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.

Check out my Goodreads review.

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GoodReads: Hannah Buschert
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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.

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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

An epic, fascinating history of the fight to save America's birds featuring heroes, martyrs, villains, and conflicted do-gooders.

James H. McCommons', The Feather Wars is an entertaining and expansive work of American history, an incredible story about how disparate characters—progressive politicians, free-thinking society belles, nature writers and artists, bird-loving U.S. presidents, gunmakers, business titans, and brave game wardens—came together to save hundreds of species of birds. Heroes, martyrs, villains, and conflicted do-gooders—the early bird conservation movement had them all. Together they transformed how Americans thought and cared about birds, forever altering the American landscape.

Check out my GoodReads review.

More about James: https://www.jamesmccommons.com/

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

Get a discount at Buteo Books using code: BIRDNERDBOOKCLUB

Women have been shaping the conservation movement in Texas since the nineteenth century, though their stories are rarely told. Women played an invaluable role in the establishment of parks, protection of wildlife, developing policies that value nature, and defending communities against pollution and destruction of habitat. Their efforts enriched and reinforced the natural heritage of Texas. Jennifer Bristol's Wild Women for Good: Stories of Conservation in Texas celebrates those who dared to step forward to make a difference and to tell the complex story of conservation in the Lone Star state.

Wild Women for Good spans a century and a half of conservationists—rural and urban—and the differences they made. Opening with the first conservation movement in Texas and the effort to stop the millenary industry’s slaughter of birds for their plumage, the book shows how early advocates broke down barriers and opened doors for other women to save and protect species, land, and water for future generations.

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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

*I am aware I uploaded the incorrect file initially. The correct file has been posted, however it can take time for streaming services to update.*

How does a bird experience a city? A backyard? A park? As the world has become more urban, noisier from increased traffic, and brighter from streetlights and office buildings, it has also become more dangerous for countless species of birds.

In The Bird-Friendly City, Timothy Beatley, a longtime advocate for intertwining the built and natural environments, takes readers on a global tour of cities that are reinventing the status quo with birds in mind. Efforts span a fascinating breadth of approaches: public education, urban planning and design, habitat restoration, architecture, art, civil disobedience, and more.

Also check out...

Biophilic Cities

The Promise of Bird-Friendly Cities

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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

While the question 'why do birds sing?' might seem a simple one, the answer is complex!

Throughout our history birdsong has influenced art, poetry and music. It can elevate our mood and bring our backyards to life. We often hear birds singing as we go about our lives, but have you ever wondered who they are singing to and what they are singing about?

Dr. Grainne Cleary's Why Do Birds Sing? provides an insight into the world of bird communication that will surprise and delight you. It's an absorbing and informative book filled with answers to many of the common and often uncommon questions we ask about birdsong.

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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

It is the end of 2025 - so time for a bit of a wrap-up! Lyzy Lusterman, owner of Buteo Books, joined me to talk about some favorites, some trends, and books to look forward to in 2025.

Buteo Books is a family-owned and operated business based on the firm belief that independent booksellers are a vital component of our social and cultural landscape. Their brick-and-mortar store is in San Rafael, California but can also be found online (Instagram; TikTok)

Don't forget to check-out Buteo Books for holiday gifts! Use discount code: BIRDNERDBOOKCLUB to receive 5% off your orders.

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