Hello and happy Friday, nonfiction lovers! Last weekend I went swimming at my parent’s cabin, and this week we celebrated the solstice – summer has officially arrived! My reading life hasn’t bounced back yet, but with some travel coming up I’m optimistic things will turn around soon. Until then, let’s dive into some great new releases and my first set of summer nonfiction recommendations!
Book Lover Reader Vinyl Sticker from PaperandGlassCo
I love a good bookish sticker, and I am in the market for a new one to put on the cover of my bullet journal. This one really speaks to my current mental state!
New Releases
Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden: Two Sisters Separated by China’s Civil War by Zhuqing Li
At the end of the Chinese Civil War, sisters Jun and Hong ended up on opposite sides of a divided country. Jun ended up in Taiwan, marrying a Nationalist general and living among exiles to the Chinese Community regime. Hong was able to stay on the mainland, but was forced to renounce her sister and, eventually, practice medicine in some of the poorest areas of the country. Author Zhuqing Li, Jun and Hong’s niece, uses the story of her aunts to explore the history of China, particularly the lives of women who lived through this period of political turbulence.
Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe
This is a collection of 12 pieces of Patrick Radden Keefe’s best articles from The New Yorker, bringing together stories of “crime and corruption, secrets and lies, the permeable membrane separating licit and illicit worlds, the bonds of family, the power of denial.” The stories include wine forgery, whistleblowers, Anthony Bourdain, black market weapons, and more. I love his writing and can’t wait to dig into these stories!
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
For the next several Friday newsletters, I’m going to share some favorite and aspirational books about topics that I associate with the summer. This week, I’ve got two books that include road trips – my family’s preferred summer vacation style.
Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States by Samantha Allen
Back in 2010, Samatha Allen was a suit-wearing Mormon missionary. At the time she wrote this book, she was a reporter for the Daily Beast and married to a woman. In this book, she heads out on a road trip with the goal of experiencing “something gay every day” in areas of the country we don’t typically associate with queer people. In places like Utah, Indiana, Texas, and more, she meets LGBTQ+ people who are choosing to stay in communities, building chosen families that are working to make the world a better place. It’s a deeply human book that I really liked.
Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad
Shortly after graduating from college, Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with a rare and particularly dangerous form of bone cancer. In the first half of the book, she writes about her experiences as a young cancer patient and how it affected her relationships, work, and outlook on life. After her cancer goes into remission, she sets out on a cross-country road trip with her dog as a way of regaining her independence and experiencing what it means to live in the world again. She stops for visits with people she met because of her cancer treatment, and shares many lessons about grief, loss, creativity, and life. This memoir is difficult to read, in parts, but it is also beautiful and human and moving. It was one of my favorites last year – I can’t recommend it highly enough.
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 or send an email to kim@riotnewmedia.com. Happy weekend!