New Nonfiction Roundup – April 2024

April is the peak of the spring publishing season, and this month’s nonfiction books do not disappoint!

Blockbuster author Erik Larson’s latest, The Demon of Unrest, is a saga of hubris, heartbreak, and heroism at the dawn of the Civil War; Hampton Sides’ newest book, The Wide Wide Sea, tells a tale of imperial ambition, first contact, and the fateful final voyage of Captain James Cook; and David Gibbins chronicles A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks through archeological discoveries. Karen Valby tells the forgotten story of The Swans of Harlem, a pioneering group of Black ballerinas and their fifty-year sisterhood.

New York Times columnist Frank Bruni brings a lucid, powerful examination of The Age of Grievance, which has come to define our current culture and politics on both the right and left, while David E. Sanger presents a fast-paced account of the New Cold Wars, brought on by China’s rise, Russia’s invasion, and America’s struggle to defend the west.

New Nonfiction Roundup – August 2023

The lazy days of summer are the best time to immerse yourself in a good read. Biographies and memoirs are plentiful in August, along with a wide range of essays and histories.

In biography, Yunte Huang narrates the life story of Anna May Wong, old Hollywood’s most famous Chinese American actress, in Daughter of the Dragon while Patti Hartigan authors the first authoritative biography of acclaimed playwright August Wilson. Anna Funder uncovers the life of Eileen O’Shaughnessy, a writer who was overshadowed by husband George Orwell, in Wifedom, and Chadwick Moore goes behind the scenes with conservative firebrand Tucker Carlson in Tucker. In memoir, former Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust reflects on coming of age in the conservative South in Necessary Trouble; Lara Love Hardin recalls her slide from soccer mom to opioid addict to successful ghostwriter in The Many Lives of Mama Love; and Eddie Ndopu reimagines success as a disabled achiever in Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw. And tennis fans rejoice! Discover the many lives of tennis legend Alice Marble in Queen of the Court while Sally Jacobs considers the long overlooked life of tennis champ Althea Gibson in Althea.

Introduction to Appalachian Literature, Part 2: Nonfiction

In my last post, I introduced you to several notable fiction titles in Appalachian literature. In this post, I’m highlighting three nonfiction titles that give you a glimpse into the history and diverse lived experiences of the region. The Southern Review of Books calls titles such as these a “new wave of Appalachian literature [that] reveal a nuanced and complicated reality about a place marked by the relentless exploitation of its natural resources, victimization and abandonment by federal programs, and the rich cultural overlaps of the people who call it home.”

Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place by Neema Avashia
Avashia grew up in West Virginia to Indian immigrant parents. In these essays, Avashia explores life at the intersections, how it feels to be pulled toward some aspects of community and pushed away by others (both literally due to distance, and metaphorically, due to interpersonal differences), and what makes one Appalachian. A complex ode to home, this essay collection will appeal to those who appreciate direct, thoughtful prose. This book was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Memoir/Biography.

What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte
This is a direct response to the negative stereotypes and myths that stem from the first wave of Appalachian literature and have reverberated through modern day books on the region such as Hillbilly Elegy. Reinforcing that there is no one story that encapsulates the region, Catte situates the region within the broader history of the United States, illustrating its complexities with nuance. Catte is a public historian from Eastern Tennessee who now lives in Virginia.

Kin: A Memoir by Shawna Kay Rodenberg
Rodenberg’s coming-of-age memoir chronicles how she grew up in coal country in a deeply religious family, and how she survived abuse and a lack of trust and support from the adults in her life. Rodenberg spares no details and pulls no punches in this vulnerable and reflective story.

Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome
Big thank you to the feedback in the comments encouraging this title! Brian Broome is an award-winning writer from Warren, Ohio and this is his debut memoir. Framed by stanzas from Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem, “We Real Cool,” this book explores what it was like to be Black and gay in the 70s and 80s, highlighting issues of intergenerational trauma, abuse, and the struggle to find community. Broome integrates the reader into his emotions with his captivating voice. Both candid and reflective, this moving memoir will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions.

For author interviews and to learn more about Appalachian literature, check out Read Appalachia.

~Posted by Genesee R. 

Montessori at Home

Growing up I remember hearing about Montessori from an educational stand point. Relooking at it now, as a parent, has become sort of a fascination: the idea of my child being guided by his own independence – gaining self esteem and confidence in his ability do things on his own, but always knowing we are there if he needs us. Here are two authors in our collection that have me exploring the Montessori path at home.

Tim Seldin is an author, educator and the President of The Montessori Foundation and Chair of The International Montessori Council. He has more than forty years of experience in Montessori education, which includes twenty-two years as the Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Barrie School is a progressive independent school that serves students with Montessori and Project-Based Learning curriculum.

How to Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin

Great introduction to applying Montessori educational principles to our day to day home life. He covers the beginnings of your child’s life to age six with clear and concise language and visuals.