Back in March 2020, I published a review of Kelly Brenner‘s then recently released book Nature Obscura; a City’s Hidden Natural World. It is a work by which I was – and still very much remain – much impressed by its overall concept, its content, and its writing style; which is why it continues to be one of the books I still commonly recommend to all seeking a book in which to loose themselves in the wonders of the natural world.
Therefore when word reached me that it has been so well received that a second print run has been made of it, I was delighted – the world needs more book like this, as well as more copies of this book. But what particularly touched my heart – much in the same way that, as I explain in my review, the book did itself – was that the publisher saw fit to include a passage from my original review of it among the praise the work has received.
As is widely known, I never review books that I don’t think are worth being read. Consequently, I am delighted when a book that I have reviewed finds its audience and is well-received. I make no claim to having been responsible for the success of any given book, but I hope I can be forgiven for thinking that I may have at least helped a few readers to find it. Helping readers of natural history to find new and interesting books was my purpose for creating The Well-read Naturalist in the first place, and it remains the reason I continue to write and publish it more than a decade later.
