Categories
True Story

Two Must-Have Cookbooks for Your Collection

This weekend hit hard, and I spent most of my time offline making giant quantities of carrot soup and chocolate muffins, ensuring I had plenty of quick meals and snacks on hand for the work week. There’s something about focusing on the task at hand that keeps me from reaching for my phone and doom scrolling my time away. So this week, I have a couple of my favorite cookbooks to share. But first, let’s jump into new releases!

Bookish Goods

A photo of a blue shirt with the words "bookmarks are for quitters"

Bookmarks Are For Quitters Shirt by Ikerson LTD

Sometimes you just need a bookish shirt to live in for awhile. I love shirts like this that I can add to my regular book t-shirt rotation. This one is perfect for a tome tackle readathon. $13

New Releases

A graphic of the cover of The Colony: Faith and Blood in a Promised Land by Sally Denton

The Colony: Faith and Blood in a Promised Land by Sally Denton

In 2019, a caravan of women and children from the LeBaron and La Mora communities, an offshoot of fundamentalist Mormons, were ambushed by gunmen in Northern Mexico. The gunmen killed nine women and children and injured five more. Investigative journalist Sally Denton travels to Mexico to learn more about the communities these women and children were from and why gunmen from the Sinaloa drug cartel made them a target for violence.

A graphic of the cover of My Name is Jason. Mine Too.: Our Story Our Way by Jason Griffin and Jason Raynolds

My Name is Jason. Mine Too.: Our Story Our Way by Jason Griffin and Jason Reynolds

BFFs Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin share the story of their friendship. Reynolds and Griffin traveled to New York City where they both dreamed of making it as artists. Reynolds is a Black poet and writer, and Griffin is a white visual artist. Together they found a camaraderie and friendship neither of them ever expected.

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

Riot Recommendations

Some days, you just need to lose yourself in a cookbook while you learn all sorts of new things about cooking and cuisine. Personally, I love cookbooks that also include essays about the author’s personal philosophy on how they approach cooking and what inspires their recipes. Here are a couple of my favorite cookbooks:

A graphic of the cover of Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat

Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat

Whenever I read Samin Nosrat’s cookbook, I know I’m going to learn something new. She structures her cookbook by the four categories in the title—salt, fat, acid, heat—explaining how each element is used in cooking. Best of all, she teaches you HOW to cook, not just how to follow a recipe. I have given dozens of copies of this cookbook to friends and family, always keeping a copy on hand for last minute gifts.

A graphic of the cover of Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food by Julia Turshen

Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food by Julia Turshen

I have a huge soft spot for Julie Turshen and even had the honor of interviewing her for Reading Women. And while I may be biased, her cookbook Simply Julia is truly a gift to food lovers everywhere. Her cookbook is based around the idea of eating healthy, satisfying food using cooking methods that have nothing to do with losing weight. Turshen describes how she was very much inspired by her wife’s experience of developing chronic illness later in life and what it was like trying to learn new recipes that her wife could eat. As someone who also has a medical diet, I appreciated how Turshen’s recipes include notes on possible substitutions for each dish.

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

Categories
True Story

Salmon Crimes and Wanderers

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

As a rule-following, responsible, Enneagram 1, I know that I don’t let myself off the hook enough. But maybe there’s something about a silly goal – “It subverts the cult of productivity by sneakily leveraging the tools of productivity.” – that would work for me? While I noodle on that, let’s dive into some new releases and books about exploring!

