Vegan Book Club discussion

Hi guys! Welcome to our Vegan Book Club, I'm so glad you're here!

First things first, we should probably introduce ourselves, so this thread will mostly be for us to just get to know each other :) What's your name, where you're from, what you like to read, etc. Basically whatever you want to share!

I'm Tessa. I'm from the US (I live in New York) and I've been vegan for three years and a bookworm for much longer. I was an English major in college (and may or may not have created an Anne Bronte conspiracy theory in my senior thesis). I'll read pretty much anything, but I'm mostly into 19th-century British literature and some light, romantic comedies. Overall, I prefer books written by and about women. When I'm not reading, I'm eating lots of tofu, scrolling through Twitter, or watching sitcoms.

Hey, I'm Kris, I live in Texas. I've been vegan for about three years and have never been a truly avid reader. I like sci-fi, surrealism, poetry, graphic novels, and mystica. I also like writing out story concepts and never doing anything with them.
My time is currently spent DMing a DnD homebrew campaign and sketching from pictures of people.

Kristin wrote: "Hey, I'm Kris, I live in Texas. I've been vegan for about three years and have never been a truly avid reader. I like sci-fi, surrealism, poetry, graphic novels, and mystica. I also like writing ou..."

Hey Kris, nice to meet you!

I can totally relate to never doing anything with story ideas and whatnot. The amount of drafts in my Google Drive is...ridiculous.

Glad to have you in the Vegan Book Club! :)

Hey! I’m Morgan, I live in central Illinois currently but can’t wait to move :) I’ve always been the biggest fan of reading and have always used it as a way to experience different world’s and get to know different people. So I do love ALL kinds of fiction but have been mainly reading stories about women written by women for a few years now. Although i don’t limit myself if I feel drawn to other kinds of writings or authors.

I’ve been vegan for about 3 years and was vegetarian for 17 years before that since the tender age of 12. Wish i made the vegan switch at 12 but I’m thrilled to be here now! I’m passionate about animals and am privileged to share my home with two awesome doggies, Freya & Athena.

Thanks for starting this group! Can’t wait to read!

Hello! I'm Susan, and I live in South Carolina. I am a high school librarian, so I read a lot of young adult lit, but I love a variety of non-fiction and biographies too.

I have been a vegan for about a year and a half, and was a pescatarian for two years before that. I am super lucky to live close to Cotton Branch Animal Sanctuary, and am hoping to volunteer there more often soon. While I am definitely vegan for the animals, I do try to be a whole foods plant based vegan. It has made a major difference in my life... More energy, cut out some medicines, etc.

I look forward to getting to know you all!

Morgan wrote: "Hey! I’m Morgan, I live in central Illinois currently but can’t wait to move :) I’ve always been the biggest fan of reading and have always used it as a way to experience different world’s and get ..."

Hey Morgan!
I'm right there with you on women writers - my goal this year was actually to only read books by women (to which my boyfriend said "Isn't that what you do anyway?")
Gotta know: what kind of dogs do you have? :)

Susan wrote: "Hello! I'm Susan, and I live in South Carolina. I am a high school librarian, so I read a lot of young adult lit, but I love a variety of non-fiction and biographies too.

I have been a vegan for ..."

Hi Susan!
A librarian? Okay, I'll admit, I'm pretty jealous :)

I agree with you on plant-based, whole foods - though I do easily get distracted when a new (and much less healthy) vegan product hits the market. It's like a shiny new toy I have to have...

Ayoola wrote: "Hi! I'm Ayoola, and I just moved to Northern New Jersey. I have been vegan for almost three years, before which, I was vegetarian since 2010. I've been getting more into animal liberation efforts a..."

Hey Ayoola!

Chilis on Wheels? That sounds amazing! I'll have to find out if there's anything similar here on Long Island. Intersectionality is so, SO important in the movement.

