I’m in a Book Club in Denver and it’s truly unhinged in every sense of the word. We meet monthly and text hourly - often one of us will get back from a meeting/long day at work/bathroom break and have 98 missed text messages in the span of 20 minutes that covered 43 topics.

The best part? We’ve been operating for almost two years and there hasn’t been one month where everyone read the book. It’s…not successful. Though my fake book club is kind of a bust, I thought I’d lay out my favorite sustainability or environmentally-related books in case someone reading wants to start a more successful club:

Braiding Sweetgrass

Written by botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer, the work examines modern botany and environmentalism through the lens of traditions and cultures of indigenous people in North America, together with modern day science. This is a work of art.A Sand County Almanac: Aldo Leopold and I have always had a special bond because we were born exactly 101 years apart. Many would argue that this book changed the environmental movement and spurred widespread ecology as a science to be studied in school. Aside from Silent Spring, it’s one of the most venerated environmental books of the 20th century. Start with this one.

A Sand County Almanac

Aldo Leopold and I have always had a special bond because we were born exactly 101 years apart. Many would argue that this book changed the environmental movement and spurred widespread ecology as a science to be studied in school. Aside from Silent Spring, it’s one of the most venerated environmental books of the 20th century. Start with this one.

The Omnivore's Dilemma

This is a more modern take on one of the most environmentally-pressing issues of our times: factory farms. Michael Pollan dives into the environmental and animal welfare effects of various food choices and leaves you questioning your everyday decisions without making you feel guilty.

This Changes Everything

Capitalism Versus The Climate: As Naomi Klein’s fourth book, she delves into how the climate crisis cannot be addressed in the current era of the free market, which encourages wasteful and extravagant consumption. It’s sobering and not the most optimistic of books, but just as important.

The End of Nature

I was once tasked with escorting Bill McKibben from a conference to his hotel via subway in New York City and will truly never forget the amount of star-struckness I had. What a gift to this planet. The End of Nature was published in 1989, but somehow isn’t out of date. He describes nature as a force previously independent from humankind, but now directly affected by people.

The Overstory

This novel, by Richard Powers, follows nine Americans brought together by their unique connection with trees to discuss the destruction of forests. It’s absolutely gripping - I loved that the trees and forest were just as much main characters as the 9 featured Americans.