Emma Surridge’s Shelfie
Funnily, I am not primarily a non-fiction reader, maybe reading one per four or five fiction books, but these are the books I feel most passionate about and that have affected me the most. The overarching topic here is nature writing, but there is a good variety, I think, of different perspectives and topics within that bracket.
There’s no order here, aside from the tallest books are on the bottom because that’s where they fit. I enjoy how colourful it is. In my opinion, nature books have the best covers in the book world.
There are three that are particular favourites.
The first book is a little hard to spot, it’s not flashy like some of the other covers here. Innocuous with its plain, orange spine is Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This is the point where everyone who knows me rolls their eyes, because I do not shut up about this book. I first read Braiding Sweetgrass about ten years ago, and I have always credited it with changing my life. After reading it, I switched career paths and started to learn and work in horticulture. The idea of reciprocity with nature is one that has stuck deep in my soul all these years.
A few books along is the luminous green spine of The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger. It considers the controversial topic of plant intelligence, and it was one that had me continuously exclaiming “that’s so cool!” while reading. I just freaking love plants, and the year after reading this I’ve found myself at university studying botany. Coincidence? Probably not.
Finally, tucked away in the bottom right corner, is The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. This book was a gift from an aunt, and it’s just the most beautiful reproduction of a nature journal from 1906. I’ve paged through it a few times now, and it’s such a wonderful reminder to slow down and appreciate what is right in front of you. It’s also a lovely connection to my aunt, a horticulturist herself, and seeing it is always a reminder to send her a message with the latest news from the botany labs.
Emma Surridge is a reader, blogger and botany student from the southwest of England. By day, she studies plants, goes hiking and spends all her money at various garden centers. By night, she reads, reads, reads some more and occasionally talks about her reads on her blog and Instagram.
Shelfies is edited by Lavie Tidhar and Jared Shurin.
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