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. $33

New Releases

book cover the man who could move clouds by omgrod rpjas contreras

The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Raised amidst political violence in Colombia in the 1980s and ‘90s, Ingrid Rojas Contreras grew up believing in magic. Her mother’s fortune-telling clients were regular visitors to their home, while her grandfather was a community healer who could speak to the dead, tell the future, heal the sick, and move clouds – gifts he passed along to his daughter, Rojas Contreras’ mother. After an accident in her 20s leaves her with amnesia, Rojas Contreras returns to Colombia to see if her family history can shed light on her situation, exploring her family’s history in Colombia and her own complicated inheritance.

book cover salmon wars by catherine collins and douglas frantz

Salmon Wars: The Dark Underbelly of Our Favorite Fish by Catherine Collins and Douglas Frantz

In this book, a journalist and a private investigator team up to explore the world of the international salmon farming industry, showing how the path from ocean to table is not nearly as healthy or environmentally-friendly as we’re often led to believe. To tell this story, they visit oceanic salmon feedlots, expose the conditions inside salmon hatcheries, and look at the environmental impacts of coastal salmon farms. In all of these places, they profile the people making decisions, then pull back to look at how industrialization has impacted this important industry. I am so fascinated by all of this!

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

Riot Recommendations

One of my favorite things about summer is the chance to get out and see somewhere new. Whether you go far away or stay close to home, there’s so much out there to see when the weather is nice and wanderlust sets in. Here are a couple great books about ways to go exploring:

book cover wanderes by kerri andrews

Wanderers: A History of Women Walking by Kerri Andrews

Seeing this book on my shelf always makes me think about the going on a stupid walk meme, but that’s not a bad thing. Getting outside for a walk, even just around the block, almost always helps me feel more relaxed by quieting the voices running through my brain. In this book, Kerri Andrews tells the story of 10 women who have “found walking essential to their sense of themselves,” both as individuals and as writers. Stories about male thinkers who walk are very common, so I am very excited for a similar treatment of women who walk.

book cover the window seat by aminatta forna

The Window Seat: Notes from a Life in Motion by Aminatta Forna

This book is a collection of essays about crossing borders, our relationship with nature, and the stories we use to make sense of the world. The opening essay is a beautiful ode to air travel (a complicated topic right now!), while others take on stories about colonialism, a veterinarian in Sierra Leone, and more. Aminatta Forna’s writing is so evocative and thoughtful and beautiful, this collection feels like one to just sink into over a long afternoon.

Before we wrap up… 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.

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

Rogues and Road Trips

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!

sticker with half a woman's face opposite the text I Just want to read my books and ignore all my adult problems

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

book cover daughters of the fragrent garden by zhuqing li

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.

book cover Rogues by patrick radden keefe

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.  

book cover real queer american by samantha allen

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. 

book cover between two kingdoms by sulika jaoud

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!

Categories
True Story

New Nature Reads for Summer!

Hello, friends! Here in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, we’ve had an intense heatwave. I even found myself carrying my Corgi, Dylan, across a hot parking lot so he could reach his favorite potty spot. But this kind of weather always reminds me of nature writing and pop science. I LOVE reading about the natural world, in all of its glorious wonder. So I’ve got two new releases that feature different takes on nature. Let’s jump right in!

a photo of a blue candle

Candles by Frostbeard Studio

I have bought DOZENS of Frostbeard candles over the years. I have yet to meet a scent of their’s I didn’t like, but my favorites are Oxford Library, Bookstore, and Old Books. Their candles come in several different sizes, and are perfect for a soothing evening in reading a good book.

New Releases

A graphic of the cover of Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America's Woods by Lyndsie Bourgon

Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America’s Woods by Lyndsie Bourgon

Before I learned about this book, I had no idea there was a whole black market for lumber! Author Lyndsie Bourgon discusses the horrible destruction caused by the illegal timber market that’s destroying old growth trees and acres of wildlife’s natural habitat. Bourgon walks us through the politics of the industry, reporting, scientific studies and much more.

A graphic of the cover of An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong

An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong

The author of I Contain Multitudes is back with An Immense World, which dives deep into the topic of animal senses. We learn that some animals possess unique senses that humans can only dream of. Yong discusses incredible facts like how scallops have complex vision and how a crocodile’s face is incredibly sensitive. This book is perfect for any animal lover or science enthusiast.

