Books To Reconnect With Nature

Yes, we're talking about nature and trees and sustainability again. Get the reading list ready.

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Somewhat recently, I shared a reading list on bookstagram full of my nature book recommendations. If you’ve been reading my Substack for any length of time then this will be of no surprise to you, but I’m a huge nature enthusiast, environmentalist and animal lover. I even snagged my dream job at Stella McCartney a few years ago, combining my loves for fashion and sustainability at last! There, I got to write about handbags and recycling, dresses and clothing lifecycles, runways and rewilding.

My love for nature has definitely shone through in my reading, as well, lately though. I’m often asked for my book recommendations about sustainability and nature, so I thought I’d finally compile my ultimate guide to books about sustainability, and the titles that might help you reconnect with nature.

I’ve read and reread these books several times and find that I almost always gain something new, rewarding or illuminating from them. It is always worthwhile to learn more about the world we inhabit and to understand how plants, animals and humans can and do cooperate on our shared planet. Plus, nature non-fiction – and fiction! – have brought such a special depth to my reading life, since we can’t build fictional worlds without even a small essence of the real world and environments. Essentially, each of the recommendations is a love letter to our planet, and I hope they inspire you to do your small part in reversing the human damage we’ve imposed on planet Earth.

Find me on Goodreads and StoryGraph to see what I’m reading and reviewing in real-time.

Fiction

The Overstory by Richard Powers

One of my most talked-about books, The Overstory is really where my trees books obsession began. Unfortunately for me I actually haven’t gotten along with any of Powers’ other works, but this novel is brilliant. The novel follows the intertwined lives of eight strangers, brought together by the natural world and by trees. In my mind’s eye, the trees are an additional character in their own right. The Overstory is slow, meandering and captivating – much like wandering through a forest – and will render you craving slowness, greenness and an overall more harmonious pace and life amongst nature. The first third of the book paints a beautiful picture of our far-spanning cast of characters, while the rest of the story guides you through each of their causes and arcs. Since reading this, I’ve become completely enamoured with nature non-fiction, and learning everything that I can about trees, leafs, nature networks and, yes, mycelium.

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

A more recent read for me, Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton is a satirical eco-thriller. I’ve heard very mixed reviews but I personally loved it, and let me tell you why… In Birnam Wood, we follow a collective of characters brought together by a landslide and an abandoned farm, Birnam Wood. Each character has their own unique connection to or stake in the farm and each of their ideologies are tested as the plot unfolds and, yes, their stories entwine. If The Overstory was too slow for you, then this has a similar feel but is a touch pacier and ‘more’ happens. It’s permeated with environmental commentary and late-stage capitalism and personal politics that, I think, add fascinating layers to this story. I’m somebody that does seek and enjoy these elements to my novels, but I do think they work really well here. One suited for those who do enjoy a slower-paced read, and have a vested interest in our planet.

Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman

Venomous Lumpsucker is sort of the underwater, oceanic version of Birnam Wood with a similar satirical approach to eco-activism. In this speculative fiction, the climate crisis is in its end stages and the human race is continuing on with destroying every last species. Tens of thousands of species are going extinct every year. An industry has even started to preserve what’s left before the great extinction, building an archive of DNA samples in a biobank from which it’s hoped they can resurrect extinct species. We follow two researchers – Karin and Mark – as they search for the venomous lumpsucker, an ugly bottom-feeder that happens to be the most intelligent fish on the planet. I thought this one was less obvious in terms of its political commentary, but it’s definitely there amongst hilarity and commodity. An eco-thriller of our times.

The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin

One of the things I love most about Le Guin’s work is that it has a deep and urgent focus on future Earth, humanity and colonisation. The Word For World Is Forest is set in a distant future and is a great example of this. Humans colonise the planet of Athshe, enslaving its native population and treating the Athsheans as lesser-than. The reason for colonising this planet? The humans have already destroyed future Earth and need more trees to cut down for logging. This forestry theme runs throughout – a beautiful depiction of the Athsheans’ ways of living and a love for their planet. I really liked the parallels here between environmental destruction and late-stage capitalism and imperialism.

While the forestry descriptions are gorgeous and Le Guin’s signature writing style lends a sense of whimsy to many parts, at heart, The Word For World Is Forest is a book rooted in war, upheaval and colonialism. There’s a strong military feel here, of course, and Le Guin examines the concept of murder and how it forever disrupts the Athshean way and sense of life. A short little book that really showcases Le Guin’s science fiction capabilities.

Non-fiction

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

Trees are the lungs of our planet and this non-fiction by Wohlleben is a brilliant ode to them. If you’re not already obsessed with trees, then this book will guide you there. Here, the author takes us through their life experience in managing forests, but also guides us through the science behind how trees are like human families and how they communicate, feel and live side-by-side us in society. The author’s other books about nature, trees and animals are just as great.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

When I read this in spring 2025, it completely changed me. I have always adored nature, yet this deepened my understanding of the world and, in turn, why I am the way that I am. Nature is deeply embedded within us all and here Kimmerer attempts to guide us back to our roots, by sharing her own as an Indigenous person. It was a really valuable read by all accounts and her poetic, lyrical descriptions of the world beyond our screens and windows was really something to behold. If there’s one non-fiction book that you read this year, make it Braiding Sweetgrass.

Wilding by Isabella Tree

The Knepp Estate is the UK’s first large-scale rewilding project, founded by Isabella Tree and her husband. Once intensively farmed, the estate has been committed to a rewilding project since 2001 and it is incredibly successful. This book chronicles the journey and shares the natural processes that have brought the pair to where they are. Rewilding – letting the land regenerate through allowing nature and animals to roam and graze free – was one of the big projects that I worked on at a previous job and it’s something I feel really quite passionate about, and this book will surely draw you that way too.

How Fashion Is Wearing Out The World by Lucy Siegle

I first read Lucy Siegle’s pioneering work about fast fashion in my teenage years and I remember it cementing my want to be part of the fashion industry – for the good. Sadly, a majority of this book is still accurate and true and I think it’s an essential read for everybody. Fast fashion doesn’t simply refer to the quality (or poor quality) of goods, it encompasses the poorly governed manufacturing industries involved, the damaging effects of polluted waterways due to dyeing processes, the people who lose their lives to shocking facilities, the people that are reliant on this trade for income but make fractions of pennies for somebody’s £1 SHEIN dress that they’ll wear once. I really recommend this read to fully open your eyes to the fashion industry’s impact on our planet.

The Lost Rainforests of Britain by Guy Shrubsole

Lastly, let’s end on a great note with Guy Shrubsole’s beautiful homage to the rainforests of Britain. Yes, there are rainforests in the UK! Temperate rainforests filled with ancient trees, lichen and moss form some of the most important habitats in the UK, and this book tracks all of their valuable benefits, as well as tracking the folklore and history behind these beautiful places.

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Have you read any of these books? Will you be adding any to your reading list?