Books of 2026: ON TRAILS: AN EXPLORATION by Robert Moor.
More nonfic from my 26 in 2026 list! I got this in a now-defunct nature subscription box and thought "Oh that looks kind of Driscoll-related, let's put it on the Project Vibes List."
Great news: It was!! By the end of the prologue, this book really had me pining after walking the Whole Appalachian Trail, which: Oof What A Hike. It was an interesting mix of memoir-ish nature writing, science (!!)(we love biology and ecology in this house), and history (he even hit linguistics!).
Although it's mentioned in the jacket copy, I was pleasantly surprised by just how much time Moor spent on the "long-lost Cherokee trails" and other ways indigenous people shaped the continent--our current roadways going over old paths was not something I'd considered before, but it makes a lot of sense, and it was fascinating to watch the change over time. And I appreciated how much time he spent with different people, too. The book drew on both extensive research and subject matter experts, who he hung out with and interviewed, which was cool.
Another delightful surprise: it was also a much funnier book than I was expecting (I did giggle out loud several times, love that in nonfic). I really liked this one! If you vibe with hiking or history or ecology or networks and connectivity, check it out!
