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Category Archives: Nonfiction

Classic reading

It’s easy to feel like you’re not a serious reader if you don’t have a list of classics that you can readily discuss the merits of because you’ve read them and adored them.

I consider myself a serious reader and realize all of the classics that I’ve never read and instead of feeling bad about it, I add them to my list when the mood strikes me and I’ll get to them when I feel like it. I’ve written before about being a mood reader. Recently, I’ve been in the mood for a few classics: Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Each was inspired by another book that finally pushed me to read them. For Moby Dick it was Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. For Silent Spring it was Bryan Walsh’s End Times: A Brief Guide to the End of the World: Asteroids, Super Volcanoes, Rogue Robots, and More. For The Wonderful Wizard of Oz it was Marvel’s adaptation of the book into a graphic novel by Eric Shanower and illustrated by Skottie Young.

There’s often a push to read a classic before you’re ready for it, simply because it’s a classic. There is such a thing as the time being right: I remember reading The Great Gatsby in high school and hating it, then reading it in college and loving it. Would I have been ready for Moby Dick 10 or 15 years ago? Probably not. But I wanted to now and that has made all the difference.

And the receptivity to the book has to play a part in the enjoyment of reading, which is why it is important that kids have choice in their reading because choice (be it mood, interest, level, background) plays a part in how we read the book. Have you read Frankenstein to an adult is akin to have you read Harry Potter to a kid. Not all are interested nor ready for it and that’s okay. We will be some day. Or not.

Give yourself a break if you’re staring at the stack of oldies that you should read but aren’t. You’ll be ready one day. Or not. And that’s okay. But if you are, enjoy the ride. Know your own reading life. And know when to read that book recommended by a friend or that classic or that book that’s been sitting on your TBR for three years.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on January 29, 2021 in Adult, Fiction, Graphic novels, Nonfiction, Reflections

Finding passion

03 Jan

Netflix is the pleasure I reserve for early morning workouts on the elliptical in the garage and Friday and Saturday nights usually. Netflix in the mornings is whatever I want to watch while the weekend watching is usually with my husband and sometimes even the kids. Last night we watched two episodes of two different series: one called The Surgeon’s Cut (episode two “Sacred Brain”) and one Chef’s Table: BBQ (episode two “Lennox Hastie”).

My takeaway from the first series having watched the first episode as well as the second now is that the body is an amazing thing. Having recently read the deeply bibliotherapeutic memoir The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper, I can’t help but connect the two. The doctors in the docuseries and of her own memoir are passionate about their work because they can throw themselves into something that helps others when they themselves needed a hero growing up– for each of them, they became their own rescuer and in that metamorphosis, they now fight for others. A powerful message indeed.

My takeaway from the second series you can likely connect to my affinity for reading food memoirs which I’ve shared extensively here and on the other blogs I contribute to. Especially this second episode, Lennox Hastie has created something entirely his own for his own benefit– the love of the heat of an open flame and his restaurant that took a career to open in Australia– is all flame-cooked from the salad to the dessert. Whether it was the crafters of the episode and thus the series or Hastie himself, the episode hit me deep down. His quest for scrumptiousness and his enjoyment in watching others moan with the pleasure of the taste sensations is the chase that he yearns for. But it is more than pleasing others, there is also a deep satisfaction with himself in the process of exploring and creating that should be honed. Everyone should find their passion the way he has. It’s the constant practice that connected me to one of the last books of 2020 that I listened to: James Clear’s Atomic Habits coupled with Eric Ripert’s 32 Yolks.

How do we unlock our passions? How do we keep the drive alive to excel and find our purpose? What is your story?

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on January 3, 2021 in Adult, Authors, Nonfiction, Reflections, Shows

Top 10 of 2020: The extra edition

28 Dec

It’s not as much about saving the best for last as using it as the last opportunity to highlight the coolest books that came out in 2020 that defy categories. If you’ve stuck with me over the last few days, I appreciate your willingness to read through my picks and share yours with me too. With this, is there anything that you’re looking forward to in 2021?

