Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Nature & Travel Book Reviews Available Now


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Cover art for INTO THE ABYSS
NONFICTION
Released: May 21, 2013

"A worthy addition to the canon of extreme-survival nonfiction."
White-knuckle account of a terrifying 1984 plane crash in the Canadian wilderness and its improbable reverberations in the lives of four survivors. Read full book review >
Cover art for A BOOK OF VOYAGES
NONFICTION
Released: May 20, 2013
edited by Patrick O'Brian

"O'Brian's fans and armchair travelers will naturally gravitate to this eclectic work."
A curiously engrossing collection of travel writings from the 17th and 18th centuries, collected by the deceased author of the Aubrey/Maturin series. Read full book review >
Cover art for WILD ONES
NONFICTION
Released: May 20, 2013

"An engaging nature/environment book that goes beyond simple-minded sloganeering."
The plights of polar bears, Lange's metalmark butterflies and whooping cranes frame this discussion of humankind's relations with the animal kingdom, the environment and itself. Read full book review >
Cover art for ON WHEELS
NONFICTION
Released: May 14, 2013

"An entertaining personal essay, short and sweet, about the cars in the life of Holroyd."
Prodigious British biographer and memoirist Holroyd (A Book of Secrets, 2011, etc.) tells of memorable automobiles in his life and in the lives of those about whom he has written. Read full book review >
Cover art for WALDEN ON WHEELS
NONFICTION
Released: May 14, 2013

"A middling memoir of a young man's attempts to live as a modern-day ascetic."
A recent college grad discovers how to live life and pay off his student loans at the same time. Read full book review >
Cover art for NAMES FOR THE SEA
NONFICTION
Released: May 14, 2013

"An infectious memoir from someone engagingly candid about her temporary homeland's limitations--and her own."
The story of a British academic who, intending to fulfill her childhood dream of northern living, took a university job in Reykjavik. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE LAST TRAIN TO ZONA VERDE
NONFICTION
Released: May 7, 2013

"Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general."
The acclaimed travel writer and novelist chronicles his journey through Africa as tourist, adventure-seeker, thinker and hopeful critic. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE EMERALD MILE
NONFICTION
Released: May 7, 2013

"An epic-sized true-life adventure tale that appeals to both the heart and the head."
Man's indomitable need for adventure is the only thing more impressive than the awesome power of nature and the brilliance of technology described in this lovingly rendered retelling of one of the most remarkable events ever to occur inside the Grand Canyon. Read full book review >
Cover art for BEG
NONFICTION
Released: May 1, 2013

"A big-hearted and well-meaning rehash of vital but hoary arguments urging decency toward animals."
The well-turned ground of humans behaving inhumanely toward animals is turned again, without any significant updates. Read full book review >
Cover art for BUTTERFLY PEOPLE
NONFICTION
Released: April 23, 2013

"For general readers, the esoteric minutia may overwhelm. For naturalists and butterfly buffs, however, this is an unusual, pinpointed slice of American life enlivened with fragments of correspondence and reproductions of plates from classic books of the period."
An expansive historical account of the 19th-century figures whose enthusiasm and perseverance shaped natural history studies on butterflies. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE INCIDENTAL STEWARD
NONFICTION
Released: April 22, 2013

"Sure to inform and delight nature lovers."
Essayist and former Metropolis contributing editor Busch (Patience: Taking Time in an Age of Acceleration, 2010, etc.) shows how ordinary people can play an important role in protecting the natural environment simply by "paying attention" to the creatures around us. Read full book review >
Cover art for MY BACKYARD JUNGLE
NONFICTION
Released: April 22, 2013

"Intelligent and quietly provocative."
A naturalist's account of how turning his backyard into a certified wildlife habitat inspired him to explore "the limits of coexistence" more globally. Read full book review >