I can never have enough books. Though the public library is a valuable asset to any community, I always have overdue fines because I never return books on time. It’s actually another case of my nature distraction disorder–only book related.

Thankfully, we have an independent bookstore, Bridgton Books, that feeds my reading habit. Justin and Pam Ward are the owners. They, and their sidekick Sue, keep adding to the choices and go out of their way to help me find books that may not be in stock so that I can continue to add to my bookshelves.

Below is an array of books that I reference frequently. The list will continue to grow. I’ve not included all here and I know I’ll continue to purchase more, so check back every once in a while. And if you have a recommendation, please share it with me.

Mammals
Tracking and the Art of Seeing, Paul Rezendes
Mammal Tracks and Sign, Mark Elbroch
Field Guide to Tracking Animals in Snow, Louise R. Forrest
Guide to Animal Tracking and Behavior, Donald and Lillian Stokes
Peterson Field Guides: Animal Tracks, Olaus J. Murie and Mark Elbroch
Peterson Field Guides: Mammals, William H. Burt and Richard P. Grossenheider
Trackards and Companion Guide to the Trackards, David Brown
Track Finder, Dorcas S. Miller
Scat and Tracks of the Northeast, James C. Halfpenny
Tracking and Reading Sign, Len McDougall
Critters of Maine, Ann McCarthy
The Tracker’s Field Guide, James C. Lowery
The SAS Guide to Tracking, Bob Carss
Lonesome Bears, Linda Jo Hunter
Bear Aware, Bill Schneider
The Hidden Life of Deer, Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
The Science and Art of Tracking, Tom Brown, Jr.
National Geographic Guide: Great Mammals, Carolinda Hill
Golden Nature Guide: Mammals, Herbert S. Zim and Donald F. Hoffmeister
Golden Science Guide: Zoology, R. Will  Burnett, Harvey I. Fisher and Herbert S. Zim
The Raccoon Book, Katharyn Machan Aal
Raccoons  (for kids), Jeff Fair
Foxes (for kids), Judy Schuler
Ferdinand Fox’s First Summer, Mary Holland
Stories in Tracks & Sign, Diane K. Gibbons

Winter
A Guide to Nature in Winter, Donald W. Stokes
Winter World, Bernd Heinrich
Weeds and Wildflowers in Winter, Lauren Brown
Winter Weed Finder, Dorcas S. Miller
Winter Tree Finder, May T. Watts and Tom Watts
Life in the Cold, Peter J. Marchand

Aquatic
Maine Amphibians and Reptiles, edited by Malcom L. Hunter, Aram J.K. Calhoun and Mark McCollough
A Field Guide to Vernal Pools, Leo P. Kenney and Matthew R. Burne
Swampwalker’s Journal, David M. Carroll
Maine Field Guide to Invasive Aquatic Plants, Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program
Take a Wetlands Walk, Jane Kirkland
Bogs and Fens: A Guide to the Peatland Plants of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada, Ronald B. Davis
My First Field Guide to Vernal Pools Coloring Book, Kristine Hoffman

Lichens
Lichens of the North Woods, Joe Walewski
Lichens Above Treeline, Ralph Pope

Fungi
Fascinating Fungi, Lawrence Millman
Mycophilia, Eugenia Bone

Moss
Princeton Field Guides: Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians, Karl B. McKnight, Joseph R. Rohrer, Kirsten McKnight Ward and Warren J. Perdrizet
Gathering Moss, Robin Wall Kimmerer
Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts, Ralph Pope

Ferns
Fern Finder, Anne C. Hallowell and Barbara G. Hallowell
Northeast Ferns, Steve W. Chadde
Peterson Field Guides: Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America, Boughton Cobb, Cheryl Lowe and Elizabeth Farnsworth

Stars
The Stars, H.A. Rey
National Audubon Society First Field Guide: Night Sky
Constellation Finder, Dorcas S. Miller
National Geographic Society’s Pocket Guide: Constellations
Signposts to the Stars, George Philip
Golden Nature Guide: Stars, Herbert S. Zim and Robert H. Baker
Sky, Marfé Ferguson Delano
Earth, Sea & Sky, Tom Stacy
Eyewitness Science: Astronomy, Kristen Lippencott

Insects
Peterson Field Guides: Insects, Donald J. Borror and Richard E. White
Asian Longhorned Beetle and its Host Trees, The University of Vermont
Golden Nature Guide: Insect Pests, George S. Fitcher
National Geographic Guide: Wonder Bugs, Marfé Ferguson Delano
My Little Book of Bugs, Maida Silverman
Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Dragonflies, Blair Nikula, Jackie Sones, Donald & Lillian Stokes
Dragonflies of the North Woods, Kurt Mead
National Geographic Pocket Guide: Insects of North America
  Bugs in the System: Insects and Their Impact on Human Affairs, May R. Berenbaum

Butterflies and Moths 
Butterflies, Linda Sonntag
Butterflies and Moths, Dr. Walter Robert Corti