Home Body by Kaur
- I had it in my hands the day after it was published because Kaur puts it all out there with her poetry and artwork that make you laugh, cry, and just plain feel.
Dancing at the Pity Party by Feder
- This graphic memoir brings up all of the pain that any child who lost a parent young must feel with dark humor and heaps of love.
Once Upon an Eid edited by Ali and Saeed
- One of the first books I read in 2020, the anthology sparkles and shines on Muslim writers and the culture and religion in their celebration of Eid.
You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters by Murphy
- It goes without saying that I liked listening to this book about listening. Murphy touches on aspects of our inability to listen that you hope to internalize as a reader to help you improve yourself.
Fights: One Boy’s Triumph over Violence by Gill
- I’ve read his other graphic nonfiction and was surprised that this was his memoir until I got into it and thought that everyone should read it. Gill’s raw demonstration of a boy on the wrong path is a testament to growth and maturity.
Girl From the Other Side (Volume 8) by Nagabe
- I’m ready for volumes nine and ten whenever they get published here in the United States. The haunting darkness of the other side and the saccharine relationship between Teacher and Shiva create a rich atmosphere and intriguing storyline.
When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World by Parker
- This was my book of the month in October. Parker’s humorous approach to serious mathematical issues encourages everyone to pay attention to why math matters.
Dear Justyce by Stone
- Stronger than her first, this epistolary novel punches you in the gut as Quan and Justyce write to each other.
Go With the Flow by Williams and Schneemann
- A graphic novel about periods, sign me up. Their approach using female friendship and activism is the kind of story any middle graders should read.
This Book is Antiracist by Jewell
- The choice of layout and color scheme enhances the message about antiracism that’s a workbook for working on yourself.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on December 28, 2020 in Adult, Blogging, Fiction, Graphic novels, Nonfiction, Poetry, Young Adult

Top 10 of 2020: Nonfiction edition

27 Dec

What did you think of yesterday’s young adult fiction list? Anything you agree or disagree with? Up today is nonfiction. I read widely in this genre so it’s not organized in any particular way from children’s through adult, simply my favorite 10 published in 2020 because there’s nothing more spectacular than learning from the people, places, and things that you read about.

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys Soccer Team by Soontornvat
- I know the outcome but I’m still in the cave with the boys and out of the cave with the rescuers every minute that Soontornvat writes this out.
Beauty Mark by Weatherford
- Most younger readers won’t know Marilyn Monroe, but this verse novel biography is more about her ability to overcome immense adversity rather than about who she was as a celebrity.
The Beauty in Breaking by Harper
- Tugging at every heart string you have, Harper details her life, her work in medicine, and her self care routines while fighting against racism in healthcare.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You adapted by Reynolds
- One word: listen. If you haven’t listened to Reynolds read the book, you haven’t really read the book. Then do what I did and read the book too. And then make sure everyone else does too.
All Boys Aren’t Blue by Johnson
- Using essays to share his life’s story was the perfect choice for this new voice in literature about his upbringing as a queer Black man.
Lifting As We Climb by Dionne
- When the whole story isn’t told, Dionne decides to tell it. The story which was important as election season ramped up, she goes back in time to talk about the Black women’s fight for the right to vote.
A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team by Cooper
- You can’t get more inspirational and heartfelt than the story being told by one of the rowers on this first all-Black high school rowing team from Chicago. Sports story with heart.
Becoming a Good Creature by Montgomery
- Creating a picture book from her adult biography in thirteen animals, the artwork compliments the storytelling and makes you appreciate what animals can teach us about being human.
Wisdom of the Humble Jellyfish: And Other Self-Care Rituals from Nature by Shah
- This was a sleeper hit for me and a quick audiobook I listened to during a readathon this summer. Similar to Montgomery’s book, sometimes we have to look toward non-humans to help us be better humans.
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Coe
- A female biographer’s approach to telling George Washington’s story is equally fascinating to learn it from her perspective as it was to provide the best humor to learning about a founding father with one of the punniest title for a book.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on December 27, 2020 in Adult, Blogging, Childrens, Cover Love, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Verse, Young Adult

It’s all about the food

14 Dec

I regularly contribute short pieces to other book blogs and sites, especially when I sit on committees or the mood strikes me. Likewise, I write in library land too. I started a new venture this fall as a columnist for the New York Library Association’s bimonthly digital newsletter with the column title– Brain Food: Learning Through Reading which falls in line with my refocused work on the significance of unending learning especially nonfiction.

In December’s article I recommended Julia Childs’ book written with her nephew Alex Prud’homme called My Life in France. And since I’ve penned it, I thought about writing a sister article. One where I can share more books about the celebration of food in our lives since so many have brought me back to my own memories, which is ultimately going to spawn another post about fictional books that do the same thing! Here are some of my favorites with a “Readers Be Advised” advisory note:

Chicken Every Sunday by Rosemary Taylor is advised for those that want to go back in time. I had my indie bookstore find me a copy of this 1943 publication after it was mentioned in another book about it being a popular title among servicemen during World War II. And it does give you those comfy/cozy home vibes.

