5 New Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List
South Mountain Park and Preserve: A Guide to the Trails, Plants, and Animals in Phoenix’s Most Popular City Park
Author: Andrew Lenartz
Spanning 16,000 acres at the southern edge of Phoenix, South Mountain Park and Preserve is the largest municipal park in the United States. Immerse yourself with this introductory guide to hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding the craggy terrain. Gateway Community College professor of psychology Andrew Lenartz visits South Mountain park daily and compiles a complete handbook for visiting Phoenix’s most popular city park, from trailhead difficulty to parking, water and restroom access. $20 (unmpress.com)
Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening, Second Edition
Author: Jacqueline A. Soule
Gardening in the desert presents its own challenges. Tucson botanist and garden writer Jacqueline A. Soule’s gardening guide features region-specific growing tips for all Southwestern gardens, including instructions for soil care and pest control. The book also has detailed instructions for growing more than 60 vegetables, herbs and fruits that thrive in our region’s soil and climate. $27 (quartoknows.com)
Where They Purr
Author: Paul Barbera with Queenie Chan
“Is it a book about interiors or a book about cats?” asks New York-based lifestyle and interiors photographer Paul Barbera about his latest endeavor. The answer is both. The tome showcases 28 housing and interior designs with cameos from their feline inhabitants. From a cozy city apartment with a bed fit for a king to a seaside house with floor-to-ceiling windows perfect for bird spotting, Barbera’s photos feature the cats and their chosen thrones, whether it’s on armchairs, in front of a window or in the middle of a queen-size bed. $50 (thamesandhudson.com)
The Healthy Vegetable Garden
Author: Sally Morgan
The author says a healthy, productive garden works in harmony with nature to grow and protect fruits and vegetables and bring us the essential goodness to feed our bodies. This book is designed for gardeners of all mastery levels to balance their gardening spaces organically, without the use of fertilizers, pesticides or weedkillers. Learn to nourish the soil for earthworms; plant the right flowers to attract the most bees for pollination; and combat diseases and poisons that could harm the growing space. $30 (chelseagreen.com)
A Life in Pattern
Author: Anna Spiro
Australia-based designer Anna Spiro’s complex patterned fabrics and antique furniture come together in her second book, which explores her design process, from mood boards and concept illustrations to finished room projects. Her first book, “Absolutely Beautiful Things,” focused on fabrics and textiles. “A Life in Pattern” puts those textiles into an illustrated field guide to Spiro’s critically acclaimed interior designs. $60 (thamesandhudson.com)
