Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Recommended by Tia: This was published in 2017 but I read it last year for a book club dedicated to reading works by women of color, so I'm gonna go ahead and choose this one. One of the characters in the book is an artist, cleaning lady, and single mom who may or may not be involved in a crime of arson.  The book deals with issues ranging from high school pranks to parenting in a “color-blind” community where all dolls are white.

Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions

Recommended by Subin: I love this book. It’s filled with inspiring stories of on-the-ground solutions to build an inclusive clean energy economy. It’s like a recipe book for equitable and transformative approaches to renewable energy, written by community leaders around the country. Read it if you’re wondering if there’s any hope in the struggle to transition away from our extractive dirty energy economy. Not a bad way to start the year.

Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas

Recommended by Sue: I listened to this book by Anand Giridharadas cuz I knew I might not get around to reading it-and wow i’m glad i did. The main point is that the “philanthropists” both modern and historical are claiming they have the  solutions to the world problems that they themselves have created. WE and the author know, the solutions they fund will never radically change our society. From the book’s website: “Former New York Times columnist Anand Giridharadas takes us into the inner sanctums of a new gilded age, where the rich and powerful fight for equality and justice any way they can–except ways that threaten the social order and their position atop it.”  Nothing many of us don’t already know but I enjoyed the way the book provided the information. 

Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic Democracy and Black Self-Determination in Jackson Mississippi

Recommended by Chris:  Our friends and comrades at Cooperation Jackson published this critical yet inspiring look at the practical and theoretical basis for building land-based solidarity economies. For those searching for a comprehensive strategy for radical transformation that is not afraid of the future nor shy about our past, Jackson Rising is essential reading.  

So Lucky by Nicola Griffith

Recommended by Sue: This novel, by one of my favorite authors is a quick, but not an easy read...should be required reading, particularly for those of us who are currently non-disabled.