Thanks for the arc NetGalley

4.5 stars!

As an ecologist myself, I'm lucky to work in nature. Research on animal and plant nightlife is a booming business in my field. As you will learn when reading this, nightlife has been studied way less than you might think. I found it especially interesting to read about insects such as moths. And I got to learn a lot on aquatic animals. The book reads like a nature documentary, which always feels like a breath of fresh air to me. The fun facts added a little something extra. The author is pretty funny and also added stories about her research and love for nature and the nighttime. I was happy read along with her adventures throughout the book. I want to get out at night and catch an owl hooting into the night or stargaze.

Sophia Kimmig has provided a fabulous book which will surely satisfy the nocturnal science and animal lover within.

This book is an extensive wealth of information about the nocturnal beings we quite possibly don’t really think about that often.
I learned so much reading this. I had no idea that marsupials originated in the US (and possibly SE Asia) prior to Australia, in the form of Opossums.

I found parts of the book quite meditative, especially the beginning chapter as I could really imagine being out amongst the coyotes and other creatures skulking around in the dark of night.

This is a book that can be read in bits as the mood takes you. There is lots of information to either learn or reflect upon. I found it really extensive, mentioning the Te Kakapo of NZ, the Cassowary of northern Qld and PNG, through to the northern tips of the world. I would love to see the night cactus one day along with many other treasures mentioned but too numerous to single out.

I highly recommend this wonderful book.

Thank you the Experiment and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return of my honest review. All opinions are my own.

We are familiar with the animals who are awake during the day because we are up and about when the sun is up. But who comes out when after we've gone to bed? Living Night gives us a peek into the creatures active at night. There are a lot of preconceived-and oftentimes negative(ideas about these animals and Kimmig goes to great lengths to dispell these ideas and reveal the wonders the night contains. While this was an interesting read, it got a bit repetitive at times. I also got tired of being told to look something up online instead of being shown a picture or told more about it.

It's estimated that 62% of animal species are active at twilight or night, including about 1/5 of birds. So it's not just owls flying around while we're asleep. However, very few of those animals have been closely studied. In this book the author explains her interest in night time animals and offers a lot of interesting facts about them. Interspersed with discussions of specific animals are fun facts on topics like glowing eyes or sticky feet.

I enjoyed parts of this, but sometimes the information it presented was so basic it felt geared towards children, though clearly it's not. Also, it would have worked better for me if topics had been organized in some over-arching way, not just scattered randomly through the book. And, though the cover may lead the reader to expect lyrical prose, the translation is straight-forward and factual, which can feel dry at times. So, though this book will appeal to some readers, others like me may be left with some interesting facts, but wishing it had delivered them in a more interesting way.

Thank you to The Experiment, the author and NetGally for providing me with a copy of this book.

A non-fiction book about nocturnal animals and their night time life.
Kimmig adds personal insights to this lovely book.
A very cool read - it was nice to be more informed about what happens when most of us are sleeping and what nature holds.

In this fascinating book, Sophia Kimmig describes the lives of various nocturnal animals and emphasizes the importance of the darkness for them and for us. While doing her PhD research in Berlin on the lives of foxes, she became fascinated with her observations during nighttime hours. In this book, she tells readers about the lives of many different animals, including bats, owls, dormice, raccoons, possums, moths, and more. These chapters alternate with those that explain why darkness is important to those animals as well as human animals. The chapter on light pollution included some useful suggestions. As a night owl myself, I found all of the chapters interesting as well as being thoroughly enjoyable to read. I learned new things in the course of reading this book and I can highly recommend it.

A very interesting and enlighting look into the world we live in and those who live in it at night. Very great read