Save Me The Plums by Ruth Reichl is advised for those curious about the the creation of food and life magazines especially as the internet dawned and people could find recipes outside of those trusty clipped magazine picture-perfect recipes.

First Bite: How We Learn to Eat by Bee Wilson is advised for a bit of social psychology with our food. I’m a big fan of Bee Wilson in general who writes for many magazines and newspapers in addition to her books (plus her Instagram is full of food).

Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi is advised for the entrepreneurs out there. How do you make it in the business? Trial and error and blood, sweat, and tears. Onwuachi’s story is amazingly rich with feeling and food.

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain is advised for those that followed his shows (of which I hadn’t) to understand the underbelly of what keeps kitchens running like well-oiled machines.

The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan is advised for the thoughtful readers. Who would have thought that the potato is as poetic and magnificent to read about as they are to eat?

Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant edited by Jenni Ferrari-Adler is advised for the emotional readers who want a visceral connection to experiences we’ve all had in the kitchen. Being a series of essays make it a special read and one in which I bought a copy to send to a foodie friend.

Maker Comics: Bake like a Pro! by Falynn Koch is advised for everyone young and old. Yes, it’s written for a middle grade and teen audience but Koch is blinding us with science. Kitchen science!

What recommendations do you have for amazing nonfiction books that are food forward?

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on December 14, 2020 in Adult, Authors, Nonfiction

Outstanding book of the month for September 2020

30 Sep

It’s the end of September so that means I’m ready to announce the outstanding book of the month for September based on what I’ve read this month– it doesn’t mean that they were published this month or even this year– but it does mean that out of the dozens of books I’ve read (at least one a day) that it had an impact on me as a reader and a librarian.

Without waiting, here is September’s book!

Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation by Candy J. Cooper with Marc Aronson

And boy, what a book! A nonfiction accounting of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan is both well-written and cringe-worthy. The multiple failures that maintained the secrecy and then the continued ignorance of the problem is explained in great detail by highlighting the citizen activists who took charge of holding people accountable. Poisoned Water gets the prize for encompassing all aspects of the story for a teen audience which includes STEM and citizenship, advocacy and politics. And Cooper also includes well-placed pictures to show how the water affected the skin simply from using the water to bathe but also showing what the brown liquid looked like in a bottle that would be unsuitable for drinking.

This will find a home in our library but I know it won’t sit on the shelf for long because I have plans to share this book widely be it in booktalks but certainly during our social justice unit working with the English department. It’s a deeply affecting book and one that everyone should read.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on September 30, 2020 in Blogging, Book of the Month, Nonfiction, Young Adult

Grab bag of books

28 Sep

These last few weeks have far and away been the hardest of my school librarian career but one thing has remained steady and that’s the challenge I gave myself once COVID closed the doors to our school building and that was to read at least a book a day. Yes, I’m back in school, but we’re teaching our kids virtually which is a blog post for another day. And I’ve still been able to maintain a book a day so far. Here were some of the books I’ve read recently:

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 6
- Pre-order and purchased in print because I will own every book in this series
The Bird Way audiobook
- I’m a nut for nonfiction animal books
Hello, Neighbor!
- I’ve been diving into the world of Fred Rogers and this picture book by Matthew Cordell was delightful
Every Body Looking
- Verse novels are more commonplace formats but Iloh chose this format wisely for this heavily biographical story
Flyy Girls, books one and two
- A series by Woodfolk that are neatly-packed and easily accessible titles with realistic characters who work through their problems with the help of friends
Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan Fought for their Lives and Warned a Nation
- It’s as riveting as it is upsetting to read

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on September 28, 2020 in Childrens, Fiction, Manga, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Verse, Young Adult

In celebration

06 Sep

Today is National Read a Book Day, but let’s be real, every day should be national read a book day. If you follow “national day” celebrations, it’s also coffee ice cream day. Ironically, yesterday I bought a half gallon of Stewarts’ cream and coffee fudge ice cream. So, I’m all set for this Labor Day weekend Sunday.

Today I’m finishing up the audiobook for The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky which is a second read (well, listen) because I’ll be joining a “Forever YA” book discussion and this is September’s book. The things you forget after five years!

When I take my reading outside with a drink (ice cream will be for later), I’ll also finish up The Brave by James Bird before diving in to Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts.

What are you reading on National Read a Book Day?

