I have a long list of green books that I want to read. Reading for pleasure has fallen by the wayside lately as my book lists continue to grow longer and longer. Many nights I crawl into bed with the intention of reading, but I can’t keep my eyes open. Or maybe there’s an incredibly ridiculous TV series that I can’t get enough of (hint: The Walking Dead) or another series that keeps getting better and better (hint: Breaking Bad ).

My days are filled with reading various articles, blogs, papers and more. But reading for pleasure needs to come back. I know it will. It always does. As I head off on a long plane ride for a few days of vacation I’m planning to catch up on some of my reading.

I thought I would share with you a few green books that have impacted me over the years, many of these authors I’ve come to know in real life and I can assure you that they truly practice what they preach.

Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry

Beth is the author of the popular blog, My Plastic Free Life, where she chronicles her life without plastic. She recently released her  book, Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too. Beth provides very practical  easy steps to follow steps to help eliminate plastic from your life. Both a practical guide and the story of Beth’s personal journey from helplessness to empowerment, Plastic-Free is a must-read for anyone concerned about their ongoing health and the health of their children and the planet.

The Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O’Brien

Robin is a Houston native from a conservative family and a married mother of four. She was not someone who gave much thought to misguided government agencies and chemicals in our food—until the day her youngest daughter had a violent allergic reaction to eggs, and everything changed. The Unhealthy Truth is both the story of how one brave woman chose to take on the system and a call to action that shows how each of us can do our part and keep our own families safe.

Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World by Diane MacEachern

Diane MacEachern is the author of Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World and founder of the popular website, Big Green Purse. In her book Diane shows how important the”power of the purse” is when it comes to fighting the industries that pollute the planet. She demonstrates how mobilizing the most powerful consumer force in the world, women,  to intentionally shift their spending money to commodities that have the greatest environmental benefit, will ultimately create a cleaner, greener world.

Spit That Out!: The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt by Paige Wolfe

Calling all moms on the verge of a “green mom nervous breakdown”: Paige Wolfe, the author of Spit That Out!: The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt, is here to straighten us out. This is one of those green books that will make you feel less neurotic and more normal-what mom doesn’t want that?

This book is for all moms; it doesn’t matter if you’re a crunchy, Birkenstock wearing mommy or a rockin’ stlyin’ mom. This book is for you if you’re desperate to do what’s best for your children and are feeling overwhelmed by the process.

Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making by Micaela Preston

Micaela is the founder of the popular website, Mindful Momma. Her boo, Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making, takes the guesswork out of reading labels and will show you how to make smart, healthy purchases for your family. I love that each chapter is broken down into “Buy It” and “Do It” sections. The “Buy-It” section provides information about everyday purchasing decisions and includes clip-out checklists for you to reference while shopping. The “Do It” section gives DIY ideas for how to make things that are good for your family and good for the planet. There are great recipe suggestions and craft ideas.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals is one of my all-time favorite green books.  Throughout the book I was  continually reminded that we, as a culture, have lost sight of where our food comes from. We live in a country where the supermarkets neatly package our food and the foods we buy are ready for immediate consumption.  Most food travels far to reach us- from another state or another country. At the market there is no visible connection to the earth that grew our potatoes or the tree that gave us our apple. Michael Pollan describes America as suffering from what can only be described as a national eating disorder.

What are your favorite green books?

Disclosure: There are a few affiliate links in this post which if used to purchase the books will put a few pennies in my pocket. Thanks!