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

Riot Recommendations

A graphic of the cover of Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden

In one of my favorite memoirs of all time, T Kira Madden shares her experience growing up as a multiracial girl in Boca Raton, Florida. While she comes from a wealthy family, her parents experience addiction, causing a lot of emotional instability in Madden’s childhood. In college, she begins to realize that she’s queer, family secrets come to light, and she begins to understand herself in whole new ways. The prose is incredible, and each essay-like chapter is all-engrossing from the first few paragraphs.

A graphic of the cover of Another Appalachia by Neema Avashia

Another Appalachia by Neema Avashia

As an Appalachian, I’m always looking for more stories from the region. One of my favorite Appalachian books this year is Neema Avashia’s Another Appalachia. In her memoir, Avashia shares the experience of growing up as a queer South Asian woman in West Virginia. While Avashia loves her home state, being West Virginian is complicated. The same people she grew up with, who she considers as close as family, now declare how much they dislike immigrants. When she points out that she and her family are immigrants, these same people reply, “You and your family don’t count.” Avashia’s essays are a beautiful testament to the complex realities of being from Appalachia.


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

Categories
True Story

Fandom and Father’s Day

Happiest of Fridays, nonfiction friends! My reading funk has continued through the week, but I think I may have finally diagnosed the problem. My last nonfiction read, Invisible Child by Andrea Elliot, was just so stellar, it’s kind of ruined every other book since then and I don’t know what to read that scratches that reading itch. But I am on the lookout and hope to report back on a success!

printable bookmarks with blank lines for writing

Reading Notes Bookmark Printable from AlainaPerryDoodles

I’m trying to get better about taking notes while I read, but I am terrible about remembering to have a notebook nearby. While I could just rip out a notebook page to use as a bookmark, I recently found these cute printable reading notes bookmarks that I think would be both fun and useful to use. Buy the digital download and print as many as you want!

New Releases

book cover everything i need i get from you by katilyn tiffany

Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It by Kaitlyn Tiffany

In this book, internet culture reporter Kaitlyn Tiffany dives deep into the world of superfandom, specifically the girls and young women who have shaped how we interact with the internet today. Tiffany herself is a fangirl of One Direction, so she brings the kind of insider-outsider perspective I love most in my reported nonfiction. I haven’t read any of this one, but from the description and reviews, my sense is that it’s a book that has fun with some of the most extreme examples of fandom while also giving it— and the women who participate— the kind of serious attention they deserve.

book cover under the skin by linda villarosa

Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation by Linda Villarosa

In 2018, Linda Villarosa published a blockbuster article exploring the maternal and infant mortality rates of Black mothers and their children. Although many studies had demonstrated these poor outcomes, her article was one of the first to bring them into popular discussion. This book expands on those ideas, looking at the larger forces in healthcare and society that mean Black people “live sicker and die quicker” due to many preventable causes. She also explores the public health impact of racism, a timely and important addition to this topic.

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

Riot Recommendations

This Sunday is Father’s Day which, like Mother’s Day, can be both a joyful and complicated celebration depending on your family situation. Today I wanted to share a couple of recent page-turning memoirs that explore complicated father relationships: 

book cover somebody's daugher by ashely c. ford

Somebody’s Daughter: A Memoir by Ashley C. Ford

As a child, Ashley C. Ford wished that she could turn to her father for advice and encouragement – especially during times when her relationship with her mother was at its worst. The problem is that her father was in prison, no one in her family would talk about why, and he had no idea when he might be getting out. That backdrop sets the stage for a very moving memoir about growing up poor, female, and Black in the Midwest. Ford writes about being surrounded by family but feeling on the outside, her relationships with her mother and grandmother, and the ongoing trauma of a teenage sexual assault. It’s a beautiful, evocative memoir. 

