If you've ever been the type of person to say, "Well, male shrimp can get pregnant" to shut up homophobic bastards, this is the book for you. Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian does an excellent job exploring the queer ecology of the universe alongside her own queer ecology– the understanding of herself as a fluid, queer natural being which adapts to her environments and natural surroundings. It was, in a strange way, a profoundly spiritual read for me. I felt as though, like the author, through understanding queer ecology, I could understand myself.

Equal parts a moving memoir of a queer individual and a profound exploration of queer mycology, Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian provides insight into how humans can learn acknowledge their place in nature and learn about themselves from the world around them.

Thank you to Spiegel & Grau and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I will be purchasing this book and gifting it to all my friends because Forest Euphoria is a little bit of everything — part memoir, part poetry, part American history, part science lesson. And honestly? I loved every single part of it. The way it blends personal reflection with nature’s deep rhythms is stunning, and I’m already craving more. It’s the kind of book you want to revisit, to really sit with, and to share with others. I would give it 6 stars if I could.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

This is basically a memoir of a queer mycologist's journey. If you read it as a memoir, it is a really lovely example of the thing, lots of beautiful details of the natural world and personal growth, some interesting facts learned along the way. If you go in thinking that it is going to be a more technical or even pop-sci book that is largely about reproduction and sexuality in the non-human natural world, you will probably be disappointed, because that's not the focus.

And I think Kaishian is making the case fairly clearly, for those who need to hear it, that queerness is not just about who has what bits for the sex. If you're not someone who needed to hear it, there's still enough heart and personal detail to keep things interesting; if you are, maybe a great point of view to pick up and contemplate. But the fact that it's not a technical book of that sort is not an accident, it was not the goal, a broader sense of possibility is the goal.

Who doesn't want that, these days?

I loved the narrative of this book and how the author linked her own journey of self-understanding of gender and how the natural world is not dissimilar in this exploration as a means to adapt to the world around us.

FOREST EUPHORIA is such a wonderful read. It opened my eyes in the best way possible! Full of wisdom, hope, and delightful information, this is a must-read. Kaishian writes with both authority and insight. I love this type of non-fiction book that offers inspiration and says something hopeful about the world.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for a digital ARC of this book.

This one is for the frog-catchers, the birdwatchers, and anyone who's gotten down in the dirt for a better look at a plant or mushroom.

I had just finished Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass when I picked up Forest Euphoria and it proved to be the perfect follow-up. In this book, author Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian seamlessly blends science, politics and nature together...or perhaps she shows the reader how linked they are to begin with. Kaishian takes the reader along for her journey to become a mycologist, sharing how she reckoned with her queerness and cultural identity along the way.

If you liked Braiding Sweetgrass and The Entangled Life, be sure to preorder Forest Euphoria or pick it up upon its release in May.

Scattershot but mostly in a good way, I think: like you're listening to a friend ramble on about mushroom facts for a while. I found said facts interesting (though not groundbreaking) and the autobiographical bits, which came as a fairly sparse sprinkling, were compelling. When it comes to the intersection between those aspects, I was left wanting a little more. I feel like there's a lot of potential in the connective tissue between knowledge and the person seeking that knowledge (and how the pursuit and attainment shapes them over time), and in this case that seems particularly apt considering the book is exploring connections between the "natural" world and queerness, as explained by a queer scientist.

Alas, the elements of memoir, nature writing, science facts, and social commentary (a last minute mention of Mary Banning's work feels too fleeting and would have been an interesting focal point in its own right for a hybrid memoir) don't come together in the most cohesive way, and maybe I just wanted the memoir aspect to take more of a center stage as it offers a convenient framing device for everything else. Nevertheless, the book is lovely for what it is, so I shouldn't dwell too much on what it's not.

This was a really incredible read. Full of hope; the author’s optimism was great. I loved the rich details of nature and the writing really draws you in. More of a memoir than I initially expected and thought it would focus more on nature than science. It was still very interesting and is an important topic all that’s going on. I will be recommending this

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was a beautiful exploration of queer experience, not just for humans, but other animals as well. As someone who loves science, but didn’t study it excessively in college, I found the scientific information in the book to be very accessible and I was charmed by the author’s personal experiences and narratives intertwined with facts and information about animals and fungi.

I appreciate the opportunity to explore queerness from a completely different angle and different lens and highly recommend this book!

Forest Euphoria was not what I expected, but that is likely because I set my expectations based upon erroneous assumptions. After I finished the book I looked at the blurb again, and I have to admit that it is everything it says it is.

