From the solo meditation of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden to the call to action at the center of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, nature has long been an inspiration for writers.
These titles represent a range of natural writing. There’s personal memoir and scientific explorations, appreciations of nature’s beauty, and reflections on how nature shapes our own personal journeys.
You can sign up for a free library card here.
If you are new to our eResources, check out these tutorial videos on how to get started.
If you’re looking for more book suggestions, we’re happy to recommend them to you! Use this Book Recommendation form to send us some information about what you like to read and we’ll curate a list just for you.
If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through Facebook, Instagram or X. You can also call us at 412-622-3114 or email us at info@carnegielibrary.org
In this essay collection, an array of writers tackle nature writing from a uniquely Black perspective. As they examine the historical implications of how Black people have engaged with their surroundings, a deeper understanding of the wider effects of convening with nature emerge. You can also check out this title as eBook on Hoopla.
Peter Wohlleben has written multiple books with trees at their center and, with The Heartbeat of Trees, shows that there is still so much more to say. From readers interested in the science of trees to those who just appreciate their majesty, this book is a true love letter to one of our nature’s greatest assets. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby or as eBook or eAudio on Hoopla.
In writing about landscapes that touch every part of the world, Barry Lopez’s Horizon examines the varied beauty our world has to offer, while also showcasing how humanity’s zest for exploring what all the world. Both armchair travelers and those with well-stamped passports should certainly seek out Horizon. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby.
A Danish writer spends a year traveling the North Sea Coast, musing on how the landscape has changed over the years while also highlighting how these same places have helped to change her. This is perfect for those who like to really sit back and consider both the big and small changes of the world they inhabit. You can also check out this title as eAudio on Hoopla.
Annie Dillard is a titan of the nature essay and is at her highest form with Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. She focuses on one patch of the world—Tinker Creek, which runs through Virginia’s Roanoke Valley—and how the seasons make their unique mark on the landscape and its inhabitants. You can also check out this title as eBook or eAudio on Overdrive/Libby or as eBook or eAudio on Hoopla.
A memoir about the benefits of cultivating gardening and cultural spaces. Nature writing at its finest.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby and in eAudio on Libby.
Not a traditional deep dive into the natural world, Thin Places is Kerri ní Dochartaigh’s story of growing up amid the turbulence Troubles in Ireland living in a Catholic-Protestant household. For Dochartaigh, nature became both an outlet and a savior. Memoir readers looking for a uniquely nature-appreciative take will find much to savor here. You can also check out this title as eAudio on Hoopla.
