Alex Kirkbride (David and Charles, $30)

No matter where you turn these days, it seems all the talk is about water. American Waters provides a unique look at the lakes, rivers, ponds and troughs of the United States with some below-the-surface and some half-in, half-out shots. Alex Kirkbride said he was compelled to do a book after reading a book dedication to him and his siblings from his grandfather. American Waters proved to be his opportunity. The photos, at least one from every state, offer a stunning look into the water world we tend to miss or ignore in our busy lives. Two photos from Utah appear in the book. The first is under the ice at Bear Lake during the famous Bonneville cisco spawning run in January. The second is an extreme close-up of the eye of a nurse shark at the Bonneville Seabase in Grantsville. A personal favorite is a shot of a loon underwater in Minnesota. The book includes a powerful foreword from Jean-Michel Cousteau.

- Brett Prettyman