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Release Date: October 1st 2026
For the Love of Bats is an exploration of the bats unique to the western United States. Through the lens of volunteerism and intentional experiences For the Love of Bats will open you up to the wonder and beauty of the night skies, challenging preconceived notions of the biology, behaviors, and benefits of this endlessly interesting group of animals that are bats. Published by Mountaineers Books, Seattle, WA. Signed pre-order books are available from Third Place Books until October 1st.
Pre - Sale Now Available:
Third Place Books
Bookshop.org
Also available at Amazon, Target, Mountaineers Books and your local bookshop!
Author and Book Events:
Sunday, Sept. 27th at 9pm: Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, an evening of informal discussion at The Nightcapper. Columbia Event Center, Portland, OR. Conference attendees only.
Tuesday, Sept. 29th at 6:30pm: Author Talk at Roundabout Books in Bend, OR. Tickets or purchase required - HERE
Friday, Oct 2nd (Breakout sessions 2): Thurston Conservation District is hosting United in Conservation: Local Ag in the Time of a Changing Climate at the Lacey Community Center in Lacey, WA near Olympia. Bats and Forests talk followed by book sales and signing at lunch. Conference attendees only, sign up here.
Wednesday, Oct 7th at 6:30pm: Author Talk at Third Place Books in the Lake Forest Park Commons, Lake Forest Lake, WA. (Free event) RSVP Recommended
Wednesday, Oct 14th at 6pm: Author Talk at Old Firehouse Bookstore in Fort Collins, CO. (with Climbers for Bat Conservation co-founder Rob Schorr) (Free)
Thursday, Oct 15th at lunchtime: Book Signing at the Bat Goods Booth at NASBR in Fort Collins, CO. Conference attendees only.
Thursday, Oct 22nd at 6:30pm: Author talk at The Mountaineers Club in Magnuson Park, Seattle, WA. (with Bat Rehabilitation specialist Barb Ogaard) TICKETS
Tuesday, Oct 27th at 3:30pm: Tumwater Library bat talk & Crafts. Tumwater, WA. (Free event)
Tuesday, Oct 27th at 6pm: Author & Illustrator Talk at Browers Books in Olympia, WA. (with illustrator Anneke Wilder) (Free event)
Thursday, Oct 29th at 7pm: Author discussion at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, WA. (with Woodland Park Zoo Conservation Manager Katie Remine and Bats Northwest Volunteer Katie Lundi) (Free event) Requires RSVP - HERE
Thursday, Nov. 19th at 6pm: Author Talk at Village Books in Bellingham, WA. (with Bat Rehabber Meg Lunnum) (Free event)
Saturday, Dec 5th (all day): Wild Arts Festival in Hillsboro, OR. (with illustrator Anneke Wilder) TICKETS
Monday, Dec. 7th at 7pm: Author Talk at Powell’s Books in Portland, OR. (with author Lyanda Lynn Haupt) (Free event)
Wednesday, January 13th at 6pm: Author Talk at The Burke in Seattle, WA. (with Dr. Sharlene Santana)
Monday, March 8th at 10:30am: Author Talk at the Milton Community Center, Milton, WA.
Sat. & Sun. March 13-14 (all day): Author panel and book signings at the Tucson Festival of Books in Tucson, AZ. (Free event) INFO
Reviews
“For the Love of Bats: Exploring Nature at Night with the West's Flying Mammals by Niki Desautels ($24.95, 9781680517361, 10/1/26) celebrates the diversity of bats, revealing their unusual behaviors, habitats, and physiology while making a compelling case for stewardship and conservation. Desautels shares a vivid, place-based exploration of the West's only flying mammals, blending natural history with in-the-field experiences.”
Desautels, a board member of the conservation nonprofit Bats Northwest, debuts with an enlightening overview of the diversity of bats found in the western U.S. Though often feared, these creatures of the night are an important part of healthy ecosystems, according to Desautels, who explains that they control insect populations, pollinate plants, and disperse nutrients between habitats. She guides readers through the qualities that make bats unique: they are the only mammals on Earth that can truly fly, and they have a “superpower” called echolocation, the ability to sense their surroundings using sound, which helps them navigate and capture prey. Desautels dispels common myths, explaining how folklore and Bram Stoker’s Dracula have led people to associate bats with blood-sucking monsters. However, almost all bat species consume a diet of either insects or fruit. The three species that do feed on animal blood have small fangs, and the tiny wounds they create often go unnoticed by their prey. Elsewhere, she sheds light on more obscure species, such as the tube-lipped nectar bat, which has the longest tongue for its body size of any animal except chameleons. Desautels explains bat biology clearly and comprehensively and offers helpful tips for supporting local bat populations, like planting native flowers and trees in one’s yard. Readers will emerge with a deeper appreciation of these misunderstood creatures. (Oct.)