4/5 stars London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth, by Patrick Radden Keefe (2026) Keefe is so good at making non-fiction digestible and compelling. I previously read and really enjoyed Say Nothing and, about a month ago, Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks. London Falling is Keefe's most recent book, and chronicles the mysterious death of a young man in London. You know I love a true crime story, so I was so

3/5 stars The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom, by Shari Franke (2025) TW: Child abuse (physical, emotional & psychological), sexual assault (adult/minor relationship), toxic relationships, religious trauma, cult-like authoritarianism. If you don't know, Shari Franke is the eldest daughter of Ruby Franke, former mommy-vlogger turned cult-like Mormon child abuser. Ruby ran a popular YouTube channel called "8 Passengers," referring to herself, her husband Kevi

5/5 stars - Yes, Please, by Amy Poehler (2014) - re-read 3/5 stars - Bossypants, by Tina Fey (2011) I read Yes, Please in 2017, and really loved it. This year, after I read Bossypants, I thought it might be interesting to re-read Amy Poehler's book and compare/contrast. And it was; It was interesting! All in all, Yes, Please was better (for me). Poehler's personality is a bit more fun, a bit more eager-to-please, and her approach to memoir is vulnerable and revealing. Fey's p

3/5 stars Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks, by Patrick Radden Keefe (2022) I read Keefe's Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder & Memory in Northern Ireland in 2020 for my book club, and really enjoyed his long-form journalism. Coming from someone who, at the time anyway, had read very little non-fiction, Keefe combines insightful and well-researched story-telling with a writing style that is compelling and narrative. In Rogues, Keefe has curated 12

3/5 Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murder & the Birth of the FBI , by David Grann (2017) TW: Hate crimes, systemic racism and dehumanization, violence/murder, alcoholism, forced institutionalization, forced removal This is just one of many, many stories about the ways in which the U.S. government screwed over Native populations. One of many stories the history books gloss over. It's definitely depressing, but, in my view, incredibly important to learn about. The Osage

5/5 stars Field Guide for Accidents , by Albert Abonado (2024) This is Al's second collection of poetry (his first being Jaw , published in 2020), and it is truly something to savor. Abonado writes with scrutiny about his Filipino identity, his immigrant parents, and the challenges of growing up with a (non-white) dual-identity in America. America, which, "at the airport asks for the name of my tribe, compliments me for the Vietnam in the poems another man read. An honest mi

5/5 stars World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments , by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (2020), Illustrator: Fumi Nakamura This is a beautiful debut of nonfiction essays about nature, how the author relates to the world around her, and how and what animals and plants can teach us. The essays include very cool facts about animals and plants, side by side with anecdotes about the author's past - where she grew up, the many different places she live

4/5 stars Make It Scream, Make It Burn , by Leslie Jamison (2019) One of my favorite nonfiction books is Leslie Jamison's The Empathy...

5/5 stars Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls , by Kai Cheng Thom (2023) "from the depths of my rage and...

4/5 stars The Book of Delights, by Ross Gay (2019) It IS a delight, this book! Ross Gay's essays remind us to look around each day and...

1/5 stars The Secret Rooms: A True Story of a Haunted Castle, a Plotting Duchess, & a Family Secret, by Catherine Bailey (2012) False...

3/5 stars Butts: A Backstory, by Heather Radke (2022) Not my words but an apt, brief description - this book melds "history, personal...

9/11/23 - 22 years later (Each section below has 100 words. This is part of a practice I've been trying to maintain of writing 100 words...

3/5 stars Let Me Go, by Helga Schneider (2001) TW: Anti-Semitism, and graphic descriptions of Holocaust camps, including medical...

5/5 stars Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo," by Zora Neale Hurston (2018) Barracoon tells the story of Olualo Kossula, also...

3/5 stars So Much More Than a Headache, edited by Kathleen O'Shea (2020) I Describe a Migraine I wanted to describe chronic migraines as...

2/5 stars Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen, by Mary Norris (2015) There were parts of this book that were quite...

For the past year I've been working with a designer and 19 artistic friends to create a book: Are We There Yet? An Illustrated Journey of...

5/5 stars Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, by Lindy West (2016) "Women matter. Women are half of us. When you raise every woman to...

3/5 stars Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, by Jon Krakauer (2003) I recently visited Salt Lake City (SLC), Utah for...