Here are 100 books that Living Wild fans have personally recommended if you like Living Wild. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

Maria Foscarinis Author Of And Housing for All

From my list on why homelessness and social justice matter.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in New York City listening to my parents’ stories of extreme hardship and suffering during the Nazi occupation of their native Greece—and the courageous resistance they and many Greeks mounted. I’m outraged by the unfairness of extreme poverty in the midst of plenty and motivated to fight for economic justice. In the early 1980s, as homelessness was first becoming a crisis, I got involved in legal advocacy to address it, first as a volunteer lawyer and then as a full-time advocate. I believe housing is a human right and that no one should be homeless in a country as rich as the US.  

Maria's book list on why homelessness and social justice matter

Maria Foscarinis Why Maria loves this book

This was an eye-opening book for me. It makes clear that the US government has pursued a deliberate policy of racism in housing: it’s no accident that housing insecurity generallyand homelessness specificallyso disproportionately affects Black Americans.

It showed me that the deliberate policy choices I had witnessed first-hand that caused and exacerbated homelessness were part of larger systemic problems not just of poverty and inequality but also racial discrimination. As a lawyer, the focus on legal stories appealed to me, but it’s written in a way that I think will engage anyone interested in basic questions of social justice. 

By Richard Rothstein ,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked The Color of Law as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Widely heralded as a "masterful" (The Washington Post) and "essential" (Slate) history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein's The Color of Law offers "the most forceful argument ever published on how federal, state, and local governments gave rise to and reinforced neighborhood segregation" (William Julius Wilson). Exploding the myth of de facto segregation arising from private prejudice or the unintended consequences of economic forces, Rothstein describes how the American government systematically imposed residential segregation: with undisguised racial zoning; public housing that purposefully segregated previously mixed communities; subsidies for builders to create whites-only suburbs; tax exemptions for institutions that enforced…


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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 Design Remix: A New Spin on Traditional Rooms

Kim Kuhteubl Author Of Branding + Interior Design: Visibility and Business Strategy for Interior Designers

From my list on feeling at home.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an award-winning producer, author, and member of the Producers Guild of America. One of my fondest memories as a child is coming home from a weekend at my oma’s house to find that my mother had redecorated my room. The bedspread was pink, red, and white and so were the curtains but the main event was the fluffy white pouf of a rug on the floor. Home is a place that has always been important to me, which is why these books have found their way into my library.

Kim's book list on feeling at home

Kim Kuhteubl Why Kim loves this book

I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Corey Damen Jenkins, whose bold take on traditional interiors have won him a devoted following.

The designer, author, and television personality founded his firm during the 2008 recession and knocked on 779 doors in affluent neighborhoods around Detroit to do it. His patience and persistence are evident in his personal and stunning look at classic interiors; homes that have been reimagined for living now.

With sidebars on practical questions like how to hang a salon-style picture wall, and choosing the right window treatment, Corey is as generous with his advice as he is sharing his talent.

By Corey Damen Jenkins ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Corey Damen Jenkins s bold interiors have won a devoted following. In his first book, he presents his take on classic interiors that have been beautifully reimagined for today s taste, sharing the building blocks of this fun, vibrant traditional look. Bold Standard is about how to use colour in unexpected ways. Good Bones showcases architectural details. Less Is More focuses on creating a minimal look within a traditional interior. Eclectic Exuberance celebrates a collected appeal. Night and Day is a new look at the classic, graphic pairing of dark and light colours. Haute House looks at accessorizing with fashion-inspired…


Book cover of Black Artists Shaping the World

Kim Kuhteubl Author Of Branding + Interior Design: Visibility and Business Strategy for Interior Designers

From my list on feeling at home.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an award-winning producer, author, and member of the Producers Guild of America. One of my fondest memories as a child is coming home from a weekend at my oma’s house to find that my mother had redecorated my room. The bedspread was pink, red, and white and so were the curtains but the main event was the fluffy white pouf of a rug on the floor. Home is a place that has always been important to me, which is why these books have found their way into my library.

Kim's book list on feeling at home

Kim Kuhteubl Why Kim loves this book

Images are powerful and, in our home, I am intentional about choosing art created by people who look like my son and me. When I discovered Black Artists Shaping The World, written by award-winning children’s author Sharna Jackson, I was thrilled.

