Australian books – Gillian Candler, Author

Before the summer holiday, I’d stocked up on a pile of non-fiction books from Craig Potton Publishing. My pick of these for an informative and entertaining read is: Tramping – a New Zealand history by Shaun Barnett and Chris Maclean.…

Gillian's bookshelf: nature

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

by Florence Williams

I confess I started reading The Nature Fix already a convert. I know that being in nature makes me happier and more creative, but what I didn't know was why. After reading the book, I not only have some answers for why nature can help ma...

tagged: nature and nonfiction

Birdstories: A History of the Birds of New Zealand

Birdstories: A History of the Birds of New Zealand

by Geoff Norman

Birdstories is my new go-to book! When I was pondering which shelf to put it on - next to the field guides or among the nature prose, it occurred to me that since this book won’t be staying on the shelf for long, it might as well stay on...

tagged: explorers-and-naturalists, nature, new-zealand-books, and nonfiction

Where Song Began: Australia's Birds and How They Changed the World

Where Song Began: Australia's Birds and How They Changed the World

by Tim Low

Who’d have thought a non-fiction book on birds would be a page-turner! Turns out this one is. Tim Low has a pacy style of writing, and he’s not shy about putting forward his opinions. It’s great to find serious non-fiction with a popular...

tagged: australia, nonfiction, and nature

The Meaning of Trees

by Robert Vennell

I highly recommend "The Meaning of Trees". If you thought New Zealand's native plants were boring or less interesting than our birds and lizards, this book will show you otherwise! I was delighted to receive a review copy from the publis...

tagged: nature, new-zealand-books, and nonfiction

The Outrun

by Amy Liptrot

The author, a young woman, returns to live on the Orkneys to recover from addiction. The book paints a picture of the rugged nature of these islands and how immersing herself in the cold sea, the dark nights and the barely tamed land res...

tagged: nature and nonfiction