Here are 64 books that Cottonwoods fans have personally recommended if you like Cottonwoods. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of Appalachian Wilderness

Peter Essick Author Of Fernbank Forest

From my list on photography about trees and forests.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a working photographer my whole life, with 30 years of experience with National Geographic magazine. My focus has been on nature and environmental themes. I have travelled the world but became passionate about the Fernbank Forest near my home in Atlanta when I received a commission to photograph the restoration of the forest. 

Peter's book list on photography about trees and forests

Peter Essick Why Peter loves this book

I have almost all of the photobooks by Eliot Porter, the master of color nature photography, but this is my favorite. He uses his “intimate landscapes” approach to great effort to capture the beauty of this wildlands in extraordinary detail.

By Edward Abbey , Eliot Porter (photographer) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Appalachian Wilderness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The photography of Eliot Porter captures the majestic beauty of the Appalachian wilderness. In the contrast, the harsh human history--the blighting force of today's industrial tourism, the sad fate of the Cherokee Indians, and the mountaineers--is sensitively recorded by Abbey. 45 color illustrations. 128 pages. Size D.48 color illus. 10 x 13 3/4. $37.50 value.


If you love Cottonwoods...

Ad

Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Chased by the Light

Peter Essick Author Of Fernbank Forest

From my list on photography about trees and forests.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a working photographer my whole life, with 30 years of experience with National Geographic magazine. My focus has been on nature and environmental themes. I have travelled the world but became passionate about the Fernbank Forest near my home in Atlanta when I received a commission to photograph the restoration of the forest. 

Peter's book list on photography about trees and forests

Peter Essick Why Peter loves this book

I have long been an admirer of Jim Brandenburg's nature photography. This is his magnum opus, in which he raised the bar by only exposing one photographic frame each day for the 90 days of autumn. The results are spectacular.

By Jim Brandenburg ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Chased by the Light as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Presents the noted photographer's images of Northern Minnesota taken during his self-assigned task of taking only one photograph per day through the fall season.


Book cover of Natural-light Photography

Peter Essick Author Of Fernbank Forest

From my list on photography about trees and forests.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a working photographer my whole life, with 30 years of experience with National Geographic magazine. My focus has been on nature and environmental themes. I have travelled the world but became passionate about the Fernbank Forest near my home in Atlanta when I received a commission to photograph the restoration of the forest. 

Peter's book list on photography about trees and forests

Peter Essick Why Peter loves this book

I first learned the techniques of nature photography from the Ansel Adams 5-book series. Adams offers great insights into how to best approach photographing difficult aspects of nature (including forests) in all weather and light conditions.

By Ansel Adams ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Natural-light Photography as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been…


If you love Robert Adams...

Ad

Book cover of The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More: A Great Wharf Novel

The Year Mrs. Cooper Got Out More by Meredith Marple,

The coastal tourist town of Great Wharf, Maine, boasts a crime rate so low you might suspect someone’s lying.

Nevertheless, jobless empty nester Mallory Cooper has become increasingly reclusive and fearful. Careful to keep the red wine handy and loath to leave the house, Mallory misses her happier self—and so…

Book cover of The Sibley Guide to Trees

Peter Essick Author Of Fernbank Forest

From my list on photography about trees and forests.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a working photographer my whole life, with 30 years of experience with National Geographic magazine. My focus has been on nature and environmental themes. I have travelled the world but became passionate about the Fernbank Forest near my home in Atlanta when I received a commission to photograph the restoration of the forest. 

Peter's book list on photography about trees and forests

Peter Essick Why Peter loves this book

I found this guidebook the best for identifying species and explaining their characteristics within a forest. Knowing the species improved my forest photgraphy greatly.

By David Allen Sibley ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sibley Guide to Trees as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A beautiful, masterful and much needed work that willhenceforth be our guide to North American trees.Brought to you by David Sibley of Sibleys Birder Guides.


Book cover of Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: The Uncensored Story of the JonBenet Murder and the Grand Jury's Search for the Truth

Rick Geary Author Of A Treasury Of Victorian Murder Compendium: Including: Jack The Ripper, The Beast Of Chicago, Fatal Bullet

From my list on unsolved murders.

Why am I passionate about this?

I trace my interest in true crime back to the early 1970s when I worked as a staff cartoonist for a weekly newspaper in Wichita, Kansas. A former cop lent me his vast collection of mugshots. Looking into the literal face of crime awakened in me a lasting interest. He also gave me a copy of the complete police file of an unsolved murder from years earlier. Scrutinizing it gave birth to my passion for real-life mysteries like Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, Mary Rogers, and the Black Dahlia. To my mind, questions are always more fascinating than answers.  

Rick's book list on unsolved murders

Rick Geary Why Rick loves this book

This is the most detailed account we’re likely to get of what remains an enduring mystery: the 1996 murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey in her home in the affluent town of Boulder, Colorado. From the beginning, police and all other observers were baffled, although the victim’s parents remained under a cloud of suspicion. An added bizarre element was the mother’s grooming of her daughter to compete in child beauty pageants.