Hi! I’m Erin and I’m located in Wisconsin. I’ve been vegan for about 1.5 years and I’m interested in expanding my knowledge on the subject, mostly in aspects of philosophy and theory. I’ve already read a couple books based in animal rights and veganism, so I’ll try to add some suggestions. :)

Erin wrote: "Hi! I’m Erin and I’m located in Wisconsin. I’ve been vegan for about 1.5 years and I’m interested in expanding my knowledge on the subject, mostly in aspects of philosophy and theory. I’ve already ..."

Hi Erin! Knowledge really is power, and I'm sure you'll have a lot to add to our discussions because of it :)

Tessa wrote: "Morgan wrote: "Hey! I’m Morgan, I live in central Illinois currently but can’t wait to move :) I’ve always been the biggest fan of reading and have always used it as a way to experience different w..."

I know this is a vegan book club but i just put down “Girls Burn Brighter” and If you’re into fiction about women by women i highly recommend!

I live with Athena, who is some kind of boxer mix, and Freya, a good ol’ pitbull. Both rescues and both the best :) Do you share your home with any animals? Looking forward to reading!

I have a friend who has one dog named freja, another named persephone, and used to have one named demetir!

I tried to read more women authors last year. I was also trying to read books written by people who didnt grow up I the US America. It was fairly successful and very worthwhile.

Kristin wrote: "I have a friend who has one dog named freja, another named persephone, and used to have one named demetir!

I tried to read more women authors last year. I was also trying to read books written by ..."


That’s awesome! When Athena came to us she was already named and so we left it the same. When Freya came to us we decided we loved the idea of keeping the goddess theme and we just fell in love with Freya. We will only ever have furry kids so we take naming them very seriously lol I’ve been seeing Freya a lot more lately and I wonder why!

I love reading books about people and perspectives that are different than mine but still familiar (like works written by women) It’s almost like traveling and I think has inspired my almost panic-like need to travel and see different places in the world. Any reading recommendations?

Hello there!
My name's Marga and I live in Barcelona. I love reading, my favourite genre is science fiction although I read as many books as I can about animals.
I became vegetarian 33 years ago (52 currently) and vegan about 8 years ago even though I stopped consuming dairy or eggs long before.
I strongly believe in intersectionality as I think all kinds of oppression must be fought.
I share my life with my furry companion, a tuxedo cat called Lila and any other animal that crosses my path or lands in my balcony.
Nice to meet you all!!!

Hi! I’m Alic! I’ve been vegan for almost 5years now (since about 15 years old)! I love political horror books (I don’t think that’s an official genre, but I think the term gets my point across well enough)! I also adore and spoil my pets to death! I have a cocktail (rescue, unknown age) named Casper, and a 3 year old robot named tomorrow!

Morgan wrote: "Tessa wrote: "Morgan wrote: "Hey! I’m Morgan, I live in central Illinois currently but can’t wait to move :) I’ve always been the biggest fan of reading and have always used it as a way to experien..."

Oooh, I'll have to check it out!

Unfortunately, I'm not able to have a pet in my current apartment - our landlord has a boxer hound who makes a habit of running into our space and would probably freak out if another animal was there...so in that sense, we basically have a dog lol. She's a big sweetie though! We'll miss her when we eventually move.

Marga wrote: "Hello there!
My name's Marga and I live in Barcelona. I love reading, my favourite genre is science fiction although I read as many books as I can about animals.
I became vegetarian 33 years ago (..."

Hey Marga, glad to have you here :)

A tuxedo cat? Those are the cutest! I'm sure Lila is adorable :) a lot of cats hang around both of my parents' houses (it's a heavily wooded area with lots of farms nearby, so they find their way there), and they're always a highlight of my visits!

pasta wrote: "Hi! I’m Alic! I’ve been vegan for almost 5years now (since about 15 years old)! I love political horror books (I don’t think that’s an official genre, but I think the term gets my point across well..."

Hey Alic!

You've been vegan since you were 15? That's amazing! I wish I had known better when I was 15. I was far too obnoxious then lol.

