Nonfiction: Nature
Visit the Mojave Desert, survey the forests of California, and cultivate herbs with these earthy books.
Find inspiration from naturalists, gardeners, and adventurers who are among the many talented writers contributing to Alta Journal. Works by Obi Kaufmann, Johanna Silver, and Ben Ehrenreich are included in the nature category of the special book guide that appears in our Fall 2021 issue.
THE FORESTS OF CALIFORNIA: A CALIFORNIA FIELD ATLAS, BY OBI KAUFMANN
Naturalist, writer, and illustrator Obi Kaufman offers a tour through the forests of California in this detailed guide that celebrates the Golden State’s arboreal glory. Weaving watercolor maps and trail paintings into sections of prose that highlight various species of trees, flora, and fauna throughout the state, The Forests of California tells a story about a rich ecosystem that spans millions of years while offering a profound vision for nature in the decades to come. Heyday, September 2020, 640 pages, $55 paperback
GROWING WEED IN THE GARDEN: A NO-FUSS, SEED-TO-STASH GUIDE TO OUTDOOR CANNABIS CULTIVATION, BY JOHANNA SILVER
Johanna Silver, former garden editor of Sunset magazine, beckons readers to their vegetable plots to connect with the earth—and to start growing cannabis! Silver started growing her own weed just a few years ago, but her appreciation for the plant bloomed into a passion for guiding amateur growers through planting, harvesting, preparing, and transforming cannabis flowers into joints and oils. Martha Stewart praises Growing Weed in the Garden on its back cover: “I need two copies—one for me and one for Snoop.” Abrams, March 2020, 256 pages, $29.99 hardcover
Bound Together 2021
Stories: Death and the Female Body
Fiction: Science Fiction
Biography and Memoir: How Octavia E. Butler Wrote
