Close to Birds: An Intimate Look at Our Feathered Friends by Mats Ottosson, Asa Ottosson, and Roine Magnusson

 I love nature photography. I find it so calming. This book pairs gorgeous photos of birds with short collections of facts and personal experiences interacting with them. Although the book only highlights birds found in Sweden (it's translated into English), the stories are relatable just the same. I had such a big grin on my face while reading this. Some of the tiny birds are just too cute!

272 pages

Don't Know Much About History...

Heavenly Bodies by Paul Koudounaris

In the late 16th century, a new section of the Roman Catacombs were discovered. The Church recognized the skeletons as those of Early Christian martyrs, and sent them to Catholic churches as saints across Germanic Europe. The relics were then richly adorned with jewels and costumes, and the laity came on long pilgrimages to pray at their shrines. While the tradition fell out of practice by the 19th century, many of these relics are still found in churches across Europe. Koudounaris presents this photographic history with his beautiful, and enthralling images. This book is just way too cool!

189 pages


Kinloch: Missouri's First Black City by John A. Wright

Longtime resident John A. Wright has collected photos and interviews to tell the story of Kinloch, located north of St. Louis. Going from wealth and luxury, white flight, school desegregation, as well as church and community life, the book gives an overview of this city's history. While Kinloch itself is in decline, a population shift has retained much of its heritage in nearby Ferguson.

128 pages




An American Plague by Jim Murphy

I wasn't sure I wanted to read a plague history right now, given.... you know. But this book on the 1793 Philadelphia plague felt distant enough that I didn't mind reading it. Although it is technically juvenile nonfiction, this is definitely a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. Murphy is very good at telling the stories of the main doctors and public officials involved in the crisis, as well as the vital role of the Free African Society. The discussion on the various theories of causes for the (pre-germ theory) plague were telling-placing blame on foreigners is certainly not new. This book is an engaging and informative read. I've also read his book, The Great Fire of Chicago, which is also fantastic!

165 pages


Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

You know, for the most part I really liked this one. You see Laura really start to grow up and participate in the social conventions of the era. The sociable! Lunatic fringes! Name cards! I couldn't imagine having to wear a corset. I made the mistake of googling "corset damage" and the images gave me nightmares. The story is quite pleasant until the end. That minstrel show... Yikes.

307 pages



Don't know much Biology...
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

This book is definitely not to everyone's tastes, but I freakin' loved reading about the history and cultures around fungi, mushrooms, lichens-everything! Did you know fungi were the first to colonize land, forming giant towers as prototaxes? Or that mychorrhizal fungi form vital connections in a forest, swapping nutrients and "feeding" younger and weaker trees? Scientists are testing the chemicals in psilocybin mushrooms for potential treatments for anxiety and depression! And yes, Star Trek collaborated with Paul Stamets, an actual mycologist, to develop Discovery's fictional mycelial network, designed by Lt. Commander... Paul Stamets.

352 pages



Conservation Trails by Teresa Kight/ MO Dept. of Conservation

So many great trails and Conservation Areas to explore in Missouri! While this publication is a bit dated, most of these trails haven't changed much in the past decade or so... It gives me some ideas of places to explore once this whole mess has blown over...

96 pages





A Guide to Missouri's Snakes from the MO Dept. of Conservation

Sneks. Everybody loves snakes, right? No? Only me? ... okay. We have sooo many watersnakes. And unfortunately they get killed for no good reason because folks assume any snake in the water is a cottonmouth. Copperheads are nasty. I remember killing one once with a garden hoe. And baby rat snakes are the cutest thing ever!

59 pages





The Lost Words by Robert MacFarlane

This oversize book focuses on words disappearing from children's lives, pairing poems with pages and pages of colorful paintings. Each poem focuses on a word-bramble, wren, acorn-that may or may not enter children's vocabularies with our increasingly indoor culture.Beautiful poetry. Gorgeous artwork.

128 pages





Don't know much about geography...

Yellowstone: A Journey Through America's Wild Heart by David Quammen

Quammen combines tales of his adventures in America's first national park with breathtaking images of wildlife and the landscape. The nature photography is phenomenal! I enjoyed reading about the history of the park and challenges it faces today. I've never been able to visit, but I definitely want to take a road trip now...

222 pages

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

I've been recommended this book many times. Then DBRL chose it for the One Read... and I caved. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it! It follows the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who is sentenced to house arrest by the Bolsheviks in the Metropol. Across from the Bolshoi, the Metropol is a grand hotel (I've been there, it's huge) yet I'm sure it would feel tiny after 40-ish years. I enjoyed how the Count watched the passage of early Soviet history. The author definitely did his research, which I appreciated. The hype around this novel is not over exaggerated!

462 pages

 
Don't know what a slide rule is for...
Me neither, dude. I had to look it up. Makes me real grateful for calculators.

This song is now stuck in your head!
That, or you're trying to look up the reference.
You're welcome.

What a wonderful world this would be.

Wisdom from a Humble Jellyfish and Other Self-Care Rituals from Nature by Rani Shah

Oh my gosh porcupines!
The wombat. Yes
Elephants. Heart eyes.
....When the author is like "let's not get into the Greek and Latin roots of the word octopus to explain why the plural of octopus is octopuses" YES LET'S GET INTO THE ROOTS. PLEASE

144 Pages

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Painfully beautiful" (New York Times Book Review) is the perfect description of this coming of age story set in the NC lowcountry. The author, who has a PhD in zoology, reveals the laws of nature and asks the reader to consider whether these laws apply to humans as well. Readers who enjoyed The Glass Castle will enjoy this book.

368 pages