Book Club

Ask Umbra Book Club: Next week the discussion begins about Bill Bryson’s ‘At Home’

Dearest readers, I hope you’re reading this from the warmth of home. If where you are is anywhere like where I am right now, you’re glad to have good insulation, heat, and a roof over your head to keep the freezing rain off. But human beings have not always been so cozy. This and many […]

Ask Umbra Book Club announces 'At Home' by Bill Bryson for next read

Ask Umbra announces the new book club selection, At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson. Join and discover why we live the way we do!

Ask Umbra Book Club: What should we do about cats killing birds?

Umbra sparks discussion of her Book Club pick "Freedom" with video of author Jonathan Franzen talking about how to get people to care about the environment.

Ask Umbra’s Book Club: Why don’t people talk about population?

Overpopulation is a big theme in Umbra's latest Book Club selection, Freedom. We've got exclusive Grist video of author Jonathan Franzen talking about the issue. Why isn't everyone else talking about it? Do you worry about 220,000 new people being added to the planet every day? Tell us what you think, whether you've read the book or not.

Ask Umbra’s Book Club: Would you blow up a mountain to save a bird species?

Umbra's discussion of her Book Club pick "Freedom" kicks off with a video of author Jonathan Franzen talking about compromises and energy options.

Ask Umbra’s Book Club: Does caring about the environment make you crazy?

Umbra kicks off discussion of her Book Club pick, Freedom, with a video of Jonathan Franzen talking about the mental toll of caring for the environment.

Ask Umbra's Book Club: What do you want to ask Jonathan Franzen?

Grist will be interviewing author Jonathan Franzen about environmental themes in his novel "Freedom" this week. What should we ask him? Tell us!

Ask Umbra's Book Club announces Jonathan Franzen's 'Freedom' is next book

Ask Umbra decides to take on fiction and the Oprah Book Club in this month's Ask Umbra Book Club selection. Read about the book and find out when the conversation begins here!

Ask Umbra’s Book Club: Live chat with Americana author Kurt B. Reighley

Are you embracing a simpler life, one focused on community and sustainability? Then check out our live chat with author Kurt B. Reighley about this phenomenon, which he describes in his book United States of Americana: A field guide to the new American Roots movement!