Hello and happy Friday, nonfiction lovers! I am in a teeny bit of a reading rut at the moment – I can’t seem to find anything that engages my attention more than old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix! I know, I know… I’m hoping to turn things around this weekend with some quality outdoor reading time.
One More Chapter Book Basket from missbohemia
Speaking of outdoor reading… I am the kind of person who likes to have a lot of things with me when I read. Chapstick, water bottle, lotion, sunglasses, several books… I’ve got it all. As a result, a good book basket is a must for toting items with me from inside to outside. I am currently eyeing this mock leather storage basket, which seems to have lots of room and great carrying handles.
New Releases
We Refuse to Forget: A True Story of Black Creeks, American Identity, and Power by Caleb Gayle
I love when I find a book that explores a small aspect of history that I’ve never heard of before. In the case of this book, it’s the story behind Creek Nation, a Native tribe that “owned slaves and accepted Black people as full citizens” more than 200 years ago. Because of the work of Black Creek leaders, the U.S. government recognized citizenship for Black Creek members all the way back in 1866. However, tribal leaders revoked that citizenship in the 1970s, pitting two marginalized communities against each other in lawsuits that continue to this day. Journalist Caleb Gayle digs into all aspects of this story, trying to understand how the community formed, then fractured under the weight of white supremacy.
Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land by Taylor Brorby
This book is a coming-of-age memoir set in rural North Dakota, which author Tyler Brorby describes as “a place where there is no safety in a ravaged landscape of mining and fracking.” Brorby grew up on a farm, loved books, and realized at a young age that he was different from other boys because he was gay. Now an environmentalist, he uses fracking, a violent taking of natural resources from the land, as a metaphor to explore his sexuality and growing up in a community that wasn’t welcoming to people who are different. I love a good, rural Midwestern memoir, so of course this one is high on my list to read soon.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Every year, I love to skim through the TIME 100, TIME magazine’s most influential people of the year list. It always seems like an interesting snapshot of what’s going on at a given time, and sometimes it reminds me about people who are cool or noteworthy. This week, I wanted to highlight books by a couple people on that list:
The Trayvon Generation by Elizabeth Alexander
During the summer of 2020, poet Elizabeth Alexander wrote a moving New Yorker essay about the challenges facing young, Black Americans like her sons and her students. She called them the Trayvon Generation, reflecting the fact that they “could not be shielded from the brutality that has affected the lives of so many Black people,” even as children. This book expands on that essay, looking to the past and future of the country in the midst of an awakening around racial violence.
The Family Firm: A Data-Driven Guide to Better Decision Making in the Early School Years by Emily Oster
Emily Oster is an economic professor at Brown University who has written extensively about pregnancy and parenting. The Family Firm is the third book in the ParentData series, and looks specifically at many issues that come up for young children – school, health, activities, and more. She answers big questions like “Should kids play a sport and how seriously?” and explores issues of family logistics and planning through a business and management perspective.
For more nonfiction reads, head over to the podcast service of your choice and download For Real, which I co-host with my dear friend Alice. If you have any questions/comments/book suggestions, you can find me on social media @kimthedork or send an email to kim@riotnewmedia.com. Happy weekend!