Categories
True Story

For Lovers of Language

Happy Friday, nonfiction friends! As you read this, I am off on a long weekend away beside the ocean in Massachusetts. We have plans to visit Salem, but mostly it’s an excuse to look at the water and enjoy one last burst of summer-ish vibes despite it already being fall.

This week I dug into some books on my very favorite subject, language arts. Let’s go, word nerds!

Bookish Goods

printable bookmarks with encouraging sayings and cartoon food

Food Encouragement Bookmarks from KawaiiLibrary

The moment I saw these printable bookmarks with food-inspired encouragement, I smiled. They’re a real delight! $6

New Releases

book cover the story of russia by orlando figes

The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes

Russian history is vast and varied. This book offers a look at both the people and events that have shaped the country as well as the ideas and stories that have shaped those events. Figes, a British historian, has written several books about Russian history, but this looks to be his first that really grapples with the ways that Russia has “reimagined its own story” over time. Then, he shows how those varied stories can help explain modern Russia, the war in Ukraine, and the country’s ongoing antagonism with the United States. This feels like the kind of big history book that I’d want to tackle. 

book cover it won't always be like this by malaka gharib

It Won’t Always Be Like This: A Graphic Memoir by Malaka Gharib

Graphic memoirs are one of my new favorite genres – I love the way that the combination of words and art can illuminate parts of a person’s story in ways that words alone can’t quite do. Malaka Gharib grew up in the United States, but spent every summer with her father in Cairo. When she was nine, her father announced he had remarried, changing the dynamics of all future trips. Gharib writes about growing up in two worlds and trying to fit in imperfectly in both places. The images of this one are so vibrant and fun.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

There’s probably an argument to be made that literally any book could be a suggestion for a recommendations section for a language arts class. To keep from spiraling too out of control, I decided to suggest a couple of books about grammar and language that should appeal to the word nerds of the world. 

book cover in other words by jhumpa lahiri

In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri

The whole concept of this book fascinates me. As a college student, Jhumpa Lahiri studied abroad in Italy, falling in love with the country and the Italian language. In this book, she writes in Italian about her experience learning the language and immersing herself in it as a writer. She also writes about how learning a new language helped her separate from the stretching she felt between Bengali, the language of her parents, and English, the language she learned in the United States. This book is translated by Ann Goldstein, who has also translated Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels. There’s so much in here that sounds interesting. 

book cover because internet by gretchen mcculloch

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch

One of the most fascinating things about language is the way it shifts and changes over time. In this book, internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch looks at the ways language is being shaped by the Internet – the apps, platforms, conventions, and emojis that are affecting how we speak and think. As a person who spends a lot of time on the internet, I can’t wait to dive into this one. 

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!

Categories
True Story

Guides to the Government

Happy weekend, nonfiction friends! Last weekend, my sister began what I hope will be a new tradition— Soup Sundays! This fall and winter, we’re going to try making a pot of soup every weekend, either for sharing with friends during a football game or to eat ourselves throughout the week. I’m excited to see what new recipes we find!

This week I’m continuing with the back to school theme by sharing some books perfect for government class. Let’s dive in!

Bookish Goods

library due date cards turned into square coasters

Book Lovers Coaster Set Library Due Date Card from CheltenhamRoad

If you love libraries and drinking beverages (who doesn’t?), then you will want to check out these amazing handmade coasters. These are so neat. $22

New Releases

book cover the mosquito bowl by buzz bissinger

The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II by Buzz Bissinger

Buzz Bissinger is back with another inspirational sports story! This book recounts “The Mosquito Bowl,” a rag-tag football game played between regiments of the U.S. Marine Corps on the beach at Guadalcanal. The two groups— the 4th and 29th regiments— included many of the era’s star college football players and young men who would eventually play in the NFL. In this book, he shares their stories and the stories of their families within the context of college sports and a world war.

book cover thinking 101 Woo-kyoung Ahnby

Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better by Woo-kyoung Ahn

Psychologist Woo-kyoung Ahn teaches a class at Yale called “Thinking,” which is a study in biases and how they affect our lives. This book is basically the story of her class, covering the most common “thinking problems” we run into in our daily lives— think things like confirmation bias, delayed gratification, anecdotes, and more. Each chapter includes examples from class, breakdowns of relevant experiments, and lessons about how to combat these thinking problems when they arise. It’s a very fun and quick read.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Now, more than ever, it feels really important for people to learn how the government works and the ways in which we can influence the outcomes. These two books look at different ways our right to vote is being threatened and what we can do about it.

