Currently reading

I am currently reading Finding The Mother Tree by Dr. Suzanne Simard. This fantastic memoir was written by UBC Professor Dr. Suzanne Simard on her journey uncovering some fantastical truths about our forests.

Books I have enjoyed

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

  It was through reading and discovering Dr. Kimmerer’s work that I felt my concerns about science and its methods be explained to me in a language of permission. As a budding biologist, reading this incredible work opened my eyes to a criticism of scientific thought I had failed to put into words.

• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

  I first read this book when I immigrated to Canada to start University. The story of Ifemelu (the protagonist), helped me ease the difficulties and challenges of transitioning to the North American way of life. Having lived abroad before I thought I knew what to expect but the cultural shock of moving from Brazil to Costa Rica did not prepare me for the winter in Vancouver.

• The Overstory by Richard Powers

  A recent read that is on this list because of its fantastic prose but also powerful storytelling as a call to action. A lot of the books I read are about nature and this is one of my favorite nature books because it’s about people.

• Green Phoenix: Restoring the Tropical Forests of Guanacaste, Costa Ricaby William Allen

  A telling of the decades long effort to change the course of an ecosystem set for extinction, this book showed me that sometimes, good does actually triumph. With the ever-present climate anxiety we experience, this book gave me the inspiration to continue pursuing what may seem like unattainable goals.

• Uncanny Valleyby Anna Wiener

  A gripping memoir that offers insight into the culture of capitalistic innovation plaguing the technology sector. Instead of being grimm and apocalyptic, Wiener brings a sardonic yet touching lens of humans at work. Her experience is unique and although may not be the norm, helps illustrate how “productivity culture” has shaped our modern experience of work.

Got any reading recommendations? Send them my way via email!