Sponsored by NOVL.
Book Riot is teaming up with NOVL to giveaway one $250 Visa gift card plus a book bundle of the following titles: Fence by Sara Rees Brennan, Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalo, Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor, The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein, Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald.
WELCOME TO FEBRUARY. I am psyched about every single one of these new releases. We had some great releases in 2020, and 2021 is giving us awesome book after awesome book. Nonfiction is such a good genre, and I’m so happy people are still taking the time and energy needed to study, write, and bring us facts, memory, and emotions from their own experience and education. Mmm. Nonfiction.
Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi, Keisha N. Blain
This. Is. So. Cool. Blain and Kendi have brought together 90 writers, each of whom takes on a five-year period of the 400 years from 1619-2019. Writers explore their time period through “historical essays, short stories, personal vignettes, and fiery polemics. They approach history from various perspectives: through the eyes of towering historical icons or the untold stories of ordinary people; through places, laws, and objects.” This book seriously looks so good. Really excited for it.
The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs
Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King, and Louise Little. All grew up among Jim Crow and all “passed their knowledge to their children with the hope of helping them to survive in a society that would deny their humanity from the very beginning.” A celebration of Black motherhood well in time for Mother’s Day and just in time for Black History Month.
Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication edited by Sheena C. Howard, PhD
The essays in this book cover topics like “how Black Panther has created a shared fantasy for Black audience members—and why this is groundbreaking; what we can learn from Black Panther’s portrayal of a culture virtually untouched by white supremacy; and how Nakia, Shuri, Okoye, and Ramonda—all empowered, intelligent, and assertive women of color—can make a lasting impression on women and girls.” If you’ve never stopped thinking about this movie or if you’re interested in diving in and thinking more about what it means, check this out.
Two Truths and a Lie: A Murder, a Private Investigator, and Her Search for Justice by Ellen McGarrahan
I am currently obsessed with this book. As a journalist, McGarrahan witnessed the prison execution of a man convicted of the murder of two police officers. Years later, she discovered the condemned man might have been innocent. This book is her exhaustive search into what really happened, which takes her across the country from Florida to Washington.
For more nonfiction new releases, 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.