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SJPL Picks: Green Reads Fiction

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SJPL_AdultPicks

San José Public Library

Staff-created list

As the urgency of climate change climbs to and camps in the forefronts of our minds, it's no surprise that our literature is following suit. 'Green Reads' is a theme that is cropping up more across genres; books that explore the relationship of humanity and the nature that surrounds us. These reads are often philosophical, exploring how our choices affect the world around us, and what that might lead to in the future. This list contains works of fiction with a Green theme, and have been selected by SJPL Librarians.

By:

SJPL_AdultPicks

San José Public Library

1-25 of 33 items

1-25 of 33 items

Ishmael

Ishmael

by Quinn, Daniel

Book - 1995

Print only. First in a series. "A man and a great ape conduct a series of philosophical conversations in a work that presents a new vision of evoluti...Show more Print only. First in a series. "A man and a great ape conduct a series of philosophical conversations in a work that presents a new vision of evolution and humankind and asks the question: does the Earth belong to humans, or do humans belong to the Earth?" -- Novelist. Show less

Print only. First in a series. "A man and a great ape conduct a series of philosophical conversations in a work that presents a new vision of evoluti...Show more Print only. First in a series. "A man and a great ape conduct a series of philosophical conversations in a work that presents a new vision of evolution and humankind and asks the question: does the Earth belong to humans, or do humans belong to the Earth?" -- Novelist. Show less

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Venomous Lumpsucker

Venomous Lumpsucker

by Beauman, Ned

Book - 2022

"The near future. Tens of thousands of species are going extinct every year. And a whole industry has sprung up around their extinctions, to help us ...Show more "The near future. Tens of thousands of species are going extinct every year. And a whole industry has sprung up around their extinctions, to help us preserve the remnants, or perhaps just assuage our guilt. For instance, the biobanks: secure archives of DNA samples, from which lost organisms might someday be resurrected . . . But then, one day, it’s all gone. A mysterious cyber-attack hits every biobank simultaneously, wiping out the last traces of the perished species. Now we’re never getting them back. Karin Resaint and Mark Halyard are concerned with one species in particular: the venomous lumpsucker, a small, ugly bottom-feeder that happens to be the most intelligent fish on the planet. Resaint is an animal cognition scientist consumed with existential grief over what humans have done to nature. Halyard is an exec from the extinction industry, complicit in the mining operation that destroyed the lumpsucker’s last-known habitat. Across the dystopian landscapes of the 2030s—a nature reserve full of toxic waste; a floating city on the ocean; the hinterlands of a totalitarian state—Resaint and Halyard hunt for a surviving lumpsucker. And the further they go, the deeper they’re drawn into the mystery of the attack on the biobanks. Who was really behind it? And why would anyone do such a thing?" -- Goodreads.com. Show less

"The near future. Tens of thousands of species are going extinct every year. And a whole industry has sprung up around their extinctions, to help us ...Show more "The near future. Tens of thousands of species are going extinct every year. And a whole industry has sprung up around their extinctions, to help us preserve the remnants, or perhaps just assuage our guilt. For instance, the biobanks: secure archives of DNA samples, from which lost organisms might someday be resurrected . . . But then, one day, it’s all gone. A mysterious cyber-attack hits every biobank simultaneously, wiping out the last traces of the perished species. Now we’re never getting them back. Karin Resaint and Mark Halyard are concerned with one species in particular: the venomous lumpsucker, a small, ugly bottom-feeder that happens to be the most intelligent fish on the planet. Resaint is an animal cognition scientist consumed with existential grief over what humans have done to nature. Halyard is an exec from the extinction industry, complicit in the mining operation that destroyed the lumpsucker’s last-known habitat. Across the dystopian landscapes of the 2030s—a nature reserve full of toxic waste; a floating city on the ocean; the hinterlands of a totalitarian state—Resaint and Halyard hunt for a surviving lumpsucker. And the further they go, the deeper they’re drawn into the mystery of the attack on the biobanks. Who was really behind it? And why would anyone do such a thing?" -- Goodreads.com. Show less

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The Last Storm

The Last Storm

by Lebbon, Tim

Book - 2022

"With global warming out of control, large swathes of North America have been struck by famine and drought and are now known as the Desert. Jesse liv...Show more "With global warming out of control, large swathes of North America have been struck by famine and drought and are now known as the Desert. Jesse lives alone, far from civilization. Once, he made rain, but he stopped when his abilities caused fatalities, bringing down not just rain but scorpions, strange snakes and spiders. When his daughter Ash inherited this tainted gift, Jesse did his best to stop her. His attempt went tragically wrong, and he believes himself responsible for her death. But now his estranged wife Karina brings news that Ash is still alive. And she’s rainmaking again." -- Novelist. Show less

