​The Story of Birds is a thorough history of bird evolution that anyone, from a curious bird enthusiast to an ornithologist, can easily read. Brusatte begins with how we study paleontology and the branch of dinosaurs that evolved into modern birds then walks through how that branch became feathered flyers and eventually one of the largest groups of animals.  The writing explores how the animals we now know as birds survived the End Cretaceous extinction event and diversified around the globe. 

The Story of Birds is written with excitement and enthusiasm for science and for connecting the dots from the fossil record to modern day birds.  Brusatte shows how the fossil record helps us understand how modern birds evolved from one branch of dinosaurs.  I enjoyed reading about the evolution of feathers, becoming endothermic, the pathways to flight, the size changes in birds over time and the adaptations to a variety of different environments and their specialized brain function. Most of all, I appreciated seeing the collaborative process among scientists and how the scientific community works together to answer questions. ​

Author ​Susan Cormier reflects on her time caring for the animals and nature on her homestead.  Through short stories, observations and anecdotes, she lyrically reflects upon her experiences and how they have affected her.  Split up seasonally, we experience the rhythms of nature as chaos and beauty balance for stability.  Cormier's stories of caring for her bees, quail and family pets are heartfelt and honest.  She reflects on her relationships within and with nature, exploring the powers they hold by focusing on life, death, natural cycles, and our obligations to domestic animals.  

Becoming Kin is a powerful and thoughtful book exploring the relationship between Indigenous Peoples, the land and the settlers who now inhabit it.  Author Patty Krawek invites the reader to understand the relationship between Indigenous People and the land they live on and have historically inhabited, and how colonizers changed that relationship.  Krawek also reviews the harm that colonizers have caused and its lasting effects on Indigenous communities. Most importantly, actions are shared to begin rebuilding relationships with Indigenous communities and the land. Becoming Kin can be a difficult book to read if you are relearning history and the resulting harms.  I can always learn more from Indigenous perspectives and I was particularly moved by the discussion about Indigenous people becoming background noise and how to begin to rectify that.    I also appreciated learning about kinship and taking responsibility to begin a relationship of reciprocity. 

Gathered is part memoir and part foraging guide written by influencer Gabrielle Cerberville.  Organized by season, Gabrielle shares her memories of her early foraging years, before she even knew what it was and her journey into learning.  While this book offers valuable foraging tips and amazing recipes, it is not a full foraging guide.  Gathered does share appreciation for nature and the sacredness of foraging. Cerberville shares her love for nature and practices on how to spend time outside and observe the world around you. I really enjoyed the gathering exercises at the end of each chapter, which further deepened my respect for nature.  I can't wait to try some of of the recipes this spring!

​The Everyday Naturalist is a great introduction or refresher on how to start identifying nature around you.  I enjoy how the author begins with the joy of simply being out in nature, noting that identification enhances enjoyment and contributes to science as a whole.  The author also acknowledges that nature identification can be difficult and offers practical advice to overcome those hurdles.  Each section details tips on how to classify the animals, plants, or fungi you encounter so you can make positive identifications.  I appreciated the guidance on describing different living things, which can improve how field guides and other resources are used.  The information on using field guides, websites and other identification resources was also helpful.  

Author Amy Tan took up birdwatching in her backyard in 2016 in order to find peace.  As Amy watches and expands her bird feeding efforts, she learns about the birds both as species and as individuals. Continued observations allow her to learn more about their habits, find and draw birds she's never seen before, discover new things about her visitors and imagine their lives.  Through journal entries accompanied by field drawings, Amy shares her journey of discovery and connection with the natural world.  I enjoyed reading about Amy's insights into the avian world as she discovered their complex lives and behaviors.  As an avid birder, I found her detailed observations and her fears over injured birds particularly relatable.  The stories of what her birds might be thinking or doing while visiting Amy's yard were particularly interesting. 

Octopus have long been a misunderstood and mysterious animal.  With more resources and unique technology, octopuses (yes, this is the correct plural!) have been more widely observed and studied for a deeper understanding and connection into their world.  Octopus lover, Sy Montgomery focuses on octopus abilities, intelligence and community to help us to better know these fascinating animals. I enjoyed reading about the personal connections with octopuses and their unique personalities, often choosing to interact with people on their own.  Octopuses' ability to camouflage has contributed to their ability to survive and adapt, as well as being a contributing factor to why they are so misunderstood!  I was happy to learn more about the chromatophores of an octopus that can help them blend into their environment rapidly, impersonate other animals, or turn into what appears to be tumbling algae.  The studies and observations about octopus intelligence were amazing to read about.  I had no idea that octopuses essentially had a brain in each tentacle!  I can only imagine what else we have to learn about these amazing creatures. 

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​Who Deserves Your Love is an easy to read guide and toolkit for beginning to understand and manage relationships. This book can be valuable to anyone, but is especially wonderful for anyone struggling with a parent and child relationship, romantic relationship or friendship. Split into three sections: How to Work on Your Relationships, How to Make Decisions About Relationships and How to Use Boundaries to Have Better Relationships, author KC Davis gives meaningful advice on how to approach, understand and solve relationship issues.  I really appreciated that right from the introduction, the author tells you what sections to read if you are in crisis or need information now. The writing throughout is also direct, down to earth and extremely easy to read, making what could be a very heavy topic easy to digest and even fun!  I also got a lot of use out of the tools that are provided, the questions to ask yourself and the decision tree can be used everyday to help navigate any kind of relationship. 

I personally gained a lot of valuable information from reading Who Deserves Your Love. Right from the introduction, I gained insight into myself and why I react the way I do in relationships due to psychological safety needs. I appreciated the breakdown of the three types of relationship harm: screwups, mistreatment and abuse and the statement that "...your reactions can be traced back to some old wound when you were most vulnerable...Your past relationship wounds can cause you to accept unreasonable behavior from others.  These same wounds can cause you to hurt the people closest to you." Another large part of the book is understanding the Vulnerability Cycle, why you might feel like you keep having the same argument over and over and how to address your own behavior to help stop it. The Decision Tree was another great tool to help with the unique and personal decision of whether or not to stay in a relationship and at what level of engagement. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.