Jackson was co-curator of the groundbreaking exhibition “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power,” and this book showcases twenty-six contemporary artists from Africa and the African diaspora, working in everything from painting, sculpture, and drawing to ceramics, installation art, and sound art.

My own favorites include the work of Kehinde Wiley, portraitist to Barack Obama, and Kenyan-British ceramicist Magdalene Odundo.

By Sharna Jackson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Black Artists Shaping the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Written by award-winning Black British children's author Sharna Jackson, Black Artists Shaping the World celebrates the diversity of work being produced today by Black artists from around the globe, introducing young readers to twenty-six contemporary artists from Africa and of the African diaspora.

Sharna Jackson's experience as a children's author who has worked for over a decade in the cultural sector, both at Tate in London and at Site Gallery in Sheffield, is combined here with the curatorial expertise of Dr Zoe Whitley, Director of London's Chisenhale Gallery and co-curator of the landmark Tate exhibition 'Soul of a Nation: Art…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home

Kim Kuhteubl Author Of Branding + Interior Design: Visibility and Business Strategy for Interior Designers

From my list on feeling at home.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an award-winning producer, author, and member of the Producers Guild of America. One of my fondest memories as a child is coming home from a weekend at my oma’s house to find that my mother had redecorated my room. The bedspread was pink, red, and white and so were the curtains but the main event was the fluffy white pouf of a rug on the floor. Home is a place that has always been important to me, which is why these books have found their way into my library.

Kim's book list on feeling at home

Kim Kuhteubl Why Kim loves this book

Nikki Boyd first started growing her audience on Youtube sharing beautiful images and advice for creating a welcoming, and well-organized home.

Based in Charleston, Boyd is a professional organizer who started organizing as a hobby and built her audience several years before mainstream design magazines recognized her talent. Even if you can’t get it together and organize your own house, looking at the images of her home and the homes of the clients she organizes is a whole lot of zen. 

By Nikki Boyd ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"Professional organizer Nikki Boyd has a gift of transforming a space into a captivating work of art. She sprinkles a little bit of glam and a whole lot of functionality into every space she touches."
-Toni Hammersley, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Author of The Complete Book of Home Organization In Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home, Nikki Boyd shares her best advice for how to create an organized, beautiful, and welcoming home. Nikki developed and honed her five essential steps to an organized home through her experience working as a professional organizer. In Beautifully…


Book cover of The Indestructible Houseplant: 200 Beautiful Plants that Everyone Can Grow

Maria Colletti Author Of Terrariums - Gardens Under Glass: Designing, Creating, and Planting Modern Indoor Gardens

From my list on indoor gardening houseplant.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have spent 25 years working at the New York Botanical Garden! My life’s pursuit of the green has been my greatest achievement. I'm a self-made terrarium designer. I developed my style and skills at NYBG and knew that I had to share this with the world. My books have sold over 14,000 copies worldwide. This is amazing to me and has taught me that my though-ness and step-by-step lessons were worth every word! Horticulture is a subject that comes naturally to me. I happily know the names of dozens and dozens of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, tropical, desert, you name plants from all over the world and I’m learning new ones every season. 

Maria's book list on indoor gardening houseplant

Maria Colletti Why Maria loves this book

Tovah Martin is my houseplant hero! Tovah is a rare bird! Her love of houseplants rings through her writing. She has made gardening and indoor plants her life’s pursuit and it shows. This book is one of several Tovah has written. Her work often appears in Better Homes & Gardens magazine. I have followed her career from day one. Her vision of the plant is joyful and information only someone with this great love of the houseplant can share with you. If you buy one book on how to care for and incorporate the beauty of green plants in your home you must read Tovah's book!

By Tovah Martin ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Houseplants are the bane of many homeowners. How can you keep them alive and stop them looking leggy, anaemic and unattractive. In this practical and beautifully photographed book, author, Tovah Martin, author of the Unexpected Houseplant recommends which plants to choose and how to put them together into attractive low-maintenance displays.


Book cover of Wild at Home: How to Style and Care for Beautiful Plants

Catherine Horwood Author Of Potted History: How Houseplants Took Over Our Homes

From my list on keeping your houseplants alive.

Why am I passionate about this?