"With global warming out of control, large swathes of North America have been struck by famine and drought and are now known as the Desert. Jesse liv...Show more "With global warming out of control, large swathes of North America have been struck by famine and drought and are now known as the Desert. Jesse lives alone, far from civilization. Once, he made rain, but he stopped when his abilities caused fatalities, bringing down not just rain but scorpions, strange snakes and spiders. When his daughter Ash inherited this tainted gift, Jesse did his best to stop her. His attempt went tragically wrong, and he believes himself responsible for her death. But now his estranged wife Karina brings news that Ash is still alive. And she’s rainmaking again." -- Novelist. Show less

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Project Namahana

Project Namahana

by Teschner, John

Book - 2022

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Recently discharged combat veteran Micah Bernt sets about rebuilding his life in Kaua'i, renting the guest h...Show more Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Recently discharged combat veteran Micah Bernt sets about rebuilding his life in Kaua'i, renting the guest house of kind-hearted locals Clifton and Momilani. Aside from a few meth heads and some aggressive protesters claiming that a local agri-giant, Benevoment, is responsible for the recent deaths of three boys, the island is plenty close to paradise. Then Clifton, who worked for Benevoment, is found dead, his body tangled in a coral reef, and Momilani can’t ignore other strange deaths and disappearances among Clifton’s coworkers. Frankly pleased at the prospect of a foe to face down, Bernt agrees to look into Clifton’s death. Benevoment sends Michael Lindstrom, the scientist who designed the chemicals used in the company's fields, to Kaua'i, either to discover what’s happened to the men on the project or, depending on what he finds, to be silenced. Bernt and Lindstrom, driven by vastly different motives, team up to unravel the secrets. " -- Booklist. Show less

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Recently discharged combat veteran Micah Bernt sets about rebuilding his life in Kaua'i, renting the guest h...Show more Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Recently discharged combat veteran Micah Bernt sets about rebuilding his life in Kaua'i, renting the guest house of kind-hearted locals Clifton and Momilani. Aside from a few meth heads and some aggressive protesters claiming that a local agri-giant, Benevoment, is responsible for the recent deaths of three boys, the island is plenty close to paradise. Then Clifton, who worked for Benevoment, is found dead, his body tangled in a coral reef, and Momilani can’t ignore other strange deaths and disappearances among Clifton’s coworkers. Frankly pleased at the prospect of a foe to face down, Bernt agrees to look into Clifton’s death. Benevoment sends Michael Lindstrom, the scientist who designed the chemicals used in the company's fields, to Kaua'i, either to discover what’s happened to the men on the project or, depending on what he finds, to be silenced. Bernt and Lindstrom, driven by vastly different motives, team up to unravel the secrets. " -- Booklist. Show less

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Kraken Calling

Kraken Calling

A Novel

by McBay, Aric

Book - 2022

"Political activist and anarchist author Aric McBay (Full Spectrum Resistance) toggles between the years 2028 and 2051 to give us the experience, wit...Show more "Political activist and anarchist author Aric McBay (Full Spectrum Resistance) toggles between the years 2028 and 2051 to give us the experience, with breathtaking realism, of what might happen in the span of just one generation to a society that is already on the brink of collapse. In 2028 environmental activists hesitate to take the fight to the extreme of violent revolution. Twenty years later, with the natural environment now seriously degraded, the revolution is brought to the activists, rather than the other way around, by an authoritarian government willing to resort to violence, willing to let the majority suffer from hunger and poverty, in order to control its citizens when the government can no longer provide them with a decent quality of life." -- Novelist. Show less

"Political activist and anarchist author Aric McBay (Full Spectrum Resistance) toggles between the years 2028 and 2051 to give us the experience, wit...Show more "Political activist and anarchist author Aric McBay (Full Spectrum Resistance) toggles between the years 2028 and 2051 to give us the experience, with breathtaking realism, of what might happen in the span of just one generation to a society that is already on the brink of collapse. In 2028 environmental activists hesitate to take the fight to the extreme of violent revolution. Twenty years later, with the natural environment now seriously degraded, the revolution is brought to the activists, rather than the other way around, by an authoritarian government willing to resort to violence, willing to let the majority suffer from hunger and poverty, in order to control its citizens when the government can no longer provide them with a decent quality of life." -- Novelist. Show less

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The Devil's Dictionary

The Devil's Dictionary

A Novel

by Kotler, Steven

Book - 2022

"The Devil's Dictionary finds Lion Zorn enmeshed with a strange subculture: polyamorous crypto-currency fiends with a tendency toward eco-terrorism. ...Show more "The Devil's Dictionary finds Lion Zorn enmeshed with a strange subculture: polyamorous crypto-currency fiends with a tendency toward eco-terrorism. These crypto-eco-punks have executed the largest land grab in U.S. history, buying up huge swatches of the American west to establish the world's first mega-linkage. This unbroken tract of wild lands stretching from Yellowstone to Yukon is meant to protect biodiversity and stave off the Sixth Great Extinction, but something's rotten in Eden. Instead of saving existing species, exotic creatures unlike anything seen on Earth keep turning up. Called in to track down the origin of these exotics, Lion quickly finds himself entangled in a battle for the survival of our species." -- Novelist. Show less

