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Category Archives: Nonfiction

Dolly, country music, and books

21 Mar

Before it went defunct, I contributed to the local newspaper’s books blog online and had shared my recent audiobook recommendations under the title Audiowalking. This title sums up when I’m often listening to audiobooks as was the case today with Dolly Parton, Storyteller: My Life in Lyrics. I don’t think there could be a better way to engage with the book other than the audiobook spoken by Dolly herself. But this post isn’t only about recommending the audiobook but my realization in listening to her explain her life’s experiences and turning them in to poetry and songs that the reason I’m a reader and a country music listener is for exactly that reason: it’s all about the story.

Yes my first exposure to country music was from my parents, but I loved it all the same. And, I was an avid reader from the get-go remembering fondly my insistence in re-reading Heidi, the American Girl books, and The True Adventures of Charlotte Doyle. And, I also started my first two books when I was in fourth and fifth grade- one about a pirate ship and one about an Indigenous girl and her younger brother. Then I became a librarian. And all of these have a commonality- storytelling.

Even now when I read, I often take pictures of the text or Post-it a passage to keep in a folder on my computer to revisit when the mood strikes me because words have power. But the story the words create is stronger. Dolly knows it. Country music creates it. I get lost in it. Dolly’s audiobook re-centered my gratitude to authors and songwriters for being able to weave the magic of words into the stories that embed in our lives. Aside from asking everyone to listen to her audiobook, I’ll also leave you with one of my favorite country songs. You be sure to let me know if you missed the story in this song.

 
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Posted by on March 21, 2021 in Adult, Authors, Nonfiction, Poetry, Reflections

 

With all those books

15 Mar

Yesterday’s post was a celebration of reading at least a book a day for 365 straight days. I’ll continue though the rigidity will likely wane, but not today where I was able to finish an audiobook and read two additional books. It got me thinking, how many books did I read over 365 days? That answer was 852 which meant I averaged 2.3342 books per day. What were my favorites? See below. How to you find the time? Well, I have my ways. Therefore, a summary post was in order because I like a good listicle. Here are some mini-listicles about “my year of reading a book a day”.

Locations for reading

  • Car (audiobooks, people!)
  • Wherever I have to wait– an office or a long line for example
  • Anywhere in the house from the kitchen table to standing by the stove waiting for my hot water to boil but also most definitely when I’m cleaning or cooking
  • The lunch table at work (I often post with the hashtag #literarylunchbox)

Twenty favorites (in no particular order)

  • Punching the Air by Zoboi
  • You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why it Matters by Murphy
  • Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan, Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation by Cooper
  • Witch Hat Atelier by Shirahama
  • Skyward by Henderson
  • The School of Essential Ingredients by Bauermeister
  • All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Soontornvat
  • The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe
  • My Life in Dog Years by Paulsen
  • The Midnight Library by Haig
  • That Way Madness Lies edited by Adler
  • Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World by Parker
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Baum
  • Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In by Tran
  • My Life in France by Child with Prud’Homme
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by Klune
  • Fighting Words by Brubaker Bradley
  • Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights by Blumenthal
  • End of Days: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by Swanson
  • Up All Night: 13 Stories Between Sunset and Sunrise edited by Silverman
  • The Beauty in Breaking by Harper
  • Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius by Holiday
  • A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Brown
  • Chicken Every Sunday: My Life with Mothers Boarders by Taylor
  • Fangs by Andersen

But how did you do it?

  • Read (and by reading I mean eyes on a page or ears open) every day
  • Always have a stack of books in the house or in a queue online
  • Sometimes reading won out over straightening up the house, for sure
  • Encourage a household of readers (because it’s easier to read yourself when everyone else is doing it too)
  • Participating in events like the Dewey’s 24-hour Readathon and the #24in48 readathon

What genre or category do you favor? (but really this is like asking me to pick a favorite child)

  • Nonfiction
    • Food memoirs
    • Animals especially histories, discoveries, and celebrations of
  • Young Adult short story collections
  • Verse novel and graphic novel formats
  • Fiction
    • Historical
    • Realistic

Who were your cheerleaders? (whether they knew it or not)

  • Stacey Rattner, a school librarian colleague who I often co-present with at conferences with her own blog and the co-host of the pandemic-inspired Author Fan Faceoff with Steve Sheinkin
  • My kids, readers in their own right, who read at the table for almost every meal and so many other occasions and places too
  • Reading communities big and small

Was there a question that I missed? If there was, ask me in the comments.