Either 15 or 14, I didn’t keep track, and don’t worry I find my own ways to be obnoxious 😂! I think it’s just important we all ended up making the right decision now, cause that’s what counts 💖 my parents weren’t strict so it was possible for me to do and I’m glad for that 🌱

Tessa wrote: "pasta wrote: "Hi! I’m Alic! I’ve been vegan for almost 5years now (since about 15 years old)! I love political horror books (I don’t think that’s an official genre, but I think the term gets my poi..."

Nice! My parents weren't very strict either, but I was also cooking my own meals by the time I went vegan, so there wasn't much they could do about it lol. My mom has always been super cool with it though - I even bought her a tofu press for Christmas and she loves it!

Ahoy! I'm Jeff, I live in the Bay Area, California. I've been vegan since about 2007, the reason was simple. I was sent horrific mailers from PETA. I was a young kid who had no clue that stuff went on, then made the change within a week.

I enjoy technical computer books, security, cyberpunk, fantasy, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, social justice literature, and self-help books. I used to be a DM when I was younger but, have not been able to find anyone new in my area to start a campaign.

I enjoy open source software and building cool things I also enjoy vegan cooking mostly cooking for large groups of friends and anyone else. I also enjoy playing piano, guitar, and drums although lately, I've been making chiptunes for fun.

Jeff wrote: "Ahoy! I'm Jeff, I live in the Bay Area, California. I've been vegan since about 2007, the reason was simple. I was sent horrific mailers from PETA. I was a young kid who had no clue that stuff went..."

Hey Jeff!

Oh wow, I imagine getting those in the mail would be just awful. I bet if my family was sent something like that, I would have made the switch a lot sooner!

Hi Jeff, I'm also into Cyberpunk, sci-fi and fantasy. Any good reads lately?

Marga wrote: "Hi Jeff, I'm also into Cyberpunk, sci-fi, and fantasy. Any good reads lately?"

Hey Marga!
Yeah, lately I've been reading a lot of technical books to improve my skills at work but, I just got about 2 days ago called Fall or Dodge in Hell. I liked the preface because it can relate to our current state in technology.

What about you?

Hiya! I'm Amanda and I found this group via Tumblr actually haha. I've been vegan for almost 5 years and was vegetarian for 7 years before that. I am a librarian at a small health sciences graduate school in Boston. And yet I have trouble finding novels with vegan characters! So desperately seeking recommendations on that front. I'll read any genre. Non-fiction is welcome, too.

Other than that, I love to cook. In fact I have a (too) large vegan cookbook collection, and can make recommendations if you tell me what kind of food you like to cook! And I love to travel when I have the funds and check out vegan cuisine in places other than Boston.

Amanda wrote: "Hiya! I'm Amanda and I found this group via Tumblr actually haha. I've been vegan for almost 5 years and was vegetarian for 7 years before that. I am a librarian at a small health sciences graduate..."

Hey Amanda! Glad my Tumblr post must be getting around haha!

I struggle to find *good* vegan characters - most are not only small characters but unfortunately fit all the negative stereotypes. The struggle lol. I'm hoping we can all explore new books with this group :)

Jeff wrote: "Marga wrote: "Hi Jeff, I'm also into Cyberpunk, sci-fi, and fantasy. Any good reads lately?"

Hey Marga!
Yeah, lately I've been reading a lot of technical books to improve my skills at work but, I..."
No idea, sorry. I haven't read any cyberpunk in a while but Snow Crash is on my list. But always open to suggestions.

Hello! I'm so excited to discover this book club exists, thank you for starting it Tessa :)

I'm Deborah and I've been vegan for about a year (was vegetarian for about a year prior to that). I'm originally from Dublin, Ireland but now live in rural Oregon. I'm a writer as well as a reader and have recently started blogging about veganism and writing book reviews on my website deborahrosereeves.com (I hope it's okay to share this).

I have a BA in English, and I focused on literature for my Masters in Women & Gender Studies. I'm open to reading in any genre, but right now I am intentionally reading books about veganism, animal rights and related issues as well as fiction in which animals play a central role (whether the theme/message of the novel/story is vegan or not).