"The Devil's Dictionary finds Lion Zorn enmeshed with a strange subculture: polyamorous crypto-currency fiends with a tendency toward eco-terrorism. ...Show more "The Devil's Dictionary finds Lion Zorn enmeshed with a strange subculture: polyamorous crypto-currency fiends with a tendency toward eco-terrorism. These crypto-eco-punks have executed the largest land grab in U.S. history, buying up huge swatches of the American west to establish the world's first mega-linkage. This unbroken tract of wild lands stretching from Yellowstone to Yukon is meant to protect biodiversity and stave off the Sixth Great Extinction, but something's rotten in Eden. Instead of saving existing species, exotic creatures unlike anything seen on Earth keep turning up. Called in to track down the origin of these exotics, Lion quickly finds himself entangled in a battle for the survival of our species." -- Novelist. Show less

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Eleutheria

Eleutheria

by Hyde, Allegra

Book - 2022

"Willa Marks has spent her whole life choosing hope. She chooses hope over her parents’ paranoid conspiracy theories, over her dead-end job, over the...Show more "Willa Marks has spent her whole life choosing hope. She chooses hope over her parents’ paranoid conspiracy theories, over her dead-end job, over the rising ocean levels. And when she meets Sylvia Gill, renowned Harvard professor, she feels she’s found the justification of that hope. Sylvia is the woman-in-black: the only person smart and sharp enough to compel the world to action. But when Sylvia betrays her, Willa fears she has lost hope forever. And then she finds a book in Sylvia’s library: a guide to fighting climate change called Living the Solution. Inspired by its message and with nothing to lose, Willa flies to the island of Eleutheria in the Bahamas to join the author and his group of ecowarriors at Camp Hope. Upon arrival, things are not what she expected. The group’s leader, author Roy Adams, is missing, and the compound’s public launch is delayed. With time running out, Willa will stop at nothing to realize Camp Hope’s mission—but at what cost?" -- Goodreads.com. Show less

"Willa Marks has spent her whole life choosing hope. She chooses hope over her parents’ paranoid conspiracy theories, over her dead-end job, over the...Show more "Willa Marks has spent her whole life choosing hope. She chooses hope over her parents’ paranoid conspiracy theories, over her dead-end job, over the rising ocean levels. And when she meets Sylvia Gill, renowned Harvard professor, she feels she’s found the justification of that hope. Sylvia is the woman-in-black: the only person smart and sharp enough to compel the world to action. But when Sylvia betrays her, Willa fears she has lost hope forever. And then she finds a book in Sylvia’s library: a guide to fighting climate change called Living the Solution. Inspired by its message and with nothing to lose, Willa flies to the island of Eleutheria in the Bahamas to join the author and his group of ecowarriors at Camp Hope. Upon arrival, things are not what she expected. The group’s leader, author Roy Adams, is missing, and the compound’s public launch is delayed. With time running out, Willa will stop at nothing to realize Camp Hope’s mission—but at what cost?" -- Goodreads.com. Show less

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When I Sing, Mountains Dance

When I Sing, Mountains Dance

A Novel

by Solà, Irene

Book - 2022

"Struck and killed by lightening in a village high in the Pyrenees, Domn̈ec is surrounded by the ghosts of 17th-century witches, and so begins this s...Show more "Struck and killed by lightening in a village high in the Pyrenees, Domn̈ec is surrounded by the ghosts of 17th-century witches, and so begins this spellbinding novel about the human dramas that unfold against the uncontainable life force of the land itself." -- Novelist. Show less

"Struck and killed by lightening in a village high in the Pyrenees, Domn̈ec is surrounded by the ghosts of 17th-century witches, and so begins this s...Show more "Struck and killed by lightening in a village high in the Pyrenees, Domn̈ec is surrounded by the ghosts of 17th-century witches, and so begins this spellbinding novel about the human dramas that unfold against the uncontainable life force of the land itself." -- Novelist. Show less

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The Living Sea of Waking Dreams

The Living Sea of Waking Dreams

by Flanagan, Richard

Book - 2021

Print only. "Anna is an architect whose mother, Francie, is nearing the end of her life in Hobart, Tasmania. Anna and her brother Terzo resolve to ke...Show more Print only. "Anna is an architect whose mother, Francie, is nearing the end of her life in Hobart, Tasmania. Anna and her brother Terzo resolve to keep their mother alive against the wishes of their failed artist brother Tommy (the only sibling still in Hobart), medical professionals, and their mother. But then one of Anna’s fingers suddenly disappears, and then one knee inexplicably goes missing. She learns that such vanishings are happening across the country, yet no one is speaking of them. Meanwhile, Australia is burning and the updates on Anna’s social media feed provide a constant low hum of horror, making the one constant in Anna’s life keeping her mother alive." -- Booklist. Show less

