I will never forget my first glimpse of our local library. All those books, sitting so quietly and politely on their shelves, just waiting for readers. Waiting for me.
When I was little I loved books about mythical dragons and ancient dinosaurs – now I live with three of the latter, each of whom remind me a great deal of the former. 🙂
I update this reading list regularly so keep checking back for new recommendations.
Animal Books
Turtles, Tortoises, Reptiles & Amphibians
- Amanda Ebenhack: “Red-Footed Tortoises in Captivity (With Notes on Yellow-Footed Tortoises)“
- Mike Pingleton: “The Redfoot Manual: A Beginner’s Guide to the Redfoot Tortoise“
- Ben Team: “Red-Footed Tortoise Pet Owner’s Guide“
- Sabine Vinke, et al: “South American Tortoises“
- Paul Chambers: “A Sheltered Life: The Unexpected History of the Giant Tortoise“
- Carl Safina: “Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth’s Last Dinosaur“
- Henry Nicholls: “Lonesome George: the Life and Loves of a Conservation Icon“
- Steve Brusatte: “The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World“
Birds, Parrots & Cockatiels
- Irene Pepperberg: “Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence – and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process“
- Mark Bittner: “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story with Wings“
- Stacey Brown: “Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl“
- Tim Birkhead: “Bird Sense: What It’s Like to be a Bird“
- Betty Jean Craige, PhD: “Conversations With Cosmo: At Home With an African Grey Parrot“
- Jessica Hagedorn: “Life With Ben: A Story of Friendship and Feathers“
- Joanna Burger: “The Parrot Who Owns Me: The Story of a Relationship“
- Sy Montgomery: “Birdology: Adventures with Hip Hop Parrots, Cantankerous Cassowaries, Crabby Crows, Peripatetic Pigeons, Hens, Hawks, and Hummingbirds“
- Jeff Guidry: “An Eagle Named Freedom: My True Story of a Remarkable Friendship“
- Michele Raffin: “The Birds of Pandemonium“
- Helen Macdonald: “H is for Hawk“
- Nikki Moustaki – “Why Do Cockatiels Do That?: Real Answers to the Curious Things Cockatiels Do“
- William Jordan: “Divorce Among the Gulls: An Uncommon Look at Human Nature“
- Bernd Heinrich: “One Man’s Owl“
- Kenn Kaufman: “Kingbird Highway: The Biggest Year in the Life of an Extreme Birder“
Dogs
- Jennifer Skiff: “The Divinity of Dogs: True Stories of Miracles Inspired by Man’s Best Friend“
- David Grimm: “Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats & Dogs“
- Alexandra Horowitz: “Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know“
- Gregory Berns: “What It’s Like to Be a Dog“
- Rupert Sheldrake, PhD: “Dogs That Know When Their Owners are Coming Home“
- Maria Goodavage: “Secret Service Dogs: The Heroes Who Protect the President of the United States“
Marine Animals & Fish
- Emily Voigt: “The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession and the World’s Most Coveted Fish“
- Terrie Williams: “The Odyssey of KP2-An Orphan Seal, A Marine Biologist & a Fight to Save a Species“
- Amy Sutherland: “What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage: Lessons for People from Animals and Their Trainers“
- Patrik Svensson: “The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination With the Most Mysterious Creature in the World“
People & Animal Relationships
- Temple Grandin: “Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior“
- Temple Grandin: “Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals“
- Meg Daley Olmert: “Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond“
- Marta Williams: “Ask Your Animal: Resolving Animal Behavioral Issues Through Intuitive Communication“
- Marta Williams: “Learning Their Language: Intuitive Communication with Animals and Nature“
- Marta Williams: “My Animal, My Self: A Breakthrough Way to Understand How You and Your Animal Reflect Each Other“
- Marta Williams: “Beyond Words: Talking with Animals and Nature“
- Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers: “Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health“
- Elizabeth Marshall Thomas (with Sy Montgomery): “Tamed and Untamed: Close Encounters of the Animal Kind“
- Jennifer S. Holland: “Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom“
- Marc Bekoff: “The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow and Empathy – And Why They Matter“
- Desmond Morris: “The Naked Ape: A Zoologist’s Study of the Human Animal“
- Richard O. Prum: “The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin’s Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World – and Us“
- Peter Wohlleben: “The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate-Discoveries from a Secret World“
- Peter Wohlleben: “The Inner Life of Animals: Love, Grief, and Compassion―Surprising Observations of a Hidden World”
- Jack Hanna: “Jungle Jack: My Wild Life“
- Amy Sutherland: “Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World’s Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers“
- Nicholas Dodman DVM: “Pets on the Couch: Neurotic Dogs, Compulsive Cats, Anxious Birds, and the New Science of Animal Psychiatry“
- Robyn Davidson: “Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback“
- Jennifer Verdolin, PhD: “Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us About Human Relationships“
- Jennifer Verdolin, PhD: “Raised by Animals: The Surprising New Science of Animal Family Dynamics“
- Jeff Corwin: “100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth’s Most Endangered Species“
- Lucy Cooke: “The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos & Other Tales“
Farm Animals & Insects
- Janet Hurst: “Extraordinary Goats: Meetings with Remarkable Goats, Caprine Wonders, & Horned Troublemakers“
- James Rebanks: “The Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape“
- Hatkoff, A., “The Inner World of Farm Animals: Their Amazing Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Capacities“