book cover one person no vote by carol anderson

One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy by Carol Anderson

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision to undercut the Voting Rights Act of 1965, voting rights in the United States have been attacked and rolled back in communities around the country. In this book, Carol Anderson traces the history of voter suppression from 1865 through the present, looking specifically at how government-led discrimination has affected African American voters. The book shows how various voter suppression tactics work, looks at the impact these tactics had in 2018, and offers suggestions about how to move forward.

book cover dark money bu jane mayer

Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer

This is another book about the ways democracy is being threatened and challenged— specifically, how wealthy, right-wing interests are shaping our political discourse by pouring money into the system. Jane Mayer, an investigative reporter for The New Yorker, traces how a small group has funneled money through think tanks, academic institutions, the media, and the courts to set an agenda for the country. This book is deeply infuriating, but so important to understand.

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!

Categories
True Story

The Beauty of Biology

Hello, nonfiction readers! The early part of September is always such a weird space. I feel ready for the fall to arrive, but today it reached almost 90 degrees— not the chill weather I am looking for!

This week I am continuing September’s theme of books inspired by back to school. In this newsletter we’re focusing on biology, along with two new titles related to the fashion industry. Let’s get going!

Bookish Goods

clear vinyl bottle with a lid, black writing on the outside says Read in Peace with a skull and roses sitting on top of a pile of books

Read in Peace Glass Cup from BottlesUpTexas

The thing I love about this glass is that it can straddle seasons – the vinyl material is perfect for cold drinks, but the skull just screams fall to me. Bottoms up! $27

New Releases

book cover a visible man by edward enninful

A Visible Man: A Memoir by Edward Enninful

Throughout his career, Edward Enninful has been breaking barriers in the world of fashion, most recently in his role as the editor-in-chief of British Vogue. As the first Black person in that seat, Enninful has pushed to make all of us see the world differently, through choices like putting octogenarians on the cover of the magazine and repeatedly featuring designers of all different backgrounds. In this memoir, Enninful shares his journey from a “Black, gay, working-class refugee” to a leader in the fashion industry. 

book cover skits by kimberly chrisman-campbell

Skirts: Fashioning Modern Femininity in the Twentieth Century by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell

As I planned out this edition, I didn’t necessarily intend to pick two books related to fashion, but here we are! In this book, historian and curator Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell looks at the various roles women have played in the last 100 years through the evolution of fashion. She notes that while we often consider pants to be the height of female fashion liberation, it’s actually the skirt that was most connected to major movements. She explores the representation of iconic styles, some obscure innovations, and much more.

For more new releases, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Continuing along on this month’s theme of back to school reads, this week I want to share a couple of books about biology, the study of “living organisms and their vital processes.”

The gene book cover

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Siddhartha Mukherjee is one of the best science writers out there. He manages to write stories that are both full of facts and full of feelings, using his personal experiences to give heart to even the driest subjects. In this book he tackles the history of the gene, the tool through which we understand so much of what it means to be human. The story covers centuries, from Aristotle to mapping the human genome, while also acknowledging how much we still have left to learn.

book cover the truth about animals by lucy cooke

The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife by Lucy Cooke

This book has one of my very favorite subtitles— it’s so evocative! It’s also a great read that interrogates our tendency to attribute our own values to animals… and shows how it sometimes works. Biologist Lucky Cooke tells stories of animals from across the animal kingdom, exploring the instincts and mysteries that we’re still trying to understand today. This one is a lot of fun!

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!

Categories
True Story

The Magic of Math

I know many folks consider the Labor Day holiday weekend the end of summer, but I want to hang on to those carefree vibes a little longer… no pumpkin spice lattes for me just yet!

That all said, I do love the feel of transition that comes with back to school and the slide into fall. With that in mind, I’m excited to share some books that will bring you back to class, along with new nonfiction from a favorite actress and a favorite subgenre. Onwards!

