My cli-fi reading list for the remainder of 2025 might be overly ambitious. But something about launching the Doom & Bloom Books website midway into 2025 makes me feel like I’m already behind on blog metrics! I read about one books a week through a combination of audiobooks, e-readers, and hardcopies. Though, I’m a proud member of Kristen Tate’s “Novel Study” book club, where we read and study a bestseller each month. I enjoy having a non-cli-fi palette cleanse! (I’m looking at you, Emily Henry!) For the next 10 cli-fi books on my reading list, I’m adding a mix of “classics” and recent publications, as well as timeframes and a range of doomsday and optimistic titles. In no particular order, here they are!
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi (2015).
I’m midway through this climate thriller set in the future. With all the murder and drought-stricken people, I’m not sure how hopeful it is. But, it’s definitely entertaining!
Little Great Island by Kate Woodworth (2025).
I stumbled across Woodworth’s social media account, and the gorgeous book cover drew me in. The story follows a character fleeing from a cult back to her hometown on an island off the coast of Maine. Meanwhile, climate change is impacting the island’s livelihood, and small-town drama ensues. Sign me up, please!
And So I Roar by Abi Daré (2024).
Abi Daré recently won Climate Spring’s inaugural Climate Fiction prize for her story about a young woman in Lagos whose village is impacted by climate change. I selected this book because the author’s acceptance speech made me cry. “[F]iction … gets under your skin and moves the heart in a way data alone cannot.” I can’t wait to read this title and see how it moves me as well!
How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue. (2021).
Another gorgeous cover here, plus The New York Times and People named this book as one of 2021’s best. I’m drawn to the plot’s story of environmental degradation and corporate greed pitted against a community’s resilience and one woman’s determination.
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver. (2013).
After reading Demon Copperhead and The Poisonwood Bible, I want to read everything Kingsolver writes. Her prose is poignant and beautiful, and I’m totally invested in her characters. How have I not read her climate change book yet?
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (2004).
Does Margaret Atwood’s climate fiction book need any reason to be on my list other than that? I think not. She’s a prescient author who wields her storytelling and social justice power with mastery. I read The Handmaid’s Tale a few months ago, and the epilogue still guts me. I’m eager to read her climate fiction story, though I’m unsure if I’ll commit to the trilogy.
The Overstory by Richard Powers (2018).
Adding the 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to my list was an easy choice, especially because I wanted a nature-focused tale to add to the collection. I haven’t read anything by Powers yet, and I’m ready to settle into his world.
Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson (2020).
Robinson is one of the most prolific climate writers, and I haven’t yet read his work. I picked Ministry for the Future because it’s a near-future tale of climate destruction but ultimately a hopeful story as the characters grapple with responding to global changes.
Orbital by Samantha Harvey (2023).
In Orbital, six astronauts reflect on their lives and the planet. It was shortlisted for Climate Spring’s Climate Fiction Prize and has received a ton of accolades, plus Barack Obama loved it. Finally, have you learned yet that I’m a sucker for stunning covers? I’m also excited to read a book that is set in space.
The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger. (2022).
Finally, I need to add a local story to my list. Living in South Florida, hurricanes are on my mind half the year, every year. Holsinger’s novel of a family’s resilience after experiencing a “Category 6” hurricane in Miami, FL, is either going to inspire or terrify me. Maybe both.
Closing Thoughts
So, there it is! The next ten books on my climate fiction reading list. How many of these books have you read? And do you have any favorites that I’m missing? Leave me a comment.
