I love nature writing. There’s just something about the way a writer can describe the natural world with such detail that you can see it perfectly in your mind’s eye. Whether I’m learning something new about otters or how trees talk to one another, there’s always something new to discover. So today, I’ll be featuring a couple nature books, one frontlist and one backlist. But first, bookish goods!
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Bookish Goods
Nightstand Book Holder by ColwoodCraft
I have started to see these cute wooden bookholders everywhere! I love the ones like this that have space for your glasses or pens, etc. $45
New Releases
Otter Country: An Unexpected Adventure in the Natural World by Miriam Darlington
For our first nature-related book, Otter Country, explores the world of wild otters across the UK. Miriam Darlington writes about her experience trekking across the wetland in search of this adorable, one-of-a-kind creature.
Latinoland: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority by Marie Arana
Marie Arana presents her research about this racially and culturally diverse demographic of the United States. She gives readers a detailed portrait of the largest minority in America.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
This American Ex-wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life by Lyz Lenz
Lyz Lenz grew up in a conservative evangelical family and believed that if she did everything that she was told a “good” woman should do — stay “pure” until marriage, get married and obey her husband, have kids, etc. —that everything would work out for the best. But that’s not how her life went. Lenz writes how she was intensely unhappy in her marriage, and she stayed for all the wrong reasons. But once she got divorced and started life as a single mom, she found freedom. As Lenz tells us her story, she also includes research on divorce in America, asking why it is that 70% of divorces are instigated by women? And why are women pushed to get married in the first place? Lenz also launched a podcast to promote the book, which will give you a preview of the many different ideas that she presents in it.
Two Trees Make a Forest: Travels Among Taiwan’s Mountains and Coasts in Search of My Family’s Past by Jessica J. Lee
And for our backlist nature writing title, we’re exploring the landscape of Taiwan. Jessica J. Lee’s mother immigrated from Taiwan to Canada, but Lee grew up knowing little about her mother’s family or their past. In her memoir, Lee travels back to Taiwan to learn more about how her mother’s family fled mainland China for Taiwan. Lee blends nature writing about the island along with her investigation into Taiwan’s history. She describes the unique animals and plant species that call the island their home. By researching her grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ lives, she learns more about her own origin story, better understanding herself along the way.
That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
Happy reading, Friends!
~ Kendra