As someone who as struggled with mental health and who found peace in nature, in the knowledge that I was a tiny little thing in a bigger world, this book felt like a hug. I felt seen.

I probably would have enjoyed the book more if I listened to the audiobook version because it is an intricately woven tale of Anderson's depression and his nod to nature at every turn for healing, understanding, love, and thoughtfulness. It's a mix of natural wonder, which I adore, with chapters on flowers and plants, animals like squirrels and herons and crows, and fungi like morels.

In particular, when Anderson talked about the walks in his neighborhood cemetery and the trees and animals and quiet solitude, I had to pause because it's so true. His observations were entrancing but his paragraphs and pages of mental health challenges paled in comparison to his nod to nature.

This book is more of a journal than a novel, but it is beautifully written nonetheless. The author has major depressive disorder, and analyzes in detail how being in nature relieves his depression. It is not a book for everyone, but I identify with the author very much and appreciate his honesty.

Jarod K. Anderson's "Something in the Woods Loves You" is a beautifully poetic and deeply personal exploration of how the natural world can bring comfort and healing in our most challenging times. The book beautifully blends nature writing with memoir. Anderson shares his struggles and, more importantly, the strength of nature's ability to transform our lives.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the book is how it combines scientific information with deep emotions. Anderson's observations about bats hearing shapes, bees dancing to map their surroundings, and plants "eating" light are fascinating. Through these beautiful encounters, Anderson helps us see the ordinary aspects of nature as genuinely miraculous. This shift in perspective can be healing, and it's amazing how it helped Anderson find joy and light even in his darkest days. It also helped me to make sense of the role nature played in my own healing from chronic pain.

Andersons writing is beautiful and relatable, I was especially moved by the chapter on blue heron. Anderson encourages us to pause and appreciate the little things in life, like the beauty of a single mushroom or the quiet strength of plants. It's not just a book about nature; it's about being human and how connecting with nature can bring us a profound sense of peace. It's a reminder that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.

“Something in the Woods Loves You" is a love letter to the natural world and a must read for anyone who believes in the healing power of nature. It's a must read for anyone needing a gentle reminder of the magic all around us. It's a must read for anyone who needs to rediscover their sense of wonder. It's a must read for nature lovers, those who enjoy self-reflection, or anyone who appreciates a beautifully told story. Basically this book is a must read for everyone and it will stay with you long after you finish reading.

The book requires more of my attention than I can give it right now (not TTS enabled), but I will finish it after I buy my own audio copy to keep. The narrative takes us through the seasons, flora, fauna, and the healing power of nature (best combined with professional help in the case of depression and its depths) based upon his personal journey. The writing is deeply affective.
I requested and received a free temporary PDF from Timber Press via NetGalley. Thank you

What an absolutely beautiful book! This is a must for any animal and nature lover. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy, not only for myself, but also to give as gifts. Thank you so much for letting me read in advance!

This journey of healing takes us through the seasons and as well as the unusual and stunning cover, this was a really nice touch.

This book is a story of slow healing and of setting out to seek, find and tread new paths. The book is not a cure. Anyone suffering from depression should seek professional help! For me, after therapy and with certain knowledge how to take care of myself, it was an interesting encounter, simply because I find a lot of support in nature and in mundane things too. For me this read was an encouragement and to know that I am not alone with certain thoughts helps a lot and that my solutions are also worth something.

The feeling of the book reminded me a bit of Charlie MacKesy, but at the same time it is much more complex and elaborately written. There are no simple, small truths. You have to stay focused while reading and I found the text challenging. To really feel and understand, you have to engage with Jarod's analogies and stories and follow his conclusions carefully. It was a bit like philosophy lessons at university. Very dense and a lot of content, but also very enlightening. I liked that, bc mental health is complex and there’s no short cut to it.

I think the book is something for everyone who either wants to know what depression can feel like for those affected or for people who have already experienced this illness themselves. It is a very grounding, eloquent narrative that also offers moments for reflection and contemplation, emphasising the magic of the everyday, bc “Real magic requires your intention.”

The book gets one star off bc it felt a little redundant for me in some places. I appreciate the author's very clear red thread, which he repeatedly links from stories and animal encounters and new seasons to personal moments, but for me this made the reading flow very artificial in some places and was not so much my cup of tea. I still highly recommend this book bc Jarod´s way of making depression tangible and his rich language when it comes to nature and feelings is extraordinary!

Absolutely stunning. Jarod K. Anderson, or the CryptoNaturalist, is a beautiful poet and writes this memoir with stunning, vivid prose. The way that Anderson describes nature, but also adds his own experiences revelling in its glory, is poetic and I can't rave about this book enough. Through various animals and aspects of nature, Anderson describes their mental health journey and intersperses their observations in between. Everything about this book is beautiful. I can't wait for it to come out and get a physical copy for my own records.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

The phrasing is so beautiful, I was screenshotting paragraphs to go back and read again. I finally stopped because I can't wait to get the physical copy amd mark every favorite passage. This book is a gift.