- Catherine Friend: “Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep and Enough Wool to Save the Planet“
- Catherine Friend: “Hit by a Farm: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Farm“
- Thomas D. Seeley: “Honeybee Democracy“
- Elizabeth Tova Bailey: “The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating“
- Steve Jenkins: “Happily Ever Esther: Two Men, a Wonder Pig, & Their Life-Changing Mission“
Life & Living Books
Body & Brain
- Bill Bryson: “The Body: A Guide for Occupants“
- Gabor Mate, MD: “When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection“
- Matthew Walker, PhD: “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams“
- Giulia Enders, “Gut: the Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ“
- Sylvia Nasar: “A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash“
- Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD: “My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey“
- Theodore George, M.D.: “Untangling the Mind: Why We Behave the Way We Do“
- Kay Redfield Jameson: “An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness“
- Sandra & Matthew Blakeslee: “The Body Has a Mind of Its Own: How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You Do (Almost) Everything Better“
Love, Friendship & Relationships
- Emily Nagasaki: “Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life“
- Mary Roach: “Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex“
- Byron Katie: “I Need Your Love-Is That True?: How to Stop Seeking Love, Appreciation and Approval and Start Finding Them Instead“
- Don Miguel Ruiz: “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom“
- Don Miguel Ruiz: “The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationships“
- Elizabeth Gilbert: “Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia“
- Elizabeth Gilbert: “Committed: A Love Story“
- Rainer Maria Rilke (translation by Stephen Mitchell): “Letters to a Young Poet“
- Thaler & Sunstein: “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness“
- Christakis & Fowler: “Connected: the Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives“
- J. Dana Trent: “Saffron Cross: the Unlikely Story of How a Christian Minister Married a Hindu Monk“
Creativity & Self-Evolution
- Sonia Choquette: “Ask Your Guides: Connecting to Your Divine Support System“
- Martha Beck: “Steering By Starlight: the Science and Magic of Finding Your Destiny“
- Brene Brown, PhD: “Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead“
- Sting: “Broken Music: A Memoir“
- Elizabeth Gilbert: “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear“
- Henry Cloud: “Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up In Order to Move Forward“
- Lynne Twist: “The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Life“
- Elaine Aron: “The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You“
- Liz Wiseman & Greg McKeown: “Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter“
- Dr. Brian L. Weiss: “Many Lives, Many Masters“
- Joan Borsyenko: “Fried: Why You Burn Out and How to Revive“
- Michael Larson: “How to Write a Book Proposal“
- Susan Cain: “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
- Don Riso & Russ Hudson: “The Wisdom of the Enneagram“
Death & Grief
- Michael A. Singer: “The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself“
- Sogyal Rinpoche with Patrick Gaffney: “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying“
- Kerry Egan: “On Living“
- Annie Kagan: “The Afterlife of Billy Fingers: How My Bad Boy Brother Proved to Me There Is Life After Death“
- Maggie Callanan: “Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs and Communications of the Dying“
- Eben Alexander, M.D.: “Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey Into the Afterlife“
- Frank Ostaseski: “The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully“
- J. Dana Trent: “Dessert First: Preparing for Death While Savoring Life“
- Pema Chodron: “When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times“
Recovery Books
- Shannon Cutts: “Beating Ana: How to Outsmart Your Eating Disorder and Take Your Life Back“
- Andrea Roe & Shannon Cutts: “You Are Not Alone Book, Vol II: The Book & CD of Companionship for Women with Eating Disorders “
- June Alexander: “Ed Says, U Said: Eating Disorder Translator“
- June Alexander: “The Diary Healer: Using Writing as a Therapy for Eating Disorders“
- Jenni Schaefer & Thom Rutledge: “Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too“
- Jenni Schaefer: “Goodbye Ed, Hello Me: Recover From Your Eating Disorder and Fall In Love With Life“
- Jenni Schafer: “Almost Anorexic: Is My (Or My Loved One’s) Relationship with Food a Problem?“
- Cheryl Kerrigan-“Telling Ed No!: And Other Practical Tools to Conquer Your Eating Disorder and Find Freedom“
- Jess Weiner: “A Very Hungry Girl: How I Filled Up on Life and How You Can Too“
- Carolyn Costin & Gwen Schubert Grabb: “8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder“
- Ron Saxen: “The Good Eater: The True Story of One Man’s Struggle with Binge Eating Disorder“
- Vic Avon: “My Monster Within, My Story“
- Dena Cabrera & Emily Wierenga: “Mom in the Mirror: Body Image, Beauty and Life After Pregnancy“
- Julie O’Toole, MD: “Give Food a Chance: A New View on Childhood Eating Disorders“
- Laura Collins: “Eating With Your Anorexic: A Mother’s Memoir“
- Geneen Roth: “Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything“
- Johanna Kandel: “Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder: Reclaim Yourself, Regain Yourself, Recover for Good“
- Jean Kilbourne: “Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel“
- Hall & Cohn: “Bulimia: A Guide to Recovery 25th Anniversary Edition“
- Thom Rutledge: “Embracing Fear: How to Turn What Scares Us Into Our Greatest Gift“
Shannon Cutts 