Non-fiction book review part 5 - We're going outside for this one

This is part five in a series of non-fiction book reviews, based on the idea that the non-fiction books I read and request tell you everything you need to know about me. All books in this post were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I'm always honest. This instalment takes us outside, with books featuring lavender, children's plants and coyotes.

Coyotes Among Us: Secrets of the City’s Top Predator Stanley D. Gehrt Ph.D, Kerry Luft (publishes 6 February 2024)

Before reading this book I knew next to nothing about Coyotes - except someone I follow on the internet's cat stayed out one night in Nevada, and never came home, and she thought perhaps the coyotes got him. She saw this as a lesson in keeping her cat in, not in eradicating coyotes. Anyway, I live in Melbourne, Australia and have also lived in England and Scotland. I've lived with urban foxes, and many possums but not canidae. This book is thorough and engaging. It talks about how to study coyotes and why, as well as why they are important in American urban environments. There is a focus on Chicago, as that's where the authors conducted their research. It's pretty engaging for a book written by research scientists, and the photos are frequent, helpful and also often really cute.

The Lavender Companion: Enjoy the Aroma, Flavor, and Health Benefits of This Classic Herb Terry Barlin Vesci, Jessica Dunham (publishes 28 May 2024)

I love lavender. In the house I grew up in we had a lavender bush by the letterbox, and after I started balcony gardening in earnest I planted a French Lavender that is not very scented but flowers in winter, and an English Lavender that is just coming into bloom now, and smells so good.

So, requesting this book was pretty obvious. The authors run a lavender farm in Arizona, and really know their topic. The first thing that struck me about this book is how pretty it is.

It's also informative and inspiring. It had chapters on how to grow lavender, how to use it in various ways including body-care, food, drinks. At the end Terry explained how she and her partner became lavender farmers, and it made me want to try something new in life. You can also go and visit their farms, and I really wanted to. What a lovely book!

You Grow Girl by Rose Rossner (publishing 5 March 2024)

I'm not sure why I keep requesting children's books, but I do. This one called to me because of the adorable cover.

The whole book is equally adorably illustrated. The text is rhyming and it's basically all plant puns and punny plant affirmations. This is not in any way a "how to" about plants, it's a "good vibes only" about life! I could imagine reading this with a youngish child, but I'm actually thinking about buying it for my best friend, who shares and encourages my plant obsession.

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What I made, by Sharon

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