Bookish Goods

bookends made of black marble ith shite streaks shaped like standing books

Library Style Solid Marble Bookends from VADCADStore

These marble bookends shaped like actual books are a splurge (and would have to be deployed carefully – heavy!), but they’re just so beautiful I had to highlight them. $85

New Releases

book cover walking in my joy by Jennifer Lewis

Walking in My Joy: In These Streets by Jennifer Lewis

I’m most familiar with actress Jennifer Lewis from her work on Black-ish, but she’s had a long and successful Hollywood career. This book is a collection of stories from her life, covering everything from travels around the world to finding joy in everyday encounters and taking down a conman. In addition to acting, Lewis is an activist and mental health advocate, so her book is also about how to deflect negative people and find joy in your own life. I bet this one will be stellar as an audiobook. 

book cover Bootstrapped by Alissa Quart

Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream by Alissa Quart

I’m not sure if you’d call “books that interrogate the American Dream” a nonfiction subgenre or not, but they are always interesting to me. In this book, journalist Alissa Quart looks at how the American foundational belief that individualism and self-sufficiency can lead to success has hobbled us and put together a system of half-solutions to social ills. She connects this story to everything from hyper-capitalist philanthropy to GoFundMe to the increasing debt burden faced by young people. I’m here for this.

Riot Recommendations

Since September is traditionally back to school season, I’m going to focus my recommendations for this month on subjects you might study in school. Up first is one of the most challenging topics for me, math!

book cover the art of logic by eugenia cheng

The Art of Logic in an Illogical World by Eugenia Cheng

In a world increasingly filled with misinformation and confusion, we can all use some time thinking about thinking. In this book mathemetician Eugenia Cheng looks at how we need both logical and emotional reasoning to live in the world. She looks at how logic works, some of its limitations, and the role of emotion in thinking and communication. I love that combination!

book cover naked statistics by charles wheelan

Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data by Charles Wheelan

One of the classes I regret never taking in high school or college is statistics because it seems like stats comes up nearly everywhere. In this book, Charles Wheelan pulls back the “archane and technical details” of statistics to explain the intuition that drives statistical analysis. He clarifies key terms, reveals how statistics can be used for manipulation, and shows some of the key insights being pulled from current statistics experiments. I am jazzed to pick this one up!

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!

Categories
True Story

Memoirs About Going Back to School

Welcome to the weekend, nonfiction friends! Over the last week or so, my social media feeds have been filling up with back to school photos and celebrations. I am delighted to see all the kids in my life starting another year, and thinking about how our lives and routines get an excuse to reset in the fall.

With that in mind, this week’s newsletter features some comics about the joys and challenges of being in school, plus new nonfiction about biases and secret stories. We’re off!

Bookish Goods

sticker that says I'd Rather Be Reading" with cartoon books

I’d Rather Be Reading Sticker from ExquisteCreationsbyE

This sentiment is true today and almost every other day. Yes, please! $3

New Releases

book cover Racial Innocence by Tanya Katerí Hernández

Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality by Tanya Katerí Hernández

This book digs into a big topic – anti-Black racism in the Latino community. In it Tanya Katerí Hernández, a law professor and expert in comparative race relations, looks at how it’s possible for a marginalized group to both experience discrimination and be discriminatory against others. She notes that Latinos are the second-largest ethnic group in the United States, so understanding anti-Blackness in that community is a key part of dismantling systemic racism. This is obviously a complex topic, but this book seems like a great way to understand it better. 

book cover Diary of a Misfit by Casey Parks

Diary of a Misfit: A Memoir and a Mystery by Casey Parks

This is another subtitle I just love. After coming out as a lesbian in 2002, Casey Parks assumed she’d never be able to return to her home in the South after being shunned and threatened by her community. But then her grandmother shared a secret: “I grew up across the street from a woman who lived as a man,” and asked Parks to find him. This leads Parks on a decades-long odyssey to learn what happened to Roy Hudgins—she knocks on doors, searches for diaries, uncovers nursing home records, and more. I’m so curious how these stories will come together. 

