New Titles

1) Peterson, Roger Tory. Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, Second Edition. 2020. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Flexibound: 505 pages. Price: $29.99 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: For decades, the Peterson Field Guide to Birds has been a popular and trusted guide for birders of all levels, thanks to its famous system of identification and unparalleled illustrations. Since the American Birding Association has expanded its species Checklist to include Hawaii, the Peterson Field Guide now includes the wonderful and exotic species of our fiftieth state. In addition, the text and range maps have been updated, and much of the art has been touched up to reflect current knowledge.
RECOMMENDATION: If you have the first edition, you will want this one because it now includes the birds of Hawaii.

2) Wright, Jim. The Real James Bond: A True Story of Identity Theft, Avian Intrigue, and Ian Fleming. 2020. Schiffer Publishing. Hardbound: 144 pages. Price: $24.99 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Whatever happened to him actually outshines anything I’ve had my James Bond do. —Ian Fleming
      James Bond: author, ornithologist, marksman, and . . . identity-theft victim? When James Bond published his landmark book, Birds of the West Indies, he had no idea it would set in motion events that would link him to the most iconic spy in the Western world and turn his life upside down. Born into a wealthy family but cut off in his early twenties, James Bond took off to the West Indies in search of adventure. Armed with arsenic and a shotgun, he took months-long excursions to the Caribbean to collect material for his iconic book, Birds of the West Indies, navigating snake-infested swamps, sleeping in hammocks, and island-hopping on tramp steamers and primitive boats. Packed with archival photos, many never before published, and interviews with Bond's colleagues, here is the real story of the pipe-smoking, ruthless ornithologist who introduced the world to the exotic birds of the West Indies.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for James Bond fans and for those with an interest in ornithological history.

3) Gilbert, Suzie. Unflappable: A Novel. 2020. Perch Press. Paperback: 320 pages. Price: $19.99 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Twenty-five-year-old Luna Burke is on the run.Licensed to care for injured and orphaned wildlife, she is determined to smuggle a homicidal Bald Eagle out of her husband’s private zoo in Florida, reunite the bird with its mate, and get them both to an eagle sanctuary in Canada. Hot on her trail are her furious husband, his bodyguards, the police, conservation officials, and an expert government tracker; aiding and abetting her is a smitten young tech guy, a lethal Navy SEAL turned panther advocate, and an underground railroad of wildlife rescuers intent on protecting one of their own. Waiting in Ontario is a legendary old eco-warrior more than willing to provide refuge…as long as Luna can make it across the border. UNFLAPPABLE is a funny, dark, sexy adventure with a big cast of unconventional characters, both human and not. “Fast-paced, crisp, smart, and passionate, Unflappable took me on a road trip unlike anything I’ve read before. Full of laugh out loud moments, it's a comic, romantic suspense story about how animals help us find the greatness within ourselves.”—Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness and The Good Good Pig "No writer captures the wild and reverent soul of wildlife rehabbers like Suzie Gilbert. Unflappable is a thrilling take of heedless, consuming, undeterred love."—Mike Bergin, founder of 10,000 Birds “Unflappable is a gripping read and a multi-leveled love story that hits many sweet spots. It’s a true to life depiction of humankind, and how our fate is intertwined with how we choose to connect to nature.”—Liz Deluna Gordon, birder and American Birding Association events coordinator.
     Suzie Gilbert is a writer, wildlife rehabilitator, and author of Flyaway: How a Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings (HarperCollins), and Hawk Hill (Chronicle Books). She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley. Unflappable is her first novel.
RECOMMENDATION: Birders should enjoy this novel.