book cover nowhere girl by cheryl diamond

Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood by Cheryl Diamond

As a child, Cheryl Diamond’s family was always on the run. For many years, she assumed this was normal. Didn’t all families constantly change names, rewrite their personal histories, and live in fear of international law enforcement? The ringleader of this adventure was her father, a man Diamond both adored and feared due to his stranglehold on the family. As a teenager, Diamond started to explore the lies their life was built on and the crimes that turned them into fugitives, eventually splitting from her family as an adult. This book is an absolutely bananas ride from start to finish – I read it in less than a day and have pushed it on so many readers who found it equally as vivid and gripping. Trigger warning for 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

Some of the Best Southern Nonfiction

Hello, nonfiction fans! Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to discuss books with you all. I’d love to hear from you, so always feel free to reach out to me via email at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. As you may have gathered, I love Southern Literature, especially creative nonfiction titles. I also love memoir and collections of personal essays. So I’ll be recommending a couple of those kinds of books today, but first, bookish goods and new releases!

a photo of a notebook from Obvious State

Ida B. Wells Literary Notebooks by Obvious State

When I’m annotating nonfiction books, I love having a notebook on hand to write down thoughts or favorite quotes. Obvious State has been a favorite of mine for a long time. Their unique literary print, t-shirts, and bookmarks have always brought me a lot of joy. But when I learned they now made notebooks, of course, I needed some. These little notebooks are the perfect size for tucking in a pocket or bag, ready for whenever you have a moment to sit and read. This Ida B. Wells notebook is one of my favorites.

New Releases

A graphic of the cover of Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American Paradise by Jack Parlett

Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American Paradise by Jack Parlett

Fire Island has been the destination for generations of gay men. Jack Parlett tells the history and cultural significance of the island. He introduces us to the men who frequented Fire Island, giving the book a personal feel as we learn more about this queer space.

A graphic of the cover of How to Raise an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

How to Raise an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

One of the hardest jobs as a parent or guardian is finding the words to explain difficult things to their kids. Using both scientific research and an added personal narrative, Kendi gives adults the tools they need to have important conversations around race in the United States.

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

Riot Recommendations

I’ve been a resident of South Carolina for my entire adult life, and while I struggled with the adjustment at first, I’ve come to love the South. My roots are in Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky, and I found the culture vastly different from my own. But reading Southern Literature helped me better understand my new home. Here are a few of my favorite nonfiction titles from the South!

A graphic of the cover of South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry

Many people view the South as a monolith of tragedy, a place with little to offer the rest of the nation, but Imani Perry begs to differ. In South to America, Perry returns to her Southern roots, taking us with her on a journey through the history of the South, stopping in different locations to explain key events. Perry’s love of the South comes across on every page, and she argues that the South holds the heart of America, for better or worse. She celebrates Black Southerners and their contribution to America’s culture as a whole. Perry also details the region’s unique role in the history of America’s systemic racism, discussing how the slave trade impacted different parts of the South over the course of time and up to the present.

A graphic of the cover of Graceland, At Last: Notes on Hope and Heartache From the American South by Margaret Renkl

Graceland, At Last: Notes on Hope and Heartache From the American South by Margaret Renkl

For years, Margaret Renkl wrote a column about her life in the South, sharing her thoughts on everything from politics to cuisine. Graceland, At Last features a selection of those columns, organized by topic. I loved the chatty quality of each essay as it discussed things like current events or observations about nature. Whatever the topic, I always felt like I was sitting across from her on the porch, sipping sweet tea in the sun as she shared her thoughts with me.


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

Categories
True Story

Black Creeks, Data-Driving Parenting, and Bookish Totes

Hello and happy Friday, nonfiction lovers! I am in a teeny bit of a reading rut at the moment – I can’t seem to find anything that engages my attention more than old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix! I know, I know… I’m hoping to turn things around this weekend with some quality outdoor reading time. 

square leather book baskets that say "one more chapter"

One More Chapter Book Basket from missbohemia

Speaking of outdoor reading… I am the kind of person who likes to have a lot of things with me when I read. Chapstick, water bottle, lotion, sunglasses, several books… I’ve got it all. As a result, a good book basket is a must for toting items with me from inside to outside. I am currently eyeing this mock leather storage basket, which seems to have lots of room and great carrying handles. 

