Melissa L Sevigny
[isbn]
I really loved this story. Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter were passionate botanists, and in 1938 they took a harrowing, exhilarating, life-changing journey through the Grand Canyon to map and collect the flora they found there. At the time, it may have felt like their journey was for nothing... companions didn't take them seriously, books of pressed plants were lost, journalists dismissed their work. But their work was recovered and documented,... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Ben Goldfarb
[isbn]
I suspect I really loved this book because it felt like something I'd read during my time as a college student studying geography. It is a really great story about the history of roads, and roadkill, and how humans often work backward to fix the mess they have made of the environment. From bears to butterflies, people are making crossings to reconnect animals to the territories they once roamed freely. There is even a chapter on folks in Portland... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Lauren Boehme
[isbn]
I’ve made many a tasty meal from Lauren Boehme’s Rabbit & Wolves blog, and this cookbook is packed with her mouthwatering, soul-satisfying comfort food. The first week after I got the book I made: Spicy Lemon Butter Tofu with Polenta (p53) — so decadent! Spinach Artichoke Baked Pasta (p65) — melt in your mouth creamy! And the Loaded Baked Potato Soup (p69) — OMFG! I can’t wait to try the belly-filling breakfast and indulgent desserts.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Rosanna Xia
[isbn]
I was worried this book would be a real downer, but I found myself incredibly inspired and hopeful (and trying to figure out a way to move my family back to the north coast of California (I haven't had a book make me so homesick in quite a long time!)). Rosanna Xia is an environmental journalist, and her writing is engaging and thoughtful. The stories of each community she highlights gives you hope that climate adaptation is possible, and that... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Ta-Nehisi Coates
[isbn]
Gosh, this book was lovely. His lyrical style works wonderfully in this book, which transforms the underground railroad with magical realism. Highly recommended!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Liza Mundy
[isbn]
I could not put this book down, and I was so sad when it was over! These gals were amazing. Mundy's storytelling is so engaging, I was absorbed not just in their fascinating crypt-analytic work, but their remarkable friendships as well.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Christian Cooper
[isbn]
This book is a delight! Christian Cooper came into the national spotlight in 2020 for having the audacity to 'bird while black' in Central Park. A queer, pagan, Black nerd, Cooper's memoir chronicles birdwatching throughout his life. He has a unique and amusing voice that comes through his writing, even as he speaks of coming out, his sometimes difficult family history, and the time a white woman called the police on him when he reminded her that... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Jeff Goodell
[isbn]
Jeff Goodell is an incredibly engaging writer, and I loved his book The Water Will Come. I was hooked by the stats listed at the beginning of this book, and read it every chance I got. The summer heat in Portland is not what it was thirty years ago when I moved here, and Goodell begins the book talking about the heat dome Portland recently had the pleasure of cooking under. This book lays out how the heat of the planet is changing... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Moniquill Blackgoose
[isbn]
To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a book I want to shove into everyone's hands. Anequs is a fantastic lead, and the supporting characters are wonderfully diverse. It is a fun and smart alt-history that leans into a very cool science system that relates to dragons and the riders that study at the academy Anequs is forced to attend. But Anequs is an indigenous native of these colonized lands, and she begins to learn that there are much older... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Mackenzi Lee
[isbn]
I am a huge fan of Bucky Barnes, and I absolutely love that Mackenzi Lee drew from his comic origins as a teen sidekick. The book flashes back and forth between young Bucky just coming into his role as a covert operative, and his later life as the Winter Soldier. It's a nailbiter of an adventure with a side of heart... and heartbreak.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Simon Garfield
[isbn]
Simon Garfield is the perfect writer to tackle something as seemingly tedious as encyclopedias. This book packs the entire history of the concept of the encyclopedia into a compellingly readable package. Whether you remember door-to-door salesmen hawking sets of Encyclopedia Brittanica, or you lost yourself in the school library tomes, or you simply use Wikipedia to figure out why that actor seems so darn familiar, you'll enjoy the depth of... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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John Darnielle
[isbn]
The title refers to "Backmasking": the idea that playing a record backwards reveals satanic messages. This mind-bending book unfolds backwards. Darnielle's words are honest and poignant and expressive. I love this book. Made my family read it!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Natalie Haynes
[isbn]
A fantastic book that tells the tale of the war on Troy from the perspective of the women. With a witty narrator and unflinching stories from slaves to goddesses, this book was so compelling that I didn't want to put it down.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Alastair Gee, Dani Anguiano
[isbn]
My elderly mother was evacuated from the Camp fire by a kind neighbor and came to stay with me for three months. The fire missed her house by 1500 ft. When I took her home, seeing the devastation firsthand was overwhelming.
