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All in Nonfiction
This book was FANTASTIC. In fact, I liked it so much that after I finished my library’s audiobook copy, I bought a physical copy so I could loan it out to friends.
There Will Be No Miracles Here is an example of exactly why I love to read memoir. Actually, I really love to listen to memoir audiobooks (as I did with this one) — the author often reads the book themself. And this book is incredibly honest, raw, and thought-provoking.
I’m not giving this a star rating because Three Women is a difficult book to review. On the one hand, as the hype around this book suggests, the writing is really good, and the subject matter is gripping. However, there’s a big asterisk there: The publicity around this book has been extremely problematic.
The In-Betweens is a fascinating, journalistic look into a world that quietly exists right under all of our noses — the religion and community of Spiritualism. Her neutral but relatable reporting will leave you thinking long after you close the book.
I liked but didn’t love this book, and I think that’s because it was very different from what I’d expected. This book is much less of a guide to fiction (reading or writing), and more like a love letter or an ode to fiction.
Range was an interesting and (mostly) engaging look at the different approaches to learning that we take in society today. I thought the author was clear and conversational, and he used good examples and stories that are relatable to real life.
Rating: 3/5 | I read Loonshots as part of my subscription to the Next Big Idea Club (which I highly recommend!). The author combines principles from physics with that of business and innovation in order to show when and why companies go from great-idea-machines to great-idea-graveyards. (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 4/5 | I Miss You When I Blink was a delightful little book of essays. Mary Laura Philpott dives into herself, finds her way around, and then lets us in to see. It's an example of creative nonfiction at its best, the story of an average woman's life (if any of us can be called average) made poignant. A glimpse into the human experience that makes us feel seen and hopeful. (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 5/5 | I chose Real Queer America for my office's Pride Month book club. I wanted to read something by either a cisgender woman or a transgender person, and I wanted to spark conversation about experiences that even our very diverse team had not considered before. This. book. was. it. Samantha Allen's prose is clear and impactful, yet warm and fun. I'm so, so glad I read it, and I can't wait to talk about it more. (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 3/5 | From the Corner of the Oval was fast-paced, well written, and suuuuper juicy. It's clear that Beck Dorey-Stein is a great writer, and her ability to observe, recall, and retell a story is what all creative nonfiction writers are striving for. Her personal story was not really my favorite, but I absolutely can't deny that she wrote this book really, really well. (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 3/5 | The Culture Code was one of the Next Big Idea Club's selections. It's one of those nonfiction business books that could be summed up much more succinctly, but the addition of a lot of colorful and interesting examples expanded it out. I enjoyed it, but I have read a lot of leadership books and didn't really learn anything new here. (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 4/5 | I read Farsighted as part of my subscription to the Next Big Idea Club. It was fun to have it paired with Joyful, which was about the small things, because Farsighted is about the big things. Big, important decisions and the ways you can ensure that you're making the best choices possible. (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 4/5 | Y'all. This mystery is WILD. I'm not usually big on true crime, but I'm so glad I read this one. Cara Robertson has spent her life — literally, this started as a thesis paper — researching Lizzie Borden's story. She's able to paint a rich history of what we know about the crime, and about the trial. (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 3/5 | We Are Not Refugees was an important and very interesting book to read. Agus Morales is a journalist who has spent years traveling the globe, interviewing people who've had to flee their homes. (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 5/5 | This may have been the most personal memoir I have ever read. Laymon isn't just writing about his life; he's practically writing poetry about his soul. I kept being re-surprised, over and over, at just how many of his deepest, darkest, most private thoughts, feelings, and actions were put down into words for the world to read. (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 4/5 | All You Can Ever Know is Girls' Night In Club's February book pick, and I really enjoyed it. I listened to the audiobook, which was well narrated. Nicole Chung is a really great writer, and her storytelling sheds light on experiences that many people do not often see or understand. (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 3.5/5 | I read Joyful as part of my subscription to the Next Big Idea Club, and it was really, really interesting. Ingrid Fetell Lee is a designer who's spent years researching the aesthetics of joyful things (like confetti and balloons and the Rockettes). Then she goes into how you can bring the same aesthetics into your own surroundings (short of throwing confetti around your home). (Click the post to read more.)
Rating: 4/5 | Anyone who reads a fair amount of nonfiction will tell you: Too many nonfiction books say pretty much nothing new. Refreshingly, When is not one of those books. I read it as part of my subscription to the Next Big Idea Club. It taught me new things about myself and about the world and gave me real-life takeaways that I can implement. I only wish that it had been longer! (Click the post to read more.)
