Sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Lois Lowry looks back at history through a personal lens as she draws from her memories as a child in Hawaii and Japan, as well as from historical research, in this work in verse. On the Horizon tells the story of people whose lives were lost or forever altered by the twin tragedies of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, and contemplates humanity and war through verse that sings with pain, truth, and the importance of bridging cultural divides. On The Horizon will remind readers of the horrors and heroism in our past, as well as offer hope for our future.
Happy Friday to all. Weekends are especially important now, IMHO, because when you work at home, it can be easy to just stay at your computer all day. My hope for this weekend is to spend some time away from my laptop and focus on either a book or my Kindle. I know Kindles are still screens kind of, but whatever, it is different. Anyway, here’s some chill nonfiction to counter last week’s theme:
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. YESSS, come to me, gentle memoirs about nature. Tova Bailey was laid up with an illness (ignore that part) and becomes semi-obsessed with a snail that lives next to her bed in a flowerpot. Just thinking about this makes me want to reread it. It is calming and slow-paced and great. And makes you more interested in snails than you thought you could be.
The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals―and Other Forgotten Skills by Tristan Gooley. Look. This will all be over someday. And when that day comes, you’re gonna want to know how to predict the weather and track animals. Or, probably not, but it’ll be cool to know you COULD should the situation call for it.
The Compton Cowboys: The New Generation of Cowboys in America’s Urban Heartland by Walter Thompson-Hernández. Men and women! Cowboys! In Compton, California! “In 1988 Mayisha Akbar founded The Compton Jr. Posse to provide local youth with a safe alternative to the streets, one that connected them with the rich legacy of black cowboys in American culture.” Are there photos inside? YES there are.
Meaty by Samantha Irby. Irby’s first book is a magnificent tower of hilarity and good writing. If you will. She covers her childhood through early adulthood. I first discovered Irby through a GoFundMe for some tooth surgery that a friend of hers set up, and then through her amazing blog. Her style is distinctive and her words are a mix of poignant and so very, very funny.
Stay inside if you can, nonfictionites. Wash your hands, Clorox-wipe your phone, and read read read (while also taking a break to prevent eye strain!). If you are so inclined, check out COVID-19 Updates from the Bookish World. As always, you can find me on Twitter @itsalicetime and co-hosting the For Real podcast with Kim here at Book Riot. Until next time! Enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.