Print only. "Anna is an architect whose mother, Francie, is nearing the end of her life in Hobart, Tasmania. Anna and her brother Terzo resolve to ke...Show more Print only. "Anna is an architect whose mother, Francie, is nearing the end of her life in Hobart, Tasmania. Anna and her brother Terzo resolve to keep their mother alive against the wishes of their failed artist brother Tommy (the only sibling still in Hobart), medical professionals, and their mother. But then one of Anna’s fingers suddenly disappears, and then one knee inexplicably goes missing. She learns that such vanishings are happening across the country, yet no one is speaking of them. Meanwhile, Australia is burning and the updates on Anna’s social media feed provide a constant low hum of horror, making the one constant in Anna’s life keeping her mother alive." -- Booklist. Show less

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Radio Free Vermont

Radio Free Vermont

A Fable of Resistance

by McKibben, Bill

Book - 2017

Print only. "Broadcasting from a secret location with the help of a young computer prodigy, a septuagenarian radical and fugitive from the law leads ...Show more Print only. "Broadcasting from a secret location with the help of a young computer prodigy, a septuagenarian radical and fugitive from the law leads an eccentric group of activists who carry out their own version of guerilla warfare when they decide that their home state might be better off seceding from the United States." -- Novelist. Show less

Print only. "Broadcasting from a secret location with the help of a young computer prodigy, a septuagenarian radical and fugitive from the law leads ...Show more Print only. "Broadcasting from a secret location with the help of a young computer prodigy, a septuagenarian radical and fugitive from the law leads an eccentric group of activists who carry out their own version of guerilla warfare when they decide that their home state might be better off seceding from the United States." -- Novelist. Show less

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When the Killing's Done

When the Killing's Done

by Boyle, T. Coraghessan

Book - 2011

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Alma Boyd Takesue, a National Park Service biologist, is in charge of preserving the Channel Islands' native...Show more Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Alma Boyd Takesue, a National Park Service biologist, is in charge of preserving the Channel Islands' native animals, which means removing the rats and feral pigs from the island chain. However, businessman Dave LaJoy and folksinger Anise Reed staunchly oppose Alma's plans to kill the rats and pigs, and actively work against her." -- Novelist. Show less

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Alma Boyd Takesue, a National Park Service biologist, is in charge of preserving the Channel Islands' native...Show more Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Alma Boyd Takesue, a National Park Service biologist, is in charge of preserving the Channel Islands' native animals, which means removing the rats and feral pigs from the island chain. However, businessman Dave LaJoy and folksinger Anise Reed staunchly oppose Alma's plans to kill the rats and pigs, and actively work against her." -- Novelist. Show less

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Migrations

Migrations

by McConaghy, Charlotte

Book - 2020

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "A woman who has dedicated her life to protecting the environment convinces a fishing captain and his salty c...Show more Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "A woman who has dedicated her life to protecting the environment convinces a fishing captain and his salty crew to follow the world's last flock of Arctic terns on a migration of dark revelations." -- Novelist. Show less

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "A woman who has dedicated her life to protecting the environment convinces a fishing captain and his salty c...Show more Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "A woman who has dedicated her life to protecting the environment convinces a fishing captain and his salty crew to follow the world's last flock of Arctic terns on a migration of dark revelations." -- Novelist. Show less

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Where the Crawdads Sing

Where the Crawdads Sing

by Owens, Delia

Book - 2018

A wild child's isolated, dirt-poor upbringing in a Southern coastal wilderness fails to shield her from heartbreak or an accusation of murder. "The M...Show more A wild child's isolated, dirt-poor upbringing in a Southern coastal wilderness fails to shield her from heartbreak or an accusation of murder. "The Marsh Girl," "swamp trash"—Catherine "Kya" Clark is a figure of mystery and prejudice in the remote North Carolina coastal community of Barkley Cove in the 1950s and '60s. Abandoned by a mother no longer able to endure her drunken husband's beatings and then by her four siblings, Kya grows up in the careless, sometimes-savage company of her father, who eventually disappears, too. Alone, virtually or actually, from age 6, Kya learns both to be self-sufficient and to find solace and company in her fertile natural surroundings. Owens (Secrets of the Savanna, 2006, etc.), the accomplished co-author of several nonfiction books on wildlife, is at her best reflecting Kya's fascination with the birds, insects, dappled light, and shifting tides of the marshes. The girl's collections of shells and feathers, her communion with the gulls, her exploration of the wetlands are evoked in lyrical phrasing which only occasionally tips into excess. But as the child turns teenager and is befriended by local boy Tate Walker, who teaches her to read, the novel settles... Interspersed with Kya's coming-of-age is the 1969 murder investigation arising from the discovery of a man's body in the marsh. The victim is Chase Andrews, "star quarterback and town hot shot," who was once Kya's lover. In the eyes of a pair of semicomic local police officers, Kya will eventually become the chief suspect and must stand trial." -- Kirkus. Show less