Gee's well-written book is intense and personal! A staggering read.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Jeff Goodell
[isbn]
Extremely readable, well-reported, and like most climate books, fairly upsetting. ¯\_(?)_/¯ Still, it is an excellent resource on the current and future impact of climate change on the world's vulnerable coastlines.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Robert MacFarlane
[isbn]
I didn't just read this book, I savored it. I found quiet moments to absorb it, ponder it, plan wishful vacations around it, one wonderful chapter at a time.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Daniel Immerwahr
[isbn]
This book is so good I've read it twice! I learned so much, even the most mundane topics (standards and practices anyone?) were somehow incredibly compelling. Immerwahr is an excellent writer. This will fill in a lot of the gaps left out of school!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Matt Fraction, David Aja, Javier Pulido
[isbn]
I love comics, I love Marvel, and I love my Archers. Sublime storytelling, perfect art, and thoughtful colors set the stage for one of the best comics out there. It got my creative gears spinning and started me on my own journey as a comic colorist — for that I am thankful.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Julian Aguon
[isbn]
If I could, I would shelve this book in every applicable section, so as to get the maximum number of eyes on it! It is certainly welcome in the climate change section, as its overarching theme is the threat of rising seas to Guam and other Pacific Island nations. I'd also welcome it in US History, where you can learn about our government's treatment of Guam, its people, its resources. Literature Reference? Yep, the book is full of loving... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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James Spooner
[isbn]
I have a soft spot for graphic novel memoirs. The High Desert is a really great coming-of-age memoir, dealing with love, racism, lonely desert towns, punk rock, awkwardness, and finding your place. Spooner is open and honest, and an excellent illustrator. You'll laugh, you'll seethe, you'll cringe, and most likely, you'll see something of your own time in high school reflected on the pages. A really great read!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Eric Dean Wilson
[isbn]
After Cooling is an engrossing and entertaining read on a seemingly mundane topic! The history of cooling is really quite fascinating and Wilson's style is super readable. A truly enjoyable book that taught me a lot and challenged my concepts of comfort.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Emma Marris
[isbn]
This book stayed swirling in my thoughts for weeks after I finished it. Fascinating, thought-provoking, and doesn't pull any punches talking about humans, animals, and the nature of our co-existence. I can't recommend it enough.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Kim Stanley Robinson
[isbn]
I knew I had to read this the second I saw the title. I too, love California's High Sierra, though I have spent far less time in the Range of Light compared to Robinson. Part memoir, part history lesson, part geological survey, this is a book for those that fall in love with a magnificent sky-kissing landscape that they cannot shake from their soul. The pictures and maps — so often lacking in books that deserve them — are superb. If you or... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Neal Stephenson
[isbn]
Neal Stephenson’s books seem to either have devoted fans or vocal detractors, and Seveneves is perhaps the most polarizing book I’ve ever read! I have always enjoyed books that break the conventions of storytelling, and while I was initially shocked at where Stephenson takes Seveneves two-thirds of the way through the novel, I quickly found myself happily along for the ride. Seveneves explores what humanity will do when... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Jonathan Meiburg
[isbn]
This book is a delight, and I've added a visit to the Falklands to meet the hilarious, obnoxious, Johnny Rooks to my bucket list. Meiburg is an entertaining writer, and his descriptions of his travels throughout South America to find the amazing caracaras were wonderfully vivid. One of my top five books from 2021!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Douglas Wolk
[isbn]
If you have any fondness for any run of Marvel comics — from Golden Age to the introduction of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur — you will enjoy this remarkable book. Wolk navigates the complex narratives of the Marvel Universe with deftness, while skillfully recounting the biography of Marvel's heroes and villains. I was afraid this book would be dry and overwhelming in scope. Wolk is clearly a fan, but isn't fawning. Thorough, thoughtful, and best... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Dan Saladino
