Did you know you can actually leach acorns and create an acorn flour? How to forage for wild foods without dying: an absolute beginner’s guide to identifying 40 edible wild plants by expert forager Ellen Zachos helps you know where and when to find the plants in season and what to know before they are eaten. She even includes a few recipes to take your foraging further. This book can be found under the call number 581.632 for edible plants.

Books that teach sustainability are always excellent ones to pick up. Survival Gardening: Grow Your Own Emergency Food Supply from Seed to Root Cellar by survival-skills educator and gardener, Sam Coffman, will teach you the necessary steps and tools to create your very own survival garden. Coffman guides the reader from the basics of the first 5 days to planning for a continual food supply. Whether you want to learn about composting or interested in growing a mushroom log, this essential guide is a must read. This book can be found under the call number 635.0484 for organic gardening.

Too bored to cook? Too sad, anxious, depressed? You Gotta Eat: Real Life Strategies for feeding yourself when cooking feels impossible by food editor and chef, Margaret Eby, could be your solution for when cooking feels like a chore. Whether you can only open something or assemble something Eby gives tips for how to eat when you’re only capable of so much that day. This book can be found under the call number 641.512 for beginner cooking – easy dishes.

I love birds and bird books so I cannot get enough of them. The Bird Book: The Stories, Science, and History of Birds by DK is no exception. Whether you like hummingbirds or hornbills, this guide of our favorite feathered friends showcases their extraordinary behaviors. The images really show the vibrancy of some of the more exotic birds. My favorite bird is a blue jay, so I especially enjoyed the 6 page spread on the curious and intelligent crows, jays, and magpies. This book can be found under the call number 598 for birds.

By Stephanie Garn

Technical Services Department Head