August 2024 Reading Wrap-Up

Herbals & Nature Reads

Looking back over the book stacks, both on my furniture and on my devices, I realize that this has been a decidedly eclectic and mildly chaotic reading month. I actually pulled many more herbal reference books off the shelves than are reflected here, but I decided to only include the ones that I am truly reading cover to cover, rather than simply using them to research something specific.

A deep dive into researching about the plant Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) was a revelation about the difference between modern herbals, admittedly lovely and lush with color photographs and beautiful illustrations, and vintage herbals. If you can find a mention of this wonderful plant in a modern herbal it is barely glancing at it, often something vague like: emmenagogue, used traditionally in magic. Meanwhile, turn-of-the-20^th -century herbalist Hilda Leyel devoted pages to detailing the uses. An interesting exception to the modern herbals rule is Kami McBride’s KITCHEN HERBAL. She devotes plenty of space and includes multiple recipes and formulas that highlight Mugwort. But I digress…you can read more about this plant on this coming Friday’s ‘Notes From a Folk Herbalist’s Journal.’ For now, I urge you to not only enjoy the plethora of visual feasts offered by modern herbals but hold onto (or get a hold of) classic herbals that are information rich. *Steps off soapbox.*

The two herbals I am currently reading cover-to-cover are TRAVERSING THE WILD TERRAIN OF MENOPAUSE: Herbal Allies for Midlife Women & Men by Gail Faith Edwards and ENERGETIC HERBALISM: A Guide to Sacred Plant Traditions Integrating Elements of Vitalism, Ayurveda, and Chinese Medicine by Kat Maier. I’ve had the honor of meeting both of these herbalists in person (briefly) and benefitted from their work for years. Gail Faith Edwards of Blessed Maine Herb Farm is the first person I mail ordered bulk herbs from when I was pregnant with our second child. Our new home in rural Appalachia didn’t have any herb shops with shelves laden with glass jars filled with fragrant and colorful herbs, and it was before the days of the internet. Our midwife recommended Blessed Maine Herbs and for many years it was my only source for excellent quality dried herbs that I didn’t grow myself. It’s a joy to read this passionately written book, which I purchased directly from Gail at an International Herb Symposium.

Kat Maier hosted a Mother’s Day weekend workshop in Virginia in the 1990’s. It featured herbalist Rosemary Gladstar and I was able to attend while our third child was a toddler. I’ve followed Kat’s work over the years since then but this comprehensive book ties so many elements together and I can read, reread, highlight, and make marginal notes as I work my way through complex theories and insightful explanations. This book was released in 2021, but it has the information dense qualities of a classic herbal that I love and simple, inspiring hand-drawn illustrations by Lara Call Gastinger at the beginning of each chapter.

Reading happens in the midst of life, of course, and starting and finishing books doesn’t fit into neat calendar months. Some of the books I am reading will stay on my nightstand or desk for at least another month. I’m reading BEATRIX POTTER: A Life in Nature by Linda Lear and likely will continue for a while yet. This is a huge book that takes its time and, as such, it is teaching me to take my time. I had several books like that this month, and they helped me be more aware of my impatience while reading. Sometimes there is such a rush to “find out what happens” as if the whole point of a book is to get to the end. BEATRIX POTTER: A Life in Nature is a book that invites the reader to slow down, to notice the details of everyday life, and appreciate the present just as it is. This feels like a soothing tonic for our times of rushing, urgency, and cut-to-the-chase adrenaline shots that read more like the script of a streaming series than a book. I’m reading this book alongside purusing collections of Beatrix Potter’s artwork, as well as reading aloud her delightful “little books” with our grandson, tucked between walks in nature, and even a little nature journaling.

Another book that gave me an opportunity to slow down and enter another world with a completely different pace and rules of engagement was THE HOUSE IN THE HEDGE by Melanie Leavey. I read this one on my e-reader, which I do whenever possible because it is so much kinder to my aging eyes. The author classifies this book as a cozy fantasy, which caught my attention because of my affection for cozy mysteries. It’s lovely old-world setting, relatable characters, and the device of having two parallel worlds unfolding simultaneously drew me in from the start. The main character, Hazel, is a life-long introvert and in the process of recovering from a disastrous marriage. She inherits the cottage of her beloved Nan and longs for the solitude and comfort she imagines she will find there. But it turns out that the cottage comes with responsibilities to manage the liminal space between two worlds, one human and the other decidedly not. There is magic as well as mundane, and just like life, they’re happening simultaneously. I look forward to reading more about Hazel’s adventures in the next Tale of Winkle Village book.  

Both LAUREL’S KITCHEN CARING by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, et. al. and WITCH WISDOM FOR MAGICAL AGING: Finding Your Power Through the Changing Seasons by Cait Johnson and Caitlin Matthews are re-reads. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve read them in whole or in part, but they’re both deeply inspiring. LAUREL’S KITCHEN books have been an important part of my life since I first began making a home of my own as a young woman. They’re useful and practical but also comforting, representing both a dream I hoped to fulfill and memory books of my journey as a homemaker. LAUREL’S KITCHEN CARING is a tender book for times when we are called to care for one another and ourselves during illness. It contains so much more than recipes though. It is a book about community nourishment as well as tending to the needs of the physical body. WITCH WISDOM FOR MAGICAL AGING is not unlike this, but the focus is on a specific stage of life and the structure is seasonal and connects me to the Earth as I read, try recipes, gather natural items for crafts, share wild and garden teas, and more. Both books remind me that life is a precious privilege at every age and time.

This Reading Wrap-Up is getting long but I don’t want to skip two profound books that I listened to in audio format through the Libby app on my phone. Stunning in their scope and depth, I consider both of these books to be must-reads and plan to revisit them. THE NATURE FIX by Florence Williams is relatable and shows clearly why caring for the natural world immediately and positively affects our health and our lives. THE LIGHT EATERS by Zoe Schlanger is paradigm-shifting and goes far beyond anything I could possibly say about it. Our relationship with other non-human species has never been more important than it is now, and we all need to find a way into our place in the much bigger picture of life. Highly, highly recommended!

How about you? What’s happening in your reading life lately? Please feel free to share your current literary crushes and inspirations.