For Readers: Blog

The nonfiction your neighbors are reading

Looking to be captivated? Ready to be fascinated? Eager to be engaged? These recent nonfiction and memoir releases have risen to the top of the pack, and are sure to have you hooked!

Kevin Fedarko’s A Walk in the Park documents the drama and wonder of a remarkable feat: attempting to walk the 750-mile length of the Grand Canyon. Joined by his photojournalist friend, Fedarko takes readers along for the ride on his incredible journey. Frequently unprepared for the arduous adventure, Fedarko shares it all, from the near-death experiences to the awe-inspiring nature to the challenges facing this iconic setting. [e-book | print | audiobook]

Blending memoir and history writing, An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin is a moving look at the 1960s through the eyes of her husband, a presidential advisor and speechwriter. Featuring famous personalities, insider stories, and also a loving recollection of a long and dedicated marriage, Goodwin has drawn on her husband's remarkable personal archive to create a reflective and rich survey of a pivotal decade in recent American history. [e-book | print | audiobook]

Readers on the lookout for emotionally intense and candid memoirs won’t want to miss Susan Lieu’s The Manicurist's Daughter. After fleeing Vietnam, Lieu’s family found success in America with their nail salons, but their pursuit of the American dream was disrupted when Lieu’s mother died unexpectedly. Twenty years later, Lieu breaks the silence imposed by her family and explores her mother’s death and legacy in this frank and gripping memoir. [e-book | print]

After his award-winning work on the Chernobyl disaster, Adam Higginbotham tackles another defining moment in modern history with Challenger. Drawing on extensive archival research, Higginbotham examines the 1986 Challenger explosion in exquisite detail, looking at the technical mishaps and bureaucratic incompetence as well as the evocative human stories of the crew. The resulting tome is a masterful and often thrilling account of the consequences of NASA’s hubris. [e-book | print | audiobook]

Bite by Bite by Aimee Nezhukumatathil is a collection of short essays and striking illustrations that delve into the connection between humans and food, and all of the messy and beautiful feelings that come with that relationship. Through her lyrical vignettes of food memories, Nezhukumatathil explores grief, identity, family, and nostalgia, leaving readers hungry for more. [e-book | print]

Zoë Schlanger’s The Light Eaters is a captivating recap of the latest research into the complexities of plant intelligence. Schlanger shares fascinating scientific insights into the ability of plants to communicate, adapt to threats, store memories, and more. Fans of accessible and thought-provoking science and nature writing will appreciate this survey of the promise and personality of plants. [e-book | print]

⏤Laura