A Song for the Earth by Shannon Jade.

I've never been a poetry reader, but when the author reached out to me about this book I was very intrigued. Poetry often eludes me as I am not a particularly emotional reader, and I find that stops me from connecting to it. This sounded different though, a novel in verse with climate change at its heart. I'm really glad that I did read this though, because it was really lovely and it turns out I need the right subject matter to enjoy any sort of poetry.

In this book we follow January as she sets out on a journey from her home city to understand why and how the climate is changing. We visit various environs from the rainforest to the Arctic tundra, and I loved the way they were described. They truly feel alive as the author describes them with all the senses and the cadence of each somehow manages to match how they feel.

Alongside January, we are welcomed into these places by the people who live there. We see how their lives are changing along with the environment. January shares her frustrations and anger, but we are also invited to share in her hope and revel in connection to these wild places.

This book doesn't preach or lord itself over you. Instead it asks you to listen and to contemplate the world, our place in it, and the things that are happening to it. It is gentle, yet urgent, and I left it feeling inspired.

One thing I particularly appreciated was the references. We are presented with facts through the story, and it was really nice to know that they are backed up! There is also a really great list of things us readers can do to start our own journeys of climate support.

" Like nothing is so insurmountable that it cannot be fixed by time and care and a willingness for people to change. Before the climate does. "

Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy to read. I highly recommend it to anyone with any amount of love for the natural world, or those who enjoy quiet and thoughtful stories.

#ASongForTheEarth #ShannonJade #EcoPoetry #ClimateWriting

How far would you go to secure a future where climate change might be rectified? Kayla is only 14, yet she is willing to go to the greatest length - murder. Her home is gone, destroyed by a catastrophic wildfire made worse by climate change. The targets? Billionaires with no regard for the damage they are wreaking on the world.

As soon as I saw the title for this book, I knew I wanted to read it. As you know by now, climate fiction is something I like to read, and this one promised to be quite different to the rest. It did not disappoint!

Dripping with irreverent humour, it's an almost satirical take on a climate revenge novel. You don't need to look too deeply, however, to see the real and very serious message. Climate change is destroying the planet, and it is fuelled by the richest of us. It is very much set in the present world, and it was quite easy to imagine the events actually happening today.

Kayla was an interesting character to follow, witty and very intelligent. She seemed wise beyond her years at times, but there was always a reminder that she was just a child filled with anger. There are a couple of other POVs (though Kayla's dominates), and I especially liked reading the contrasting view of Nancy, who grew up among the billionaires.

This book is absolutely not subtle about what it's trying to say, and I commend the author for writing it! Sometimes you need a book that is blunt, and willing to provoke. I'm very curious to see what more people think about it. I found it both cathartic, bleak and humorous all at the same time.

Thank you to @vintagebooks for sending me a copy!

Fun fact: Ferns are one of the oldest plant groups on Earth, pre-dating land animals!

In The Elegance of Ferns, Solvejg Nitzke tells their story. We explore culture, art, science and history through beautifully illustrated pages.

Ferns are one of my absolute favourite plants (I have over 500 photos in my phone of ferns, and I stuck my favourite into this post!). They are so incredibly fascinating on all levels, and I was thrilled to have this book in my hands! This book tells the story of ferns in a very readable and easily digestible way. You don't need to be a botanist or be able to identify individual species yourself (trust me, that is difficult even for someone who studies plants!).

The historical information throughout the book was one of my favourite parts. The Victorian Fern Craze (aka Pteridomania) was something I already knew about, but I still learned some really fun titbits, like the fact that fern hunting was an excuse for courting couples to spend time together without a chaperone!

I also loved learning more about the cultural significance of ferns worldwide, particularly in New Zealand, where ferns are deeply significant symbols. For example, the endemic Ponga tree fern is widely used as a symbol of the country, even adorning the All Blacks rugby jerseys.

The illustrations and artwork throughout the book make the whole volume a real treat to read. I especially enjoyed the 'Portraits' section at the back that highlights a handful of the more common species you will probably be able to see in the wilds where you live.

Thank you so much to @greystonebooks for sending this beautiful book my way!