Nature and Science April 2025   Recent Releases When the Earth was Green: Plants, Animals, and Evolution's Greatest Romance by Riley Black What it is: Science writer Riley Black stuns with a panoramic natural history that acquaints readers with the interactive nature of life among Earth’s plants, animals, and habitats through the eons. What review say: [Black’s] work illuminates natural history into sparkling descriptions of what the Earth was like millions of years ago” - Publishers Weekly Read-alike: "A Brief History of Earth" by Andrew H. Knoll, "Otherlands" by Thomas Halliday, and "A (Very) Short History of the Earth" by Henry Gee. Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton Contains: Chronicles the journey of Chloe Dalton and a baby hare she found during the COVID lockdown. It also takes a deep dive into the lives of hares and how they have been viewed historically in art, literature, and folklore. Did you know?: Hares are not rabbits! Although hares and rabbits look similar, hares are larger than rabbits and have longer ears and legs. They also have different lifestyles and behaviors. Hares are solitary animals that live above ground, while rabbits live in groups and burrow underground. Other titles you might like: Catherine Raven's "Fox & I," Jules Howard's "Wonderdog," and Carl Safina "Alfie & Me." Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life we Breathe by Carl Zimmer What it's about: Carl Zimmer puts airborne pathogens under the microscope, taking readers on a tour spanning from the 14th century to COVID-19 that exposes how much we have yet to learn about communicable diseases in the Earth’s atmosphere. About the author: Carl Zimmer is a science writer, blogger, columnist, and journalist who specializes in the topics of evolution, parasites, and heredity. Similar titles: "The Living Medicine" by Lina Zeldovich, "The Curious World of Bacteria" by Ludger Wess, and "The Human Superorganism" by Rodney Dietert. Infinite Life: The Revolutionary Story of Eggs, Evolution, and Life on Earth by Jules Howard Contains: Jules Howard dives deep into the evolution of the egg as a mechanism for animal reproduction, but it’s his delighted enthusiasm for his subject that really sells this book. You'll learn: why it’s time to give eggs their moment in the spotlight. Eggs teach us a surprising lessons about Earth’s history, the trials of life, and the exceptional ways in which natural selection operates to propagate the survival of individual species. Check out: Marah Hardt's "Sex in the Sea," Menno Schilthuizen's "Nature’s Nether Regions," and Howard Markel's "Origin Story." The Sexual Evolution: How 500 million Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships by Nathan H. Lents What it is: An evolutionary biologist argues that sexual diversity is a long-standing biological phenomenon, not a modern invention, drawing on a wide range of animal examples to illustrate how nature embraces various sexual behaviors, ultimately suggesting that embracing this diversity can enhance our understanding of human sexuality and counteract societal bigotry. Line from the book: "these multi-male partnerships are called coalitions and form through a combination of both competition and cooperation.... Male lions periodically challenge each other and fight, but they also forge teams that cooperatively work together to dominate a pride and fight off other groups of males." - Nathan Lents Try these next: "Hormonal" by Martie Haselton, "Different" by Frans de Waal, and "Butts" by Heather Radke. Focus on: Plants The Ultimate Wildlife Habitat Garden: Attract and Support Birds, Bees, and Butterflies by Stacy Tornio Contains: This visually stunning guide to creating an earth-friendly garden provides essential information for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard by sharing details about which plants attract specific creatures. Why you might like it: A book for beginning gardeners that tells you about far more than plants. You learn about all the ecosystems you could create. Further Reading: Danesha Seth Carley and Anne Spafford's "Pollinator Gardening for the South," Frédérique Lavoipierre's "Garden Allies," and Jessica Walliser's "Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden." Dispersals: On Plants, Borders, and Belonging by Jessica J. Lee What it's about: In fourteen essays, "Dispersals" explores the entanglements of the plant and human worlds: from species considered invasive, like giant hogweed; to those vilified but intimate, like soy; and those like kelp, on which our futures depend. Read it for: The poetic prose Lee creates to combine memoir, history, and scientific research into stories about the importance of plants.  For readers of: "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer, "Vesper Flights" by Helen Macdonald, and "Upstream" by Mary Oliver. The Food Forward Garden: A Complete Guide to Designing and Growing Edible Landscapes by Christian Douglas What's inside: An award-winning landscape designer Christian Douglas offers a high-style approach to garden design, in a book that aims to reinvent and elevate vegetable gardening. What reviews say: "A delectable handbook on incorporating edible plants into the greenery outside one’s home. Detailed tours of eight gardens Douglas has designed provide ideas on how to decorate with crops in a variety of locales.... A clever mix of kitchen gardening and landscaping." - Publishers Weekly Similar reads: Katie Elzer-Peters' "Kitchen Gardening for Beginners,"  Angela Judd's "How to Grow Your Own Food," and Kim Roman's "How to Garden Indoors and Grow Your Own Food Year Round." Forage & Stitch: Using Natural Materials in Textile Art by Caroline Hyde-Brown What it is: Suitable for all levels and abilities, find a wealth of instruction and inspiration on how to incorporate naturally foraged materials such as leaves, grasses, lichen and dried flowers into your artwork. A quote from the author: "Nature is my safe space. I have always enjoyed the 'quiet time' it offers, where I can just simply forget and be 'still' with my thoughts" - Caroline Hyde-Brown You may also like: "Handmade Outdoor Crafts" by Taste of Home, "Crafting With Nature" by Amy Renea, and "Do-it-Yourself Garden Projects and Crafts" by Debbie Wolfe. Complete Guide to Growing and Cultivating Herbs & Spices by Linda Gray Contains: Steers you through every step of planning indoor and outdoor gardens, from propagating and growing to using and preserving herbs and spices. This isn't a one-size-fits-all guide! It's a comprehensive resource to discover what fits your unique space and climate. Line from the book: "Grow a couple of garlic plants in the rose bed and always include a few in the vegetable garden to deter aphids." - Linda Gray Further reading: Kim Roman's "Growing Herbs for Health, Wellness, Cooking, and Crafts," Susan Belsinger and Arthur Tucker's "Grow Your Own Herbs," and Julie Sahni's  "Savoring Spices and Herbs". Contact your librarian for more great books! Forsyth County Public Library 660 W. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336-703-2665 forsythlibrary.org