August newsletter: Summer book recommendations

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For this month’s newsletter we want to help you sneak in one more summer read before September brings crunchy leaves and fully-powered laptops. Our Comms Coordinator Victoria set about the pleasurable task of asking eftecers about their favourite environment-related books. It should come as no surprise that the recommended books range across so many parts of our lived experiences as people who eat, breathe, make community, face challenges, and age on this planet.

We hope you find a new story to enjoy.

Our recommendations

Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee

Graham recommends: Cider with Rosie is Laurie Lee's memoir of his idyllic childhood in a Cotswold valley in the 1920s. His poetic writing style, full of imagery, takes you back to a world where nature was rampant and unblemished.

English Pastoral by James Rebanks

Victoria’s recommends: English Pastoral is an elegy of old rhythms in the agrarian Lake District (work, community, wild things), and a message of profound hope for restoration and legacy of an abundant landscape. It holds one of my favourite quotes to share with someone embarking on a new purpose: “Planting a tree means you believe in, and care about, a world that will be there after you are gone.”

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Tabitha recommends: a classic for a reason, Frankenstein draws a parallel between nature and human nature, using the stark isolation of the Arctic to reflect the flaws and loneliness of its characters.

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Rebecca recommends: I loved Orbital because it explores the beauty and fragility of earth through the perspective of astronauts orbiting the planet, while highlighting the devastating effects of climate change and natural disasters on our world.

Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Emma recommends: it was a fascinating read, particularly its exploration of how other species possess entirely different forms of intelligence to humans, challenging the reader to rethink what intelligence itself really means.

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L Cline

Frayr recommends: to anyone interested in investigative books. Through a compelling examination of the fashion industry, Cline reveals the hidden environmental, social and economic costs of cheap clothing and the culture of overconsumption that fast fashion has created.

The Overstory by Richard Powers

Russell recommends: this beautifully written and timely book re-tells stories of how people have tried, failed, and succeeded to protect ancient forests in and around my home state of Oregon.

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy

Jaqueline recommends: The Return of the Native is a story that displays the tension between individual desires and the outside forces that shape our lives. Thomas Hardy’s anthropomorphic portrayal of the story's landscape, Egdon Heath, reminds readers of the enduring influence of nature on the human experience.