Recommended reading on nature related topics from librarians at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library.

Autumn at the Cat Cafe
Kathleen Fuller

Find at your library: [print] [Libby eBook]

From USA TODAY bestselling author Kathleen Fuller comes a cozy, kisses-only romance about fresh starts, fall leaves, and finding love right next door, perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls and Sarah Adams. Via Dalton has sworn off men to focus on the two things she loves most: her quirky cat café, Pawsitive Vibes, and the charming town of Pecan Corner, Ohio. But her peaceful world is shaken when Earl Brewster, the owner of the beloved Second Chapter Books next door, passes away. Via is determined to buy the shop and preserve Earl's legacy, but her plans hit a snag in the form of a tall, handsome, and completely unexpected heir. Leo Brewster's life is thriving in LA, and the last thing he needs is an inheritance in the middle-of-nowhere, Ohio. But the alternative—letting his estranged mother inherit—has him packing his bags to receive the inheritance, quickly sell it off to the highest bidder, and hightail it back to LA. What he didn't count on was the list of stipulations in the will that has him staying in the small town for a month. Oh, and the determined, sunny café owner next door who refuses to let him destroy the town's heart without a fight. Desperate to convince Leo the bookstore is vital to her community, Via challenges Leo to complete her Autumn Bucket List. As they navigate corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and fall festivals, Leo begins to see the magic in Pecan Corner—and in Via. Despite her vow to stay single and his plan to leave, the attraction between them simmers like hot cider. Can a season of small-town charm convince a city boy to stay, or will Via lose both the bookstore and her heart? Grab a warm drink and curl up with this delightful grumpy/sunshine, opposites-attract story of unexpected love and small-town charm. -- Bibliocommons

Autumn: A Novel
Ali Smith 

Find at your library: [print] [Libby eBook] [Libby eAudio] 

A breathtakingly inventive new novel about aging, time, love, and stories themselves that launches an extraordinary quartet of books called Seasonal. Seasonal, comprised of four stand-alone books, separate yet interconnected and cyclical (as are the seasons), explores what time is, how we experience it, and the recurring markers in the shapes our lives take and in our ways with narrative. Fusing Keatsian mists and mellow fruitfulness with the vitality, the immediacy, and the color hit of Pop Art, Autumn is a witty excavation of the present by the past. The novel is a stripped-branches take on popular culture and a meditation, in a world growing ever more bordered and exclusive, on what richness and worth are, what harvest means-- Bibliocommons 

The Complete Autumn and Winter Cookbook
America’s Test Kitchen (Firm) 

Find at your library: [print] [Libby eBook]

Celebrate the season with this treasure trove of cozy cooking and baking recipes, from soul-warming soups and simple dinners to showstoppers and weekend projects. As the air grows chillier and nights longer, these dishes draw us to the table and the warmth of an active kitchen: Slow-simmered dishes like Cider-Braised Pork Roast, cheesy weeknight pasta like Unstuffed Shells with Butternut Squash, or a crusty bread like Sage-Polenta Bread. When the flavors of summer fade, autumn and winter fruits and vegetables can be just as bold and bountiful. Find recipe inspiration from the season's first ripe figs and plump brussels sprouts to roasty sides featuring celery root, kohlrabi, and kabocha squash, or a cranberry curd tart to brighten a winter's night. Themed chapters showcase all the reasons to love autumn and winter cooking: Find new celebration favorites with a chapter of centerpiece dishes like Turkey and Gravy for a Crowd or Swiss Chard Pie to wow your guests. Picked apples on an autumnal adventure? All Things Apple covers both sweet and savory recipes like French Apple Cake and Savory Fennel-Apple Tarte Tatin to help you use them up.  Create the ultimate party spread with chapters devoted to Appetizers, Festive Drinks, and Brunch: Try fried Korean fried chicken wings, latkes with beet-horseradish applesauce, or Everything Cheese Straws. Obsessed with pumpkin? So are we! In the Everyone Loves Pumpkin chapter you'll find everything from Creamy Pumpkin-Chai Soup to Rum Pumpkin Chiffon Pie. Bake to your heart's content with chapters covering breads, cookies, pies, puddings, and more. Give the gift of food with recipes for Chocolate-Toffee Bark and Fruits of the Forest Liqueur. America's Test Kitchen's tips and tricks guarantee every meal is a success. Flip to the introduction for menus and entertaining ideas. Plus, we've added seasonally themed spreads throughout so you can decorate the perfect holiday cookies or plan a charcuterie board with last-second appetizers. --Bibliocommons 

Fall Day, All Day
Kari Percival 

Find at your library: [print] 

As the leaves change colors and the air starts to crisp, the natural world begins to shift, and so do we. Through vibrant digital woodcut illustrations and lyrical text, award-winning author-illustrator Kari Percival captures the magic of fall, inspiring young children to see the ways in which our seasonal routines reflect those of animals and plants in the wild -- Provided by publisher. 

The Ugly Pumpkin
Dave Horowitz 

Find at your library: [print] 

A lonely, oddly-shaped pumpkin is sad that no one chose him for Halloween, but by Thanksgiving he has discovered where he belongs. -- Bibliocommons 

Hello, Autumn!
Shelley Rotner 

Find at your library: [print] 

All the signs of autumn including leaves turning colors, animals preparing for the winter or migrating, the harvesting of fall produce, cooler weather, and shorter days are noted in this photo-essay about the season --Provided by publisher.