Sponsored by Book Riot's Christmas romance prize pack giveaway!
Book Riot is teaming up with Harlequin.com to give away the ultimate Christmas romance prize pack that includes the following titles: Holiday Playbook by Yahrah St. John, Christmas at the Chateau by Rochelle Alers, The Christmas She Married the Playboy by Louise Fuller, A Merry Christmas Date by Syndi Powell, Keep Me Warm at Christmas by Brenda Novak, The Viscount’s Christmas Proposal by Carol Arens.
Hello hello hello, nonfiction friends! Due to the timing of the holidays, this is actually the last Friday send of True Story you’ll be getting in 2021. This year has truly just flown by for me, although many days, weeks, and months felt incredibly long.
To round out the year, I’d like to use this edition of the newsletter to highlight some of my favorite nonfiction-related posts on Book Riot from the last six-ish months. There’s been some incredible writing there that I haven’t shared enough. In no particular order:
If you need a pep talk, Dee suggests some of the most empowering nonfiction.
If the brain fascinates you, Summer recommends books about the mind.
If you’re thinking about money, Neha rounds up some investment books for beginners.
If you’re a winter sports lover, Liberty collected great books about skiing and snowboarding.
If you love true crime but hate violence, Ashley has a great round up of true crime comics that aren’t about killers.
If you want to expand your nonfiction horizons, Rebecca suggests great nonfiction in translation and the best genre-bending nonfiction of 2021. She also wrote a great post on the book-length essay.
If you want to learn more about the death positive movement, Caitlin explains what that is and suggests some books for newbies.
If you’re interested in climate change or capitalism, Sarah rounds up some books at the intersection of both.
If you’re a sucker for an oral history (like I am), Aisling has eight awesome ones to suggest.
If the last two years have you thinking about public health, Jamie has gathered some impactful books talking about how important it is.
If you love a good nonfiction debate, check out Yashvi’s suggestions for the best nonfiction books of the decade.
If things are feeling a bit dark lately, Kelly wrote about books on wonder and sparking joy.
If you love to read about reading, Senjuti rounds up excellent bibliomemoirs (such a good word).
If you need to brush up on critical race theory, Mikkaka suggests some books to help you make sense of the hubbub.
There’s so much more great stuff on the site, so definitely head over there to explore the nonfiction tag!
Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!
One Thing I Like
I’ve been an avid bullet journal devotee for the last five or so years, so one ritual I always appreciate is wrapping up one journal and starting the next. My journals usually last about a year, so this is the time where I start to think about what new notebook I’m going to use, what changes I want to make, and what goals I want to think about in the next year.
One book I like to revisit is The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll, the “inventor” of bullet journaling. Caroll’s explanation of the system avoids all of the bells and whistles and fancy spreads you’ll see on Instagram to talk about how bullet journaling is really more about mindfulness than productivity. I also appreciate that the system is flexible, and allows you to plan based on what you need at a given moment. It’s been effective for me, and I can’t wait to use the new year as an opportunity to recenter.
For more nonfiction reads, head over to the podcast service of your choice and download For Real, which I co-host with my dear friend Alice. If you have any questions/comments/book suggestions, you can find me on social media @kimthedork. Happy weekend!