A wild child's isolated, dirt-poor upbringing in a Southern coastal wilderness fails to shield her from heartbreak or an accusation of murder. "The M...Show more A wild child's isolated, dirt-poor upbringing in a Southern coastal wilderness fails to shield her from heartbreak or an accusation of murder. "The Marsh Girl," "swamp trash"—Catherine "Kya" Clark is a figure of mystery and prejudice in the remote North Carolina coastal community of Barkley Cove in the 1950s and '60s. Abandoned by a mother no longer able to endure her drunken husband's beatings and then by her four siblings, Kya grows up in the careless, sometimes-savage company of her father, who eventually disappears, too. Alone, virtually or actually, from age 6, Kya learns both to be self-sufficient and to find solace and company in her fertile natural surroundings. Owens (Secrets of the Savanna, 2006, etc.), the accomplished co-author of several nonfiction books on wildlife, is at her best reflecting Kya's fascination with the birds, insects, dappled light, and shifting tides of the marshes. The girl's collections of shells and feathers, her communion with the gulls, her exploration of the wetlands are evoked in lyrical phrasing which only occasionally tips into excess. But as the child turns teenager and is befriended by local boy Tate Walker, who teaches her to read, the novel settles... Interspersed with Kya's coming-of-age is the 1969 murder investigation arising from the discovery of a man's body in the marsh. The victim is Chase Andrews, "star quarterback and town hot shot," who was once Kya's lover. In the eyes of a pair of semicomic local police officers, Kya will eventually become the chief suspect and must stand trial." -- Kirkus. Show less

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The Overstory

The Overstory

A Novel

by Powers, Richard

Book - 2018

Also available in eBook. "Presents an impassioned novel of activism and natural-world power that is comprised of interlocking fables about nine remar...Show more Also available in eBook. "Presents an impassioned novel of activism and natural-world power that is comprised of interlocking fables about nine remarkable strangers who are summoned in different ways by trees for an ultimate, brutal stand to save the continent's few remaining acres of virgin forest." -- Novelist. Show less

Also available in eBook. "Presents an impassioned novel of activism and natural-world power that is comprised of interlocking fables about nine remar...Show more Also available in eBook. "Presents an impassioned novel of activism and natural-world power that is comprised of interlocking fables about nine remarkable strangers who are summoned in different ways by trees for an ultimate, brutal stand to save the continent's few remaining acres of virgin forest." -- Novelist. Show less

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Flight Behavior

Flight Behavior

A Novel

by Kingsolver, Barbara

Book - 2012

Also available in eBook. "Dellarobia Turnbow got pregnant in high school; now, some 11 years into her unhappy marriage, she’s ready for a big change,...Show more Also available in eBook. "Dellarobia Turnbow got pregnant in high school; now, some 11 years into her unhappy marriage, she’s ready for a big change, and she thinks she’s found it with a randy young telephone lineman. But on her way to a rendezvous, she is waylaid by the sight of a forest ablaze with millions of butterflies. Their usual migratory route has been disrupted, and what looks to be a stunningly beautiful view is really an ominous sign, for the Appalachian winter could prove to be the demise of the species. The phenomenon draws the whole world to Dellarobia’s doorstep—scientists, the media, hordes of tourists—and gives her new and galvanizing insight into her poverty-stricken life on the sheep farm of her disapproving in-laws." -- Booklist. Show less

Also available in eBook. "Dellarobia Turnbow got pregnant in high school; now, some 11 years into her unhappy marriage, she’s ready for a big change,...Show more Also available in eBook. "Dellarobia Turnbow got pregnant in high school; now, some 11 years into her unhappy marriage, she’s ready for a big change, and she thinks she’s found it with a randy young telephone lineman. But on her way to a rendezvous, she is waylaid by the sight of a forest ablaze with millions of butterflies. Their usual migratory route has been disrupted, and what looks to be a stunningly beautiful view is really an ominous sign, for the Appalachian winter could prove to be the demise of the species. The phenomenon draws the whole world to Dellarobia’s doorstep—scientists, the media, hordes of tourists—and gives her new and galvanizing insight into her poverty-stricken life on the sheep farm of her disapproving in-laws." -- Booklist. Show less

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Barkskins

Barkskins

A Novel

by Proulx, Annie

Book - 2016

Also available in eBook. "In the late seventeenth century two penniless young Frenchmen, René Sel and Charles Duquet, arrive in New France. Bound to ...Show more Also available in eBook. "In the late seventeenth century two penniless young Frenchmen, René Sel and Charles Duquet, arrive in New France. Bound to a feudal lord, a “seigneur,” for three years in exchange for land, they become wood-cutters—barkskins. René suffers extraordinary hardship, oppressed by the forest he is charged with clearing. He is forced to marry a Mi’kmaw woman and their descendants live trapped between two inimical cultures. But Duquet, crafty and ruthless, runs away from the seigneur, becomes a fur trader, then sets up a timber business. Proulx tells the stories of the descendants of Sel and Duquet over three hundred years—their travels across North America, to Europe, China, and New Zealand, under stunningly brutal conditions—the revenge of rivals, accidents, pestilence, Indian attacks, and cultural annihilation. Over and over again, they seize what they can of a presumed infinite resource, leaving the modern-day characters face to face with possible ecological collapse." -- Goodreads.com. Show less

