There are few things that I love more than creative nonfiction. There’s just something about the prose, the storytelling that draws me in and keeps my attention. So today, we’re looking at a couple of recent creative nonfiction favorites that will be perfect for your TBR. But first, let’s jump into 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
Crochet Flower Bookmark by AnhsEmFash
I love that crochet is having a moment. And these flowers are a beautiful way to celebrate the joy that is crochet art. Plus, they’re bookmarks! $11
New Releases
The Cancer Factory: Industrial Chemicals, Corporate Deception, and the Hidden Deaths of American Workers by Jim Morris
Jim Morris tells the story of one of the worst documented work-related cancer outbreaks in North American history. We follow the lawyer who worked to get justice for the workers who gave their lives and well-being to their workplace, only to have the companies they worked for deny their involvement in their workers’ illnesses.
Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism by Jenn M. Jackson, PhD
Dr. Jenn M. Jackson examines the history of Black women’s activism. Over the course of 11 essays, Dr. Jackson looks at the roles several Black women had in the political and civil rights movements.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza
Cristina Rivera Garza’s sister, Liliana, was in college when she was murdered by an ex-boyfriend. Decades later, Cristina goes to Mexico City in search of her sister’s case file. But when the police inform her that Liliana’s case file was lost, she decides to make a sort of file of her own, an act to force the world to bear witness to her sister’s life. The rest of the book is about Rivera Garza’s memories of her sister while they were growing up. We learn about all the squabbles they had as kids and all the love they shared as they got older. Rivera Garza also interviews Liliana’s friends from college in Mexico City. This way, she creates a collection of snapshots of her sister’s life leading up to the time of her death. This incredible memoir is one of the best that I read in 2023. It’s a truly stunning testament to sisterly love.
Upstream: Essays by Mary Oliver
Last year, Pushkin released a new audiobook of Mary Oliver’s incredible essay collection, Upstream. Hala Alyan, Joy Sullivan, and Kate Baer read different sections of the collection, each introducing their portion with some personal thoughts on why they treasure Oliver’s writing. The collection itself is a meditation on the natural world. Oliver writes her prose with a poet’s eye for word choice, each sentence carefully crafted. I’d never read Mary Oliver before, so Upstream was such a perfect choice as an introduction to her work. So, if you’re looking for a place to start reading Oliver’s extensive backlist, I’d definitely recommend you start with Upstream. And if you’re already familiar with her work, Pushkin’s new audiobook edition of this essay collection is a must-listen.
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