Hello, bookish friends! Happy New Year! A lot of us here on the bookish internet have a little superstition about what to choose as the first book of the year. And I can’t decide! What have y’all been reading as your first book of 2023? Instead of reading today, my spouse and I went for a hike with the Corgis. Let me tell you, never were there a happier pair of Corgis. Gwen even jumped off the walkway trying to get in the water. She landed in mud instead. Bless, her adventurous-loving heart.
Bookish Goods
Booktrovert Sweatshirt by Bamba tees
I’m living in my various bookish sweatshirt at the moment, so I have to admit, this one is quite tempting! $30
New Releases
This week, let’s chat about paperback new releases!
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
Clint Smith’s How the Word Is Passed is now out in paperback! Smith gives us a tour of different U.S. monuments and landmarks across the country, focusing on how slavery was an integral part of how this country was formed. The long-lasting effects of the historical enslavement of millions of people still marks this country and shapes its present. How the Word is Passed received many awards and accolades, including the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction.
The January 6th Report by Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol
Celadon Books, in partnership with The New Yorker, is publishing the report from the January 6th hearings. This makes the report available in a well-formatted and accessible document, available in print, ebook, and audiobook.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Disability Pride: Dispatches from a Post-ADA World by Ben Mattlin
It’s been over 30 years since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a landmark for disability rights. But what has actually changed since 1990? Ben Mattlin reports on the world of disability advocacy and activism, chronicling the post-ADA world through his perspective as a disabled man and as a journalist interviewing hundreds of disabled people about their lives. I really appreciated how Mattlin featured a diverse group of perspectives, covering everything from disabled models to the paralympics. Each chapter focuses on a different topic, making the book easy to follow.
Heart Berries: A Memoir by Terese Marie Mailhot
It’s been several years since I first read Heart Berries, and I reread it a couple years ago. So much of this memoir stays with me, and I keep thinking about how incredible it is in its craft and storytelling. Mailhot is from the Seabird Island Band, and the memoir starts with Mailhot in a mental health facility, trying to work through traumatic parts of her past. She takes us back through her memories, weaving in and out, touching moments in her history that she’d rather forget. This memoir is a stunning example of the genre.
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That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave or over on Instagram @kdwinchester. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
Happy reading, Friends!
~ Kendra