Super late but better late than never when it comes to looking ahead to the year's new nonfiction, right? Right! Here's what's caught my eye in new and recent nonfiction releases: Longshot: The Inside Story of the Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine, by David Heath (January 18) - "Investigative journalist David Heath takes readers inside... Continue Reading →
21 New Release Favorites of 2021
Eking in at the veeeery last minute, I've compiled my new release favorites of 2021. Let's dive in! Unsurprisingly, nothing surpassed Elissa Washuta's White Magic for me. This memoir-in-essays is like nothing I've ever read before, although I've come across a lot of memoirs that attempt similar things less successfully. This uses a blend of... Continue Reading →
17 Favorites from the Backlist
It's the most wonderful time of the year: Christmas stresses are over and it's time for year-end favorites lists! I love dividing up my year's favorite books by new releases and backlist selections because it means I can include more books. Also, since my blogging has deteriorated into a truly awful state, I realized that... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Week 5: New to My TBR
Last week of Nonfiction November already? Say it ain't so but it is in fact so! Jaymi is our host this week and here's our prompt: It’s been a month full of amazing nonfiction books! Which ones have made it onto your TBR? Be sure to link back to the original blogger who posted about... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Week 4: Stranger Than Fiction
Nonfiction November continues to fly by! I've been very excited for this week's prompt, courtesy of Christopher at Plucked from the Stacks: Week 4: (November 22-26) – Stranger Than Fiction with Christopher at Plucked from the Stacks: This week we’re focusing on all the great nonfiction books that *almost* don’t seem real. A sports biography involving overcoming massive... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November is Coming!
Apologies for the slightly later-than-unusual announcement this year, but: life. Little delay aside, I've got the very best news: Nonfiction November is happening again this year! We not only have some wonderful new nonfiction-loving hosts to introduce, but we have a new topic plus five whole weeks planned this year. Not to mention all-new Instagram... Continue Reading →
Cover Judging: Russia and Translated-from-Norwegian Edition
I'm guilty of sometimes buying a book because I like the cover. I'm not proud of this at all, but there you have it. Who isn't susceptible to some artistic influence from time to time? I also choose my edition on Goodreads based on the cover, even if I actually read a different one. So... Continue Reading →
Walking England: To the River and Under the Rock
Writers on walking stretches of England, weaving memoir with nature and various musings, has become a popular little sub-genre. I'm intrigued but not totally sold on it yet. Let's explore two of them. "When it hurts," wrote the Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz, "we return to the banks of certain rivers," and I take comfort in... Continue Reading →
Holy the Firm, The Boys of My Youth, and the 2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
Essay mini reviews today, plus exciting news from the wonderful Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out: the Nonfiction Reader Challenge is back! Annie Dillard's 1977 Holy the Firm is a brief book, more like an extended essay. From 1975, Dillard lived in a one-room cabin on an island at Puget Sound for two years. It seemed like... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Wrap-Up
To end Nonfiction November this year, Julie, Katie and I recorded an episode of Leann's Shelf Aware podcast. We talked Nonfiction November history, reading preferences, and a bunch of other stuff. It was so much fun to get to chat about books with my fellow hosts and I hope it's fun to listen to! I... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Week 4: New to My TBR
Yet again, Nonfiction November flies by and here we are in the last week already. It's been such a bright spot for me this year, and I hope for everyone who participated too! Our host this week is Katie @ Doing Dewey, and here's the prompt: New to My TBR : It’s been a month... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Week 1: Year in Nonfiction
Happy first (second? what is time?) day of Nonfiction November! I'm even more excited than usual to celebrate nonfiction right now, mainly because 2020 hasn't been a spectacular reading year for me (in addition to every other reason it's been the worst, obviously). My attention has been spread unusually thin and my reading is basically... Continue Reading →