Sponsored by Abrams Books.
It’s no secret that we are judged by our bookshelves. This is because a book’s purpose is not only to be read, but to provide permanence for stories we hold dear to us. We collect them, decorate with them, color-coordinate them, and are inspired by them. In this fun, colorful collection of comics, Grant Snider explores bookishness in all its forms while he also explores the love of writing and reading, building on the beloved literary comics featured on his website, Incidental Comics.com. I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf is the perfect gift for bookworms of all ages.
What. a. week. I cannot count how many new nonfiction releases are out today (ok, it’s around 20). Here, I capture a SMATTERING of them; highlights that have been deemed of interest to me and hopefully to you, the nonfiction reader who is interested in the latest and most up-to-date facts and information in bookish form. Tl;dr: there’s a lot of greatness this week!
The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power by Deirdre Mask. Have you ever thought about why street addresses work the way they do? Why are they organized like that? Why do we need them? Who doesn’t have them and how do they direct people? Speaking as someone who used to have to tell people to “turn left at the pig sign,” this book spoke to me. Author Mask travels the world looking at how addresses were created, how they’re used today, and what they tell us about our global society.
The Betrayal of the Duchess: The Scandal That Unmade the Bourbon Monarchy and Made France Modern by Maurice Samuels. For my fellow lovers of pre-20th c. European history comes the story of 1830s France, the Duchesse de Berry, and how her betrayal by a former confidante was, according to Samuels, a key factor in the surge of anti-Semitism that still holds strong in Europe today.
Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir by Tyler Feder. If you’ve lost a parent, Feder gets it. This graphic memoir walks through her life from the time her mom got sick, to her passing and the following ten years in Feder’s life. It’s part-memoir, part tips for grieving and helping others grieve. It also walks you through Jewish cultural traditions around someone’s death, including the fact that “shiva” means seven, which I definitely did not know before. Definitely recommend.
No Justice in the Shadows: How America Criminalizes Immigrants by Alina Das. Just because we’re inside doesn’t mean we can’t talk about JUSTICE. Das co-directs the Immigrant Rights Clinic and teaches law at NYU. Here she tells the story of America’s immigration system and how we got where we are today. She highlights particular stories and says “we need to confront the cruelty of the machine so that we can build an inclusive immigration policy premised on human dignity and break the cycle once and for all.”
Antigone Rising: The Subversive Power of the Ancient Myths by Helen Morales. I love a fun classical cover. I’m gonna quote the publisher (Bold Type!) here because I cannot synthesize this as well: Morales “reminds us that the myths have subversive power because they are told — and read — in different ways. Through these stories, whether it’s Antigone’s courageous stand against tyranny or the indestructible Caeneus, who inspires trans and gender queer people today, Morales uncovers hidden truths about solidarity, empowerment, and catharsis.” Yesssssss, preach. I will buy all the hot pink cover, statues-wearing-sunglasses books about the classics meeting feminism that come out.
Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui. We pondered this on For Real this week. Why DO we swim. It’s not natural for humans. And yet a bunch of people who are not me really love it. Tsui is a swimmer and a New York Times contributor and here really dives (!) into why we swim and who some really amazing swimmers are, from a Baghdad swim club to the Olympic champions that grace our cereal boxes. Swimming! What a weird thing for us to do.
No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram by Sarah Frier. Do you use Instagram? Isn’t it kind of weird how popular it is and how much influencers can make and how influenced WE are by them? This tells you the story of how Instagram was created, how it became popular, and why you still can’t link from a caption (#LinkintheProfile). Also did you know Instagram only came out in 2010? Super weird.
Stay inside if you can, nonfictionites. Wash your hands, wipe down 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.