Recs if you like World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments...

A collection of non-fiction books that touch upon the stories of the natural world, and all the people who live among it. (Or, as an astronomer once said: "I love stories, and the story of our universe is the grandest one we have") Always open to suggestions!

Nature is Fluid & Interconnected: A perspective blending Queer Theory (challenging norms around gender/sexuality) with Ecology (the study of relationships in nature). Queer ecology questions assumptions that human norms (like heterosexuality or fixed binaries) are the only "natural" way. It invites us to see nature, ourselves, and our relationships with more nuance and complexity.

Book that have an element you’ll miss out on if you read as an audiobook, whether it’s fun formatting or illustrations

essay collections that reflect on delight, joy, and wonderment. and that inspire readers to do the same!

Books that are part memoir part another genre: in a way that blends multiple mediums and/or themes in unique and engaging ways. Magical, explosive and memorable narratives expressed with creativity and depth. Books that inspire me to write more.

Celebrating cozy books by bipoc authors. With respect to the subjectivity of 'cozy' and how a lot of bipoc stories will touch on difficult themes as part of our realities, I'm including here books that I've read and have been recommended.

These are books for us to exhale and rest with, with lower stakes where the cozy atmosphere is thoughtfully at the forefront rather than as short scenes or as an afterthought. I'll add a suggestions criteria post in the comments for more recs 🙌🏽

Nonfiction books exploring the natural world and our “place in the family of things” (Mary Oliver, Wild Geese). 🐦‍⬛🦋🌱🪸🦊🪷🪼🍄

Nonfiction books exploring water and the life it sustains. Oceans, lakes, fish, and more.

Beautiful books for when your monthly reading roundup needs a little facelift 😉

reciprocity, understanding, earth wisdom

don’t you love it when poets write novels, nonfiction, memoir! the language they bring!!

Books by Filipino authors that I love/are on my tbr suggestions are welcome! :)

These books have all been quoted in Margaret Renkl's The Comfort of Crows. Although some poems quoted in The Comfort of Crows are not included in this list.

Memoir & adjacent nonfiction making sense of personal experience — bodies, minds, whole selves — through the lens of the natural world. Subject matter includes illness, identity, relationships, emotion, and more.

17th-century plate found in a London sewer

nonfiction books about living that make you feel ALIVE and glad of it

Books that were/are Barnes & Noble Monthly Picks, Books of the year, Hot Coffee Hot Books, or Book Club picks.

Shorter books (around 200 pages) to get out of a reading slump or to help pad your stats. Comment if you want recommendations, I’ve read a lot of these.

A balance of breezy page-turners with immersive classics and thought-provoking non-fiction.