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True Story

New York City Memoirs

Here in South Carolina, we’ve been experiencing A LOT of rain, so most of us have been bunkering down to avoid all of the flooding around the upstate. For me, this meant MORE reading time. Of course, Dylan and Gwen refused to go outside to do the business. How dare the weather ruin their immaculate schedule? Poor little creatures. At any rate, if you’re bunkering down because of rain or snow, I have some excellent books for you to check out. But first, bookish goods!

2024 is the tenth year of the Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons and diversify our TBRs. To get book recommendations for each task, sign up for the Read Harder newsletter. We’ll also keep you informed about other cool reading challenges, readathons, and more across the bookish internet. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations plus community features, where you can connect with a community of passionate, like-minded readers in a cozy and supportive corner of the internet. Sign up today!

Bookish Goods

a photo of a night light that is made of of a plastic disk that says, Alice's Library. A wooden stand holds up the disk and issues the light.

Custom Name’s Library Night Light by Vinacreations Shop

I saw this and knew I needed one. I love a novelty light, and this one is perfect to give your library that cozy feel. $45

New Releases

a graphic of the cover of Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto

Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto

In his memoir, Shoji Morimoto started his own freelance business as a rental person. He’s paid to accompany people during surgeries, to restaurants, and even sees them to the train stations.

a graphic of the cover of Naomi Osaka: Her Journey to Finding Her Power and Her Voice by Ben Rothenberg

Naomi Osaka: Her Journey to Finding Her Power and Her Voice by Ben Rothenberg

Sports fans will love this biography of one of the best rising athletes of our time, Naomi Osaka. Find out about the story of Osaka’s incredible talent on the court and her dreams for the future.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

a graphic of the cover of Good Talk by Mira Jacob

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob

In Good Talk, Mira Jacob describes how her son asked her why his Jewish paternal grandparents would vote for Trump, a man who hated immigrants like Mira and her parents. This question launches her into even more questions that she’s not quite sure how to answer. She works through these conversations in Good Talk, illustrating them on the page and giving readers a fuller picture. I read this graphic memoir while waiting for a delayed flight at the airport. I felt consumed and barely even noticed spending the extra four hours surrounded by disgruntled passengers.

a graphic of the cover of can we talk about something more pleasant

Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

Roz Chast’s parents have lived in the same apartment for decades. As her parents age, she begins to think through how she will care for them when they get older and how she wants to spend as much time with them as possible. But her parents want to have nothing to do with any of these conversations. With her classic sense of humor, Chast captures the ridiculous moments of a very difficult time in her life. This graphic memoir is so good; no wonder it was a finalist for the National Book Award.

That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.

Happy Reading, Friends!

~ Kendra