Fans of L. M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle, will enjoy Andrea Ezerins' When the Forest Dreams, a contemporary retelling of the beloved romance that follows a sheltered young woman’s quest for love in New York City—and her search for a rare and elusive bird in the deep Arkansas forest.

What if the life you were meant to live was waiting just outside your door?

New York City, 2013. Emma Jablonski’s life is as dry as the day-old bread at her family’s bakery. Living with her parents and grandmother, she clings to the only escape she knows: a recurring dream that feels more real than her waking world. But when Emma’s eyes are open, she’s reminded of what’s out of reach—Jake, the enigmatic boy-next-door.

After a life-changing diagnosis forces her to face her fears, Emma decides it’s time to truly live—before it’s too late. With Jake and his vibrant friend Vee, she dives into a whirlwind of experiences: a fake engagement, dazzling parties, and an obsession with the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird that may not even exist.

But as her daring adventure is coming to an end, Emma begins to embrace a future she never thought possible. Dreams and reality aren’t supposed to mix . . . are they?

Read more about Andrea Ezerins.

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GoodReads: Hannah Buschert
IG: @Hannahgoesbirding
Facebook: @HannahandErikGoBirding
Email us at HannahandErikGoBirding@gmail.com
Website: http://www.gobirdingpodcast.com

Get a discount at Buteo Books using code: BIRDNERDBOOKCLUB

Birdsong is the soundtrack to our world. We have tried to capture its fleeting, ephemeral beauty, and the feelings it inspires, for millennia.

Richard Smyth's A Sweet, Wild Note explores science, music, literature, landscape and the thousand different ways in which birdsong has moved us. A bright song on a lonely street can lift our mood, bringing comfort, wonder or joy. But can we learn to listen, really listen, to what the birds are saying? Or do they just tell us back our own tales?

More about Richard Smyth.

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GoodReads: Hannah Buschert
IG: @Hannahgoesbirding
Facebook: @HannahandErikGoBirding
Email us at HannahandErikGoBirding@gmail.com
Website: http://www.gobirdingpodcast.com

Get a discount at Buteo Books using code: BIRDNERDBOOKCLUB

Author and longtime volunteer surveyor Maria Mudd Ruth weaves together science, field observation, and community storytelling in this engaging exploration of one bird’s life. Drawing from over a decade of beachside study, she dives deep into the guillemot’s behaviors, quirky traits, and ecological relationships. Along the way, readers meet the passionate citizen scientists who have built a unique community around caring for and studying this vibrant bird.

Bridging the gap between field guide and memoir, The Bird with Flaming Red Feet invites readers to slow down, look closely, and reconnect with the wild places--and creatures--just outside their door. It’s a joyful call to observation, stewardship, and a deeper understanding of our coastal world.

Salish Sea Guillemot Network

Check out my GoodReads review.

Support the show

Connect with me at...

GoodReads: Hannah Buschert
IG: @Hannahgoesbirding
Facebook: @HannahandErikGoBirding
Email us at HannahandErikGoBirding@gmail.com
Website: http://www.gobirdingpodcast.com

Get a discount at Buteo Books using code: BIRDNERDBOOKCLUB