Powerful and devastating. The language is so concise and brilliantly moving. Every word makes a massive impact in this slim, arresting poem.
The BrushThe Brush by Eliana Hernández-Pachón, (List Price: $17, Archipelago, 9781953861863, March 2024)
Reviewed by Emily Tarr, Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama
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I’m not a birder but have come to have a great appreciation for compelling stories of birders. O’Kane’s memoir of birding intertwined with environmental and social justice taught me so much, piercing my heart and challenging what I thought I knew about ecology. A must read for anyone who cares about being a better human and neighbor to all beings.
Birding to Change the World by Trish O’Kane, (List Price: $29.99, , 9780063223141, February 2024)
Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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I was totally sucked into this compulsively readable story about Alligator poaching in Florida that does for these scaly critters what Susan Orleans did so many years ago for orchids with her seminal The Orchid Thief. The author immersed herself in the culture of the Everglades, interviewing everyone from state game officials to poachers themselves, all while not losing her empathy for the people affected, especially those who have lost their generational ability to live off the land due to government rules and regulations forcing them to break the law while laughing in the face of those chasing after them. This is another great addition to the genre I call “kooky, kooky, Florida.” Think Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey, along with the aforementioned Susan Orleans, and any edict from Ron Desantis.
Gator Country by Rebecca Renner, (List Price: $29.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250842572, November 2023)
Reviewed by Pete Mock, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina
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An October Read This Next! Book!
Margaret Renkl’s writing is the literary equivalent to being wrapped in a soft blanket in your favorite chair with a cup of tea on a crisp day. The Comfort of Crows continues her beautiful way with words (after her stellar Late Migrations) with 52 essays of her observations that take the reader through the seasons of the year…from the beauty of nature and all it encompasses to the varying human emotions and stages of life. You will want to plant something, feed something, preserve something, and protect something all at the same time. You don’t have to be a nature lover to read this book, but you will be by the time you finish it.
The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl, (List Price: 32, Spiegel & Grau, 9781954118461, October 2023)
Reviewed by Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, Virginia
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An October Read This Next! Book!
In Comfort of Crows, Margaret Renkl has given us a remarkable gift. With keen observations of nature in her backyard, she helps us become better observers in our world. With wise commentary, she gently challenges us to become more caring of the wildlife around us. With beautiful writing, she engages us in an important conversation about conservation. And with stunning illustrations, the book becomes the perfect gift for nature lovers and environmentalists in our lives. It will be one of our top handbells for the holiday season and I can’t wait to put this book in the hands of our customers as a gift for themselves or for the people they love.
The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl, (List Price: 32, Spiegel & Grau, 9781954118461, October 2023)
Reviewed by Lia Lent, Wordsworth Books in Little Rock,, Arkansas
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The moon, as a "work in progress". Love this. A sweet and simple way to teach any young astronomer about the lunar body’s history, relationship to the sun, the earth, and us too. (All ages)
When Moon Became the Moon by Rob Hodgson, (List Price: 18.99, Rise x Penguin Workshop, 9780593523629, August 2023)
Reviewed by Jilleen Moore, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
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Better Living Through Birding is a memoir that is very much about birds… but it’s also about so much more. Cooper was thrust into the media spotlight via a viral video in which he was subject to racial threats in Central Park from a dog walker… and he discusses this incident in detail. However, he also discusses growing up gay & black in NYC in the 70’s & 80’s, how comic books and nature saved his life, and how activism against social injustice runs in the family. From Harvard to writing for Marvel Comics & Star Trek to following elusive birds in the most remote places in the world, this memoir is honest, emotionally stirring, and heartfelt. It made me want to go for a nature walk immediately after I finished it.
Better Living Through Birding by Christian Cooper, (List Price: $28, Random House, 9780593242384, June 2023)
Reviewed by Stuart McCommon, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee
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May 2023 Soil, River, Flight. 
