Earth Day Book Recs

Are you a ‘do’ something, or are you a ‘hope for the best’ kind of person, when it comes to climate change? Me, personally, I am a do something (hyper-recycler), protesting, contacting my government, and hope that the real polluters – the fossil fuel industry, and major corporations, actually do their part, because the only real change will come from the worst of the worst.

However, reading post-apocalyptic, dystopian, and climate change fiction (cli-fi) are my jam! So check out some of our book recommendations of more recent releases for your prepping readiness reading!

This post was inspired by Don’t Call Me a Hurricane – Many thanks to Bloomsbury YA for the advance copy!

Book Recommendations

Don’t Call Me a Hurricane by Ellen Hagan – releasing July 19th! – Eliza is passionate about fighting climate change due to a hurricane that hit her community hard in New Jersey, and now a development wants to build, and Eliza has some issues to contend with! This contemporary cli-fi story should be on your TBR!

Don't Call Me a Hurricane

by Ellen Hagan
Published by: Bloomsbury YA
on July 19, 2022
Pages: 304
Goodreads

An affecting and resonant YA novel in verse that explores family, community, the changing ocean tides, and what it means to fall in love with someone who sees the world in a different way.
It's been five years since a hurricane ravaged Eliza Marino's life and home in her quiet town on the Jersey shore. Now a senior in high school, Eliza is passionate about fighting climate change-starting with saving Clam Cove Reserve, an area of marshland that is scheduled to be turned into buildable lots. Protecting the island helps Eliza deal with her lingering trauma from the storm, but she still can't shake the fear that something will come along and wash out her life once again.
When Eliza meets Milo Harris at a party, she tries to hate him. Milo is one of the rich tourists who flock to the island every summer. But after Eliza reluctantly agrees to give Milo surfing lessons, she can't help falling for him. Still, Eliza's not sure if she's ready to risk letting an outsider into the life she's rebuilt. Especially once she discovers that Milo is keeping a devastating secret.
Told in stunning verse, Don't Call Me a Hurricane is a love story for the people and places we come from, and a journey to preserve what we love most about home.

The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold – Dark, twisted, post-apoc, pandemic story that has every content warning, but the story and writing will just wow you and stay with you forever! Check out our review here. Bookshop link

Gone Dark by Amanda Panitch – thriller, suspense story about when the electrical grid goes down, and a daughter of a prepper, road trips back to her parents compound, where she might be safe during these dark times. Check out our author interview here. Bookshop link

Last Girls by Demetra Brodsky – Living on a doomsday prepping compound 3 sisters tell a story perfect for the current world as it explores hope, connection, and the things we hold onto when times are difficult. – Check out our review here. Bookshop link

Agnes at The End of the World by Kelly McWilliams – escaping a religious cult isn’t an easy feat, but when you get outside, you discover the world is in total apocalyptic chaos due to a viral outbreak. Check out our review here. Bookshop link

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi – In a world where climate change, and nuclear war have ravaged the Earth, the few who survive fight over resources and two sisters are torn apart by war, but fight their way back to each other. Bookshop link

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He – this book is the epitome of futuristic cli-fi and it really hits home as to what could be possible…and what isn’t. Bookshop link

Prepped by Bethany Mangle – A story about hope, where a girl who was raised in a doomsday community and tried to escape with the boy from the bunker next door. Check out our author interview here. Bookshop link

Day Zero by Kelly Devos – violence erupts and Jinx’s past knowledge of growing up with a doomsday father, helps her navigate her step family to safety, until she finds out her dad may be causing all the violence. Check out an excerpt here. Bookshop link

A few adult titles that are definitely YA-crossover

Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller – set in a post-apocalyptic world where climate change started world wars, a floating city a hopeful woman riding an orca brings the city together to save them from near total collapse. Bookshop link

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse – this urban SFF set in a post-apocalyptic climate change world set around the Native American idea of subsequent worlds that happen with each major upheaval and this one brought back monsters, and well someone has to hunt them down. Bookshop link

Any other newer post-apocalyptic, cli-fi, or doomsday books you would recommend? Drop them in the comments!