It’s time again to review the park related books I’ve read this year. I’ve previously cataloged NPS books in 2019 , 2020 , 2021 , 2022 , 2023 and 2024. I completed my Goodreads challenge of 100 books read for the year, and then some.
Have you ever read a book about, or set in a National Park? Would you recommend it? Here are the ones I read this year, in no particular order:
Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett
This novel is the second installment in the “Vintage National Parks” series. Set in 1920s Yosemite National Park, the story follows artist Olivia and minister-turned-ranger Clark. Olivia, commissioned to paint Yosemite by a travel magazine, falls in love with the park…and Clark. There is an element of mystery and suspense which kept me turning the pages.
There were two interesting threads that made me question whether they were based in fact. The first is the Firefall. Ms. Barnett describes a nightly event in which rangers pushed embers off a cliff to create a fiery waterfall for spectators in the valley. Barnett includes some historical facts at the end of the book. Yes, the firefalls were a real thing up until 1968! The park discontinued it, not because of wildfire risk.
The second is the Vanderbilt couple who befriend Olivia. I don’t see a Marcus Vanderbilt in the Vanderbilt family tree and the author says only that she had fun writing them. So I guess they are purely fictional, which is good, because Marcus is a jerk.
I liked this one better than the first in the series. I gave it five stars.
Blind Descent by Nevada Barr
Anna Pigeon’s book number 6 takes place in New Mexico’s Carlsbad Cavern National Park. Pigeon is a law enforcement NPS ranger. This time, she’s been called to rescue an injured friend from a cave. I gave this one four stars.
Mystery In Rocky Mountain National Park by Aaron Johnson
The National Park Mystery Series targets a middle-school-aged reader. This book was on sale for 99 cents, so I thought I’d give it a try. After all, I’ve enjoyed other middle-school reads. My college-professor Dad was the one who turned me on to Harry Potter so we could discuss how much fun it was as a family. Four stars for this entertaining read.
The Last Ranger by Peter Heller
This book set in Yellowstone National Park received many good reviews, but I just couldn’t get into it. I found the plot lacking, the main character a misanthrope. I gave up about halfway through. Two Stars.
Happy New Year!
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