This month’s special edition of The Southern Bookseller Review is is dedicated to stories of our relationship to nature and the environment, and to all the wondrous beings that surround us. “He understood for the first time that the world is not dumb at all, but merely waiting for someone to speak to it in a language it understands.” -Susanna Clarke |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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Soil : The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden by Camille T. Dungy Adult Nonfiction, African American & Black, Ecosystems & Habitats, Nature Observed with a poet’s eye, deeply concerned with social justice, history, community, and the natural world, Camille Dungy’s Soil recounts the process of creating a pollinator garden in her Colorado yard, circling around her history and the history of the plants, animals and politics of the West. “I dig up a lot of awful history when I kneel in my garden,” she writes. “But, my god, a lot of beauty grows out of this soil as well.” This is a smart, beautiful, wide-ranging book that will draw you in and change how you look at the world around you. Reviewed by Robin Wood, Books & Books @ The Studios in Key West, Florida |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: George, A Magpie Memoir by Frieda Hughes
I had this huge bird-shaped hole in my life. I had my painting and my poetry, but my third marriage was crumbling and all the attention I had paid to George really had nowhere else to go. I also had this vast aviary I had built, so I set about determinedly trying to find occupants for it. You can go and buy a bird but that wasn’t what I wanted to do. The birds had to be unwanted and they had to need care – birds that could not otherwise fly free. ―Frieda Hughes, Interview, The Guardian What booksellers are saying about George, A Magpie Memoir 
About Frieda Hughes Born in London in 1960, Frieda Hughes, the daughter of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, is an established painter and poet. She has written several children’s books, eight collections of poetry, articles for magazines and newspapers, and was The Times (London) poetry columnist. As a painter, Frieda regularly exhibits in London and has a permanent exhibition at her private gallery in Wales, where she resides with fourteen owls, two rescue huskies, an ancient Maltese terrier, five chinchillas, a ferret called Socks, a royal python, and her motorbikes. |
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Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Women What kind of scientist risks the little known rapids of a raging river to document plant life? The first scientists to boat down the Grand Canyon were no daredevils but two intrepid and determined women. Still their tale is full enough of drama and a motley crew of characters to make a great read. More than just a quirky bit of environmental history, their work still resonates today. Sevigny brilliantly captures their experiences as well as the political and social history of the Colorado River. A great read for anyone interested in women in science, natural history, or the American West Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina |
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The Nature Book by Tom Comitta Adaptations & Pastiche, Adult Fiction, Classics, Fiction, Literary, Nature & the Environment A deftly experimental book that seeks to portray a world sans humans, Nature Book borrows from a history of rich, descriptive prose to reconstruct the cycles of days, seasons, and migrations as they continue quiet and unobserved, separate from human society. And yet, human description and literary convention make up the entirety of this story! This beautifully avant garde novel from an organic and unfettered nonbinary perspective is an awe-inducing teleportation into a beautiful cosmos and a rapidly changing climate as captured throughout the history of literature. Great for reading piecemeal or overwhelmingly all at once. Reviewed by Amanda Depperschmidt, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich Adult Fiction, Domestic, Family Life, Feminist, Fiction, Gothic, Historical, Horror, Italy, Literary, Marriage & Divorce, Nature The Environment, Small Town & Rural, Thrillers, World Literature Out of necessity, Laura has chosen to live a simpler, yet, courageous life in a secluded, rustic cabin in the woods on the outskirts of an Italian village. Necessity turns into a reorganization of priorities, which I wholly admire, as Laura shares her thoughts with the reader on living with nature, interacting with others, and what it means to survive. Beautiful. Reviewed by Jill Naylor, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee |
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The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers Action & Adventure, Animals, Children, Dogs, Friendship, Juvenile Fiction This is the story of Johannes, a wild dog who lives in the park. He runs his round because he is the Eyes for the keeper of the Equilibrium. He decides one day to gain a greater purpose and free his friends the bison. Though for children, I think this story would be enjoyed by anyone who has ever run and felt faster than the sun. Johannes is absolutely endearing, arrogant, feral, and free. Above all else, he’s free and wonderful. I found myself elated with every triumph and breathless with every close call. I loved it and was in tears by the beauty of the writing at the end. I absolutely cannot wait to recommend this to everyone I know. "To be alive is to go forth. So we go forth." Don’t let Johannes slip by you! He’s faster than light, so it might be hard. Reviewed by Katlin Kerrison, Story On the Square in McDonough, Georgia |
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Parting Thought “She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live” |
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Publisher:
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SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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The Southern Bookseller Review: Soil. River. Flight. Read More »
Observed with a poet’s eye, deeply concerned with social justice, history, community, and the natural world, Camille Dungy’s Soil recounts the process of creating a pollinator garden in her Colorado yard, circling around her history and the history of the plants, animals and politics of the West. “I dig up a lot of awful history when I kneel in my garden,” she writes. “But, my god, a lot of beauty grows out of this soil as well.”