New Releases

book cover we refuse to forget by Caleb Gayle

We Refuse to Forget: A True Story of Black Creeks, American Identity, and Power by Caleb Gayle

I love when I find a book that explores a small aspect of history that I’ve never heard of before. In the case of this book, it’s the story behind Creek Nation, a Native tribe that “owned slaves and accepted Black people as full citizens” more than 200 years ago. Because of the work of Black Creek leaders, the U.S. government recognized citizenship for Black Creek members all the way back in 1866. However, tribal leaders revoked that citizenship in the 1970s, pitting two marginalized communities against each other in lawsuits that continue to this day. Journalist Caleb Gayle digs into all aspects of this story, trying to understand how the community formed, then fractured under the weight of white supremacy. 

book cover boys and oil by taylor brorby

Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land by Taylor Brorby

This book is a coming-of-age memoir set in rural North Dakota, which author Tyler Brorby describes as “a place where there is no safety in a ravaged landscape of mining and fracking.” Brorby grew up on a farm, loved books, and realized at a young age that he was different from other boys because he was gay. Now an environmentalist, he uses fracking, a violent taking of natural resources from the land, as a metaphor to explore his sexuality and growing up in a community that wasn’t welcoming to people who are different. I love a good, rural Midwestern memoir, so of course this one is high on my list to read soon. 

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

Riot Recommendations

Every year, I love to skim through the TIME 100, TIME magazine’s most influential people of the year list. It always seems like an interesting snapshot of what’s going on at a given time, and sometimes it reminds me about people who are cool or noteworthy. This week, I wanted to highlight books by a couple people on that list: 

book cover the trayvon generation by elizabeth alexander

The Trayvon Generation by Elizabeth Alexander

During the summer of 2020, poet Elizabeth Alexander wrote a moving New Yorker essay about the challenges facing young, Black Americans like her sons and her students. She called them the Trayvon Generation, reflecting the fact that they “could not be shielded from the brutality that has affected the lives of so many Black people,” even as children. This book expands on that essay, looking to the past and future of the country in the midst of an awakening around racial violence.

book cover the family firm by emily oster

The Family Firm: A Data-Driven Guide to Better Decision Making in the Early School Years by Emily Oster

Emily Oster is an economic professor at Brown University who has written extensively about pregnancy and parenting. The Family Firm is the third book in the ParentData series, and looks specifically at many issues that come up for young children – school, health, activities, and more. She answers big questions like “Should kids play a sport and how seriously?” and explores issues of family logistics and planning through a business and management perspective.


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

Say Hello to Our New True Story Writer!

Hello, Friends! My name is Kendra Winchester and I’ll be popping into your inboxes once a week as your new True Story book guide. I’m a disabled book nerd from Appalachia now living in the South Carolina Lowcountry. When I’m not in the bookish world, I’m typically found at the dog park with my two Corgis, Dylan and Gwen. Some of you might already know me from Book Riot’s Audiobooks newsletter, but I’m excited to be sharing even MORE books with you here. So what are we waiting for? Let’s jump right in!

A photo of a blue book sleeve features animal teeth

Book Sleeves by The Sicangu Sewist

I adore a good book sleeve! Emmy Her Many Horses (Rosebud Sioux) uses Indigenous-designed fabrics to create book sleeves in three different sizes. She only has so much of the different fabrics, so be sure to grab your favorite design before it disappears! I use my book sleeve to keep safe whatever nonfiction book I’m annotating. I can even tuck my favorite pen and book flags in the sleeve too! $20+

New Releases

A graphic of the cover of Raising Antiracist Children A Practical Parenting Guide

Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide by Britt Hawthorne

In Raising Antiracist Children, Britt Hawthorne approaches antiracist parenting by dividing her ideas into four sections: healthy bodies, radical minds, conscious shopping, and thriving communities. Then she discusses each topic to help parents make their parenting strategies. The book also includes tips, questionnaires, and stories to help people parent the kids in their life the best they can.

