We read books to learn, to escape, and often as in the Anna Quindlen quote shown above, we read both for the destination and the journey. For many of us, books are a way we find ourselves and thus find our true home. Good nonfiction books share insights and great nonfiction books do so by sharing the author's journey to those insights. Great nonfiction never preaches, yet it often teaches. The best nonfiction embeds us in the author's experiences and opens us to new worlds. The best nonfiction books I read in 2019 are listed alphabetically by title with descriptions below. I've noted the books published before 2019.
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
Beautiful Country, Burn Again: Democracy, Rebellion and Revolution by Ben Fountain (2018)
Dear Igeawele: or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2017)
Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon (2018)
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro
Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans (2018)
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
Sister Pie: The Recipes and Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit by Lisa Ludwinski (2018)
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo (2018)
All
You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
All You Can Ever Know is a memoir of Chung’s search for her
adoptive family when she’s pregnant with her first child. She was told that her
Korean birth parents couldn’t take care of her or give her the life she
deserved so she grew up in an all-white town and went to an all-white school.
Just before she gave birth, her birth sister contacted her and everything she
knew about her origin changed. It’s a profound look at finding out who you are. I hope book clubs will select it and use it to discuss privilege. GPR/SN, BC
Beautiful Country Burn Again: Democracy, Rebellion And Revolution by Ben Fountain
Beautiful Country Burn Again examines the 2016 election and the historical context that led to Trump’s victory. Fountain expertly explores every nuance of the campaign and why Trump won. Fountain lays out a brilliant thesis showing white supremacy at the root of our current trials and Trump’s victory. Fountain’s brilliance forces the reader to contemplate. This is a book to read slowly then reread. Fountain lays out so many concepts that it can sometimes feel overwhelming, but once I allowed myself to feel that he was my teacher, I gained insight into the 2016 election. G/SN, BC (2018)
Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda
Ngozi Adichie
Dear Ijeawele made my heart sing. I wish I’d been given this
when I became a parent. Renowned author Adichie’s childhood friend asked her
for advice on how to raise her baby girl to be a feminist. Adichie’s fifteen
caring and compassionate suggestions offer lessons on motherhood, race,
kindness, and more. These are the best 63 pages of advice I’ve ever read. Buy
it for a new parent. G/SF/SN/T, BC (2017)
Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to
Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dryer
Dreyer's English is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve ever read. I laughed and laughed.
Not only does Dreyer give pithy advice on grammar, punctuation, and writing,
his droll humor makes that advice a vacation on the page. I plan to keep this
book on my desk at all times and will reread my favorite parts whenever I need
a lift. This entertaining tome will make anyone a smarter, better writer. You may think you don't want or need to read this book, read it regardless. You'll be glad you did. Read the full review here. G/S/SN
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
Heavy, the winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal and a book on
every best of 2018 list is that good. It’s a powerful memoir showing how the
weight of secrets, lies, and fear can destroy a black man and his body. Laymon
grew up the son of a brilliant mother in Jackson, MS. He suffered from anorexia
and obesity as a result of coping with his secrets. His writing is pure genius, his
transformation is real, and he shares his journey exquisitely. This man will soon be known as one of our finest writers. I hope that many of the problems of Mississippi will vanish, but oh, can that state produce great writers! G/SN, BC (2018)
Inheritance: Shapiro submitted her DNA to a genealogy testing center and shockingly found that the father she adored, wasn’t her biological father. As both her parents were deceased, she took to the Internet and soon found a video of her biological father that set off a journey to uncover secrets and to determine who she was if she was no longer who she’d always known herself to be. Only an author like Shapiro could turn her own story into a meditation on acceptance and love. She’s such a treasure. I’m glad I’d read several of her other books so I already “knew” her, but it stands alone beautifully. Read it and everything else she's written. Perfect for book clubs. G/GPR/SF, BC
Inspired examines Bible stories and retells them in poetry, stories, interpretations, and imaginative renderings. She helps the reader wrestle with the doubt caused by some misappropriated passages. I led a discussion of this last winter and the class found it unique, transformative, and compassionate. Evans died from a sudden illness as we were finishing and we grieve the loss of such a profound truth-teller who was also a brilliant writer whose words inspire. What a loss! Read her Searching for Sunday too. G/SF/SN (2018)
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
Maid will make you feel some of what it’s like to be cold, hungry, frightened, and anxious when you’re trying to hang on and raise a child with minimum support. You must read this book to begin to understand and bear witness to her stark struggles to survive. Stephanie Land is someone we should all respect for her fine writing, intelligence, resilience, and loving support of her daughter. This could spark quite a discussion of poverty. GPR/SN, BC
Ludwinski, Lisa, Sister Pie: The Recipes and Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit by Lisa Ludwinski
Sister Pie made this reader who has never had any desire to bake pies want to make savory pies, hand pies, shortbread, and maybe even a blueberry plum balsamic pie. Her repertoire is imaginative and features great seasonal ingredients. Her compassion and devotion to her community make you want to head to Detroit. The book was an IACP finalist and landed on every Top 10 Cookbooks of 2018 list. SF/SN (2018)
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
So You Want to Talk About Race breaks
through all the pretense of understanding race in the U.S. and makes sense of
why it’s a problem, why we should care, and what we should do. Filled with
facts and stories that illuminate them, this is a primer every American needs
to read and utilize. Buy this book!
I led a discussion of this book that we paired with Claudia Rankine's Citizen. The participants found Oluo's ideas made them want to effect change, especially after experiencing Rankine's imagery. G/SN, BC (2018)
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