Your Curated Reading List for June
Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton
So first up, Raising Hare is about a woman who retreats to the English countryside during the pandemic and how her impulsive decision to rescue an orphaned newborn hare and all the ways this disrupted and changed her life and ways of seeing the wild landscape. It was fascinating to read about her commitment to maintaining its wildness while also opening her home to it and developing connections with it.
This is where I get to play and make recommendations based on my mood and what’s on my radar right now! Perhaps it is a book I think everyone needs to read right now. Maybe it’s an upcoming release I just read about. It could be a deep dive into a relevant topic. It will probably include a book I’ve been obsessed with that I want everyone to know about. Consider this your curated book recommendations for the month.
One of my favorite reads of the year so far has been Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton. At first, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, but then I realized that actually it fits into a niche genre that almost always works for me. This very specific niche is when someone does a deep dive into learning about and/or interacting with one specific type of animal and weaves in their personal memoir and experience alongside sharing what they’ve learned. It seems to be the perfect balance of personal narrative and providing me the opportunity to learn. And I love reading about animals and nature. I know I’m not alone in Raising Hare. The group I read it with loved it, and I’ve had several people suggest it to me!
Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship by Catherine Raven
The first one I could think of reading that falls into this category is one that I regularly recommend to others. That is Fox & I: An Uncommon Friendship by Catherine Raven. Raven is a biologist and this memoir is her account of the unique, four-year friendship formed with a wild fox at her remote cabin in Montana. Her daily observations and interactions with this fox, including reading him The Little Prince, transformed this scientist’s perspectives on animal-human relationships.
Koala: the Extraordinary Life of an Enigmatic Animal by Danielle Clode
Koala: The Extraordinary Life of an Enigmatic Animal by Danielle Clode takes a different approach in that the author travels around Australia to different habitats and zoos to better understand the evolutionary biology and physiology that makes them the unique species that they are. Again, she inserts her voice and experience into the mix of research to give it the more personalized choice I seem to be drawn to.
Grizzly Confidential by Kevin Grange
Kevin Grange takes a similar approach to Grizzly Confidential with his deep dive that entails extensive travel and collecting stories alongside seeking out experiences to understand these intimidating animals. I learned so much. So much, in fact, that I am not sure you will be able to talk me into camping in grizzly country ever again. But, I do know a lot more about what to do if I was faced with a grizzly. Once again, it has the perfect combination of storytelling and information to keep me turning the pages.
Pyro: The Quest for a Beautifully Elusive Snake by Dallin Kohler
The last one that comes to mind is another that pushed me out of my comfort zone with its focus. Snakes. Well, a particular snake. But when one of my favorite small publishing presses asked me to read and review an early copy, I did not want to say no. And I’m so glad I didn’t. This one has more of an adventure and quest aspect, and I completely connected with it being set in Arizona and Utah. Herpetologist Dallin Kohler did an amazing job of eliminating some of my discomfort and increasing my curiosity through his tales of hunting for an elusive snake nicknamed Pyro.
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