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THE FRAGILE EARTH

WRITINGS FROM THE NEW YORKER ON CLIMATE CHANGE

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Kaleo Griffith, Gabra Zackman, and Cat Gould narrate this timely collection of climate-change nonfiction from THE NEW YORKER magazine with engagement, clarity, and an admirable mix of insistence and calm. Written by many of the magazine's most well-known authors, including Elizabeth Kolbert, Bill McKibben, Burkhard Bilger, Kathryn Schulz, and Ian Frazer, the pieces focus on "how we got here, where we are, and what we can do now." The information they relate is serially eye-opening, terrifying, and riveting. Kolbert's afterword doesn't comfort but will make you get out of your car, turn down the heat and air-conditioning, and eat fewer animals. Preferably by yesterday. That's why the narrators' articulate, unruffled readings are essential; they keep us listening to news that must no longer be avoided.

Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020

Duration: 18 hrs, 45 mins

DD ISBN: 9780063017573

Publisher: Harper Audio

Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026

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    THE FOREST YEAR

    FINDING HOPE IN A WORLD WORTH SAVING

    While Tapper is a hortatory narrator of his own work, his audiobook deserves to be heard.

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    Tapper’s hopeful tone separates this audiobook from gloomier environmental writing. According to Tapper, forests can be managed, species can be saved, and we can embrace the wonders that remain. While recognizing the loss of species and habitats and threats to the environment due to climate change and other factors, he points out how resilient trees and animals are. And he knows what he’s talking about. A longtime professional forester, Tapper is also a dedicated birder who restored 175 desolate acres in Vermont. He dubbed it Bear Island, and it’s now a thriving forest with an emerging orchard.

    While Tapper is a hortatory narrator of his own work, his audiobook deserves to be heard.

    Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026

    Duration: 8 hrs, 22 mins

    DD ISBN: 9781668660348

    Publisher: Hachette Audio

    Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026

    Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026

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      THE BUTTERFLY SEASON

      WHAT 64 BUTTERFLIES TAUGHT ME ABOUT NATURE'S GREAT MYSTERIES AND THE MEANING OF LIFE

      This gentle work celebrates the butterflies of Denmark and the beauty that is the natural world.

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      Like the subjects themselves, this catalog of Danish butterflies is a delicate and vocally colorful experience. Listeners expecting a kind of field guide to butterflies need to be prepared for much more. The author writes about the 64 species native to her home country of Denmark and her quest to see them all in one year, but the real focus is almost a love song to the beauty and wonder of the natural world. Ela Lee’s narration exactly suits the material. She keeps her voice soft but not somnolent. Her pace and tone allow the author’s words and emotions to sink in. A welcome addition to this audiobook would have been a PDF of the 64 hand-drawn illustrations of the butterflies themselves.

      This gentle work celebrates the butterflies of Denmark and the beauty that is the natural world.

      Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026

      Duration: 8 hrs, 41 mins

      DD ISBN: 9798217406722

      Publisher: Random House Audio

      Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2026

      Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2026

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