jazzyinthewild's Reviews (146)

This book was not what I expected at all.

When I was first made aware of this book, for some reason I immediately thought it would be all doom & gloom, and that if I read it I wouldn’t finish it but I was SO wrong!

Flyn’s writing is entirely captivating, I would even go as far to say mesmerising. In every chapter I felt fully immersed in each of the abandoned areas, it was a super easy, refreshing read. I found myself reading a chapter at a time, travelling across the globe to places I didn’t even know existed. 

Throughout the book we visit Scotland, Turkey, Estonia, Ukraine, USA, France, Tanzania & Montserrat, discussing the effects of landfills, war, radioactive waste, agriculture, introductions of non-native/invasive species and other manmade issues impact the nature of an environment once it’s been left to its own devices.

This book is incredibly well-written, you can tell how much time and research went into each and every page. Flyn goes into so much detail about the history of each location, including stories from local people, and also gives her own experience of each place which made the whole book truly magical. She immerses herself completely into every location, giving beautiful descriptions of how nature is reclaiming the land of abandoned places. 

This was the most lighthearted, refreshing, funny book I've read about conservation in a while.

My friend Hayley said in her blog post review of this book that it feels like you're sat in a pub with Tom Moorhouse chatting about water voles & field work over a pint, and that is the exact vibe of this book.

Tom's real account of a life in fieldwork, from being covered in water vole urine to numerous near-drowning experiences. Battling the UK's unpredictable weather and bloodthirsty mosquitoes & horseflies, Moorhouse spends 4 years attempting to reintroduce water voles to 12 different rivers in Oxfordshire to reverse their decline in the region for the first time ever.

The book definitely highlights that a lot of conservation issues are due to non-native species being introduced to the UK, usually for unsustainable reasons like fashion, 'pest' control or a quick investment.

Moorhouse's love & passion for nature shines throughout the whole book, whilst addressing the serious lack of funding & governmental commitment to conservation efforts. Despite the difficulties of working in the field, he talks about the little treasures of nature he has the pleasure of witnessing so intimately, that most people will never get to see in their lives.

I also adored all the references to Kenneth Grahame's The Wind In The Willows. I remember reading it to my Dad as a child and it's made me want to reread it.

The High House is set in a time (not too far away if we carry on how we are) where the consequences of the climate crisis have become irreversible - things like drought, rising sea levels & unpredictable extreme storms.

Francessa, an environmental scientist and climate activist, lives her life trying to persuade the rest of the world that their time is up, but ofcourse nobody wants to believe her.

With her knowledge of how little time they have left, Francessa prepares the High House for her family to take refuge. Located on an English coast, the High House sits atop a hill in a small village, with a barn stocked out with food, clothes, batteries, medicine, along with a vegetable garden, mill & tide pool. It's the perfect place to live out the floods and rising sea levels, right?.

I loved the structure and Greengrass's writing style. It felt like each chapter was almost it's own short story, but still flowed and connected with the rest of the story throughout.

This was by far the most realistic and engaging climate fiction book I have read so far. It highlighted issues like climate anxiety, social/media ignorance of the climate crisis, the danger of trying to stick to some kind of normality amidst the crisis, and how the media & governments deflect the 'blame' on the general public.

It also gave an example of what parenthood is like in a changing climate, and how many luxuries we would have to give up, not just for ourselves but also for our children.

I highly recommend this book to absolutely everyone. If anyone knows of any books similar or in the climate fiction genre please let me know.

Neil Ansell returns to his childhood stomping ground, The New Forest, reminiscing about his youth spent in the ancient woods and revisiting the places that sparked his love of nature.

Throught the book, Ansell highlights the importance of the forest. So many species rely on it's diverse landscape and are endemic to the forest, with others depending on it as vital breeding grounds.

He also remarks on the changes in nature & the environment of the forest (species numbers, increased tourism, rewilding efforts), whilst sharing his wildlife encounters - new and old.

Refreshing, relaxing & cosy with beautiful descriptions of nature, this was the perfect book to unwind with in the evenings.

Now, I really want to visit The New Forest