In today's Friday Five, we're going green. Yup, you read that correctly, the theme is green (and yes, for regular readers, not all that far off from last month’s theme of “not blue but belongs on the blue table"). Each title pays homage to this gorgeous green earth while imploring us to pay attention to the smallest of details that make this planet truly wonder-full.

BRAIDING SWEETGRASS: Team green all started with a re-read of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s stunning book which I admittedly glossed over on my first go round, totally enamored with the subject matter but simply not in a headspace to be able to appreciate, with a newborn and toddler underfoot. This time I’m savoring every last word, listening to the author’s narration and reading over the words in the gorgeous hardcover edition from Milkweed with its linen-like cover and letterpress words. The subtitle "Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants" gives you a glimpse of what you're in for but really doesn't do justice to the transcendental reader experience ahead. I recommend this volume to anyone who needs a reprieve from the relentless pace of technology, social media, and the like. An essential home library volume.

EMBRACE FEARLESSLY THE BURNING WORLD: Next up, the final work from National Book Award winner Barry Lopez, which, how else do I describe except to say: exquisite. Here's a taste: "The determination to know a particular place, in my experience, is consistently rewarded. And every natural place, to my mind, is open to being known. And somewhere in this process a person begins to sense that they themselves are becoming known, so that when they are absent from that place they know that place misses them. And this reciprocity, to know and be known, reinforces a sense that one is necessary in the world." Never read Lopez? This is a fine place to start.

TRANSLATING MYSELF AND OTHERS: In the middle of this green round up, a cover that fits but content that, on the surface, seemingly strays. From Jhumpa Lahiri, this collection of essays on the importance of and origin of words, poses questions such as whether writers invent anything much beyond arranging words on the page as they do not create the words that make up their stories. In this smart essay collection Lahiri, the celebrated author of Interpreter of Maladies and Whereabouts, analyzes her decision at the age of 45 to take on writing in Italian. Eyebrows raised, questions arose; why Italian? Why now? Was this a move of an insolent academic or a creative attempt to jumpstart intellectual exploration? The care with which Lahiri approaches these words echoes the care with which Kimmerer and Lopez urge the reader to approach the natural world. A thoughtful collection that highlights the important role translators play in the world of books.

WHEN I SING MOUNTAINS DANCE: Set in the Pyrenees mountains, the sole fiction pick of the week doesn’t discriminate between human, animal, or natural world objects in allowing them to narrate the story. While a human loss lives at the center of the action, mushrooms, mountains, lighting, and deer all get their say as well. Translated from Catalan by Mara Faye Lethem, this small book by Irene Solà from Graywolf Press packs a punch. A creative story that reads like a fairy tale from a favorite small non-profit press, I'm betting you don't have anything like it on your shelf.

AN IMMENSE WORLD: HOW ANIMAL SENSES REVEAL THE HIDDEN REALMS AROUND US: Finally, a pre-order recommendation. If Atlantic writer’s Ed Yong’s new book is anything like his superb long-form journalism then you’ll want to snap up a copy and clear your schedule. It releases on Tuesday, June 21 and all signs point to a deeply engaging read, illuminating a world not available to the human eye but sensed and absorbed by the animals kingdom in astonishing ways. An early review from James McConnachie exudes enthusiasm: "Yong calls his book a 'call for humility,' and it did fill me with a certain awe...But it goes further...Subtly — Yong is never heavy-handed — it prompts a radical rethink about the limits of what we know — what the world is, even...It is quite a book...And, I felt, putting it down, quite a world." Yong narrates the audiobook version and I'm planning to grab it from Libro.fm for long summer walks.