Hello and happy March! As you are reading this newsletter I am sitting by the pool in Mexico, hopefully with a margarita and a book in hand. I don’t know what book — I’ve been so indecisive about what to pack — but hopefully it is good!
Upcoming Books News!
I wouldn’t normally lead off a newsletter with announcements about upcoming books, but there have been three of them in the last few weeks that all made me cheer a little bit.
Sponsored by Everything is Horrible and Wonderful by Stephanie Wittels Wachs
One phone call. That’s all it took to change Stephanie Wittels Wachs’ life forever. Her brother Harris, a star in the comedy world known for his work on shows like Parks and Recreation, had died of a heroin overdose.
In beautiful, unsentimental, and surprisingly funny prose, Stephanie Wittels Wachs alternates between her brother’s struggle with addiction, and the first year after his death, in all its emotional devastation. This compelling portrait of a comedic genius and a profound exploration of the love between siblings is A Year of Magical Thinking for a new generation of readers. It will make you laugh, cry, and wonder if that possum on the fence is really your brother’s spirit animal.
First up, Michelle Obama’s memoir is coming this November! The First Lady of my heart announced the book, Becoming, on Twitter, and said writing the book has been a “deeply personal experience. I talk about my roots and how a girl from the South Side found her voice.” The book will hit shelves on November 13.
Second, Doris Kearns Goodwin will have a new book out in September, Leadership, that will “remind readers that career politicians can become great presidents.” The book will focus on four presidents that she’s already written about – Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Franklin Roosevelt.
Finally, Dessa, a Minneapolis-based rapper/singer, will publish a book of essays. My Own Devices will feature “true stories from the road on music, science and senseless love.” I was lucky enough to see Dessa speak at a podcast recording here in the Twin Cities, and I can affirm that she’s an excellent storyteller. Can’t wait!
New Books!
The last Tuesday of February was a big one for exciting nonfiction, with six books that were on my radar. So many books, so little time…
Eat the Apple by Matt Young – “A daring, twisted, and darkly hilarious story of American youth and masculinity in an age of continuous war.” Young joined the Marine Corps as an 18-year-old, and chronicles his experience through three deployments in Iraq through a “kaleidoscopic array of literary forms.”
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara – This is a posthumously published book about one journalists’ search for a notorious California serial rapist who committed 50 sexual assaults over more than a decade. It’s gotten a lot of buzz because of McNarama’s famous husband, Patton Oswalt, but early buzz is that the book stands on its own.
Don’t Call Me Princess by Peggy Orenstein – This is the first collection of essays from the author of two other great books on girls and culture (Girls and Sex and Cinderella Ate My Daughter). These essays are drawn from her body of writing, and includes a new introduction and personal reflection on each essay.
Invisible by Michele Lent Hirsch – This book looks at a story that hasn’t been told much, about young women navigating serious health issues during the prime of their lives. The book, anchored by Lent Hirsch’s personal experience, also explores how health issues can amplify the other pressures women face at work and in life.
Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker – This book got some buzz earlier this year when Bill Gates declared it his new favorite book of all time. Following up on his previous writing, Pinker makes a case for “reason, science, humanism and progress” in a time when the world feels like it’s falling apart.
There Are No Dead Here by Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno – This is another big picture book told through particular stories, this time a look at the rise of paramilitary groups in Colombia through three ordinary Colombians, an activist, a journalist, and an investigator.
Adaptation News!
Red alert for the next best news ever! Lupita Nyong’o has signed on to star in the film adaptation of Trevor Noah’s memoir Born a Crime. Nyong’o will play Noah’s mom, Patricia, who was an important figure in his early years before tragedy struck the family.
This one doesn’t come from a book, but it sounds super fun. Tessa Thompson will play Doris Payne, a woman “who gained notoriety for her luxury jewelry heists from stores around the world.” Payne was the subject of a documentary in 2013, The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne.
And that’s all for this week. As always, find me on Twitter @kimthedork, and happy reading! – Kim