Also available in eBook. "In the late seventeenth century two penniless young Frenchmen, René Sel and Charles Duquet, arrive in New France. Bound to ...Show more Also available in eBook. "In the late seventeenth century two penniless young Frenchmen, René Sel and Charles Duquet, arrive in New France. Bound to a feudal lord, a “seigneur,” for three years in exchange for land, they become wood-cutters—barkskins. René suffers extraordinary hardship, oppressed by the forest he is charged with clearing. He is forced to marry a Mi’kmaw woman and their descendants live trapped between two inimical cultures. But Duquet, crafty and ruthless, runs away from the seigneur, becomes a fur trader, then sets up a timber business. Proulx tells the stories of the descendants of Sel and Duquet over three hundred years—their travels across North America, to Europe, China, and New Zealand, under stunningly brutal conditions—the revenge of rivals, accidents, pestilence, Indian attacks, and cultural annihilation. Over and over again, they seize what they can of a presumed infinite resource, leaving the modern-day characters face to face with possible ecological collapse." -- Goodreads.com. Show less

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Prodigal Summer

Prodigal Summer

A Novel

by Kingsolver, Barbara

Book - 2000

Also available in eBook. "A complex web of human and natural struggle and interdependency is analyzed with an invigorating mixture of intelligence an...Show more Also available in eBook. "A complex web of human and natural struggle and interdependency is analyzed with an invigorating mixture of intelligence and warmth.In a vividly detailed Appalachian setting, several seemingly incompatible lives come into initially troubling proximity during one event-filled summer. Wildlife biologist Deanna Wolfe has returned to her home territory to work at "trail maintenance" on lushly forested Zebulon Mountain, where a sighting of coyotes (not native to the area) excites her interest in "the return of a significant canid predator and the reordering of species it might bring about." Deanna's stewardship of this wilderness is compromised by her affair with "seasonal migrant" Eddie Bondo, whose pragmatic hunter's code challenges her determination to preserve nature red in tooth and claw." -- Booklist. Show less

Also available in eBook. "A complex web of human and natural struggle and interdependency is analyzed with an invigorating mixture of intelligence an...Show more Also available in eBook. "A complex web of human and natural struggle and interdependency is analyzed with an invigorating mixture of intelligence and warmth.In a vividly detailed Appalachian setting, several seemingly incompatible lives come into initially troubling proximity during one event-filled summer. Wildlife biologist Deanna Wolfe has returned to her home territory to work at "trail maintenance" on lushly forested Zebulon Mountain, where a sighting of coyotes (not native to the area) excites her interest in "the return of a significant canid predator and the reordering of species it might bring about." Deanna's stewardship of this wilderness is compromised by her affair with "seasonal migrant" Eddie Bondo, whose pragmatic hunter's code challenges her determination to preserve nature red in tooth and claw." -- Booklist. Show less

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Bewilderment

Bewilderment

A Novel

by Powers, Richard

Book - 2021

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Theo Byrne, a widowed astrobiologist who imagines life on other planets, is brought down to earth by his son...Show more Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Theo Byrne, a widowed astrobiologist who imagines life on other planets, is brought down to earth by his son Robin, whose irascibility and erratic moods are driving school authorities to distraction. Theo's only recourse is to put his own work aside and make Robin the center of his universe. The Byrnes' one remaining vestige of Robin's late mother is a brain scan, recorded years before in an experiment... Robin undergoes a form of behavior modification called decoded neurofeedback treatment, using his mother's brain scan. He improves at first, but then becomes fascinated with the natural world, captivated to the point of overzealousness, leading to the erosion of hard-won progress. And as Robin's emotional state reaches a state of relative equilibrium, Theo seems to take on some of the characteristics Robin has left behind, even to the point of openly criticizing the psychologist trying to help his son." -- Library Journal. Show less

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Theo Byrne, a widowed astrobiologist who imagines life on other planets, is brought down to earth by his son...Show more Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "Theo Byrne, a widowed astrobiologist who imagines life on other planets, is brought down to earth by his son Robin, whose irascibility and erratic moods are driving school authorities to distraction. Theo's only recourse is to put his own work aside and make Robin the center of his universe. The Byrnes' one remaining vestige of Robin's late mother is a brain scan, recorded years before in an experiment... Robin undergoes a form of behavior modification called decoded neurofeedback treatment, using his mother's brain scan. He improves at first, but then becomes fascinated with the natural world, captivated to the point of overzealousness, leading to the erosion of hard-won progress. And as Robin's emotional state reaches a state of relative equilibrium, Theo seems to take on some of the characteristics Robin has left behind, even to the point of openly criticizing the psychologist trying to help his son." -- Library Journal. Show less

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Damnation Spring

Damnation Spring

A Novel

by Davidson, Ash

Book - 2021

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "A mother and midwife inadvertently threatens the fortunes and livelihoods of her family and their neighbors ...Show more Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "A mother and midwife inadvertently threatens the fortunes and livelihoods of her family and their neighbors after noticing an increase in local miscarriages and believes it's caused by the pesticides used by the Sanderson Timber Company, her husband's employer." -- Novelist. Show less

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "A mother and midwife inadvertently threatens the fortunes and livelihoods of her family and their neighbors ...Show more Also available in eBook and eAudiobook. "A mother and midwife inadvertently threatens the fortunes and livelihoods of her family and their neighbors after noticing an increase in local miscarriages and believes it's caused by the pesticides used by the Sanderson Timber Company, her husband's employer." -- Novelist. Show less

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Anthill

Anthill

A Novel

by Wilson, Edward O.

