Spring is, as they say, springing, and for many of us, the urge to reconnect with nature is a strong one—whether that means hiking or biking up a trail, kayaking down a beloved river, or simply going for a forest walk with our family. To inspire you further, or to help you understand whatever you discover out there, here are nine new and upcoming books that concern nature. Some display the strange wonders of the planet through evocative photographs; others demonstrate humankind’s wide-ranging artistic engagement with the natural world. Still others tell stories that will transport you to Thoreau’s New England, Twain’s Hawaii, or the unique life of a falconer.
The Hawk's Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty
By Sy Montgomery
The author is a naturalist who has written bestsellers about pigs, hummingbirds, and octopi—her book The Soul of an Octopus was even a finalist for the National Book Award. For this slim outing, she connected with a falconer and began working with Jazz, a menacing four-year-old hawk with enormous talons and an impressive wingspan. Interacting with this creature, Montgomery learns how loyal and emotional hawks can be. Bonus: 16 pages of photos that either will (or very much will not) fuel your interest in falconry.
(Simon & Schuster, May 3)
Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau
By Ben Shattuck
A winner of the Pushcart Prize—a prestigious honor given to writers whose work appeared in a small press publication—Shattuck’s debut book details his experiences and learnings from walks inspired by Thoreau’s own, as he trod throughout Cape Cod, Allagash, and other Northeastern locations. Shattuck extols the restorative power of nature in a book that has already earned raves from writers as varied as humorist Nick Offerman and environmentalist Bill McKibben.
(Tin House, April 19)
The Nutmeg Trail: Recipes and Stories Along the Ancient Spice Routes
By Eleanor Ford
Sure, the sights and the sounds of nature are often what we think of first—the Van Gogh yellows of blooming sunflowers, the melodic morning chirp of a spring robin—but don’t sleep on nature’s power over our taste buds. At one point, a particular aromatic, spice, drove trade routes around the world. This book tells the story of those historical paths, complemented by both lavish illustrations and, most critically, recipes.
(Apollo Publishers, May 3)
Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish
By David Liittschwager
You get three guesses as to what this one is about but suffice it to say that the National Geographic photographer—once dubbed “the Richard Avedon of obscure but beautiful creatures”—captures these mysterious and beautiful sea creatures as no one else can. Come for the photos and stay for the essay by The New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert, the chief chronicler of our era of climate change.
(Rizzoli, out now)
The High Sierra: A Love Story
By Kim Stanley Robinson
Sci-fi author Robinson is best known for his Mars trilogy, but his latest is considerably more Earth-bound. He has been hiking the Sierra Nevada mountains for more than 50 years, and this book offers a meditation on what it has meant. It’s complemented by 100 photographs as well as tips for anyone thinking of following in Robinson’s footsteps. (Including, importantly, which trails not to take.)
(Little, Brown, May 10)
The Plant Hunter’s Atlas
By Ambra Edwards
The UK’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a UNESCO-protected World Heritage site, home to more than 50,000 varieties of plants, many of which are native to far-flung parts of the world. If you can’t visit in person this spring, this book encapsulates much of that collection (with 100 photographs) while also providing useful context on how each plant fits into the larger story of human history—from fueling (and leveling) economies, to powering medicinal progress.
(Mobius, May 24)
Wild Life: The Life and Work of Charley Harper
By Charley Harper Art Studio and Margaret Rhodes
This definitive monograph of the works of mid-century illustrator Charley Harper, who referred to his modernist style as “minimal realism”, celebrates the Cincinnati-born artist’s singular aesthetic. Created with Harper’s son, it’s filled with a range of charmingly characteristic images of ladybugs, woodpeckers, and a Bengal tiger created for the Cincinnati Zoo.
(Gestalten, May 31)
Mark Twain's Hawaii: A Humorous Romp through History
By Mark Twain - Contributions by John Richard Stephens
This is the first time the prolific author’s writings from an 1866 jaunt to the Aloha State are all in one place. Here, you’ll find his witty reflections on volcanoes, the Big Island, and more. The state left an impression—decades later, an attempted return trip was canceled due to a cholera outbreak—and Twain had often spoke of moving there. “What I have always longed for was the privilege of living forever away up on one of those mountains in the Sandwich Islands overlooking the sea,” he wrote a friend. As a bonus, the book also includes contemporary writings from those who met Twain along the way.
(Rowman & Littlefield, May 1)
(Nothing but) Flowers
Text by Hilton Als, Helen Molesworth, and David Rimanelli
This clothbound book takes its title from a utopian Talking Heads song and includes paintings of flowers by more than 50 contemporary artists, including Richard Pettibone and Elizabeth Peyton. The work ranges from the sparse to the maximalist and is complemented by essays from the likes of The New Yorker writer Hilton Als. Take note: There are six cover options, so you can choose which one best matches your bookshelf.
