Explore the easternmost reaches of the Russian wilderness and join in the hunt for the world's largest (and possibly rarest) owl species, the Blakiston's fish owl. These massive birds inhabit only the wildest places, feasting on salmon and trading eerie calls across the snow-covered landscape. Slaght makes you feel like you're part of the expedition, experiencing their disappointments, reveling in their triumphs, and trying to stay upright after the endless obligatory imbibing of vodka to gain the trust of the locals. – Jessica
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This slippery, twisty, brilliant book begins as an admiring portrait of David Starr Jordan, a naturalist famously undaunted by seeing his life’s work smashed on the floor in the 1906 earthquake. Miller makes a personal story out of her quest to understand persistence in the face of the vast howling entropy of the universe. But then, the plot twists! She was setting us up all along for a much bigger story, one that investigates a murder, the biggest crimes of the past couple centuries, the limits of personal philosophies, the dangers of worshiping a hero or an ideal, and of course the taxonomic invalidity of “fish.”
There’s more than one way to have your mind altered by mushrooms. The worst is to be an ant zombified by the parasitic Ophiocordyceps. The best way is to read this book by brilliant ecologist/mycologist Sheldrake, who combines rigorous science with lyrical writing to bring us to the frontiers of what we know about fungi – knowledge that is rewriting how we think about forests, plants, evolution, species, symbiosis, individuals, and our own selves. A must-read for fans of Pollan, Wohlleben, or MacFarlane. – Ruth
This is the best book I’ve ever read on the Black Plague – a tremendously interesting collision of natural history and human history. I’ve thought about it a lot this year, for perspective but also recognizing old patterns in human nature. 2020 has been some year, but let’s all be glad we’re not living through 1348. – Ruth
A collection of essays penned by mortician/author Doughty in which she answers questions children have asked her about death and burial practices. – Justice
The quirky, mutable language of the Internet is a grammarian’s nightmare and a linguist’s dream. This is the sort of fun, fascinating book that will have you reading bits aloud to anyone who’ll listen. -Ruth
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Over 500 pages of Allie Brosh’s nuttiness is just what I need right now. Known for her mental and emotional gymnastics to justify her quirky childhood behavior, this long-awaited book did not disappoint. Fully and oddly illustrated, of course. –Mary Ann
The most intellectually invigorating and historically relevant book I read this year was this splendid memoir by Pauli Murray (1910-1985). Denied admission to UNC for race and Harvard for sex, Murray was an unsung architect of American civil rights, a legal scholar, Episcopalian priest, queer icon, friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, founder of NOW, went to jail for keeping her bus seat 15 years before Rosa Parks, integrated lunch counters 17 years before Greensboro, and her brilliant arguments about the 14th Amendment laid the legal foundation for victory in Brown v. Board and the career of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. – Ruth
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This was so inspirational and fascinating. I loved reading about the political landscape and social movement that brought about educational television for kids. – Kate
As a longtime Fairbanks taxicab driver and occasional reluctant wilderness hunting guide, Rob McCue has an unusual perspective on humanity. This entertaining and frequently scintillating collection of essays will appeal to readers of Robin Cody and Seth Kantner, or maybe Kerouac if he’d wound up on the Chena and had a longer attention span. Subjects include the strange streets of Fairbanks, hunting, shelter and community, and the pleasures of a long canoe trip. My favorite quarantine read. – Ruth
An intriguing dive into the science and history behind wildfires and bark-beetle epidemics in the forests of the American West. -Ruth
An unexpectedly fascinating, practical, and mind-boggling exploration of how humans breathe, and how so many of us are surprisingly bad at it – including the history of odd and extreme breathing practices, ancient traditions and recent science, modern breathing problems, and some really bizarre facts about nostrils. An entertaining and informative book to read for health or curiosity. -Ruth
The science of the immune system is bewilderingly complex, but Pulitzer-winning reporter Richtel makes an earnest attempt through stories and analogies to make it make sense to anyone, since it is so vitally important to everyone. -Ruth