How about reading some great nonfiction this summer? I know, I know, some of you think that nonfiction are those books that you “have” to read because they are “books that are good for you” – these are books you are supposed to read to make you smarter, for you to learn something from. Heavens, these books are not for fun and you are not supposed to enjoy them!
Granted, some nonfiction books can be as painful to read as the driest text book you had to read for the dullest course you took in college. BUT I am here to assure you that there are GREAT nonfiction books out there that are as exciting, thrilling, and engrossing as the most recent suspense bestseller. Here are some of my top choices from among the recent nonfiction arrivals as well as some of my all-time favorites.
Happy Reading,
Angela
Great Recent Nonfiction Arrivals
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
- Timely. How the use of cells, which were obtained without permission, tells the story of not only science but the intersection of race, class, and who owns the rights to our body and DNA.
A Kingdom Strange: The Brief and Tragic History of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, by James Horn
- A mystery and adventure story about the “lost” colony, whose fate has always fascinated me. The author suggests that the colonists were not really “lost” after all.
No One Would Listen: A True financial Thriller, by Harry Markopolos
- Markopolos and his team investigated Bernie Madoff for years and called for his arrest long before he was “investigated” by the SEC.
Saving Gracie: How One Dog Escaped the Shadowy World of American Puppy Mills, by Carol Bradley- I am a dog rescue person and have had numerous fosters from puppy mills (another timely topic!). This book relates both the horror that these dogs go through as well as the hope for a healthy and loved future that some are granted.
Reckoning at Eagle Creek: The Secret Legacy of Coal in the Heartland, by Jeff Biggers
- Beautifully written! Details the sad legacy of coal mining on the people and the land, where I am from in Southern Illinois.
Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy, by Melissa Milgrom
- This book is entertaining, enthralling, and fascinating and yes, it is about taxidermy. Milgrom reminds me of Mary Roach.
This Book is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All, by Marilyn Johnson
- Of course, I think everyone should read this book!
- A review of a recent history as well as convincing argument that the issues raised in the 1950s and 1960s are still in need of addressing today. I love the way Collins writes.
Assassination Vacation, by Sarah Vowell
One of my favorite opening chapters of any book I have ever read. Vowell makes history funny and interesting. She has a knack of taking various historical threads and weaving them together into a beautiful and very accessible tapestry with her dry wit. I love all her books.
The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science, by Natalie Angier
- Science made accessible by a Pulitzer-winning science writer. Not only is this book accessible, but it is funny too! A great read!
Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time, by Rob Sheffield
- Heartbreaking, but you cannot put it down.
Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA, by Brenda Maddox
- One of my all time favorite scientific heroines. Her story thrills, angers, amazes and saddens me.
Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach
- Roach has a gift of taking on those subjects that make you say “ew, gross!” and turning them into books that you can’t put down.
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