An amazing autobiographical book about how connecting with nature, life, and people helped the author with his mental health struggles.

I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected to.

First, just look at the cover! It is absolutely delightful. If I could acquire a copy of the front cover art, I would frame it and hang it in my living room. Seriously! I love it! The artist is Tuesday Riddell from England - you can find more of her work online.

The book is just as good as its cover art. It is mostly a memoir, but each chapter is linked to a plant or animal that has captured the attention of the author in some way. Mr Anderson has suffered from episodes of major depression and suicidal thoughts all his life and he writes about his efforts to overcome this corrosive illness, using all means available to him. These include medication, cognitive behavioral therapy and reconnecting with the natural world. I found the work to be thoughtful, peaceful and insightful. He gradually comes to realize how we (humans and all other species) are so closely interdependent and related. His sickness recedes although he does experience relapses. Nothing in life is easy. But he learns methods to cope and comes to realize that life is amazing if we approach it with a mind of gratitude and hope.

Here are three sentences that caught my mind, but of course you should read the whole book. It is very worth it.

“It is beyond amazing that you are here reading this. You should be impossible.”
“Do you realize what an adventure you are on right now?”
“If a stray dog chases you up a tree be grateful for the tree rather than pissed that dogs exist.”

I was not familiar with the author’s previous work - his poetry or his podcast (The Cryptonaturalist) - but I will certainly be investigating both in future.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Timber Press for this eARC in return for my honest opinion.

A book full of the joy of nature and tempered with the struggles and achievements of managing depression. The author’s writing is bewitching, he is also a poet. A joyful book, thank you. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Beautifully lyical, speaks to the pain in one's soul. I read this in the evenings so I could mull it over in the quiet hours before the world gets too busy.

While this was a challenging book to read, due to my own mental health struggles, I found a lot of comfort in its pages. I could relate a lot to Anderson's fight with depression, solace in nature, and desire for meaning-making. I think this book is for anyone who has similar struggles or those who enjoyed Braiding Sweetgrass but wanted less textbook biology.

An interesting read of nature during the seasons. Reflections of depression were a bit difficult to read at times, but otherwise well written and would recommend.

I love the cover and I liked the way that the author combined writing about nature with writing about his mental health struggles and the role nature played in it. That said, I just wasn't very engaged with it and I didn't connect with this as I would've liked. I think that's just a me problem because I actually like the writing and I did have sympathy for his experiences, I just wasn't hooked by it and I had to force myself to pick it up.

The cover art is for this book is stunning! I love how this book is broken into seasons. This makes it easier to read and much more appealing to me as well. Each section is well written and genuinely beautiful.

This is my first book that has just about left me speechless. I am trying to decide what to say that would make everyone want to read this book.
The author shares his journey through the darkness of depression. But this is not a depressing book. It is filled with love of nature, animals and family. To help pull himself out of sadness, the author begins walking nature trials and he remembers that the natural world was once his beloved friend. It is almost as if nature was waiting for him to come back outside. His attention is drawn away from himself and to the trees, flowers and animals he sees. This is just a first step, as there is plenty to conquer. This is not an easily won battle, as the backsliding into old emotions is addressed. This is an honest book about how depression paints everything and every day. And how hard a fight it is to hold on. At the same time, it is beautifully written.
The author speaks to all of us through this book. Some of us may not have experienced melancholy the way he has, but each of us has been sad at some point. His writing about the feelings he has for the world touches your soul. That in itself is reason to read this book.
I thank NetGalley and Timber Press for the advance read.

Something in the Woods Loves You by Jarod K. Anderson is the epitome of reading a book that was not the one you expected but the one you needed. It is a book that I could deeply empathise with, a book that provides solidarity through shared experience

I have been exploring the benefits of forest bathing and returing to nature walks of the type I had as a child, (which is at a different level of immersion than walking with the dogs) and this was just the book to exemplify the benefits to mental health that are readily available in our natural world

Anderson writes in a vulnerable, raw and honest way, with a sheen of wonder and grace that is deeply compelling. Juxtaposing their mental health journey with the experiences they have on their walks and the things they come across, using these things as prompts for reflection (I was in absolute pieces throughout the chapter of the Red-Tailed Hawk)

I would recommend this book to anyone who is on a journey right now and who needs some grounding on the metaphorical and literal level. This is an anecdotal book, a shared experience, but so beautifully written that it is highly inspirational. I will be buying a physical copy of this book as it is a keeper

Thank you to Netgalley, Timber Press and the author Jarod K Anderson for this highly emotive ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own