BY THE BOOK Article and photos by SALLIE LEWIS
I
believe one of the best ways to get to know a person is by looking at their bookshelves. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed building my own home library, stocking it with books from childhood, school, and travels from around the world. Some of my favorites have been gifted by friends or passed down by family members along the way. Collectively, these titles say a lot about who I am and what I love in life, including nature and the outdoors. Chances are you have your own collection of stories that you like to keep close. While the list is too great to count, below I share a handful of favorites, from flower guides to fishing tales, conservation classics and hunting meditations, along with a few selections from fellow TWA members. • “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway Growing up, my parents had an old, weathered copy of “The Old Man and the Sea” in our beach house. The PulitzerPrize winning novella became summer reading over the course of my childhood. Not only is it a great fishing story… it packs a poignant punch.
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• “Range Plants of North Central Texas: A Land User’s Guide to Their Identification, Value and Management” by Ricky J. Linex My neighbors in Fredericksburg gave me this book after they learned of my budding interest in Texas wildflowers and native grasses. It continues to be a great resource for educating myself and is full of interesting trivia and useful information. “Wildflowers of Texas” by native plant expert, Geyata Ajilvsgi, is another must-have. • “Producing Quality Whitetails” by Al Brothers and Murphy E. Ray, Jr. This title is a likely find on many TWA members’ bookshelves. The popular book is essential reading for practitioners of Quality Deer Management (QDM). • “Horn of the Hunter” by Robert Ruark In “Horn of the Hunter,” Robert Ruark recounts the safari he and his wife took to East Africa in the 1950s. Ruark’s “Something of Value” and “Uhuru” are classics too.