I remember my first ever houseplant—doesn’t everyone? It was a spider plant, just a small one grown as an offset from my mother’s vast ‘mother’ plant. Yestwo mothers! The plant and my green-fingered mother got me hooked on houseplants. As a social historian, I’ve written about all things to do with the homeclothes, gardens, even gardeners themselves but houseplants? Why was there no social history of plants in the home? Where did that spider plant come from? And when? The answer is Japan in the late 18th century. But the truth is that plants have been brought into homes for centuries and their stories are fascinating. 

Catherine's book list on keeping your houseplants alive

Catherine Horwood Why Catherine loves this book

The clue here to why this is a great book is one word in the subtitle: ‘style’. You may know how to look after your houseplants and be confident in their care but how do they look in your home? If you drool over Instagram shots of homes that seem to drip greenery from ceiling to floor, then this is the book for you. There is absolutely nothing minimalist about Hilton Carter’s love of houseplants. Every corner of his Baltimore home is packed with plants. Don’t even start to think about his watering routinejust enjoy his creativity and pinch some ideas for your own home however modest.

By Hilton Carter ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wild at Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Hilton Carter's love for plants is infectious... His lush and exuberant displays are inspiring reminders that plants can be so much more than neat little containers on a window sill." Grace Bonney, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Design*Sponge

Take a tour through Hilton's own apartment and other lush spaces, filled with a huge array of thriving plants, and learn all you need to know to create your own urban jungle. As the owner of over 200 plants, Hilton feels strongly about the role of plants in one's home - not just for the beauty they add, but for health benefits as well:…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of RHS Practical House Plant Book: Choose The Best, Display Creatively, Nurture and Care, 175 Plant Profiles

Catherine Horwood Author Of Potted History: How Houseplants Took Over Our Homes

From my list on keeping your houseplants alive.

Why am I passionate about this?

I remember my first ever houseplant—doesn’t everyone? It was a spider plant, just a small one grown as an offset from my mother’s vast ‘mother’ plant. Yestwo mothers! The plant and my green-fingered mother got me hooked on houseplants. As a social historian, I’ve written about all things to do with the homeclothes, gardens, even gardeners themselves but houseplants? Why was there no social history of plants in the home? Where did that spider plant come from? And when? The answer is Japan in the late 18th century. But the truth is that plants have been brought into homes for centuries and their stories are fascinating. 

Catherine's book list on keeping your houseplants alive

Catherine Horwood Why Catherine loves this book

Sometimes you need to refer to the highest authority and in the case of plants, that means the Royal Horticultural Society. So when it comes to knowing which house plant is which, what conditions they like, and how to care for them, you can’t really do better than this book. With 175 different plant profiles, the one you picked up without a label at the supermarket is bound to be there, not to mention more exotic offerings that scream "I need special care." 

By Fran Bailey , Zia Allaway , Royal Horticultural Society

Why should I read it?

1 author picked RHS Practical House Plant Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Turn your indoors into a green oasis! Learn about 175 house plants and follow step-by-step projects to create an indoor garden.

A plant book perfect for people who live in apartments and enthusiastic gardeners who want to move their gardening expertise inside! Learn how to create an indoor garden that will improve your wellbeing, is good for the environment, and will bring tranquillity to your home.

The RHS Practical House Plant Book shows you how to create a green home - literally. Inside this plant guide you'll find:

- A "Designing with Houseplants" section that reveals key principles for choosing,…


Book cover of A Family Guide to Terrariums for Kids: Imagination-Inspiring Projects to Grow a World in Glass - Build a Mini Ecosystem!

Maria Colletti Author Of Terrariums - Gardens Under Glass: Designing, Creating, and Planting Modern Indoor Gardens

From my list on indoor gardening houseplant.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have spent 25 years working at the New York Botanical Garden! My life’s pursuit of the green has been my greatest achievement. I'm a self-made terrarium designer. I developed my style and skills at NYBG and knew that I had to share this with the world. My books have sold over 14,000 copies worldwide. This is amazing to me and has taught me that my though-ness and step-by-step lessons were worth every word! Horticulture is a subject that comes naturally to me. I happily know the names of dozens and dozens of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, tropical, desert, you name plants from all over the world and I’m learning new ones every season. 