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on September 6, 2020 in Events, Nonfiction, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult

Books with a side of food appreciation

04 Sep

The other day I was with a friend who has a deep love for good food as do I. She chose a perfect place to go and we shared plates and mmm-ed our way through the brunch. Not only do I love the act of eating good food, I love reading about food too– fiction, nonfiction, essays, you name it. Here is a roundup of some recently-read favorites in no specific order.

This quick nonfiction book is just a little different in that it’s not really about celebrating food, but instead broadening the horizons of what can be used as food because of the changing climate. Specifically how insects are good protein sources and some weeds are actually great on a sandwich. Right before Thanksgiving I was treated to an insect quesadilla by our AP Environmental teacher who does “Bugsgiving” before the break for students to try alternative protein sources in food. I had recently recommended he read Messner’s Chirp and he sent me down that delightful treat. Food.

I’ve already blogged about this book and Danyal’s love of cooking even when it means his parents disapproval is heartwarming and fierce. Cooking and/or baking is many things to many people: let it be a career or let it be a hobby, but no one should tell you not to pursue a passion you have and this YA book sends that message.

While not really centered on food, Mila moving to the farm in order to tutor and find respite does have more than one foray into the appreciation of farm-fresh food and flowers which helps her heal. The family sells flowers and food at the farmer’s market each week and the farmhouse table in which all of the adopted kids, “employees”, and adults sit for meals is cozy and heartfelt in how sharing both the ritual of making food and breaking bread is a healing balm.

I never knew I needed a tea pet to keep me company while sipping tea until I read Teatime Around the World. It shares rituals and cultural ways to prepare tea around the world with brightly colored scenes and sparing narrative. I learned more about my lifeblood: tea and new ways to prepare and enjoy it.

What happens when there’s a friendly (not so friendly) food competition in school as a way to get back at your ex? That’s half of the story of The Secret Recipe for Moving On. Ellie has just had a hard breakup with her boyfriend who has moved on, but she needs a reason to do just that and putting her energy into the misfit group she’s assigned in Home Ec is just the recipe.

Two girls come together in a shared mission to get their mothers together and create the best dish to enter into a competition even when their initial meeting was tepid at best. Sarah and Elizabeth are from two different cultures and if they place their trust in each other, the best kind of dish can emerge. It’s about friendship and food with the most romantic and delightful title.

This is only a handful. I love how food seeps into many stories be it picture books or ones for adult audiences. Do you have a recent favorite that references food?

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on September 4, 2020 in Childrens, Cover Love, Fiction, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Young Adult

Outstanding book of the month for August 2020

31 Aug

Ah yes, the waning days of summer. For educators especially I think the quote is something like “August is the Sunday of summer” or for me it can be adequately summed up (as everything can) with a frame from Calvin and Hobbes.

August was another full month of at least a book a day so there are many books to choose from. I’ve settled on My Life in France by Julia Child for several reasons. First, I was waiting for the right time to read it. I’m very much a mood reader: I keep multiple books stacked and ready and choose the next book based on what I’m feeling, not to check a box or meet a deadline. This book had been sitting on my shelf since about April.

When I began it, I was going slow, like savoring one of the most delectable meals which is how I know a book is good. But then, I found out that as I was getting closer to the end that that specific day, August 15th, was the anniversary of her birthday and I knew I needed to finish it. And finish it I did, with the gusto of a great flip of the pan to create an omelet.

Every sense is awakened when reading about Julia’s life in France where she discovered the verve for cooking and fell into the sweetest routine of life with her husband, Paul. Whether it was a mundane task or cooking for a party, it was a full sensory experience for her and she and her great nephew, Alex Prud’homme make it one for the reader in the book.

I’ll close the post with the 10 thing I know after I finished the book (as I shared on Instagram):

I would have liked to know Julia Child and tour France with her.
Paul and Julia had something special (my undying affection for their Valentine’s Day card bubble bath picture!)
I want to take a boat to a faraway place as the mode of transportation.
Food really is magical and special.
I must now read and watch everything related to Julia Child and try at least a few recipes from the book.
Cooking and baking IS joy.
“No one’s more important than people”.
This book is a beautiful experience and I confess to tearing up simply from the connection to it on a cellular level.
I love having a husband who loves good food adventures like Paul did with Julia.
I want to name my house and my car and everything else like Pulia did.

Nothing beats a book that makes you make lists of its amazingness.

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Posted by Alicia Abdul on August 31, 2020 in Adult, Book of the Month, Nonfiction