Here in South Carolina, the Corgis and I are spending our days basking in the incredible weather, sitting on the porch and watching the world go by. I’ve been enjoying the pace of these golden afternoons. I always love to listen to personal essays and memoirs during this time of year. It’s like the author is sitting in the chair next to me as we sit on the porch sipping sweet tea and talking about anything and everything. So today I’m sharing two of my favorite recent memoirs. But first, new books!
Bookish Goods
Personalized Book Blanket by Sweetened Bunny
I adore blanket for chilly evenings in front of my Netflix fire. And this one is too perfect! $30
New Releases
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
In one of the most anticipated memoirs of the year, Safiya Sinclaire shares her experience growing up in Jamaica as part of a strict household with her father. Sinclair discusses ideas around the long-term impacts of colonialism and patriarchal power structures.
Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel by Amy Price
Amy Price tells the story of her experience becoming the manager of the infamous Cecil Hotel, a hotel right near Los Angeles’ Skid Row. Price shares the history of the hotel, including its more famous residents.
Riot Recommendations
Heretic: A Memoir by Jeanna Kadlec
Last year during the HarperCollins strike, a lot of great books flew under the radar. So I wanted to feature one that I adored. Heretic by Jeanna Kadlec is the story of Kadlec’s experience growing up as an evangelical Christian. She tried to do everything she was supposed to do. She tried to dress modestly, she married a pastor’s son, and she tried to follow what she thought God wanted her to do. But as her marriage begins falling apart, she starts to realize that she certainly is not straight, and the evangelical faith tradition isn’t actually as loving and inclusive as she thought it was. This is an incredible memoir about a crisis of faith and coming of age in your late 20s and early 30s.
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
I love Ashley C. Ford’s writing, and back in 2021, I couldn’t get my hands on her memoir fast enough. Ford grows up feeling isolated and misunderstand. Her family says she’s overly sensitive, but her dad gets her. Except, her dad is in prison, and she’s not sure how he got there. This beautiful memoir of working through one’s trauma, learning to let go, and make a new, better life for oneself is incredible. Ford’s insights and observations invite readers to view the world, and their own lives, in a whole new way.
That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. 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