Botanical horror is a subgenre of horror that incorporates plants, fungi, or other elements of nature as key sources of fear, danger, or supernatural occurrences. These stories often explore themes of nature reclaiming its power, human hubris in manipulating ecosystems, and the eerie intelligence of plant life. Dare to explore the dark side of nature? Check out a book from this list—if you can escape its grasp!

Whether you regard yourself as a scientist or not, we all have an inherent interest in the world around us. These riveting reads will bring out your inner scientist and inspire you to delve deeper into some fascinating scientific topics.

Fires. Floods. Blizzards. Plagues. Ship sinkings. The month of May marks the anniversaries of several great tragedies in history.

May 7, 1915: A German U-boat sinks the British ocean liner Lusitania, resulting in the deaths of 1,198 people.

May 6, 1937: The Hindenburg bursts into flames while landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

May 4, 1970: The Ohio National Guard kills four unarmed students and wounds nine others during an anti-Vietnam War protest.

May 18, 1980: Mount St. Helens erupts. The eruption was one of the greatest volcanic explosions ever recorded in North America, killing 57 people and destroying the mountain’s volcanic cone.

Brush up on your history by reading one of these curated titles covering tragedies in history.