Deborah wrote: "Hello! I'm so excited to discover this book club exists, thank you for starting it Tessa :)

I'm Deborah and I've been vegan for about a year (was vegetarian for about a year prior to that). I'm o..."

Hi Deborah, welcome to Vegan Book Club!

First of all, of course it's okay to share your website! I'll definitely check it out since it combines two of my favorite things, books and veganism :)

I'm very curious: how'd you go from Dublin to rural Oregon? It seems like a huge change!

Okay, since you have an English degree lol, I have to ask this too: have you by any chance read Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte? My senior thesis focused on Bronte's works in general, but Agnes Grey was where I went "Hmm...Anne Bronte sounds like she could have been vegan/vegetarian" lol.

Tessa wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hello! I'm so excited to discover this book club exists, thank you for starting it Tessa :)

I'm Deborah and I've been vegan for about a year (was vegetarian for about a year prior..."

Tessa, I'm so ashamed - I've only ever read Jane Eyre, but no other work by Charlotte or the other Brontes! In the Irish school/university system, there isn't much emphasis on female English writers (Jane Austen etc.). We study Shakespeare and Thomas Hardy and a few others, but mostly the emphasis is on Irish writers like James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. In college I actually gravitated towards more contemporary literature like Toni Morrison, as I wanted to move beyond old dead white men (though I really do love Beckett).

I wound up in rural Oregon because of a guy (the usual story haha). I was actually backpacking in South America and met this guy from Oregon in a hostel. Four years later we were married, and I initially lived in Portland for a few years until we bought a place in the country. It's a big change from Irish life and city life, but there's a little bookshop about 15 miles away so I don't feel too far away from civilization :)

Deborah wrote: "Tessa wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hello! I'm so excited to discover this book club exists, thank you for starting it Tessa :)

I'm Deborah and I've been vegan for about a year (was vegetarian for abou..."

That's so interesting! I always wonder what English/literature programs are like in other places. When I was in college, I purposely took courses on women writers (Austen and the Brontes in particular) or with professors I knew would emphasize them, unless I didn't have a choice! In high school, I realized I wasn't a fan of what most white, male authors had to say (despite them being "classics" - James Joyce included!).

Wow! I ended up in New York because of a guy too, so I can relate a little bit lol. I'm from a rural area (lots of Amish and the closest book store and, like, Target are actually in another state, which confuses everyone I talk to in NY), but now I live in a much more fast-paced area. But I can walk just about everywhere now, so I like that!

Tessa wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Tessa wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hello! I'm so excited to discover this book club exists, thank you for starting it Tessa :)

I'm Deborah and I've been vegan for about a year (was veg..."

I love New York. I still daydream that I might live there someday... Our godchildren live there so we try to visit once a year. I'm actually visiting in September and am super excited to wander around checking out bookstores and some vegan places I've heard of. If you have any recommendations, I'd love to know! :)

Deborah wrote: "Tessa wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Tessa wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hello! I'm so excited to discover this book club exists, thank you for starting it Tessa :)

I'm Deborah and I've been vegan for about a..."

I live on Long Island, but whenever I'm in the city, food-wise, I have to go to VLife. It's a short walk from Penn Station and I'm obsessed with their chicken nuggets. There's also the Cinnamon Snail, which is right outside Penn Station/Madison Square Garden. Their donuts are great! I'm also a fan of By Chloe, Terri's, and Double Zero. I've heard great things about places like Champ's Diner, MTHR Vegan, Hartbreakers, Organic Grill...the city is full of great vegan options!

Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to go to any bookstores in the city. I did do research at the New York Public Library, and it's such an amazing place!

Wow, thanks for all the tips!

I've never been to the New York Public Library, it looks beautiful, I'll try to check it out when I'm there :)

I love Strand bookstore, I could live there. Bluestockings alternative bookstore is interesting.
Champ's dinner is really good, orchard grocer, next to Moo shoes is very good, too. I also tried Peacefoods , I loved it one day, not so much the other .... Cinnamon rolls at Union Sq are a must, they are gluten free!!