[isbn]
I could not put this book down! An insightful look at how global homogenization has not only shaped what and how we eat, but has ruthlessly reduced the variety as well. Saladino walks us through the rich and varied food choices of the past that were important cultural markers of the societies that nurtured them. He then describes their loss, be it due to habitat cleared for monoculture crops, war, climate change, or simply time. Saladino rounds... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson
[isbn]
I read a lot of books about climate change. They can be depressing, infuriating, and induce apathy over action. All We Can Save is truly the most inspirational book I've read on our climate emergency. The book is full of essays, poetry, and art by a wonderful variety of women who share their passion, creativity, ideas, and hope as they fight for the future. What fantastic collection.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Adam Savage
[isbn]
I enjoyed this book immensely. If you do anything moderately creative, from amateur hobbyist to laser-focused builder, you'll find yourself in this book. Have dreams of doing something crafty but lack the confidence to start? This book is for you too. I love that Savage explains his processes, how they've adapted over time and experience, but doesn't say "this is the right way." In fact, I think the key point he makes is that everyone is... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Benjamin Flouw
[isbn]
This book is so lovely, and makes me long for warm summer days in the mountains. The Golden Glow is a beautiful, whimsical way to introduce a child to the adage "take only memories, leave only footprints."
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Nicole Chung
[isbn]
As a mom of a transracial adoptee, this book jumped out at me. You don't have to have a personal connection to Nicole's experiences to find common ground. Her openness and honesty light the way to universal themes of self-doubt, otherness, family, and belonging. A moving read!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Kate Harris
[isbn]
What a way to look at the world! Lands of Lost Borders spoke to me so deeply I was near tears as I finished it. We follow Kate Harris on her journeys, and discover not just what it means to explore, but what it means to live beyond borders, to live as a human on this small planet. Thought-provoking and funny, introspective and full of adventure. A really fantastic read!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Jerry Craft
[isbn]
You do not want to miss out on this book! New Kid is a delight — really smart and so, so funny. Being the new kid at school is always rough. Jordan has been sent to an elite private academy, when really he'd rather go to art school. The story is peppered with Jordan's own drawings of his trials and tribulations. He is a great, relatable main character! In New Kid, Craft navigates middle school angst while cleverly and... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Jose Andres
[isbn]
As I read this book, a line from the cartoon movie Robots kept coming to mind: "See a need, fill a need." Chef Andrés flew to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria to help feed residents for a few days. He ended up staying for weeks and eventually coordinated over two million meals across the island. We Fed an Island is an uplifting tale of community action. Andrés wears his heart on his sleeve, and his tenacity and compassion in... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Andrew Sean Greer
[isbn]
I really can't sum it up better than Ann Patchett: "I recommend it with my whole heart." Arthur Less is the most endearing character I've read in ages. Less somehow manages to be poignant, sweet, smart, and sharp, while also causing me to snort-laugh multiple times. The novel feels lighthearted and fun on the surface, but I found myself thinking about the themes and deeper meanings for a long time after I was finished.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Elizabeth Letts
[isbn]
Full disclosure: I was "that horse girl" as a kid. Did you have that beautiful, brown Arabian Breyer horse figure, like I did? That toy was modeled after Witez, the "Prince of Poland." Learn his tale and that of other priceless horses stolen by the Nazis. Letts shows that the spirit and camaraderie of those who love horses transcends borders and politics. A gripping and heart-wrenching tale!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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