By Lawrence Schiller ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Perfect Murder, Perfect Town as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, Lawrence Schiller thoroughly recreates every aspect of the complex case of the death of JonBenét Ramsey. A brilliant portrait of an inscrutable family thrust under the spotlight of public suspicion and an affluent, tranquil city torn apart by a crime it couldn't handle, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town uncovers the mysteries that have bewildered the nation.

Why were the Ramseys, the targets of the investigation, able to control the direction of the police inquiry?

Can the key to the murder be found in the pen and writing pad used for the ransom note?

Was it possible…


Book cover of The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder

Dianne DeMille Author Of Path of the Devil: Camino del Diablo

From my list on true crime and corruption.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an educator and author of many books, I was asked to write a book about the spiritual journey of a DEA agent with two PIs. They were determined to end a notorious Cartel organization operating along the U.S. Southwestern border. For over five years the two Private Investigators (PI) and DEA Agent Larry Hardin prepared the case for prosecution. The case hit one roadblock after another when presented to five different U.S. Attorneys for prosecution. The books listed below will appeal to similar customers and show connections of the criminal underworld and how the judicial system function’s; finding a way to bring them to justice. News junkies, historians, and true crime enthusiasts will enjoy reading these stories told by those who investigated the activities. 

Dianne's book list on true crime and corruption

Dianne DeMille Why Dianne loves this book

This book is about the horrific murder of Chris Watts' wife and children. Many details of the case give the reader a birds-eye view of the situation, without dramatizing the events. Living in Southern California, I remember hearing the news about these murders and cannot understand how someone could do it. Such a sad story.

By John Glatt ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Perfect Father as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In The Perfect Father, New York Times bestselling author John Glatt reveals the tragedy of the Watts family, whose seemingly perfect lives played out on social media―but the truth would lead to a vicious and heartbreaking murder.

In the early morning hours of August 13th, 2018, Shanann Watts was dropped off at home by a colleague after returning from a business trip. It was the last time anyone would see her alive. By the next day, Shanann and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, had been reported missing, and her husband, Chris Watts, was appearing on the local news,…


If you love Cottonwoods...

Ad

Book cover of That First Heady Burn

That First Heady Burn by George Bixley,

Don’t mess with the hothead—or he might just mess with you. Slater Ibáñez is only interested in two kinds of guys: the ones he wants to punch, and the ones he sleeps with. Things get interesting when they start to overlap. A freelance investigator, Slater trolls the dark side of…

Book cover of Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men's Cross Country Team

Timothy M. Tays Author Of Wannabe Distance God: The Thirst, Angst, and Passion of Running in the Chase Pack

From my list on the passion for distance running.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a boy and then as a young man I was a passionate, compulsive, and hypercompetitive sub-elite distance runner. In middle age I became a clinical psychologist and only then did I come to fully understand my youthful need to run long distances fast and beat everyone that I could. I captured the etiology and passion in Wannabe Distance God.

Timothy's book list on the passion for distance running

Timothy M. Tays Why Timothy loves this book

Hardcore, Division I distance running at one of the greatest distance-running schools: the University of Colorado, led by the passionate and hyper-competitive phenom Adam Goucher. With passion and suspense, Lear captures the lives of these young men and offers a glimpse of what drives a gifted runner like Adam Goucher and a great coach like Mark Wetmore.

By Chris Lear ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Running with the Buffaloes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Top five Best Books About Running, Runner's World Magazine Top three Best Books About Running, readers of Runner's World Magazine (December 2009) In RUNNING WITH THE BUFFALOES, writer Chris Lear follows the University of Colorado cross-country team through an unforgettable NCAA season. Allowed unparalleled access to team practices, private moments, and the mind of Mark Wetmore--one of the country's most renowned and controversial coaches--Lear provides a riveting look inside the triumphs and heartaches of a perennial national contender and the men who will stop at nothing to achieve excellence. The Buffaloes' 1998 season held great promise, with Olympic hopeful Adam…


Book cover of A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy

Laura Jean Baker Author Of The Motherhood Affidavits: A Memoir

From my list on the dark complexities of motherhood.

Why am I passionate about this?

I wear many aprons. I am a writer; a professor of creative writing and literature; a mother to five children – daughters and sons; the wife of a criminal defense attorney; and the daughter of therapists. I read and write at the intersection of these influences: crime, motherhood, and psychology. When I teach children’s literature, I lean toward the Brothers Grimm. Childhood is grittier – more suspenseful – when we darken the stories. The same is true of motherhood. Nobody wants to read about a perfect mother, especially when mothers spend so much of our psychic energy worried about our children in the forms of violence, illness, and death. I prefer to seek out books that complicate the otherwise pristine stories of our lives we pretend to tell.