A graphic of the cover of Nora Ephron: A Biography by Kristin Marguerite Doidge

Nora Ephron: A Biography by Kristin Marguerite Doidge

In this first biography of the famous essayist, screenwriter, and film director, Kristin Marguerite Doidge presents her portrait of Nora Ephron. Based on interviews with Ephron’s close family and friends, this biography gives readers a comprehensive look at her life. I’ve always wanted to know more about Nora Ephron and her work, so this seems like just the book I need.

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

Riot Recommendations

This week, I have to tell you about some of my favorite recent reads!

A graphic of the cover of Why Indigenous Literatures Matter by Daniel Heath Justice

Why Indigenous Literatures Matter by Daniel Heath Justice

In Canada, it’s Indigenous History Month, so let’s start with Why Indigenous Literatures Matter by Daniel Heath Justice, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and a faculty member in First Nations and Indigenous Studies and English at the University of British Columbia. Why Indigenous Literatures Matter discusses the unique qualities of Indigenous Literatures and the importance of decolonizing your approach to engaging with Indigenous writers’ work. Justice’s writing is incredibly accessible, and he clearly defines his terms and walks readers through his thought process. This book is a great one to read before jumping into your Indigenous Lit TBR pile.

A graphic of the cover of Southbound: Essays on Identity, Inheritance, and Social Change by Anjali Enjeti

Southbound: Essays on Identity, Inheritance, and Social Change by Anjali Enjeti

As a Southern transplant, I’m always looking for new books about the South, and Anjali Enjeti has recently written an essay collection right in my wheel house. Enjeti and her family moved to the South when she was small. Since then, she’s called the South her home. But as a mixed-race brown girl, many people there didn’t necessarily make her feel welcome. Now as an adult, Enjeti writes about her experience with racism as well as her complicity in systemic racism. These essays feature her thoughts on feminism, the new South, gun violence, voter supression, and so much more.


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

Categories
True Story

Historical Science and Inspirational Sports

Happiest of Fridays, nonfiction friends! I hope your Memorial Day weekend was pleasant and reverent, and your first official weeks of summer are off to a positive start. Here in Minnesota, things haven’t quite warmed up the way we all hoped, but I am optimistic better weather is soon to come. In this week’s newsletter I’ve got some new history books, feminist bookish merch, and more!

bookends with feminist icons on them

Feminist Icon Bookends

Another bookish thing I love to admire and collect is bookends! This set let’s you choose two feminist icons to create a pair, with options like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gloria Steinem, Michelle Obama, and more.

New Releases

This week’s new releases take a dive into some historical science!

book cover The Monster's Bones by David K. Randall

The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T. Rex and How It Shook Our World by David K. Randall

Could there be anything more delightful than the story of “a fearless paleontologist, the founding of America’s most loved museums, and the race to find the largest dinosaurs on record”? I think not! This book is about the partnership between fossil hunter Barnum Brown and museum president Henry Fairfield Osborn, after Barnum found the first T-Rex fossil in Montana. Gilded Age history is full of amazing stories like this one, which sounds so fun!

book cover the wine-dark sea within by Dhun Sethna

The Wine-Dark Sea Within: A Turbulent History of Blood by Dr. Dhun Sethna

This book offers a new history of modern medicine centered around the discovery of the circulatory system and the role that blood plays in our bodies. For centuries, physicians believed in the idea that blood was like the sea, moving back and forth within the body. After William Harvey proved that blood circulates, the entire understanding of life sciences was upended. Sethna shows how this discovery led to groundbreaking advances like cardiac imaging, bypass surgery, and more.