Birds
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, David Allen Sibley
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America, edited by Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer
Birds of North America, Chandler S. Robbins, Bertel Bruun, Herbert S. Zim and Arthur Singer
Birds of Maine, Stan Tekiela
Birds of Prey of the Northeast, Stan Tekiela
Beginner’s Guide to Birds: Eastern Region, Donald and Lillian Stokes
Common Bird Songs, Donald J. Borror
The Nesting Season, Bernd Heinrich
The Beak of the Finch, Jonathan Weiner
The Geese of Beaver Bog, Bernd Heinrich
What Robin Knows, Jon Young
Birds & Blooms: Name that Bird
OWLS of the NORTH, David Benson
The HIDDEN LIVES of OWL, Leigh Calvez
Living on the Wind Across the Hemisphere With Migratory Birds, Scott Weidensaul
Sibley’s Birding Basics, David Allen Sibley
A Guide to Hawk Watching in North America, Donald S. Heintzelman
Peterson Field Guides: Advanced Birding, Kenn Kaufman
Thoreau on Birds, Henry David Thoreau
An Exhilaration of Wings: The Literature of Birdwatching, Jen Hill, editor
The Lives of Birds, Lester L. Short
Rare and Elusive Birds of North America, William Burt
Bird Brains, Candace Savage
The Essential GILBERT WHITE of Selborne, H. J. Massingham, editor
Birds, Nests and Eggs,Mel Boring

Geology
Roadside Geology of Maine, D. W. Caldwell
Rocks and Minerals, Herbert S. Zim
National Audubon Society Pocket Guide: Familiar Rocks and Minerals of North America
A Collector’s Guide to Maine Mineral Locations, W.B. Thompson, D.L. Joyner, R.G. Woodman and V.T. King
The Granite Landscape, Tom Wessels
The Granite Kiss, Kevin Gardner
Stone by Stone, Robert M. Thorson
Exploring Stone Walls, Robert M. Thorson
Sermons in Stone, Susan Allport
Eyewitness Books: Rocks and Minerals, Dr. R. F. Symes
CAIRNS Messengers in Stone, David B. Williams

Trees
Reading the Forested Landscape, Tom Wessels
Bark, Michael Wojtech
Forest Trees of Maine, The Maine Forest Service
The Tree Identification Book, George W.D. Symonds
Trees and Their World, John Day
The Trees in My Forest, Bernd Heinrich
Fruit Key and Twig Key to Trees and Shrubs, William Harlow
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Regionn
What’s that Tree?, Tony Russell
Peterson First Guides: Trees, George A. Petrides
Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Forest, John Kricher and Gordon Morrison
The Complete Trees of North America, Thomas S. Elias
Trees: An Illustrated Identifier and Encyclopedia, Tony Russell and Catherine Cutler
Weeds of the Woods, Glen Blouin
National Audubon Society Pocket Guide: Familiar Trees of North America East, edited by Ann H. Whitman
Forest Forensics, Tom Wessels
The Northeast’s Changing Forest, Lloyd C. Irland
The Interrupted Forest, Neil Rolde
American Canopy, Eric Rutkow
Winter Tree Finder, May Theilgaard Watts and Tom Watts
New England Forests Through Time, David R. Foster and John F. O’Keefe
Trees and Shrubs of Northern New England, Frederic L. Steele and Albion R. Hodgdon
Nuts and Berries of New England, Tom Seymour
The Woods in Your Backyard: A Homeowner’s Guide, Christine R. Parrish   Shrubs of the Northern New England Forest, Michael L. Cline
The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben
Lab Girl, Hope Jahren
A Beginner’s Guide to Recognizing Trees of the Northeast, Mark Mikolas The Overstory, Richard Powers

Flowers and Weeds
Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Lawrence Newcomb
National Audubon Field Guide to Wildflowers: Eastern Region, revised by John W. Thieret
How to Identify Plants, H.D. Harrington
Never Say It’s Just A Dandelion, Hilary Hopkins
Botany in a Day, Thomas J. Elpel
Wild Plants of Maine, Tom Seymour
New England Mountain Flowers, Jeff Wallner and Mario T. DiGregorio
Weeds: In Defense of Nature’s Most Unloved Plants, Richard Maybe
Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer
National Geographic Guide: Wildflowers, Marfé Ferguson Delano
Weeds and Wildflowers in Winter, Lauren Brown
Usborne Mysteries and Marvels of Plant Life, Barbara Cork
Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, James G. Harris & Melinda Woolf Harris
The Secrets of Wildflowers, Jack Sanders
Adventures in Edible Plant Foraging, Karen Monger

Grasses, Sedges and Rushes
How to Identify Grasses and Grasslike Plants, H.D. Harrington
Field Guide to the Grasses, Sedges and Rushes of the United States, Edward Knobel

