Cape Perdido by Marcia Muller.

Check RCPL Catalog

“…This stand-alone mystery from the creator of the popular Sharon McCone series draws much of its appeal from its rustic, beautiful Northern California setting. A small tourist community, dependent on fishing and boating, is under siege. A water-exporting company has petitioned the state for rights to literally bag the water from the Perdido River and haul it to drought-plagued communities in the southern part of the state. Tempers are hot, and seasoned environmentalists have stepped in to help the locals fight the commercial interlopers. Suddenly events spin out of control, and two activists disappear. Using the alternating perspective of four characters, Muller teases out the relationship between the present-day struggle and a terrible secret from the past.” – Booklist

Read Full Post »

California’s Wild Gardens: a Living Legacy Edited by Phyllis M. Faber.

Check RCPL Catalog

Neither a gardening book nor a field guide, “California’s Wild Gardens showcases the splendid abundance of California’s native plants in their natural settings…The book offers a close-up look at more than one hundred special sites in the state, highlighting their distinctive ecology…spectacular color photographs and lively writing…Like the best travel guides, it will inspire its readers to further explore California’s natural heritage.  In addition to illuminating California’s botanical bounty, this book discusses threats facing the state’s flora and describes protection efforts now under way.” – Publisher’s Description

Read Full Post »

Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature by Linda Lear.

ttyCheck RCPL Catalog

A book for adults about Beatrix Potter. See the new movie Miss Potter, starring Renee Zellweger, and then read “…this remarkable biography…an exploration of the life and times of a woman who is a household name on several continents, but whose personal life and significant and environmental accomplishments remain largely unknown.” – Library Journal

Read Full Post »

Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time Directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer.

Check RCPL Catalog

“Thomas Riedelsheimer’s award-winning film is a spellbinding study of Andy Goldsworthy, a Scottish land-sculptor.” – Elias Savada, nitrateonline.com

Photo Gallery for Rivers and Tides

Read Full Post »

Discovery Travel Adventure Whale Watching by Nicky Leach, Editor.

Check RCPL Catalog

“This 224-page title ventures into the secret realm of cetaceans, where whales are sovereigns of the deep, and playful dolphins merrily hold court. Informative essays look at all matters cetacean, from their renowned intelligence to the history of whaling.” – www.powells.com

Read Full Post »

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

Check RCPL catalog

“With characteristic poetry and pluck, Barbara Kingsolver and her family sweep readers along on their journey away from the industrial-food pipeline to a rural life in which they vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Their good-humored search yields surprising discoveries about turkey sex life and overly zealous zucchini plants, en route to a food culture that’s better for the neighborhood and also better on the table. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle makes a passionate case for putting the kitchen back at the center of family life and diversified farms at the center of the American diet.” – Book Description

Read an interview with the author.

Read Full Post »

Cadillac Desert: the American West and its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner.

Check RCPL catalog

“Reisner’s classic is generally considered a definitive history of water development in the United States…a must-read for anyone interested in how the West was settled by an intricate and highly political process of doling out water.” – San Francisco Chronicle

Read Full Post »