Laura's book list on the dark complexities of motherhood

Laura Jean Baker Why Laura loves this book

If you vividly remember the Columbine High School shooting or any of the horrific moments of spectacle violence in the subsequent two decades (Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Parkland, etc.), this book answers questions you might have been afraid to ask, such as, how do parents of these “monsters next door”– in particular their mothers – survive in the wake of such horror, and where do they find grace? As a mother to three boys and two girls, in a 21st-century America that continues to be plagued by gun violence, I read (and re-read) Sue Klebold’s honest story, aware on every page, that the reverberating effects of Columbine, complete with active-shooter training in our kids’ schools, still permeate our everyday lives.

By Sue Klebold ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Mother's Reckoning as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Over the course of minutes, they would kill twelve students and a teacher and wound twenty-four others before taking their own lives.

For the last sixteen years, Sue Klebold, Dylan's mother, has lived with the indescribable grief and shame of that day. How could her child, the promising young man she had loved and raised, be responsible for such horror? And how, as his mother, had she not known something was wrong? Were there subtle signs she had missed? What, if anything, could…


Book cover of Making a Real Killing: Rocky Flats and the Nuclear West

Kari Lydersen Author Of Revolt on Goose Island: The Chicago Factory Takeover and What It Says About the Economic Crisis

From my list on labour and workers fighting against all odds.

Why am I passionate about this?

Fresh out of journalism school I stumbled on a strike at a machine shop in Pilsen, a neighborhood once home to Chicago’s most famous labor struggles, by then becoming a hip gentrified enclave. Drinking steaming atole with Polish, Mexican, and Puerto Rican workers in a frigid Chicago winter, I was captivated by the solidarity and determination to fight for their jobs and rights, in what appeared to be a losing battle. After covering labor struggles by Puerto Rican teachers, Mexican miners, Colombian bottlers, Chicago warehouse workers, and many others, my enthusiasm for such stories is constantly reignited -- by the workers fighting against all odds and the writers telling their stories, including those featured here.

Kari's book list on labour and workers fighting against all odds

Kari Lydersen Why Kari loves this book

In the nondescript yet fortified facility on dusty ranchland at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, workers toiled in strange conditions making a mysterious product, unknown even to them. Turns out they were manufacturing plutonium triggers for nuclear weapons, and terrifying radioactive fires eventually laid bare the dire toll of the Cold War arms race on Colorado’s people and land. Chemical companies and the government conspired to avoid scrutiny, ensure obedience and keep illegally dumping toxic waste. Yet solidarity was born among workers caught between their need for a job and their fear and outrage at being used as throw-away cogs in a doomed war machine.

By Len Ackland ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Making a Real Killing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book examines the sobering realities associated with the participation of ordinary Americans in the development of the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal. A former Chicago Tribune reporter and one-time editor of 'The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists', Len Ackland explores the fascinating story of Rocky Flats, Colorado for the first time. He skilfully weaves together the experiences of individuals with clear explanations of nuclear weapons technology , the dangers posed by plutonium and radiation, and the bitter fight between government agencies over environmental degradation.


If you love Robert Adams...

Ad

Book cover of My Book Boyfriend

My Book Boyfriend by Kathy Strobos,

Lily loves her community garden. Rupert wants to bulldoze it. When feelings grow, will they blossom or turn to rubble?

"It literally had everything! - Bookworm Characters - Humor - Banter - Swoon-worthy lines."  - Book Reviewer.

Book cover of When the Wind Blows

Marisa Noelle Author Of The Unadjusteds: The Unadjusteds Book 1

From my list on sci-fi dystopian novels with genetic modification.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always been fascinated by genetics. Ever since Dolly the Sheep was cloned in the 1990s, I wondered if it was possible for it to have a soul, was it a carbon copy, did it know it had a twin? Move on to when I studied biology and then psychology. My brother became a genetic scientist, and we have both always been fascinated by the possibilities. Although the human genome project has been declared complete, there is still much we don’t know about genetics, let alone what we may harness from the animals around us. Although I'm excited to find out, I'm also fearful of how these modifications may be used.

Marisa's book list on sci-fi dystopian novels with genetic modification

Marisa Noelle Why Marisa loves this book

This is an oldie, but a goodie. I think this was one of the first books that introduced me into the idea of genetic modification and what might be possible if we could harness DNA from the environment around us. One of the most popular powers to choose in my own book is wings, and when people fill out the questionnaire on my website, that’s what they want. This book brings together the romance of the ability to fly, the love of a found family, and the pace of a thriller with high stakes to lose. One of my favorite books of all time, one I can re-read again and again.

By James Patterson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked When the Wind Blows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Frannie O'Neill, a dedicated young veterinarian, makes an astonishing discovery in the woods after her husband's murder.


Book cover of Appalachian Wilderness
Book cover of Chased by the Light
Book cover of Natural-light Photography

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,277

readers submitted
so far, will you?