This is a smart, beautiful, wide-ranging book that will draw you in and change how you look at the world around you.
Soil : The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden by Camille T. Dungy, (List Price: 28.99, Simon & Schuster, 9781982195304, May 2023)
Reviewed by Robin Wood, Books & Books @ The Studios in Key West, Florida
Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden by Camille T. Dungy Read More »
Frog tongues, dandelion puffs, snowflakes, All wonders of the world. This charming giftable nature guide/storybook encourages readers to slow down and enjoy all the amazing things in the natural world.
Slow Down and Be Here Now by Laura Brand, (List Price: 22.99, Magic Cat, 9781419765971, March 2023)
Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina
Slow Down and Be Here Now by Laura Brand Read More »
Out of necessity, Laura has chosen to live a simpler, yet, courageous life in a secluded, rustic cabin in the woods on the outskirts of an Italian village. Necessity turns into a reorganization of priorities, which I wholly admire, as Laura shares her thoughts with the reader on living with nature, interacting with others, and what it means to survive. Beautiful.
At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich, (List Price: 26, Two Dollar Radio, 9781953387318, June 2023)
Reviewed by Jill Naylor, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee
At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich Read More »
A deftly experimental book that seeks to portray a world sans humans, Nature Book borrows from a history of rich, descriptive prose to reconstruct the cycles of days, seasons, and migrations as they continue quiet and unobserved, separate from human society. And yet, human description and literary convention make up the entirety of this story! This beautifully avant garde novel from an organic and unfettered nonbinary perspective is an awe-inducing teleportation into a beautiful cosmos and a rapidly changing climate as captured throughout the history of literature. Great for reading piecemeal or overwhelmingly all at once.
The Nature Book by Tom Comitta, (List Price: $17.95, Coffee House Press, 9781566896634, March 2023)
Reviewed by Amanda Depperschmidt, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia
The Nature Book by Tom Comitta Read More »
Owls, for all their popularity in myths and Harry Potter movies, are elusive and difficult to observe in the wild. But the wild, the reality is what Darlington is seeking and what she brings to this thoughtful account. Her careful descriptions of eight species are deepened by reflections on how much humanity loses when we lose true awareness of the wild. A call for more care of the natural world, protection of spaces needed by our fellow creatures, and a willingness to live with uncertainty, this book offers heart and soul as well as natural history.
The Wise Hours by Miriam Darlington, (List Price: $27.95, Tin House Books, 9781953534835, February 2023)
Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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“I think that re-wilding is an extraordinary thing, desirable perhaps, to see nature reclaiming itself. Southern Florida was and would like to be a swamp, you know? And yet we’ve dredged it and drained it and built on top of that. And so much of city management in a place like Miami is trying to keep that boundary between what the landscape wants to do and what the city wants the land to do – bridge it. And so to me, the idea of softening that boundary and trying to be a little harmonious is a good thing.” ―Lily Brooks-Dalton, Interview, Texas Public Radio
What booksellers are saying about The Light Pirate
About Lily Brooks-Dalton
Lily Brooks-Dalton’s novel, Good Morning, Midnight (Random House, 2016), has been translated into 17 languages and is the inspiration for the film adaptation, The Midnight Sky. Her memoir, Motorcycles I’ve Loved (Riverhead, 2014), was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
Spotlight on: The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton Read More »
A 2022 December Read This Next! Title
What happens when nature isn’t natural? When in the end, Climate Change is unstoppable? Lily Brooks-Dalton renders a shockingly real depiction of this possibility in the harrowing and beautiful novel, The Light Pirate. Florida’s struggle with the aftermath of violent weather has always been a reality, but in this story, the rapidly changing landscape overwhelms the will and stamina of most human beings. Wanda, who was born during, and named after, a particularly vicious hurricane, frequently navigates a new, storm-carved home as the Florida coast shifts and neighborhoods are swallowed by wind, water, and human dereliction. Wanda adapts as nature does, to a strange new world–one dependent not on human infrastructure–but on that which matters most in the end: humility, kindness and bravery. This story is important. This story could happen. This story is happening. A must-read.
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton (List Price: $28, Grand Central Publishing, 9781538708279, December 2022)
Reviewed by Laura Simcox, Sunrise Books in High Point, North Carolina
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