This book does talk about queerness in nature, but not in the ways you’d expect. The queerness discussed here is found in glass eels and slugs and cicadas and mushrooms. And while I have always found the singing of the cicadas oddly beautiful, and paradoxically enough find mushrooms lovely to look at even while I don’t much care to eat them, I can’t say that I have ever given much thought to slugs or glass eels or lichen unless it was to consider their potential caloric or medicinal value, but I can guarantee you that I will now, every time I visit a wild space. Or, hell, my backyard, which is a little bit wild all on its own.

Author Patricia Kaishian clearly finds them all fascinating. And more, holds a deep and abiding affection and respect for them, which bleeds through in every word on these pages and is not only beautiful but endearing. And while I’m absolutely not saying that just because she seems to love crows as much as I do, I definitely enjoyed the section of the book devoted to them.

On a side note, I am heartened by how many of the books on science I have read recently have made note of the harm that European colonialism and patriarchal practices have caused, and how many have mentioned indigenous scientific practices and knowledge as well as the contributions of women. I’m well aware of the fact that I am more than likely seeing so much of this because I favor books written by women, queers, and BIPOC, but the simple existence of these books for me to read gives me a tiny kernel of hope.

As to this particular book, all I can really add is that I loved it. The writing transports you to the wild places the author describes, and if you’re like me and don’t get to visit them anywhere near as often as you’d like anymore, that is food for the soul. Turtle Island is in my blood and in my bone, and it is incredibly rare, in my experience, to feel a writer’s love for it in their words. At a time like this, when everything is turmoil, I found the author’s discussions of their ‘sit spaces’ soothing. And while I don’t feel the same kinship with the microscopic beings the author does, I have always found it in the untamed creatures we share this world with. And I, too, have taken comfort in their queerness; it’s what led me to read this book.

I’ll be honest, you probably have to be at least a little bit of a science nerd to enjoy this book. And an open-minded one at that, because honestly before this book I never would have expected to enjoy reading about fungi. But I very much did, and am actually a little bit sad to have finished it.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review.

Forest Euphoria is a book that defies categorization. This is a thoughtful and contemplative memoir that touches on science (botany, zoology, biology, ecology, geology...), history, philosophy, anthropology, psychology among others and then intersections between them. Kaishian talks about finding her space in the world literally and figuratively inviting the reader to consider a new framework for understanding how we fit into the natural environment, one that isn't necessarily mainstream though coming more to the forefront as we confront the impacts of and human role in climate change. Kaishian highlights parts of the plant and animal world that are often overlooked like lichen or eels or even vilified like fungi and snakes and her enthusiasm and excitement for what they do and how they contribute is infectious. While it's much more common to relegate the natural world into clean and neat boxes, Kaishian shows that there's a lot of fluidity, change and adaptation among lifeforms, something to acknowledge and celebrate. She leaves you with a lot to think about while leaving you space to appreciate the things around you. I found that she jumped from idea to idea throughout Forest Euphoria which sometimes disrupted the flow for me as a reader, but this also reflected how her mind connects points that might not be initially obvious. Overall I learned a lot and I'm excited that authors like Kaishian and Robin Wall Kimmerer (referred to several times in this book) are sharing a different worldview that will allow us to take better care of our environment.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for the e-arc!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I decided to step out of my comfort zone (which lately consists mainly of historical fiction) and read something new and different through NetGalley. I am glad that I did. As a physician and former biochemist, I tend to take a pragmatic view of most things but I must say the author did a nice job of opening my eyes to the fluidity of nature and all things around us. This introspective book looks at nature from a different point of view; personally, curiously, spiritually, and cosmically without being too patronizing or preachy. The author, as a neurodivergent individual, explores her own inner self-questioning through her intensely personal relationship with nature or as she calls it 'eco-spirituality'. I suspect writing this was a cathartic experience for her. The book is well written and engaging, the bibliography at the end excellent, and despite being sometimes overly detailed, gave me new information about all sorts of fascinating creatures in nature and hopefully a better overall worldview.

A delightful book that is part memoir, part nature documentary. A lot to love about this book! Perfect for those who are queer and love nature!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Absolutely adored the exploration of queer natures here, from eel reproduction to miniature fungi to the questions brought up by the author. Will be recommending this book to anyone interested in the intersection of nature and culture, as well as anyone interested in personal essays which involve scientific facts. So pleased to get to read this before publication! Was a quick read, too—the voice is highly compelling. 5/5 stars.

A beautiful and informative look into nature, and a reminder that things deemed "unnatural" by some, are just as natural as warmth from the sun and breaths from a creature.
I highly recommend reading this, even if you are just slightly intrigued by either studies of animals or sexuality and gender studies!

