One post of new nonfiction to look forward to is never enough, so here's a second roundup of some upcoming titles in 2020 that have caught my eye. This time I've got macabre science stories, tales of obsession, badass women of World War II, current social and political commentary, multiple trips to Paris and Siberia,... Continue Reading →
Pre-2019 Favorites
If new nonfiction this year was a little lackluster, I did feel more enthusiastic about the backlist titles I read throughout the year. It was one of these that was my absolute favorite and the best book I read this year: Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe, by Kapka Kassabova - Kassabova returned... Continue Reading →
New Nonfiction Favorites in 2019
What new nonfiction did you love this year? I have to be honest, this wasn't a completely stellar year in new nonfiction for me. There were lots of great ones but I didn't have one that stood out above all the rest. Instead of a clear favorite, there are three I can separate as being... Continue Reading →
14 New Nonfiction Releases Coming in 2020
2019 hasn't shown itself out quite yet but I'm already looking forward to what new nonfiction 2020 has in store. Here are some upcoming new releases from the new decade that I have my eye on. F*ck Your Diet: And Other Things My Thighs Tell Me, by Chloé Hilliard (January 7) --Hilliard was cursed with... Continue Reading →
Biography of a River
Book review: The Seine, by Elaine Sciolino (Amazon / Book Depository) I overcame anxiety and loneliness and moved forward in my life, like the Seine in its course. The river allowed me to begin a journey of discovery—of Paris, of the French people, of myself. Its energy pumped deep into my veins; its light gave... Continue Reading →
Myth, History, and Border Concepts on Europe’s Frontier
Book review: Border, by Kapka Kassabova (Amazon / Book Depository) This book tells the human story of the last border of Europe. It is where Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey converge and diverge, borders being what they are. It is also where something like Europe begins and something else ends which isn’t quite Asia. This is... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Week 4: Nonfiction Favorites
Week 4: (Nov. 18 to 22) –Nonfiction Favorites (Leann @ ThereThereReadThis): We’ve talked about how you pick nonfiction books in previous years, but this week I’m excited to talk about what makes a book you’ve read one of your favorites. Is the topic pretty much all that matters? Are there particular ways a story can... Continue Reading →
A Meditative Travelogue Across Russia In Napoleon’s Footsteps
Book review: Berezina, by Sylvain Tesson (Amazon / Book Depository) It's during a previous journey that the idea of a future one comes to mind. Imagination carries the traveler far from the trap where he's gotten stuck. While in the Negev desert, he'll dream of a Scottish glen; in a monsoon, of the Hoggar Mountains;... Continue Reading →
Walking the Paths of Russia’s Golden Age Writers
Book review: Mud and Stars, by Sara Wheeler (Amazon / Book Depository) Russia was the first foreign country I ever visited. I was eleven. I have been looking over my shoulder at it ever since. I think there are many who share that sentiment, and it makes this genre of memoirs of Russia or travelogues... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Week 1: Year in Nonfiction
Nonfiction November, that time of year to celebrate stories filled with facts and footnotes, truth being stranger than fiction, and very, very long subtitles begins today! This week, a look at your year in nonfiction: Week 1: (Oct. 28 to Nov. 1) – Your Year in Nonfiction (Julie @ Julz Reads): Take a look back at your year of... Continue Reading →
More Funny Tales From the Quirky Life of John Hodgman
Book review: Medallion Status, by John Hodgman (Amazon / Book Depository) Comedian, author and podcaster John Hodgman's second memoir-in-essay collection, Medallion Status, is ostensibly built around his obsession with the loyalty program of the airline he calls "Beloved Airlines," and the travels, specifically for acting jobs, he's had in connection with earning those miles. It's... Continue Reading →
A Chef and Historian Traces His Roots In African American Culinary History
Book review: The Cooking Gene, by Michael W. Twitty (Amazon / Book Depository) The Old South is a place where people use food to tell themselves who they are, to tell others who they are, and to tell stories about where they've been. Chef, historian, and Afroculinaria blogger Michael W. Twitty has another fascinating day job:... Continue Reading →