Book - 2010

Print only. "Presents the adventures of Raff, a modern-day Huck Finn in Alabama, whose love of ants transforms his life and those around him as he fights condo developers intent on destroying an endangered tract of land." -- Novelist. Print only. "Presents the adventures of Raff, a modern-day Huck Finn in Alabama, whose love of ants transforms his life and those around him as he fights condo developers intent on destroying an endangered tract of land." -- Novelist. Show less

Print only. "Presents the adventures of Raff, a modern-day Huck Finn in Alabama, whose love of ants transforms his life and those around him as he fights condo developers intent on destroying an endangered tract of land." -- Novelist. Print only. "Presents the adventures of Raff, a modern-day Huck Finn in Alabama, whose love of ants transforms his life and those around him as he fights condo developers intent on destroying an endangered tract of land." -- Novelist. Show less

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Termination Shock

Termination Shock

A Novel

by Stephenson, Neal

Book - 2021

Print only. "In near-future world plagued by superstorms, rising sea levels, global flooding, heat waves, and deadly pandemics, one man has a big ide...Show more Print only. "In near-future world plagued by superstorms, rising sea levels, global flooding, heat waves, and deadly pandemics, one man has a big idea for reversing global warming despite the possible consequences for the planet and all of humanity." -- Novelist. Show less

Print only. "In near-future world plagued by superstorms, rising sea levels, global flooding, heat waves, and deadly pandemics, one man has a big ide...Show more Print only. "In near-future world plagued by superstorms, rising sea levels, global flooding, heat waves, and deadly pandemics, one man has a big idea for reversing global warming despite the possible consequences for the planet and all of humanity." -- Novelist. Show less

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The Secret Wisdom of the Earth

The Secret Wisdom of the Earth

by Scotton, Chris

Book - 2015

Print only. Alternate cover available. "After seeing the death of his younger brother in a terrible home accident, fourteen-year-old Kevin and his gr...Show more Print only. Alternate cover available. "After seeing the death of his younger brother in a terrible home accident, fourteen-year-old Kevin and his grieving mother are sent for the summer to live with Kevin's grandfather. In this peeled-paint coal town deep in Appalachia, Kevin quickly falls in with a half-wild hollow kid named Buzzy Fink who schools him in the mysteries and magnificence of the woods. The events of this fateful summer will affect the entire town of Medgar, Kentucky. Medgar is beset by a massive mountaintop removal operation that is blowing up the hills and back filling the hollows. Kevin's grandfather and others in town attempt to rally the citizens against the "company" and its powerful owner to stop the plunder of their mountain heritage. When Buzzy witnesses a brutal hate crime, a sequence is set in play that tests Buzzy and Kevin to their absolute limits in an epic struggle for survival in the Kentucky mountains." -- Goodreads.com. Show less

Print only. Alternate cover available. "After seeing the death of his younger brother in a terrible home accident, fourteen-year-old Kevin and his gr...Show more Print only. Alternate cover available. "After seeing the death of his younger brother in a terrible home accident, fourteen-year-old Kevin and his grieving mother are sent for the summer to live with Kevin's grandfather. In this peeled-paint coal town deep in Appalachia, Kevin quickly falls in with a half-wild hollow kid named Buzzy Fink who schools him in the mysteries and magnificence of the woods. The events of this fateful summer will affect the entire town of Medgar, Kentucky. Medgar is beset by a massive mountaintop removal operation that is blowing up the hills and back filling the hollows. Kevin's grandfather and others in town attempt to rally the citizens against the "company" and its powerful owner to stop the plunder of their mountain heritage. When Buzzy witnesses a brutal hate crime, a sequence is set in play that tests Buzzy and Kevin to their absolute limits in an epic struggle for survival in the Kentucky mountains." -- Goodreads.com. Show less

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The Lowering Days

The Lowering Days

A Novel

by Brown, Gregory

Book - 2021

Also available in eBook. "Brown’s debut novel weaves together the lush setting of the Penobscot River in Maine and disparate characters struggling to...Show more Also available in eBook. "Brown’s debut novel weaves together the lush setting of the Penobscot River in Maine and disparate characters struggling to coexist on a verdant, alluring land. The protagonist, David, a white man, transports readers to his childhood home, a place that “shares its name with the Penobscot people . . . the original inhabitants of the river and ancestors of the waters.” At a time when lawsuits called for “two-thirds of the land in the state of Maine to be returned to the tribes, along with massive financial reparations,” David’s activist mother, Falon, attempts to bridge cultural divides by launching a local paper she names The Lowering Days. Ironically, even the medium on which this news is conveyed, paper, symbolizes environmental exploitation, and when an arsonist burns a nearby bankrupt paper mill, conflicts escalate, opening deep wounds. As “old hurts and wayward entitlements raged on, generation to generation, feeding sadness and violence,” David and his family find love and survive tragedy, while profound truths, the mournful beauty of the land, and mythologies encoded within the people who live there are revealed." -- Booklist. Show less