(Karma Books, out now)
The Hawk's Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty
By Sy Montgomery
The author is a naturalist who has written bestsellers about pigs, hummingbirds, and octopi—her book The Soul of an Octopus was even a finalist for the National Book Award. For this slim outing, she connected with a falconer and began working with Jazz, a menacing four-year-old hawk with enormous talons and an impressive wingspan. Interacting with this creature, Montgomery learns how loyal and emotional hawks can be. Bonus: 16 pages of photos that either will (or very much will not) fuel your interest in falconry.
(Simon & Schuster, May 3)
Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau
By Ben Shattuck
A winner of the Pushcart Prize—a prestigious honor given to writers whose work appeared in a small press publication—Shattuck’s debut book details his experiences and learnings from walks inspired by Thoreau’s own, as he trod throughout Cape Cod, Allagash, and other Northeastern locations. Shattuck extols the restorative power of nature in a book that has already earned raves from writers as varied as humorist Nick Offerman and environmentalist Bill McKibben.
(Tin House, April 19)
The Nutmeg Trail: Recipes and Stories Along the Ancient Spice Routes
By Eleanor Ford
Sure, the sights and the sounds of nature are often what we think of first—the Van Gogh yellows of blooming sunflowers, the melodic morning chirp of a spring robin—but don’t sleep on nature’s power over our taste buds. At one point, a particular aromatic, spice, drove trade routes around the world. This book tells the story of those historical paths, complemented by both lavish illustrations and, most critically, recipes.
(Apollo Publishers, May 3)
Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish
By David Liittschwager
You get three guesses as to what this one is about but suffice it to say that the National Geographic photographer—once dubbed “the Richard Avedon of obscure but beautiful creatures”—captures these mysterious and beautiful sea creatures as no one else can. Come for the photos and stay for the essay by The New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert, the chief chronicler of our era of climate change.
(Rizzoli, out now)
The High Sierra: A Love Story
By Kim Stanley Robinson
Sci-fi author Robinson is best known for his Mars trilogy, but his latest is considerably more Earth-bound. He has been hiking the Sierra Nevada mountains for more than 50 years, and this book offers a meditation on what it has meant. It’s complemented by 100 photographs as well as tips for anyone thinking of following in Robinson’s footsteps. (Including, importantly, which trails not to take.)
(Little, Brown, May 10)
The Plant Hunter’s Atlas
By Ambra Edwards
The UK’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a UNESCO-protected World Heritage site, home to more than 50,000 varieties of plants, many of which are native to far-flung parts of the world. If you can’t visit in person this spring, this book encapsulates much of that collection (with 100 photographs) while also providing useful context on how each plant fits into the larger story of human history—from fueling (and leveling) economies, to powering medicinal progress.
(Mobius, May 24)
Wild Life: The Life and Work of Charley Harper
By Charley Harper Art Studio and Margaret Rhodes
This definitive monograph of the works of mid-century illustrator Charley Harper, who referred to his modernist style as “minimal realism”, celebrates the Cincinnati-born artist’s singular aesthetic. Created with Harper’s son, it’s filled with a range of charmingly characteristic images of ladybugs, woodpeckers, and a Bengal tiger created for the Cincinnati Zoo.
(Gestalten, May 31)
Mark Twain's Hawaii: A Humorous Romp through History v
By Mark Twain - Contributions by John Richard Stephens
This is the first time the prolific author’s writings from an 1866 jaunt to the Aloha State are all in one place. Here, you’ll find his witty reflections on volcanoes, the Big Island, and more. The state left an impression—decades later, an attempted return trip was canceled due to a cholera outbreak—and Twain had often spoke of moving there. “What I have always longed for was the privilege of living forever away up on one of those mountains in the Sandwich Islands overlooking the sea,” he wrote a friend. As a bonus, the book also includes contemporary writings from those who met Twain along the way.
(Rowman & Littlefield, May 1)
(Nothing but) Flowers
Text by Hilton Als, Helen Molesworth, and David Rimanelli
This clothbound book takes its title from a utopian Talking Heads song and includes paintings of flowers by more than 50 contemporary artists, including Richard Pettibone and Elizabeth Peyton. The work ranges from the sparse to the maximalist and is complemented by essays from the likes of The New Yorker writer Hilton Als. Take note: There are six cover options, so you can choose which one best matches your bookshelf.
(Karma Books, out now)
- BOOK COVER IMAGES COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHER
