploring what our feathered marvels can mean to us people. You couldn’t ask for a more personal, accessible approach to the pastime we all love (or will, by the end of this book).”—Christian Cooper, author of Better Living Through Birding
Available April 29th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper
*A LibraryReads Notable Nonfiction Pick*
Central Park birder Christian Cooper takes us beyond the viral video that shocked a nation and into a world of avian adventures, global excursions, and the unexpected lessons you can learn from a life spent looking up.
“Christian Cooper’s book is every bit as wondrous and captivating as the birds he so adores—a joyous tour across subcultures and continents, and a masterful account of a life full of song, full of heart, and fully lived.”—Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of An Immense World
Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan; Foreword by David Allen Sibley
From the author of The Joy Luck Club comes a gorgeous and witty exploration of birding and nature. This inspiring work cultivates hope and connection, revealing the rhythms of our world and uncovering its beauty hidden in plain sight.
“This is one of the most infectious and convincing books about nature I’ve read. For the bird-watcher, the would-be bird-watcher, or for the bird-watching skeptic, this offers great delight and unexpected intrigue. Through Tan’s ecstatic eyes, what could be a dry treatise on ornithological happenings becomes something far more fun and much more profound. It’s really a book about seeing.” —Dave Eggers, author of Ungrateful Mammals
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard by Joan E. Strassmann
A one-of-a-kind guide to birding locally that encourages readers to slow down and notice the spectacular birds all around them.
“Like all the best nature books, Slow Birding is about much more than its titular topic. Yes, it is about birding, but it is also about history, geography, psychology—and most of all, how to see, really see, the ordinary things around you. Slow Birding will show you your own backyard as you have never seen it before.”—Marelene Zuk, professor of ecology, evolution, and behavior, University of Minnesota, author of Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
Flight of the Godwit: Tracking Epic Shorebird Migration by Bruce M. Beehler; Illustrated by Alan T. Messer
Soar across 46 North American territories to uncover the secrets of 7 magnificent shorebirds, the world’s greatest nonstop travelers. An immersive travelogue that belongs on every birder’s bookshelf.
With authoritative prose and 30 beautiful black-and-white illustrations from artist Alan T. Messer, the book journeys through 37 states and 9 Canadian provinces from Texas to Alaska to Canada’s High Arctic. Flight of the Godwit is a captivating adventure and a tribute to remarkable birds and birding itself.
Available in Hardcover and eBook.
The Birds of America by John James Audubon
The celebrated and highly valued natural history classic, now fully reproduced for the 1st time with an introduction by world-renowned ornithologist David Allen Sibley.
First published in installments between 1827 and 1838, John James Audubon’s treasured collection of life-sized watercolors of North American birds is the standard against which all wildlife illustration is measured. Straddling the line between science and art, this book mesmerized 19th-century audiences around the world. Today it stands as a reminder of the spectacular biodiversity of the North American continent, and of the pioneer spirit that Audubon himself revered.
Available in Hardcover.
What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing—What Birds Are Doing, and Why by David Allen Sibley
The bird book for birders and nonbirders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing—and why: “Can birds smell?”; “Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year?”; “Do robins ‘hear’ worms?”
“Simply gorgeous . . . Appropriate for general readers as well as bird experts, and it is perfectly suitable for young readers . . . As the world’s bird population shrinks, it is helpful and even inspiring to learn as much as possible about the amazing feathered creatures that share our planet. There is no better way than to browse through David Allen Sibley’s . . . What It’s Like to Be a Bird.”—Nancy Gilson, The Columbus Dispatch
Available in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
Check out What It’s Like to Be a Bird (Adapted for Young Readers)
Click for More Books in the Sibley Guides Series
Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and Canada—East, 2nd Edition by Ted Gloyd
An entirely updated edition of the classic bestselling regional bird field guide from National Geographic, covering the U.S. and Canada east of the Rockies.
Backyard beginners and dedicated life-listers alike will love the expanded new edition of this trusted guide to the birds of eastern United States and Canada. With new text, revised art, and data-derived range maps, this valuable resource complements the apps and online resources used by birders today.
Available in Trade Paperback.
The Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and Canada—West, 2nd Edition by Ted Floyd
An entirely updated edition of the classic bestselling regional bird field guide from National Geographic, covering the western U.S. and Canada, including Hawaii.