Riot Recommendations

In honor of school starting up for many, this week I want to recommend two great, illustrated memoirs about high school. In both cases, the authors’ lives at home result in feeling even more awkward and out of place than most.

book cover passport by sophia glock

Passport by Sophia Glock

Because of her parents’ work, Sophia Glock grew up all over the world, living in six countries by the time she was in high school. One day, she discovers a secret about her family—her parents are actually spies. Learning this secret right as she’s starting at a new school begins a process to better understand her life, her family, and herself. I just finished reading this one and liked it a lot. The “my parents are spies” aspect isn’t as prominent as I expected, but it’s still a great story about complicated friendships, teenage choices, and learning to be who you are.

almost american girl by robin ha

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha

Robin Ha grew up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea. That early experience was a challenge, but it formed a deep bond. When Robin is in high school, her mom announces that they are moving to Huntsville, Alabama, and that she is getting married. Robin has to attend a new school where she doesn’t speak the language, looses connection to her friends in Korea, and has to find her way with her new stepfamily. I love this book so much. The illustrations are beautiful, and Ha does an amazing job showing how difficult it was to understand her new school and community through her text and illustrations. It’s great!

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!

Categories
True Story

Landscape Bookmarks, the 19th Amendment, and New Nonfiction

Welcome to the weekend, nonfiction friends! I am still recovering from a very exciting and celebratory weekend at my brother’s wedding. The weather cooperated, the festivities were lovely, and we are all exhausted.

This week I’ve got some book recommendations to celebrate the passage of the 19th Amendment, plus new nonfiction about jobs with the dead. Let’s dive in!

Bookish Goods

four bookmarks with abstrand landscapes in blues, whites, organies, and yellows

Abstract Landscape Bookmarks from alliterates

These abstract bookmarks stopped me in my tracks while scrolling on Etsy this week. I love the simple outlines and bold colors so much! $12 for a set of four.

New Releases

book cover All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell

All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life’s Work by Hayley Campbell

I love long and detailed subtitles, which is why this book first caught my attention. In it, journalist Hayley Campbell tries to understand why we’re so afraid of death by asking the people who experience it every day through their work. This leads her to conversations with “mass fatality investigators” (so curious about that), embalmers, detectives, gravediggers, crime scene cleaners, and a former executioner. I am so intrigued with this approach and deeply curious to find out what she learns.

book cover Eating While Black by Psyche A. Williams-Forson

Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America by Psyche A. Williams-Forson (AOC)

In this book, scholar Psyche A. Williams-Forson explores how “anti-Black racism operates in the practice and culture of eating”—a subject I had never even considered until learning about this book. To answer this question, she looks at how “mass media, nutrition science, economics, and public policy” drive narratives about what is good or healthy to eat, and how ideas about what Black people eat perpetuate the feeling that they need to be fixed. She also looks at how food connects to culture and community, and the ways that scarcity and control contribute to Black people’s relationships with food. Fascinating! 

Riot Recommendations

On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote. In the election that November, more than eight million women voted for the first time. In honor of this anniversary—and recognizing that voting rights were still limited for Native Americans and women of color—I’d like to share some books on the suffrage movement.

book cover The Woman's Hour by Elaine Weiss

The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss

Set in August 1920, this book chronicles the fight to have the 19th Amendment ratified in Tennessee–the 36th and last state needed for the amendment. Forces on both sides of the debate converged in Nashville during a special session of the legislature. The book follows several women coming to the fight from different angles, looking at the ways they tried to influence and change the minds of the men voting–through “dirty tricks, betrayals and bribes, bigotry, Jack Daniel’s, and the Bible.” This one is really fascinating!

book cover Vanguard by Martha S. Jones

Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All  by Martha S. Jones

This book offers an extended history of African American women’s political lives in the United States. It begins with the founding of the country and goes past the 1965 Voting Rights Act to show how Black women pushed against both racism and sexism to make change. She shared the oft-ignored work of Black women like Maria Stewart, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, and Fannie Lou Hamer who helped lead the way for Black women’s enfranchisement.

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!

Categories
True Story

Non-Violent True Crime That’s Made for TV

Welcome to the weekend, nonfiction friends! My reading mojo from July has continued into the early part of this month, which is a delightful change I am trying to lean into as long as possible.

This week I’m excited to imagine some adaptations for recent true crime, as well as share some great new books out this week!

