De Groene Meisjes BOOK Review.

Oh boy, oh boy. THE GREEN GIRLS WROTE A BOOK.

And I’ve been excited about it for MONTHS, so you’re just going to have to SUCK IT UP while I finally let loose the hurricane OF WORDS about two of my friends writing A BOOK.

BACK STORY: I’ve known and loved the Groene Meisjes, the two eco-friendly vintage-loving vegan bloggers from Amsterdam, for about three years.

I became friends with them, in that weird way you sometimes become friends with other people over the internet. You read each other’s stuff, you talk on social media, then you move onto email and then phone, and then you meet and its fun! And you talk. A LOT.

Oh God, Merel and me especially, with the talking.

Merel and I have similar backgrounds (teaching) and a couple of personality traits in common, which makes for fun and deep talks. We understand things about each other. Merel was the person I talked to when in 2012 I was offered a job I thought I would like, but that gave me burn-out type symptoms from the first day I tried it. Emotional support from Internet Friends for the win.

I’m not vegan, but Jamie and Merel are the reason I tried vegan food at all, and eat more vegan foods still. And they are the reason I did the Vegan Challenge in April 2013 and will a 100% do it again. Because Jamie and Merel run an EPIC blog on veganism, full of good recipes, hearty content with substance and style.

And now they made a book. And I’m proud. And I binge-read it in the train and last night so I could tell you all about it today.

(I received the book yesterday at the book launch, where I impatiently waited for Jamie or Merel to start eating the little vegan nutella-cookies because I didn’t want to be the first one to start eating, BUT, the book is also on Bol.com for 20.00 here) 

SUBJECT: A lifestyle that is as delicious and fun as it is sustainable, animal- and eco-friendly. Jamie and Merel wrote fun and funny intel on the ‘mint green lifestyle’: Green and vegan, but fun and full of freedom. There’s 22 recipes in the book, favourite thrift shops, a very chill ‘how to be a vegan’ 101 (babysteps!), vintage clothes and ways to deal with the social element of veganism.

KOOKINESS (1-10): Zero. None.

As the editor said in her speech yesterday, Jamie and Merel live their life as the examples that veganism is good and fun without frowning when somebody else orders a latte or a steak, or wears leather shoes. They’re great examples, because they lead by example without making us feel bad for what we do.

Yes, occasionally they educate us, but they never judge or sound like we’re all doing it wrong.

The all-compasing message is always: “Veganism is good, and fun! Join the club! We have guacamole! And vegan cupcakes!” It makes us curious and excited to try it, instead of huffy and kind of scared.

FAVOURITE PART OF THE BOOK: (I can’t really quote from Dutch books, it’s weird – even writing this review in English is kiiiiiiind of a stretch  – writing about your Dutch friends, with their Dutch blog, who wrote a Dutch book)

My favourite parts of the book are the chapters about traveling and the one about living consciously.

The travel chapter talks about favorite cities, places you can stay and how to find hotspots. The chapter on conscious living is calm-voiced, friendly: On change, how to do something instead of being overwhelmed with how much needs to be done, and a curious, positive outlook on life.

SELF HELP HIPSTER STAMP OF APPROVAL: …Me, right now.

The book is a great, great resource for anyone who wants to know more about ‘green living’: Veganism (in the real world), recipes, tips, make-up, clothes, traveling, shopping, and more.

And they’re my good looking friends and my other friend made pictures of them and this resulted in a BEAUTIFUL, beautiful book. Color me as bright pink as the cover with pride, dammit.