Backyard beginners and dedicated life-listers alike will love the expanded new edition of this trusted guide to the birds of western United States and Canada, including Hawaii. A must-have guide for birders young and old, avid and beginner.
Available in Trade Paperback.
Learn About Nature & Animals:
The Ocean’s Menagerie: How Earth’s Strangest Creatures Reshape the Rules of Life by Drew Harvell
An elegantly written exploration of the cutting edge science of the strangest and most remarkable creatures on our planet by a leading marine biologist.
“A love letter to the ocean, and its weird and wonderful creatures, from an eminent explorer and marine biologist. Each page is full of wonder and surprise, and in every tale of a shape-shifting octopus or luminous jellyfish, we are reminded why the ocean is worth conserving.”—Steve Brusatte, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs
Available April 22nd in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin, and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie by Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty
A vivid portrait of the American prairie, which rivals the rainforest in its biological diversity and, with little notice, is disappearing even faster
“This book describes—in loving, living prose—one of the world’s greatest and most important landscapes. And it does so while there’s still time to save some serious part of it.”—Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature
Available May 27th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication by Arik Kershenbaum
From leading zoologist Arik Kershenbaum, a delightful and groundbreaking exploration of animal communication and its true meaning.
“Animal communication doesn’t need to resemble human language to be full of meaning and nuance. Arik Kershenbaum delivers an expert overview of the astonishing discoveries made in the last few decades.”—Frans de Waal, author of Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Everyday Wild: An Illustrated Guide for Mindfulness in Nature by Kathryn Hunter and Bo Hunter
A colorful, charming, and immersive guide to exploring and treasuring the complex, miraculous natural world in your own backyard and beyond.
Everyday Wild is an illustrated celebration of the vast natural diversity of the world, one that you can find by simply stepping outside. This guide to backyard (or front stoop!) ecology encourages you to notice every sight, sound, and smell—the rustle of falling leaves, the chirping of crickets, the scent of spring rain, and the radiance of the stars above—as a way of understanding the wonders of our complex, beautiful planet.
Available April 29th in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
The Wisdom of Sheep: Observations from a Family Farm by Rosamund Young
A touching, wise and surprising chronicle of the rich inner lives of animals, drawn from Rosamund Young’s extraordinary lifetime as an organic farmer.
“Nature and its simple joys reign supreme throughout this charming text. Warmhearted and charming, Young’s essays offer a gentle country antidote to the tumult of contemporary life. A delightful modern-day pastoral.”—Kirkus Reviews
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Be One with Nature:
Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand by Jeff Chu
A profound meditation on nature, heritage, and belonging, from an accomplished journalist who left New York City for life on a working farm.
“By turns wrenching and funny, heartbreaking and hope-filled, Jeff Chu’s Good Soil teaches us how to keep going despite our own gravest doubts, and how to keep loving when love has already failed us too many times. By whatever name you may call it—God, family, partnership, community, the whole living world—love is what this book is about. At its true heart, this is a book about love.”—Margaret Renkl, New York Times bestselling author of The Comfort of Crows
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Watch EveryLibrary’s ‘Rooted & Radiant: Growing Food, Spirit, and Connection’ Author Panel Featuring John Chu
For Kids:
Animals of the National Parks: An Alphabet Book by Fifty-Nine Parks
For nature lovers of any age, this book is a beautiful A-to-Z introduction to the wild and wonderful animals that live in America’s national parks. Featuring art from the beloved printmakers and poster illustrators at Fifty-Nine Parks.
The book features fascinating facts about each animal, including information on where they can be found. A passport page to record visits and an illustrated map of all the national parks will encourage children and their families to make the most of every trip. With beautifully evocative art that’s nostalgic yet contemporary, this is a special gift for outdoor and national park lovers of all ages.The book features fascinating facts about each animal, including information on where they can be found. A passport page to record visits and an illustrated map of all the national parks will encourage children and their families to make the most of every trip. With beautifully evocative art that’s nostalgic yet contemporary, this is a special gift for outdoor and national park lovers of all ages.See Less
Available May 6th in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
Watch EveryLibrary‘s ‘Rooted & Radiant” author panel featuring three dynamic voices—Jeff Chu (Good Soil), Kate O’Donnell (The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook), and Kevin West (The Cook’s Garden)—for an inspiring conversation on how food, nature, and spirit intertwine. From farm fields to kitchen tables, they explore how growing and preparing food can ground us, heal us, and connect us to something greater.