Steve's Herpetological Blog

An insight into the life of Steve, his research and the many books he reads

Books

#StevesLibrary: His Imperial Majesty

You may remember a short while ago when I reviewed The Butterfly Isles by Patrick Barkham, it was during this book that I first me the eccentric character that is Matthew Oates. In Barkham’s book, Oates helps him to see…

#StevesLibrary: The Body

Bill Bryson is one of those authors that I respect for taking on the challenge of writing books on the most impossible topics. The Body: A Guide for Occupants is no exception. How on Earth do you go about summarising…

#StevesLibrary: Winged Obsession

There aren’t many books out there on the illegal wildlife trade, which is a shame as it is an interesting and often overlooked area of conservation. Some of you may remember back to last summer when I read Stolen Worlds,…

#StevesLibrary: Silent Spring

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, especially being a conservationist. Thankfully, I finally have and I’m glad I did. Despite the fact that Silent Spring was published 60 years ago,…

#StevesLibrary: Sex, Botany and Empire

After reading The Naming of the Shrew recently, I was eager to find our more about Carl Linnaeus in an easily digestible format. That is where Sex, Botany & Empire comes in. The author, Patricia Fara is a historian of…

#StevesLibrary: The Drunken Forest

I had to end 2021 on a positive note, and so I chose to read The Drunken Forest by Gerald Durrell, for the simple fact that Durrell’s writing is always something that helps fill you with optimism and hope. Durrell…

#StevesLibrary: All That Remains

When you pick up a book about death, you expect it to be slightly sad and macabre. That is just the nature of the subject. Yet, Professor Dame Sue Black is able to make death a more welcoming subject by…

#StevesLibrary: What Do You Think Are?

When I first picked up What Do You Think You Are? by Brian Clegg, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d just finished I, Mammal by Liam Drew which documents what makes humans mammals, which meant that I was already…

#StevesLibrary: I, Mammal

My reading tendencies lead to me reading books on all kinds of topics, depending on what I decide to pick up off of the shelf at that moment time. Sometimes I pick a book on a topic, with which I…

#StevesLibrary: The Brilliant Abyss

This may be one of the newest books I’ve reviewed in a while, as The Brilliant Abyss was published only earlier on this year. I was lucky enough to pick up my copy second-hand in a charity shop, which I…