Natural History
Reading Rural Landscapes: A Field Guide to New England’s Past, Robert Sanford
A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold
Natural Landscapes of Maine, Susan Gawler and Andrew Cutko
North Woods, Peter J. Marchand
Naturally Curious, Mary Holland
Naturally Curious: Day by Day, Mary Holland
Nature Anatomy, Julia Rothman with John Niekrasz
Discovering Nature in New England’s Mountains, Ed Frost
Call of the Northwoods, David C. Evers and Kate M. Taylor
National Audubon Field Guide to New England, Peter Alden et al.
Nature Guide to the Northern Forest, Peter J. Marchand
Field Guide to the New England Alpine Summits, Nancy G. Slack and Allison W. Bell
Circle of the Seasons, Edwin Way Teale
The Wild Out Your Window, Sy Montgomery
A Field Guide to Your Own Backyard, John Hanson Mitchell
Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Forest, John Kricher and Gordon Morrison Exploring Spring, Sandra Markles
The Kid’s Nature Almanac, Alison Smith
The Beginning Naturalist, Gale Lawrence
The Natural Navigator, Tristan Gooley
The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs, Tristan Gooley
The Sense of Wonder, Rachel Carson, edited by Nick Kelsh
A Year in the Maine Woods, Bernd Heinrich
A Naturalist Buys an Old Farm, Edwin Way Teale
Northern Farm, Henry Beston
The Forest Unseen, David George Haskell
A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson
The Maine Woods, Henry David Thoreau, edited by Jeffrey S. Cramer
Walden, Henry David Thoreau
The Thoreau You Don’t Know, Robert Sullivan
A Field Guide to the Familiar, Gale Lawrence
The Nature of Maine, Marion J. Bradshaw
Tales of a Homemade Naturalist: The Maine Diaries of Herbert M.W. Haven, Philip Morrill Love Letter to the Earth, Thich Nhat Hanh
Settled in the Wild: Notes from the Edge of Town, Susan Hand Shetterly
The Path, Chet Raymo
The Edge of the Sea, Rachel Carson
Cabin, Lou Ureneck
Exploring Caves: Journeys into the Earth, Nancy Holler Aulenback and Hazel A. Barton with Marfé Ferguson Delano 
Earth in the Hot Seat: Bulletins From a Warming World, Marfé Ferguson Delano
Two Farms: Essays on a Maine Country Life, Janet Galle
We Took To The Woods, Louise Dickinson Rich
The Barns of Maine: Our History, Our Stories, Don Perkins
Sailing On The Ice: And Other Stories from the Old Squire’s Farm, C. A. Stephens
Into the Field Guide: A Walk in the Woods, Emily Laber-Warren
The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh, Kathryn Aalto
How to tell the Birds from the Flowers and other wood-cuts, Robert Williams Wood

Education
Sharing Nature with Children, Joseph Cornell (and the newly revised & expanded version)
Nature Notes: Bite-Sized Learning and Projects for All Ages, Judy Burris and Wayne Richard
The Little Hands Nature Book, Nancy Fusco Castuldo
Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv
The Nature Principle, Richard Louv
Outdoor Education: A Manual for Teaching in Nature’s Classroom, Michael Link
Fostering a Sense of Wonder During the Early Childhood Years, Ruth A. Wilson
Play the Forest School Way, Peter Houghton & Jane Worroll
The Big Book of Nature Activities, Drew Monkman & Jacob Rodenburg
100 Backyard Activities, Colleen Kessler

Journal
Keeping a Nature Journal, Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth
The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, Edith Holden
The Naturalist’s Path: Beginning the Study of Nature, Cathy Johnson

Sketching
Animal Sketching, Alexander Calder
Sketching Out of Doors, Leonard Richmond
The Complete Sketching Book, John Hamilton

Local History and Lore
Living, Learning, And Worshiping: Buildings of Sweden, Maine, 1813-1913, Sweden Historical Society
Blueberries and Pusley Weed: The Story of Lovell, Maine, Pauline W. Moore
Lovewell’s Town: Lovell, Maine, Robert C. Williams
Bridgton, Maine 1768-1994: An updated Bicentennial history, Bridgton Historical Society Images of America: Bridgton, Ned Allen
Rediscovering Bridgton’s Main Street, Judith L. Blake
A View of Bridgton Past and Present, Bridgton Public Library
Bridgton & Saco River: A Pictorial Journey, Peter S. Barney
Images of America: Lake Region, Diane and Jack Barnes
Fryeburg Fair: First 150 Years, 1851-2000, Penny Hathaway, editor
Everything Happened Around the Switchboard: Bryant Pond Telephone Company, Michael R. Hathaway
Vacationland: A Half Century of Summering in Maine, David E. Morine
Good Dirt: Confessions of a Conservationist, David E. Morine
State O’ Maine, Lousie Dickinson Rich
Take My Hand: Ten Days on the Cumberland and Oxford Canal, Harold Titcomb
The Nature of Maine, Marion J. Bradshaw
Maine Ghosts and Legends, Thomas Verde
The Scalp Hunters: Abenaki Ambush At Lovewell Pond – 1725, Alfred E. Kayworth and Raymond G. Potvin
Notes on a Lost Flute: A Field Guide to the Wabanaki, Kerry Hardy
Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn, Thomas C. Hubka

Children’s Books
A Blanding Turtle Story, Melissa Kim
Tadpole to Frog, Camilla de la Bedoyere
On a Magical Do-Nothing Day, Beatrice Alemagna
Half Acre, Sarah Frankel