"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Monday, May 10, 2021

TTT: Books about trees and nature


Top Ten Tuesday:
Books with trees or nature on the cover. I extended the prompt to include books about these topics (not exclusively covers.)


Books I've read about trees and nature that I recommend

1. The Overstory by Richard Powers
Seven inter-connected stories all related somehow to trees. In fact, the trees are the real protagonists of the book. This is one of the best books I've ever read. (Fiction, 2018) 

2. Lab Girl: a Memoir by Hope Jahren
This memoir written by a biologist opened my eyes to some many wonders about trees and how they communicate with one another. (Nonfiction, 2016)
 
3. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
The story centers around the great American Chestnut tree that was nearly wiped out by blight. (Fiction, 2000) 

4. The Big Burn by Timothy Egan
Not a book about trees specifically but about forests and a huge forest fire that led to the formation of 
the Forest Service and National Parks. (Nonfiction, 2009)

5. Serena by Ron Rash
Shows the greed of timber barons as they cut down huge swaths of North American forests in the 1930s leading to devastating results. I guarantee this book will make you furious. (Fiction, 2008)

6. Remarkable Trees of the World by Thomas Pakenham
I love the beautiful photographs in this book about some of the most amazing trees around the world. Now I want to mark a trip and visit all of them. (Nonfiction, 2002)


Books about trees and nature that I want to read

1. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohllenben
"A fascinating and intimate account of how trees grow, socialize, interact with their environment, and even feel. Beautifully written and drawing on groundbreaking scientific discoveries, this book reads like a wondrous fairy tale of the forest that will take your breath away." (Nonfiction, 2015)
 
2. Kiss the Ground by Josh Tickell
"Discover just how incredible the soil beneath our feet really is, and how it has the potential to reverse climate change, feed the world, and improve your health. Beyond focusing on soil, this is a thoroughly researched exploration of the history, politics, and ecology of agriculture." (Nonfiction, 2017)
 
3. The Man Who Planted Trees by Jim Robbins
"This is the story of a man who set out on a mission to reforest the world by cloning the oldest, largest, and most resilient trees - champion trees - to create a Noah's Ark of tree genetics. It's also the story of a New York Times journalist who had his doubts. Through narrative and research, we uncover incredible human accomplishments and the essential role of trees in our survival." (Nonfiction, 2012)
 
4. The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
"Why does a walk in the woods do us so much good? This book explores the amazing benefits that connecting with nature has on our health and happiness, investigating cutting edge research from around the world." (Nonfiction, 2017)
 

-Anne

18 comments:

  1. "Serena" was a long time ago and I remember having mixed feelings about the story itself. The history behind it was horrifying and disturbing though. We learned so much from "The Big Burn."

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    1. Serena made me furious. It is definitely a cautionary tale.

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  2. I love books with trees and nature in general on covers, so this was a fun prompt. :)

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  3. Wow, what an interesting take on the topic!

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  4. I'm so curious about Prodigal Summer. It's a real shame about what's happened to those chestnut trees.

    My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-with-mountains-on-the-cover/

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    1. Yes. It seems that our forefathers may have been too eager to cut them all down, however. I understand that there is a new chestnut in development that resists blight and now the forest service is attempting to figure out how to reintroduce it to the landscape.

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  5. In my old age I have completely fallen in love with nature, and I constantly want to read about it. I was swept up into Hidden Life of Trees and Nature Fix and Overstory and Lab Girl, and I'd love to read more like those.

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  6. I love the cover for Lab Girl.

    Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.

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  7. I saw the movie version of Serena and wasn't a big fan so I can't imagine I would enjoy the book.
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2021/05/11/top-ten-tuesday-315/

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  8. I don't think I've ever read a book about nature. Maybe I need to change that.

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  9. Great list. Thanks for reminding me that I need to read The Overstory by Richard Powers.

    Here's my TTT list this week.

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  10. I have and love Prodigal Summer!

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  11. great list. hope you enjoy the ones you haven't read yet.

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  12. Fun list! Thanks for stopping by my TTT earlier!

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  13. I've been eyeing my library's copy of The Overstory. I'm going to have to check it out!

    Lauren @ My TTT

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  14. I really liked Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer when I read it ages ago and I still sometimes think about it.

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