10 Top Books about Climate Change

Set in the North American Appalachian Mountains, Flight Behaviour follows a restless young mother, Dellarobia, after she discovers a mysterious marvel of nature in the mountains: a fiery mass of monarch butterflies. A scientist comes to town in hope of discovering the reason behind this curious phenomenon and ropes in Dellarobia to help him. A wonderfully evocative story highlighting how climate change intersects with class, the urban/rural divide and what determines whether people engage with the defining issue of our time.

Based on real events, this book tells the inspiring story of 14 year old William Kamkwamba’s plight to save his Malawian village from the worst famine in fifty years. In the face of poverty, political unrest, drought and then a season of floods, William teaches himself about the technology of windmills and electricity. By borrowing books from the small local library and gathering scraps of metal, old bicycle parts and wood, William builds his own windmill. A beautiful story of hope in the face of the impacts from the climate crisis.

Inspired by mythology, Gun Island follows the journey of academic and rare book dealer, Deen, as he attempts to uncover the meaning behind a Bengali legend from his childhood. Deen must question the world around him and his place in it as he becomes entangled in the lives and experiences of the characters he meets along the way. Spanning space and time, Ghosh effectively weaves in the impacts of climate change, from devastating weather events to displacement.

Written in the present tense and occasionally seeming more like prose than a novel, Weather shows Lizzie Benson’s gradual awakening to the urgency of the climate crisis. A librarian who becomes employed by her former mentor and well-known host of aptly named podcast, Hell and High Water, Lizzie must answer emails from listeners across the political spectrum. All this as Lizzie juggles her roles as wife, mother, daughter and sister to her recovering addict brother.

More of a short story than a book, the length of The Man Who Planted Trees mustn’t fool you into underestimating it. A beautiful tale of hope, survival and selflessness this story follows a man who discovers a shepherd in Provence in 1910. The man watches the shepherd plant acorns across the valley and he is compelled to come back to visit him 10 years later. The forest is thriving and the shepherd continues his work. The man continues to visit him and act as witness to the unshakeable commitment the shepherd has to nature. The perfect book to read when climate anxiety takes over or you’re simply in need in an elegant dose of hope.

Accessible and engaging, Can we save the planet gives an overview of the climate crisis and what we can do to tackle it. As part of The Big Idea series, it also offers insights into related environmental issues like plastic pollution and deforestation. Written by the director of climate charity Possible, this book is perfect for anyone wanting an introduction to climate change or in need of a little climate hope.

One of the defining books of our time, This Changes Everything explores the link between climate change and capitalism. Touching upon everything from human nature to breaking free of fossil fuels, this book expertly walks the fine line between being provocative, realistic and optimistic. 

Losing Earth is the tale of what happened in 1979 onwards when the most powerful people in the world learned of the dangers of human-caused climate change. Filled with twists and turns, this book tells the real story of how we missed the greatest opportunity to avert climate change and shows what we can learn from it today. From characters in the oil industry to politicians, climate scientists and campaigners, this journalistic blockbuster gives a fantastic assessment of how we got to where we are today.

When was the last time you had a conversation about climate change? If it’s difficult to remember then this might be the book for you. Don’t even think about it weaves in psychology with real life events to explain why it’s historically been so difficult for people to talk about climate change. Marshall also includes how best to speak to people about climate change and if you’re feeling brave enough, a summary of the impacts of climate change at the end (not for the faint-hearted).

A little different from the others but nonetheless (in my opinion) one of the best non-fiction books about climate change. The critically acclaimed novelist, Amitav Ghosh explores climate change’s relationship with literature before delving into politics and history. He argues the crucial role of fiction in our treatment of the climate crisis and why telling original and compelling stories can inspire the action we need to tackle it.