Maria's book list on indoor gardening houseplant

Maria Colletti Why Maria loves this book

Patricia has a distinct design that is breath-taking. Her moss creations are pure images of botany at its best. She herself is an experienced botanist and she shares all she has learned in her book for you to utilize. She knows her subject and her how-tos are informative and easy to do at home. This is a great gift for anyone in your life.

By Patricia Buzo ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Family Guide to Terrariums for Kids as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Design, plant, and grow a world of your very own—inside a terrarium! Including 15 unique, imagination-inspiring project plans, each accompanied by adorable, full-color photographs, kids and their grown-ups will discover how easy terrariums are to plant and grow. 

*As featured in The New York Times*

Kids love to create, imagine, and have fun. Nothing fulfills all three of those desires quite like designing and planting a terrarium. With the step-by-step project instructions found in A Family Guide to Terrariums for Kids, the results are beautiful, inspiring, and confidence-building. Making these little landscapes develops motor skills, spacial awareness, and provides a…


Book cover of The Random House Book of Indoor and Greenhouse Plants Vol. 1

Pam Peirce Author Of Golden Gate Gardening,  The Complete Guide to Year-Round Food Gardening in the San Francisco Bay Area & Coastal California

From my list on California Mediterranean Gardening.

Why am I passionate about this?

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you know that its climate is unique in the U.S. and that there are many microclimates within the region. It’s all mediterranean, as you can tell by its dry summers and mild, wet winters. But near the coast, summer fog carpets the land for weeks and winter is rarely frosty, while inland summers are hot, winter frosts are frequent. I live here and use my academic and first-hand experience with plants to help regional gardeners create year-round beauty and harvests in all of our wonderful, often perplexing microclimates.

Pam's book list on California Mediterranean Gardening

Pam Peirce Why Pam loves this book

Written originally for Great Britain, this book (and also Volume II) describes plants that grow outdoors in California's mediterranean climate. You will delight in recognizing old friends and discovering new plants that grow well in our region. There is a photograph of each plant in its native habitat and information on its basic care. An index in Volume II includes the plants in Volume I as well.

By Roger Phillips , Martyn Rix ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Random House Book of Indoor and Greenhouse Plants Vol. 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The indispensable new reference book for every gardener.

A unique photographic guide to plants that grow outdoors in subtropical climates (from Florida to California) or indoors in areas that have frost in winter. All can be grown outdoors in the summer. Includes introductory chapters on garden and greenhouse cultivation and on the habits of species in the wild.

With details on the history, characteristics and cultivation of each plant, Indoor and Greenhouse Plants is an essential addition to the popular Random House garden series by Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix.

Available in the series:

The Random House Book of Perfect…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of The Indoor Garden Book: The Complete Guide to the Creative Use of Plants and Flowers in the Home

Catherine Horwood Author Of Potted History: How Houseplants Took Over Our Homes

From my list on keeping your houseplants alive.

Why am I passionate about this?

I remember my first ever houseplant—doesn’t everyone? It was a spider plant, just a small one grown as an offset from my mother’s vast ‘mother’ plant. Yestwo mothers! The plant and my green-fingered mother got me hooked on houseplants. As a social historian, I’ve written about all things to do with the homeclothes, gardens, even gardeners themselves but houseplants? Why was there no social history of plants in the home? Where did that spider plant come from? And when? The answer is Japan in the late 18th century. But the truth is that plants have been brought into homes for centuries and their stories are fascinating. 

Catherine's book list on keeping your houseplants alive

Catherine Horwood Why Catherine loves this book

This book has been my indoor plant bible for over thirty years. John Brookes is best known for linking indoor living spaces with outdoor gardens but here he turned his masterly design eye on houseplants. Yes, all the necessary practical information on a wide range of houseplants is here. But what really separates this book from the rest—and makes it completely agelessis the photography which was so ahead of its time, it looks as though it was published last year. Interior shots with plant placement ideas with enough inspiration for the most demanding Instagram generation. What more could one need?

By John Brookes ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Offers advice on decorating with plants, tells how to match plants with containers, and covers cut- and dried-flower arrangements, plant care, and room-by-room deoorating advice


Book cover of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
Book cover of Design Remix: A New Spin on Traditional Rooms
Book cover of Black Artists Shaping the World

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5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in houseplants, interior design, and plants?

Houseplants 19 books
Interior Design 33 books
Plants 26 books