New Jersey is known for growing things, so it shouldn’t be surprising that our fertile soil has produced a thriving crop of authors and literature about our fair condition. Philip Roth, Judy Blume, Janet Evanovich, and Harlan Coben are just a few of the bestselling authors born in New Jersey. With these literary credentials in hand, we have compiled a list of some of our favorite nature-filled books and non-fiction anthologies all about our favorite state.
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The Best Nature Books of New Jersey
New Jersey is a bird watchers paradise! We have our wonderful native birds and are treated to a parade of migratory birds twice a year along our coastline. This book covers one hundred and twenty-two species, making it a lot easier to see if that bird at your feeder is a red-bellied woodpecker or a yellow-bellied sapsucker.
This is a beautiful old book, still in a publication featuring one hundred and sixty-six photos and twenty-two maps detailing the various rivers, creeks, and canals that snake through our state and can be traveled by canoe. Whether you paddle the Musconetcong or in Batsto or any other waterways, it's often just as easy to imagine it's 1950 as today; the stillness is the same. If it's too cold for you to canoe right now- this will help.
Over one million acres in Southern New Jersey comprise the Pine Barrens. I think everyone in New Jersey has had their moment of wonder when they were first introduced to this marvel of nature. This book breaks that area into four sections, north, central, coastal, and southern, to describe the landscape and points of interest available in this region. Of course, there's some Jersey Devil thrown in here as well. This book is for people who know and want to know the Pine Barrens.
The Best Anthologies of New Jersey
This book reads like a love song to New Jersey. It is a compilation of essays, interviews, and comics from a diverse set of New Jersey creators. It reads like a literary mosaic of our state. The strength of this anthology lies in its inclusion; the voices of so many different types of people are heard, and it's lovely to follow the thread of Jersey's influence throughout all the works.
We all know the Jersey Devil, but what about the little boy on Clinton Road or the phantom in the Devil's Tower in Alpine? Everyone loves a good ghost story and living in a state that goes back to colonial times, there's a wide variety of folks haunting our cities and towns – if you believe!
This is a collection of essays on everything in New Jersey. The book tells the story of our state from colonial times forward. The strength of this anthology is the collection of different perspectives presented. Seventeen essays and discussions on feminism, labor strikes, slavery, and other topics are well represented. This is more of a socio-political history.
This guide covers the whole state; from the Appalachian Trail to the trails through Cape May. This book includes hikes from 1.5 to 28 miles in length. This is a handy book for the devoted hiker to have on hand.
Everyone loves this book! The anthology is often updated and contains the best legends, myths, and weird stuff New Jersey offers. From the Palace of Depression to the Gates of Hell (literally), it's all in here. You may want to keep a copy in your car – you never know when something weird may pop up; after all, this IS JERSEY!