Bookish Goods

six dictionary pages printed with paintings of stacks of books

Book Themed Dictionary Prints from CraftCreByMichelle

I love dictionary prints, and this set of book-themed options are a real treat. If this one happens to be sold out, the seller has many other creative options to choose from. $14

New Releases

book cover Farewell Transmission by Will McGrath

Farewell Transmission: Notes from Hidden Spaces by WIll McGrath

Farewell Transmission is a small press book of essays about things that are hidden – secret lives, forgotten stories, and unique passions— that can make us feel both connected and alone. The stories in the book come from all over, from rural Namibia to an Elvis festival in rural Canada to a homeless shelter in Arizona and more. Like most essay collections, there are some ups and downs, but overall I found these pieces moving, observant, funny, and always coming from a place of genuine curiosity. 

book cover Therapy Isn't Just for White People by Kiara Imani

Therapy Isn’t Just for White People by Kiara Imani

In this debut memoir, attorney and radio host Kiara Imani explores her journey to understand racial trauma and its ongoing impacts on Black mental health in America. After learning about the idea of racial trauma in therapy, Imani looks back to her own family history growing up in the south and her professional experiences of being the only Black person in a room. The book ranges through many topics – “career, money, religion, food, health, dating, friendships” and more – to offer another perspective on America’s issues with race.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Late last month, Jenna Bush Hager (Today co-host and founder of Jenna’s Book Club) announced she would be developing an adaptation of Kirk Wallace Johnson’s book The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century.

Johnson is penning the small-screen adaptation, which tells the story of a 2009 burglary from the rare bird collection at the British Natural History Museum. 

This week, I want to share a couple of other non-violent, true crime books that I think would make excellent television adaptations:

book cover none of the above by shani robinson

None of the Above: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Scandal, Corporate Greed, and the Criminalization of Educators by Shani Robinson and Anna Simonton

In 2013, 35 Atlanta Public Schools educators were charged with racketeering and conspiracy, which came as a result of being accused of changing answers on their students’ standardized tests. Nearly all of the teachers were Black. Shani Robinson, the youngest teacher charged with a crime, faced up to 25 years in prison. In this book, she partners with journalist Anna Simonton to look at how the Atlanta school system and leaders in the city historically failed Black students, leading directly to the cheating scandal. I can imagine an Orange is the New Black style adaptation for this one. 

book cover duped by abby ellin

Duped: Double Lives, False Identities, and the Con Man I Almost Married by Abby Ellin

I’m a sucker for stories about con men and women, which we also know can make great television adaptations. In this book, Abby Ellin writes about her relationship with a man she called the Commander – a whirlwind romance that led to their engagement after just six months. But soon his exotic stories stopped adding up, leading Ellin to discover he’d been lying from the start. The book also explores the art and science of lying and shares stories from other people duped by their romantic partners. I get a lot of Inventing Anna vibes from this one.

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!

Categories
True Story

Book Hangovers and July Highlights

Welcome to August, nonfiction friends! August is a tricky month, but it feels like a good sign that the first day was a Monday. I find that very satisfying. In today’s newsletter I’ve got some new history books to highlight, a delightful mug, and a recap of a couple books I read in July. Let’s get into it!

Bookish Goods

white coffee mug with the words "book hangover" on the side

Book Hangover Coffee Mug from SweetPegasusFinds

While I was Up North last weekend, I managed to finish three books in three days. I haven’t read at that pace for a long time, and by the time I got to the end I was definitely feeling a bit of a reading hangover. The mug gets me (and comes in a variety of colors and sizes)! $20+

New Releases

book cover Return to Uluru by Mark McKenna

Return to Uluru: The Hidden History of a Murder in Outback Australia by Mark McKenna

In 1934, a group of Aborigial prisoners escaped into the Australian outback. A white police officer tracked them to a sacred rock formation, Uluru, but what happens next is disputed. Using new evidence, this book tries to explain the murder of Yokununna, one of the Aboriginal men who escaped. While the book is a deep dive into one cold case, it is also a look at how Australia’s history of white supremacy continues to shape lives today.  

book cover Asian American Histories of the United States by Catherine Ceniza Choy

Asian American Histories of the United States by Catherine Ceniza Choy

This book is the latest entry in the ReVisioning History series from Beacon Press, a series I am so glad exists. Each title offers a history of the United States through the lens of a particular marginalized group. In this entry, historian Catherine Ceniza Choy chronicles the diverse history of the fastest-growing group of Americans. She also connects this 200 year history with contemporary increases in anti-Asian violence and the way Asian American stories are being erased. I particularly love the use of “histories” in the title, acknowledging the many stories that make up this book. 

