Review 320: The Treeline

The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben Rawlence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An investigative journalist, used to working in war zones or refugee camps, went out to investigate the furthest reaches of forest in the far north places, in six locations: Scotland, Canada, Norway, Alaska, Russia, and Greenland. Each place has one tree that dominates, such as the downy birch in Norway and the dahurian larch in Russia; spruce, Scots pine, poplar and ash are the other trees. The research is extensive, and so is his experience with visiting these places. The book is partly travelogue with the people Ben Rawlence meets and how he gets out to these far reaches in the forest.

While the focus is on the trees and the changing landscape, where climate change is more noticeable and effecting the local environment, he also talks about the people, descendants of native populations that have lived in these areas for a very long time. In Norway there is the Sámi people who lived in the far northern reaches for thousands of years, herding reindeer and hunting other animals. In Russia the native peoples, the Nganasan, were isolated from the world living in the far reaches of Siberia until very recently, in the 1930s when they became known to the Soviets.

Rawlence describes how they lived with the land and how the trees that grew there shaped their lives, and how they in turn helped shape the landscape. That humans and nature are intertwined, along with the other plants and animals in the area. And these far northern species of trees can help to restore where the climate is changing.

The book was intricate, with dense rich sentences. The language used was compelling and the topic even more so. While the focus is much on what is being lost, there is also a great amount of hope within the book.

The print book includes line drawings of the trees being discussed in each chapter. There is also a Glossary of Trees contained in the back of the book, with more line drawings and information included. This is a book to return to, read again, as there is so much and done beautifully.

Review 319: The Perfect Golden Circle

The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's the summer of 1989 and two friends, Calvert and Redbone, create crop circles in the night, about one a month in rural England. Each chapter is about the crop circle they create, while interspersing something about the two men so we get to know who they are, both broken in different ways. The crop circles get more intricate with each iteration, leading up to the ultimate one, the Honeycomb Double Helix. At the end of each chapter a short news report provides a glimpse into how their crop circles are being viewed by the public.

Some farmers are not happy about their crops being disturbed, while others have taken the opportunity to showcase the circle and charge visitors to make a little extra money. No one knows who, or what, is creating these intricate designs, and the two boys have a code so they won’t be caught. Of course, UFOs and aliens, or supernatural beings, are talked about the most as how these are appearing so suddenly.

The book is mainly in exposition form, with very little dialogue. The focus is nearly entirely on the crop circles and the designs themselves. We do get a little on how each one of them live, but not an extensive look into their lives.

I really enjoyed the book but felt let down by the intrusion of climate change into the book. The further along in the story the more it took center place, and it felt forced for a book taking place over thirty years ago. This diminished the story for me. Also, I wished for a little more on their lives, what led these two to start doing this. We only know this summer wasn’t their first, and maybe not their last.

Thanks to Melville House Publishing and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 318: Alien Nation: 36 True Tales of Immigration

Alien Nation: 36 True Tales of Immigration by Sofija Stefanovic
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book seems perfect for audio, a compilation of personal short stories, tales of their lives that showcases being an immigrant. Some are humorous, some serious, many filled with poignant moments. I found they are just a little too short, these glimpses into their individual lives. Unfortunately, I did not have an audio copy, I read the print instead.

It’s easy to set the book down, I felt like I read enough about half-way through but would return now and then to read one or two more of the essays. I’m glad I did, because some of my favorite selections were near the end of the book. The illustrator for the cover is one of them, and he is the last entry.

There is an advantage to print, you can skip around easily. The book is grouped together in sections, seemingly tied together with a similar theme.

With my strong desire to hear the voices, not just what was in my head, I searched the internet and found a video with some of the included authors at a New York Public Library Live event reading part of their essays, which is found here: https://youtu.be/LmNjumtemEA

Sadly, these are even shorter versions, snippets of the short essays, but happily, they are the authors speaking. There are around twelve people showcased in the video compared to the 36 authors included in the book.

There is an audiobook version, that has two narrators, so it isn’t the writers themselves reading their works.

Review 317: Where No One Should Live: A Novel

Where No One Should Live: A Novel by Sandra Cavallo Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While there is a bit of a medical mystery at the heart of the book, what has more focus in the romantic interest of the main character, the doctor Maya. We see the lives of several doctors, but the main two are Maya and Alex. Maya works in the Arizona Public Health Department while seeing patients at the clinic on Thursdays. Alex works at the clinic, which also has a number of resident interns, and it seems that something odd is going on at the clinic.

This is not a fast-paced book, it is more of a day-to-day reveal, with the doctors going about their routine. Maya lives on her family ranch, with an elderly horse, visiting her folks on Sundays a few hours away.

The heat of the place is almost a character of itself, mentioned frequently. Along with other safety concerns that doctors, particularly those in public health try to protect the citizens. Some of Maya’s keen interests in trying to get a helmet law passed.

The book grew on me, although the writing style was one I had to get used to. This is not a particularly long novel, but it almost asks you to sit with it for a while, to embrace the slower pace.

Thanks to University of Nevada Press and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 316: A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching

A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird by Rosemary Mosco
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adored this little book! It is a half-sized book, yet full of all the information one needs to start to understand pigeons, which are also doves (same bird, two names). The author is extremely enthusiastic about this bird and trying to dispel many of the common misunderstandings about them.

The book is written in a light way, using puns and such that I felt happy while reading this book. It was such a joy!

We get a small amount of history, biology, info on different breeds, and much more. The book is exactly as it says, a guide to pigeon watching, and the best part -- it's full of these adorable drawings. So cute!

I wish there was a series of these type of books on various birds written in the same way. I’d want to read them all.

How about a fun little promo about the book. It's super short. 🙂