This book offers a compelling blend of memoir, social commentary, and nature writing, though it diverges from its synopsis by focusing more on queerness in science than in nature. Kaishian’s writing is insightful and beautifully crafted, making sharp intersectional critiques of the scientific community. However, the balance between science and social analysis feels uneven—more nature-based examples could have strengthened the arguments and allowed readers space for their own interpretations.

Thanks to Net-Galley for providing this Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book gifted me words for feelings that have remained vague and unnamed in my life. The practice of a “sit spot”, for example, and the experience of being “queer to a place.” The book also explored concepts that I crave reading about, like the joy of finding companionship with creatures that are sometimes a lil too much on the tiny side or the slimy side or the scary side of things to really get much loving attention from humans. These creatures are often disregarded, ignored, or treated with violence and disrespect, but Ononiwu Kaishian treats them with the reverence they deserve. I also appreciate how Kaishian emphasizes the necessity of applying Indigenous Traditional Knowledge to our daily lives. These are topics I will never get tired of reading about. Especially in these times when interrelationality is a most urgent medicine. In fact, this whole book was a comfort, a joy, and a revelation in the face of pain and grief. The author discusses the legacy that genocide and colonization leave behind. She faces the repercussions of trauma and of feeling othered. All the while, nature provides refuge and relationship that she demonstrates we can all reach out to for strength and wonder in difficult times. I am so grateful for this book and will be referring to it for years to come, I am sure. Anytime I am hungry for some fascinating facts about our wild neighbors, or anytime I am eager to remember I am not alone (and that none of us are, not in the slightest).

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the e-arc!

Thanks to Net-Galley for providing this Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a very different read than the synopsis suggests; rather than queerness in nature this book is more about queerness in science, which is, to be fair, a fascinating topic. This book reads as half memoir, half social commentary, with nature anecdotes tying the two together.

The book is beautifully written and the author makes excellent intersectional analyses of the scientific community and Western culture as a whole. However, I found myself wondering who the book’s audience is meant to be. The book’s queerness is loud, which is excellent and important in nonfiction especially, but of course also will inevitably alienate some readers who might benefit from the writing. And on the other hand, for the queer readers who are more likely to be drawn to this one, much of the social analysis is over-explained.

What I would have LOVED for this book and what I think would have solved the above issue would be a different ratio of nature facts to social commentary. Kaishian does an excellent job of juxtaposing fascinating facts with what they can make us question about our current way of looking at things. She tends to briefly describe the science, pose some sharp questions, and then go on to answer those questions for us in long essays. As a reader, I would have liked to have more space to find my own answers to her questions, perhaps revealed in additional scientific examples. Part of this may be my own failings - I tend to read fiction, where the reader has more agency to take their own meanings out of the book, and I also went into this book really wanting to learn about queer non-human biology.

The book also handles a lot of topics in a short time, which is exciting but makes it hard to keep track of everything. I was reading an ARC online so perhaps in the final physical version there will be more reader reference points, but I found myself wanting more chapter breaks and clearer headings just for the sake of finding topics that had interested me in previous chapters.

Kaishian shone brightest for me when describing some of the wonders of this strange world. My personal need from nonfiction is that it inspires me to tell more stories or to teach what I’ve learned, and I have a full notebook page of inspiring notes from this book. And what Kaishian does most uniquely in this book is to invite people like myself, long reviled by science, back into the scientific world in a way that honors, welcomes, and excites.

I recommend this book to anyone who loved Braiding Sweetgrass, A Sand County Almanac, H is for Hawk, as well as to any young scientist beginning or hoping to begin their own educational pathway. Kaishian doesn’t just teach us different ways to look at science and the world, she also reminds us of ways to look at and care for ourselves.

This book absolutely blew my mind! Mycology hasn’t been a specific interest of mine but the way that the author speaks about fungi (and really all plants and animals and the Earth) makes it inherently fascinating and important. I feel more connected and reflective about the natural world and more proud of my queerness. The way that the author brought together science, identity, and queerness was new for me and very profound. I have recommended this book to quite a few of my friends and family because I know it will change their lives too!

This is such a beautiful personal and collective account of what it feels like to be in touch with nature. Looking at the ecologies of forests, swamps, and grasslands through the lens of queer theory allows for the removal of scientific bias that ignores so many non-binary aspects of the natural world . The personal reflections and stories made me feel so seen in the relation between not feeling like I fit in the binary of societal gender expectations and the welcoming that forests and wild spaces provide to folks like me. It is not a coincidence that we are often drawn to natural places to feel more at home. This book really reaffirmed these feelings through a variety of studies of flora, fauna, and fungi whose lives exist beyond the heteronormative binary that has been imposed upon them. I'm excited to recommend this book to other lovers of queer theory and readers of Robin Wall Kimmerer.