Riot Recommendations

I had a pretty great reading month in July, so this week I wanted to share thoughts on a couple of the nonfiction books I finished:

amity and prosperity by Eliza Griswold

Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America by Eliza Griswold

In 2010, Stacey Haney and her neighbors in Amity, Pennsylvania, signed agreements with Range Resources, a Texas-based energy company, to mine natural gas on her family’s land through fracking. Almost immediately, Haney and her two children get sick. Their animals and pets start to die, and chemicals show up in their air and water. They enlist the services of a husband-and-wife legal team to figure out what’s going on, a fight that pits neighbors against neighbors in their small community. This 2019 Pulitzer Prize winner is a stunning read, using in-depth reporting to show the humanity behind our energy needs, what happens when institutions fail to protect, and the complicated questions that can arise between economics and the environment. 

book cover The Ugly Cry by Danielle Henderson

The Ugly Cry: A Memoir by Danielle Henderson

When Danielle Henderson was 10 years old, her mother left her and her brother with their grandparents so she could run away with her drug-addicted, abusive boyfriend. While that’s obviously a dark central experience to center a memoir on, one of the things I loved about this book is how well it balanced that darkness with moments of levity and observant insight. Henderson’s grandparents weren’t perfect parents, by any means, but they tried to give her the stability she needed to eventually make it on her own. This memoir is also about being “Black, weird, and overwhelmingly uncool” in a largely white community, and the lessons that helped Henderson find faith in herself and what she was capable of achieving. This is a great, great memoir. Content warnings for drug use, violence, and childhood sexual abuse.

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!

Categories
True Story

Reading About Reading (and Gardening)

Happiest of Fridays, nonfiction readers! This week marks my last bit of time away from work for the summer.  I’m taking a long weekend Up North, as we Minnesotans like to say, to sit by a big lake and enjoy some quiet time away from screens. I hope your weekend is equally as restful!

In this Friday’s newsletter I’m excited to share books on computers, reading, and gardening. Let’s go!

Bookish Goods

six bookmarks showing photos from Lake Superior

Lake Superior Bookmarks from MichiganLandscapes

Bookmarks with pictures of a beautiful lake? I am sold! You can get this superpack of six for $15, or browse many other options. Michigan isn’t Minnesota, but the view is close enough!

New Releases

book cover proving ground by kathy kleiman

Proving Ground: The Untold Story of the Six Women Who Programmed the World’s First Modern Computer by Kathy Kleiman

At the close of World War II, countries around the world were competing for the next great technological achievement. In the United States, six pioneering women were racing to figure out how to program the world’s first electronic computer, the ENIAC. There were no instructions or programming languages to guide them – everything they figured out they did on their own. To write this book, researcher Kathy Kleiman met with four of the six women, recording extensive interviews about their experiences as some of the earliest women in technology. I am such a fan of books that explore the hidden contributions women have made in science, so getting this one is high on my list.

book cover how to read now by elaine castillo

How to Read Now: Essays by Elaine Castillo

Who doesn’t love reading a book about reading? In this linked essay collection, novelist Elaine Castillo explores the politics and ethics of reading, going beyond the traditional arguments about empathy and diversity to find “a more entangled relationship not just with our fiction and our art, but with our buried and entangled histories.” She looks at our relationships with the classics, “settler colonialism” in beloved authors, and more to encourage “a more complicated, embodied form of reading.” That all just sounds so good.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

I have never been particularly good at starting or maintaining a garden, but I love the idea of fresh summer produce or just connecting more deeply with the natural seasons around us. With that in mind, here are two nonfiction reads about growing:

book cover braiding sweetgrass by robin wall kimmer

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, two perspectives she weaves together beautifully in this book about the lessons we can learn from other living beings. While not specifically about growing food, this book argues that we need to expand our environmental consciousness to connect more deeply with the rest of the living world. This book has gotten nothing but rave reviews from everyone I know who has read it.

book cover animal vegetable miracle by barbara kingsolver

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

Originally published in 2007, this memoir from novelist Barbara Kingsolver shared her family’s experience moving to a farm in southern Appalachia and their personal quest to spend a year only eating locally-produced foods. Reprinted in 2017, the 10th anniversary edition expands on the original with new contributions from each member of the family sharing how their original, year-long effort has expanded or changed their lives since then. This book is so charming, and a true inspiration if you want to think more deeply about your food.

