6 Months Of Our Sustainable Book Club... And Our July Pick!

This article is part of our "Round Ups" series, where we share things that inspire us, guide us, or are just really cool. Today, a look back at 6 months of our book club, and our favorite highlights from all we've read.

When we set out to start our virtual (digital!) Sustainable Book Club, we had a few small goals. We wanted our reads to feel manageable, and not like an environmental studies textbook. We wanted to read mostly books written by women of color. We wanted to get a bunch of different perspectives, takes or angles on the climate crisis (or solutions). And we wanted to diversify a bit so that our final book list would have something for everybody.

We think we nailed it to date, especially on the “something for everybody” bit. Here’s a guide to the first six months of Goldune’s Book Club reads-- and what to expect next.

If you prefer reading short form articles or think pieces in the NYT to picking up a book…

Tatiana Schlossberg’s Inconspicuous Consumption is for you. A forever favorite, each chapter is like an Earth-shattering revelation. You’ll have something to bring to the table at the next dinner party you go to, and a dozen things to think about in the meantime.

If you are an optimist who finds talking about climate change stressful or anxiety inducing…

Pick up All We Can Save, a collection of essays by women about climate. It’s solution-oriented, and the thesis is that we can and will find an answer to environmental racism and the climate crisis. It’s the “yes and” of books on sustainability.

If you are thinking about what “the new normal” means to you…

You’ll want to read The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis. It’s as forward-thinking and honest with itself as you are.

If you feel so overwhelmed by politics and social justice and don’t know where to begin or how you personally should add value…

Dedicated by Pete Davis is your new gospel. It’s not specifically about climate justice-- but about what commitment means and what its value is in an era of “infinite browsing”-- plus a reminder that nothing societally ever changes without the fierce, unwavering and dedicated commitment that activists make, even when it feels like nothing is changing or happening fast enough.

If you prefer fiction to non-fiction...

Get your mitts on a copy of Mary Robinson's Climate Justice. Her style of storytelling and the women whose stories she tells appeal to folks who are looking for more of a story arc than an expository or scientific essay.

If you are seeking a perspective that doesn’t center white men…

Good luck, that’s rare. Kidding! Kind of! Pick up Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer for an indigineous woman (and scientist’s!) point of view on planet. You’ll be better for it.

Last but not least…

Our July pick is in! Join us this month for a read of Under A White Sky, The Future of Nature, by Elizabeth Kolbert.

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