Also available in eBook. "Brown’s debut novel weaves together the lush setting of the Penobscot River in Maine and disparate characters struggling to...Show more Also available in eBook. "Brown’s debut novel weaves together the lush setting of the Penobscot River in Maine and disparate characters struggling to coexist on a verdant, alluring land. The protagonist, David, a white man, transports readers to his childhood home, a place that “shares its name with the Penobscot people . . . the original inhabitants of the river and ancestors of the waters.” At a time when lawsuits called for “two-thirds of the land in the state of Maine to be returned to the tribes, along with massive financial reparations,” David’s activist mother, Falon, attempts to bridge cultural divides by launching a local paper she names The Lowering Days. Ironically, even the medium on which this news is conveyed, paper, symbolizes environmental exploitation, and when an arsonist burns a nearby bankrupt paper mill, conflicts escalate, opening deep wounds. As “old hurts and wayward entitlements raged on, generation to generation, feeding sadness and violence,” David and his family find love and survive tragedy, while profound truths, the mournful beauty of the land, and mythologies encoded within the people who live there are revealed." -- Booklist. Show less

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Water Witches

Water Witches

by Bohjalian, Chris

Book - 2020

Print only. "Vermont is drying up. The normally lush, green countryside is in the grip of the worst drought in years: stunted cornstalks rasp in the ...Show more Print only. "Vermont is drying up. The normally lush, green countryside is in the grip of the worst drought in years: stunted cornstalks rasp in the hot July breeze, parched vegetable gardens wither and die, the Chittenden River shrinks to a trickle, and the drilling trucks are booked solid as one by one the wells give out. Patience Avery, known nationwide as a gifted "water witch", is having a busy summer, too. Using the tools of the dowser's trade —divining sticks, metal rods, bobbers, and pendulums—she can locate, among other things, aquifers deep within the earth. In the midst of this crisis, Scottie Winston lobbies for permits to expand Powder Peak, a local ski area that's his law firm's principal client. As part of the expansion, the resort seeks to draw water for snowmaking from the beleaguered Chittenden, despite opposition from environmentalists who fear that the already weakened river will be damaged beyond repair." -- Goodreads.com. Show less

Print only. "Vermont is drying up. The normally lush, green countryside is in the grip of the worst drought in years: stunted cornstalks rasp in the ...Show more Print only. "Vermont is drying up. The normally lush, green countryside is in the grip of the worst drought in years: stunted cornstalks rasp in the hot July breeze, parched vegetable gardens wither and die, the Chittenden River shrinks to a trickle, and the drilling trucks are booked solid as one by one the wells give out. Patience Avery, known nationwide as a gifted "water witch", is having a busy summer, too. Using the tools of the dowser's trade —divining sticks, metal rods, bobbers, and pendulums—she can locate, among other things, aquifers deep within the earth. In the midst of this crisis, Scottie Winston lobbies for permits to expand Powder Peak, a local ski area that's his law firm's principal client. As part of the expansion, the resort seeks to draw water for snowmaking from the beleaguered Chittenden, despite opposition from environmentalists who fear that the already weakened river will be damaged beyond repair." -- Goodreads.com. Show less

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The Emissary

The Emissary

by Tawada, Yōko

Book - 2018

Also available in eBook. "Japan, after suffering from a massive irreparable disaster, cuts itself off from the world. Children are so weak they can b...Show more Also available in eBook. "Japan, after suffering from a massive irreparable disaster, cuts itself off from the world. Children are so weak they can barely stand or walk: the only people with any get-go are the elderly. Mumei lives with his grandfather Yoshiro, who worries about him constantly. They carry on a day-to-day routine in what could be viewed as a post-Fukushima time, with all the children born ancient—frail and gray-haired, yet incredibly compassionate and wise. Mumei may be enfeebled and feverish, but he is a beacon of hope, full of wit and free of self-pity and pessimism. Yoshiro concentrates on nourishing Mumei, a strangely wonderful boy who offers “the beauty of the time that is yet to come.” -- Goodreads.com. Show less

Also available in eBook. "Japan, after suffering from a massive irreparable disaster, cuts itself off from the world. Children are so weak they can b...Show more Also available in eBook. "Japan, after suffering from a massive irreparable disaster, cuts itself off from the world. Children are so weak they can barely stand or walk: the only people with any get-go are the elderly. Mumei lives with his grandfather Yoshiro, who worries about him constantly. They carry on a day-to-day routine in what could be viewed as a post-Fukushima time, with all the children born ancient—frail and gray-haired, yet incredibly compassionate and wise. Mumei may be enfeebled and feverish, but he is a beacon of hope, full of wit and free of self-pity and pessimism. Yoshiro concentrates on nourishing Mumei, a strangely wonderful boy who offers “the beauty of the time that is yet to come.” -- Goodreads.com. Show less

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