August 2025 update from Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter - Summer Reads Special!
August 27, 2025
Enjoy these books this summer!
Hi Supporter,
Welcome to our August newsletter — a summer reads special!
I am visiting my home country of Cymru (Wales) for three weeks this month, and rather than leave you without a newsletter, I thought it would be fun to ask our team for their summer reading recommendations!
Below you'll find eight very different books, ranging from bird watching to science fiction. Some are meditative, some are rousing, but all are inspiring! We hope you'll find your next late summer read here.
I will be back in September with our regular newsletter. In the meantime, please do let us know your personal book recommendations, and we may feature them in our future newsletters.
Thank you for your continued readership and support! See you next month.
Rebecca Dien-Johns Chapter Coordinator
P.S. Don't forget to check sc.org/hcevents for all our upcoming events and outings. We have many wonderful hikes planned in our beautiful state, and we'd love to see you on the trail!
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter Summer Reads Recommendations!
Monica Cannelly, a volunteer leader on our Energy Committee, recommends:
The Ministry For The Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
"The book is science fiction, set in the near future, when a catastrophic event happens due to global warming and the global cooperation required to address climate change.
I found it to be a wake-up call and timely due to the current administration's rolling back of environmental and climate protections."
Joab Schultheis, Chair of the Executive Committee, recommends:
Birds in the Yard Month by Month by Sharon Sorenson
"This book is a great way to learn about birds and become more aware of what they're doing throughout the year."
"Subtitled In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, this is a beautiful book of essays centered around the author's life and her love and knowledge of the natural world.
It transports you to locations as varied as Kansas, Arizona, New York, and Ohio in the US to Kerala in southern India. The author's depictions of the landscapes, catalpa trees, monsoons, butterflies, newts and more are vivid — at once poetic and personal."
Colleen Curtin, Outreach Coordinator recommends:
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
"This is one of my favorite books and one I return to regularly.
We also encourage everyone to attend the event our friends at Faith in Place are hosting on the same day as our book club: Dr. Kimmerer is the keynote speaker and it's free!
This Is an Uprising, subtitled How Nonviolent Revolt Is Shaping the Twenty-first Century By Mark Engler and Paul Engler
"This book digs in on organizing theories and provides insight into how civil nonviolent movements are more successful in bringing about change in the world. A must-read for these challenging times."
Marilyn Bauchat, Chair of the Uplands Network, recommends:
Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future by Patty Krawek
"Krawek provides an impressive use of "systems thinking" as she relates her own story along with the story of her ancestors. She challenges us to question concepts of immigrants, settlers, creation, replacement, disappearance, and their impacts on system functions within a larger context.
Through Krawek's writing we are able to see patterns and relationships through her eyes, leading toward a possibility of unraveling the history we have been taught and embracing kinship as a way to move forward."
Jesse Kirkham, Chair of the Heartlands Group, recommends:
Lessons from Plants by Beronda L. Montgomery
“This book is a meditation on growth, resilience, and community.
Through the observational wisdom of plants, Montgomery invites us to reimagine human relationships, mentorship, and equity.
It’s a transformative reminder that thriving often begins with awareness — and that nature, if we look carefully, is a generous teacher.”
Julie Lowe, Chair of the Winding Waters Group, recommends:
Toward a Natural Forest, subtitled The Forest Service in Transition by Jim Furnish, a memoir
"Jim Furnish was a progressive and an effective champion within the US Forest Service.
He passed away in January 2025, and I had heard about his book. It is now out of print but I found a copy online to purchase.
This book gives me hope in these difficult times in our nation."
