Yeah, yeah, I know… I’m totally a fiction girl, BUT I’ve had some really great nonfic reads on my nightstand lately! Let’s do this!
–Marissa
Hunger by Roxane Gay is just… hard to read. Not only for what the sexual abuse she endured at a young age that sent her on a path of self-destruction, but for the raw honesty of what it’s like to live in this world as a plus-size woman. Her writing is honest, accessible, real, true, and so many times, I felt like she was echoing my own thoughts. Powerful stuff – a worthy, worthy read.
American Fire by Monica Hesse was just… great. If you liked Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel or Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance, this is right up that alley! Hesse chronicles a series (like, nearly 100) of arson-fueled fires that were lit up and down a Virginia coast, and the who-and-why is just as fascinating as the fires themselves. She also delves into the story of a dying town, commerce, culture, and of course, love. Un-put-down-able!
The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs was just… SOOO good. Riggs chronicles her diagnosis of cancer (but a good prognosis!), the loss of her mother, and her eventual rediagnosis of cancer (not a good prognosis). Though you know she loses her battle, she writes with such grace and dignity and humor and accessibility. I really loved this memoir, and felt her loss from the world when I was through…
I also read Flat Broke with Two Goats by Jennifer McGaha (an advanced reader’s copy from ALA, to be released January 1 of next year – I liked it!), as well as How To Be Married by Jo Piazza (which I thoroughly enjoyed!).
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