Holidays may be over, and the bliss of reading on a sun-drenched beach might feel like a distant memory, but that doesn’t mean reading has to slip to the bottom of the list. In fact, autumn is one of the best times to rediscover the joy of a good book.
With routines falling back into place, there’s always a pocket of time somewhere. Be that a solo morning coffee after drop off, half an hour on the commute before the daily grind begins, or ten minutes of you time before turning the lights off. And while books can be an escape, they can also help you reconnect with the bigger picture.
These releases from Patagonia – the pioneering sustainable outdoor clothing brand with its own publishing house – remind us why finding that time for reading matters. From regenerative farmers to Arctic explorers, from change makers to food lovers, these stories should inspire you whether you have five minutes or, if you’re very lucky, five hours.
Regenerating Earth: Farmers Working with Nature to Feed Our Future
By Kelsey Timmerman
Behind every meal lies a field, a farmer, and a choice about how we use the planet’s resources. Kelsey Timmerman’s latest book explores those choices with rare optimism. Instead of focusing on what’s broken, Regenerating Earth celebrates the farmers who are healing land, protecting biodiversity, and building resilience against climate change. From soil whisperers to crop innovators, her stories remind us that agriculture doesn’t have to be extractive, it can be regenerative. For those keen to understand how what lands on the dinner table connects to the health of the planet, this is wonderful reading.
Tools to Save Our Home Planet: A Changemaker’s Guidebook
Contributors include Yvon Chouinard, Ryan Gellert, and Amy Cordalis
Eco-anxiety is real. It creeps in while scrolling headlines or during late-night conversations about our children’s future. Tools to Save Our Home Planet offers a remedy: action. Compiled from the wisdom of 56 activists, entrepreneurs, and Indigenous leaders, including Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard and eco-educator Leah Thomas, the guidebook provides concrete strategies for creating meaningful change. It’s less about lofty ideals and more about practical steps: how to organise within your community, influence policy, and spark sustainable movements that last.
Sweet in Tooth and Claw: Stories of Generosity and Cooperation in the Natural World
By Kristin Ohlson
What if nature isn’t simply red in tooth and claw? Kristin Ohlson challenges the old narrative of ruthless competition, showing instead how cooperation is the key to resilience in ecosystems. From fungi sharing resources underground to coral reefs thriving on partnerships, her science-backed stories in Sweet in Tooth and Claw remind us that generosity is as natural as survival. For busy readers, this book offers a gentle but profound takeaway: help species, including humans, thrive.
The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos
By Mark Easter
Food is love, comfort, and connection, but it’s also one of the biggest drivers of climate change. Mark Easter’s The Blue Plate connects the dots between what’s on our plates and the planet’s health. From disrupted harvests to shifting supply chains, he unpacks the pressures our food system faces, and, crucially, the delicious ways we can respond.
This is not a guilt-trip read. Instead, it’s a roadmap for eating well while making choices that matter, from embracing seasonal produce to supporting sustainable food brands. For readers who love to cook, or simply want reassurance that dinner can be both nourishing and planet-friendly, it’s a timely and empowering guide.
Into the Thaw: Witnessing Wonder amid the Arctic Climate Crisis
By Jon Waterman
Few places on Earth feel as fragile as the Arctic. Writer and photographer Jonathan Waterman first explored the region decades ago, captivated by its stark landscapes, luminous skies, and abundant wildlife. When he returned after thirty years, he found a changed world: brush creeping across the tundra, landslides from thawing permafrost, and vanishing sea ice.
Through Waterman’s lens and words Into the Thaw documents not only the shifting land but also the villages that call it home, weaving together stories of resilience and urgency. ‘It’s high time that we truly understand the Arctic,’ he writes, ‘lest we forget what it once was.’ His book is more than a record of loss, it’s also a call to action, reminding readers that while the changes are profound, there is still hope if we act now.