For more book recommendations, check out these lists from Book Riot: 

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!

Categories
True Story

Politics, Family Secrets, and Ultramarathons

Congrats on making it to another weekend, dear readers! This week I’ve been thinking again about this article from The Atlantic: In Praise of Pointless Goals.

Here’s a reminder for those of us who don’t let ourselves off the hook enough that having more light-hearted goals can subvert “the cult of productivity by sneakily leveraging the tools of productivity.” While we ponder on that a bit more, let’s dive into some new releases and books about running!

And don’t forget, we’re hiring at Book Riot! As an Editorial Operations Associate where you can get into the nitty gritty, behind-the-scenes work of making Book Riot work. We are committed to building an inclusive workforce and strongly encourage applications from women, individuals with disabilities, and people of color. Learn more here.

Bookish Goods

wall stickers in sketchy font with different book genres

Graffiti Doodle Reading Wall Stickers from OwenWallArt

These doodle wall stickers just scream fun, don’t they? If I lived in a house with a dedicated library, I can imagine them up on the walls above shelves or surrounding a window. Or maybe they’d be fun in a playroom or kids room, especially for a young reader.

New Releases

book cover any given tuesday by lis smith

Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story by Lis Smith

As much as I don’t particularly love politics, I am someone who loves to understand how things work… and the best way to do that is often from the people who actually do the making. That’s why I’m intrigued by this memoir from Lis Smith, a highly-sought after operative for the Democratic Party. The book is described as a look at human nature in politics as well as the story of a personal journey (complete with some choices that end up in the tabloids), which sounds intense! The book follows Smith from her days as a college intern all the way through serving as a chief advisor to the Buttigieg campaign in 2020. I’m sold.

book cover why didn't you tell me by carmen rita wong

Why Didn’t You Tell Me?: A Memoir by Carmen Rita Wong 

You might be familiar with journalist Carmen Rita Wong from her work as a personal finance expert at CNBC or as a former host of Marketplace Money from American Public Media. In this memoir she explores her relationship with her family and the big secrets her mother kept until her death. Wong grew up in Harlem and Chinatown, before moving to New Hampshire after her mother remarried. Their mother-daughter relationship was fraught, but the reason didn’t become clear until her mother’s secrets came to light late in life. Who doesn’t love a memoir of family secrets?

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

While I am not a runner, I definitely see an uptick in photos from my running friends in the spring and summer. From weekend 5Ks to the occasional marathon, there are many people who love to lace up their sneakers and hit the trails when the weather is nice. This week, I have two inspirational books about distance running:

book cover born to run by christopher mcdougall

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall

The Tarahumara Indians of Mexico are famed distance runners. Isolated from the rest of the world by the Copper Canyons, many can run hundreds of miles without stopping or getting injured. To understand how they do it, journalist and runner Christopher McDougall visits science labs and runners across the country to understand the mindset and physicality of ultra-runners of all ages and experience levels. There is SO MUCH in this book I would never want to experience, but it’s a fascinating read.

book cover spirit run by noa alvarez

Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land by Noé Álvarez

Noé Álvarez grew up in Yakima, Washington, working at an apple-packing plant alongside his mother for many of his teenage years. After earning a college scholarship, he struggled to adapt and fit into university life. At 19 he learned about Peace and Dignity Journeys, a Native American movement of extended marathons “meant to renew cultural connections across North America.” He dropped out of school to run in a four-month marathon from Canada to Guatemala, connecting with the other runners and his own history in the process. Again, this is nothing I would ever want to try, but it’s an engaging and thought-provoking memoir.

Looking for more? Here are some Book Riot suggestions:

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!