 
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Posted by on March 15, 2021 in Blogging, Fiction, Graphic novels, Manga, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Reflections, Short Story, Upcoming Releases, Verse, Young Adult

 

Outstanding book of the month for February 2021

28 Feb

Why does this not get easier? Too many amazing books, that’s why!

Without further delay, here is my pick for the outstanding book of the month read in February 2021. Unlike my Top 10 lists at the end of the year that focus ONLY on books published within that year, my outstanding book of the month picks are anything that I’ve read in the month that may be a little older or yet-to-be-published.

Lives of the Stoics: From Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman

This book is a game-changer. I would add this to my list of books that changed me (a post for another day) because I didn’t really know Stoicism. I knew of the oft-quoted men (and none of the women) in the book. I had read quotes shared on social media that they had written or spoken, but I didn’t know it was a life philosophy. This is my life philosophy and I didn’t know it, until I read this book. Now I’ve got others coming from the library both from the Stoics themselves and by the authors to do a deep dive. And isn’t that the way the best kind of learning happens?

Like my colleague always said, it’s like pulling the thread of the sweater. I pulled the thread… and I’m excited to see what I discover next.

 
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Posted by on February 28, 2021 in Adult, Book of the Month, Nonfiction

 

#24in48 whirlwind

10 Feb

I often post about my participation in the Dewey’s 24-hour readathon. It’s a break from reality which involves snack planning and stack prepping in addition to the amazing experience of focusing on your reading life for 24-hours (or as close to that as you can get).

Well from great ideas come more great ideas. One of the participants was inspired by her participation in Dewey’s but also knew that 24-hours straight was an unrealistic expectation for her so she created #24in48 in 2012 which expands upon the concept: in this one you strive for reading 24 hours over a 48 hour weekend that begins at 12am Saturday morning and ends at 11:59pm on Sunday night. 

This was my first participation and I’ll now keep these events on my calendar alongside Dewey’s. Did I manage at least 24 hours this weekend? Yes, I managed more than 25 and probably could have done more but I did take the time to enjoy the Superbowl on Sunday night. I filled the time with audiobooks and unadulterated print books throughout the weekend which included finishing two audiobooks and several e- and print books.

What I liked most was the inclusion of social media posts to include in an Instagram story centered around current reads and progress but my favorite was the “quotables” where readers could share a quote from a book they were reading with the book cover. I’m a quote lover, so it’s something I’m going to take from the readathon and share more of on social media: quotes that resonated with me in the hopes they lead to discussions with other readers.

Here’s what I read:

  • The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Balko and Carrigan
  • Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by May
  • Witch Hat Atelier #7 by Shirahama
  • Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of the Capture and Killing of America’s Most Wanted Crime Boss by Sherman and Wedge (audiobook)
  • Reef Life: An Underwater Memoir by Roberts
  • A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Brown
  • Troop 6000: The Girl Scout Troop that Began in a Shelter and Inspired the World by Stewart (audiobook)
  • The Low, Low Woods by Machado and DaNi 

Are there reading events that you participate in? If so, which ones and why do you love them? 

 
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Posted by on February 10, 2021 in Adult, Events, Fiction, Graphic novels, Manga, Nonfiction, Young Adult

 

Reporting for duty

01 Feb

The anticipation has reached a fever pitch. Today is now my first official day on duty as chairperson for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award committee. I couldn’t be more eager to start. This will be my fourth committee and first as chair. Luckily, the wisdom and leadership that the chairs of the previous committees I’ve served on will serve me well.

I’m anxious for the challenge ahead. I’m excited to get to know each member of the committee. I’m pumped to put my organizational skills to good use. I’m eager to read fabulous YA nonfiction all year. I’m nervous to do the best job to serve YALSA, ALA, and the committee.

And as the year unfolds, there will be plenty of Zoom meetings, emails and spreadsheets, Post-its, stacks of books, but the reward comes as the Youth Media Awards near when we narrow down the reading to five finalists before we name one Excellence in Nonfiction winner.

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2021 in Nonfiction, Young Adult

 

Classic reading

29 Jan

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 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 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 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 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 on December 14, 2020 in Adult, Authors, Nonfiction

 
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