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

Riot Recommendations

Due to a tech glitch, last week’s newsletter cut off my two book suggestions inspired by Colin Kapernick’s upcoming young adult graphic novel, Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game. So, I’m going to share those picks again – plus one more bonus suggestion because who doesn’t love a sports memoir?

book cover dragon hoops by gene luen yang

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

Before he was a full time graphic novelist, Gene Luen Yang was a high school teacher in California. In this book, he chronicles a single season of his school’s varsity basketball team, the Dragons, as they try to win the California State Championships. I love this comic so much – it’s like an inspirational sports movie in book form.

book cover spinning by tillie walden

Spinning by Tillie Walden

For a decade, figure skating was the center of Tillie Walden’s life and identity. But after switching schools, discovering art, and falling in love with a girl, she started to question whether she really fit into that world anymore. Eventually, she finds the courage to quit and see what else might be out there.

Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin

This one isn’t a graphic novel, but I stumbled across it this week and felt like I had to include it! In addition to being an underdog sports story, this book explores the U.S. government’s persecution of Native Americans at government boarding schools. Jim Thorpe, a future Olympic gold medalist, and Pop Warner, a football mastermind, met in 1907 at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. They worked together to build an amazing football team that challenged the best athletes of the day.


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!

Categories
True Story

Pride Reads and More Nonfiction Fun

Anyone else like birds? I thought I’d escaped this family trait, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten more and more interested in them. This past weekend, I watched The Big Year, starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black, all about people competing to see the most birds in North America in a year. It’s pretty charming. And based on nonfiction! The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik, which I will definitely be checking out.

Let’s check out some nonfiction items!

nonfiction book mug

Nonfiction Enthusiast Mug

Nonfiction mug time! Why not think about the books you have or haven’t read while drinking coffee/tea/your mug beverage of choice? The titles are hand-drawn and include older and newer, like Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong and Unbound by Tarana Burke. Why not lean into the nonfiction enthusiasm of it all?

New Releases

Streets of Gold cover

Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success by Ran Abramitzky, Leah Boustan

We’ve all heard stories of Ellis Island and the American immigration experience, but what do the facts really tell us? This is the result of years of research and debunks long-held myths. Also the cover is really pretty — look at those rays. A+.

Struggle Makes Us Human: Learning from Movements for Socialism by Vijay Prashad and Frank Barat

It’s a Haymarket Books pick! Haymarket Books is in Chicago, so I have a soft spot for them. Did you know they’re a nonprofit and have sales ALL the time? Ok anyway, this new release looks at workers’ struggles around the world. I’m talking India, Kenya, Peru, and beyond. They also look at “debt cancellation, a wealth tax, austerity, the pandemic, the arms industry, the climate crisis, socialism, working-class social movements and much more.”

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

Riot Recommendations

Trans Mission

Trans Mission: My Quest to a Beard by Alex Bertie

Pride reads! I read this this year and loved it. Alex describes his coming out and transition process, which he did in the UK (covered by their healthcare!). It’s meant to be helpful for coming out as trans, and also has helpful sections for family members. Alex is really charming and his YouTube channel is great (which is how he got internet famous!).

Queer Brown Voices cover

Queer Brown Voices: Personal Narratives of Latina/o LGBT Activism by by Uriel Quesada, Letitia Gomez, Salvador Vidal-Ortiz (Editors) [AOC]

This is essays and oral histories from FOURTEEN activists in the United States and Puerto Rico, centering the Latinx perspective in queer activism. They reflect “not only on the organizations they helped to create and operate, but also on their broad-ranging experiences of being racialized and discriminated against, fighting for access to health care during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and struggling for awareness.” This came out in 2015, which is the same year marriage equality was made legal on a federal level (wow, that is recent).


For more nonfiction reads, check out the For Real podcast which I co-host with the excellent Kim here at Book Riot. If you have any questions/comments/book suggestions, you can find me on social media @itsalicetime. Until next time, enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.