Thank you for the tips Tessa & Marga. I'm so excited for this trip :)

Morning! I just found this group and joined.. I didn’t realize there were any vegan groups on GR. I hope you all are still active. While I am a member of many groups on GR, It would be nice to chat about books with other vegans.

debbicat ☮~Traveling Sister wrote: "Morning! I just found this group and joined.. I didn’t realize there were any vegan groups on GR. I hope you all are still active. While I am a member of many groups on GR, It would be nice to chat..."

Hi there, welcome to Vegan Book Club!

Yes, we are still active! We're doing Nonfiction November this month and reading Veganism of Color, so you can join the discussion if you want to read it too! Feel free to poke around and jump in on any discussion and share your thoughts.

You can also follow us on Instagram (@veganbookclub) and Twitter (@vegbookclub) if you'd like :)

Hi everyone!

My name is Faith and I am from Pennsylvania but I currently go to school in Colorado (which I like much better)! The mountains are amazing and a lot of people here are much more open minded lol.
I've been vegan since around June 2016 and I love meeting other vegans haha. Growing up I listened to audiobooks all the time which is why I think I did not listen to much music lol. I am pretty busy with school but I would love to read more! Some vegan books I've read are "The Happy Vegan," "How not to Die," and "The China Study." I recently read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" which I found to be really interesting and covered a lot of stuff that I had not known about. While the book is not necessarily "vegan" I think its a valuable read!

Faith wrote: "Hi everyone!

My name is Faith and I am from Pennsylvania but I currently go to school in Colorado (which I like much better)! The mountains are amazing and a lot of people here are much more open..."

Hey Faith! Welcome to Vegan Book Club :)

I'm from PA too :) out of curiosity, which part are you from?

Totally can relate to what you said about audiobooks - they're almost all I listen to now, and I used to only listen to music! I love that I can "read" a book while doing other things. So convenient!

Good afternoon. I am from Italy. I have written a book on plant-based diets that includes many useful information, recipes, meal plans and shopping lists. I would love to have a feedback on it from you since I am planning to write a second edition. Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZZF5M4L/ It can be downloaded for free until Wednesday Nov 20th. Thanks!

I mean it can be downloaded for free until next Wednesday 😊

Tessa wrote: "Faith wrote: "Hi everyone!

My name is Faith and I am from Pennsylvania but I currently go to school in Colorado (which I like much better)! The mountains are amazing and a lot of people here are ..."

I am from the Harrisburg area, what about you? And yes, audiobooks are amazing! :)

Faith wrote: "Tessa wrote: "Faith wrote: "Hi everyone!

My name is Faith and I am from Pennsylvania but I currently go to school in Colorado (which I like much better)! The mountains are amazing and a lot of pe..."

Ah, I'm from around Pittsburgh. Closer to Ohio than anywhere else lol.

Oh nice! A lot of my friends go to school there!:)

Hello, my name is Adrian and I'm from Florida. I'm 22 and I love crime books and kayaking. I'm in college for I.T and would hopefully graduate this year. I also enjoy D&D.

Just followed you on Instagram. :)

Adrian wrote: "Hello, my name is Adrian and I'm from Florida. I'm 22 and I love crime books and kayaking. I'm in college for I.T and would hopefully graduate this year. I also enjoy D&D."

Hi Adrian!

Not sure what part of Florida you're from, but now when I think of Florida, all I can think of is those falling iguanas? I'm...very stressed just thinking about them lol

Hi y’all! My name is Jessica and I live in Las Vegas, originally from New Orleans. I’ve been Vegan 10 years and vegetarian 2 years before that. I’ve always been a reader, I’m a HUGE Jane Austen fan.

Jess wrote: "Hi y’all! My name is Jessica and I live in Las Vegas, originally from New Orleans. I’ve been Vegan 10 years and vegetarian 2 years before that. I’ve always been a reader, I’m a HUGE Jane Austen fan."

Hey Jessica, welcome to Vegan Book Club :) I love Jane Austen too! What's your favorite novel of hers?