Read Women discussion

We don't have a thread dedicated to sharing non-fiction recommendations, requesting recs for non-fiction, sharing interesting essays and articles on topic, etc. Now we do.

If interested, check out She Reads "9 Unputdownable non-fiction Books of Fall 2019," linked below.

https://shereads.com/non-fiction-book...

Mentioned are:

Esmé Weijun Wang's The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays

Leslie Jamison's Make it Scream, Make it Burn

Dion Lim's Make Your Moment: The Savvy Woman’s Communication Playbook for Getting the Success You Want

Abby Ellin's Duped: Double Lives, False Identities, and the Con Man I Almost Married

and several more.

Kristin wrote: "Literary Hub has been releasing their "Best of the Decade" lists and there are many nonfiction books by female authors. Here are a few of the lists they have so far:

Best Essay Collections
- [book..."

Thanks so much for sharing and creating all of these great links! I’d really like to tackle that essays group.

Thank you both for the links and for linking to the books mentioned - a lot of work but much appreciated!

I recently finished Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson (translated from Norwegian) and found it absolutely fascinating. Highly recommended for any of you interested in nature or the Eco-system.

Hope you enjoy it! It's one of those books it's best to read a few pages at a time rather than straight through.

Story❤ wrote: "I recently finished Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson (translated from Norwegian) and found it absolutely fascinating. Highly recomm..."

I've added it to my TBR as well. I just discovered that I am allergic to bees and the Allergy specialist said "it really won't be a problem as the bees are disappearing. So eventually you won't have to worry". As much as that would be convenient, it made me feel sad..... and I was also wondering about the honey.

Liesl wrote: "Story❤ wrote: "I recently finished Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson (translated from Norwegian) and found it absolutely fascinating..."

You need to worry about what we'll eat in general with the disappearance of bees because of all the plants that they pollinate.

You're so right, Shomeret. One of the many fascinating things I learned from Buzz, Sting, Bite was how vital insects are to survival of life on earth--not just for pollination, but also for soil creation and for the survival of the many species who eat them (including humans).

Without insects, we'd soon run out of soil to grow plants and the animals that eat them would starve, causing the food web to collapse. Plus without insects, there would be no coffee (gasp!!).

Hat tip to Cendequenta for posting about this book in the Upcoming Book Readings thread:

Warriors and Witches and Damn Rebel Bitches: Scottish Women to Live Your Life By by Mairi Kidd. Here's the GR blurb:

Throughout history, Scottish women have broken the rules with attitude. WILLIAMINA FLEMING reached for the stars and took Harvard by storm. MARY SOMERVILLE challenged prejudice to claim the title 'scientist' for women. EFFIE GRAY knew the power of language to name and shame bullies and belittlers. AGNES RANDOLPH stood up to a siege and owned every minute of it like a boss. Inspirational and fierce in every sense, these sisters will fire you up to face your own modern-day dilemmas with serious style. 'I loved these powerful, moving and inspiring stories about women and sisterhood. I know so many activists and change-makers who will connect with this brilliant book and I can't wait to share it with the women in my life.' DAISY BUCHANAN (less).

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Kristin wrote: "Literary Hub has been releasing their "Best of the Decade" lists and there are many nonfiction books by female authors. Here are a few of the lists they have so far:

Best Essay Collections
- [book..."

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing these, Kristin.

This Book Riot list was published March 2019 in connection with Women's History Month, but it's new to me and highlighted some books I've not seen talked about as much this year.

https://bookriot.com/2019/03/18/new-n...

L.E.L.: The Lost Life and Scandalous Death of Letitia Elizabeth Landon, the Celebrated "female Byron" by Lucasta Miller

The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O'Meara

Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution by Amber Tamblyn

Queen Bey: A Celebration of the Power and Creativity of Beyonc� Knowles-Carter by Veronica Chambers

Last Days at Hot Slit: The Radical Feminism of Andrea Dworkin by Andrea Dworkin

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Pérez

Julia Child: The Last Interview and Other Conversations by Julia Child

Bonus. At the end of the article are 2 additional lists. I thought the Women's History list killed it.

100 Biographies and Memoirs of Remarkable Women (not limited to women authors)

https://bookriot.com/2017/03/24/100-b...

100 Must-Read Titles about Women's History (not limited to women authors, but women authors dominate)

https://bookriot.com/2016/07/11/100-m...

Carol, you sweet angel you. Just skimming that women's history list has filled my non- fiction reading future. You are my booklist fairy godmother. Thank you.

Anita wrote: "Carol, you sweet angel you. Just skimming that women's history list has filled my non- fiction reading future. You are my booklist fairy godmother. Thank you."

Ha! I'm glad you thought it was as awesome as I did. Now you have homework to let us know what works and doesn't once you start reading them...

TranslatedLit.com delivered its November eblast, which included the following paragraph, (predominately featuring women authors and translators):

It is Non-Fiction November, and we know there are plenty of great non-fiction books in translation. It could be a chance to read Nobel Prize winning author Svetlana Alexievich. Maybe you want to read some memoirs like My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Kabi Nagata (translated by Jocelyne Allen), The Years by Annie Ernaux (translated by Alison L. Strayer) or No Place to Lay One's Head by Françoise Frenkel (translated by Stephanie Smee). There is plenty of philosophy to explore or maybe you want some science, like The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli (translated by Simon Carnel). There is so much out there and we wanted to give you some suggestions. We hope you are having a great November and your reading reflects this as well. Happy reading everyone.

The Natan Fund and the Jewish Book Council announced earlier this year the twice annual selection of Natan Notable Books. One is selected around Passover and the other at the High Hol­i­days. The award goes to a "recen­t­­ly-pub­­lished or about-to-be pub­lished non-fic­­tion title that will cat­alyze con­ver­sa­tions aligned with the themes of Natan’s grant­mak­ing: rein­vent­ing Jew­ish life and com­mu­ni­ty for the twen­­ty-first cen­tu­ry, shift­ing notions of indi­vid­ual and col­lec­tive Jew­ish iden­ti­ty, the his­to­ry and future of Israel, and the evolv­ing rela­tion­ship between Israel and world Jewry."

https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/awa...

Recent nominees and finalists authored by women are:

Bari Weiss: How to Fight Anti-Semitism

Susie Linfield: The Lions' Den: Zionism and the Left from Hannah Arendt to Noam Chomsky

Ilana Kurshan: If All the Seas Were Ink: A Memoir

So I just realized we had started a nonfiction thread in the "Women You Should Be Reading" folder. I'm keeping this one going, but wanted to link to it here in the event anyone wants to check out earlier posted suggestions.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

This is from October, but it's a great BookRiot list of upcoming nonfiction releases. Caveat: includes male authors' works.

https://bookriot.com/2019/10/03/new-n...

Women authors and their books identified within it:

Drawing Power: Women's Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival by Diane Noomin

Breathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry

The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls by Mona Eltahawy

Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America by Nefertiti Austin

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope, leaving the Westboro Baptist Church by Megan Phelps-Roper

Commute: An Illustrated Memoir of Female Shame by Erin Williams

Burn It Down: Women Writing about Anger by Lilly Dancyger

She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor

Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, and Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong

The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna by Mira Ptacin

Eat Joy: Stories & Comfort Food from 31 Celebrated Writers by Natalie Eve Garrett

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (memoir)

Plate Tectonics: An Illustrated Memoir by Margaux Motin

And for a UK-oriented list, from Stylist, "Your Guide to 2020's Best Nonfiction Books":

https://www.stylist.co.uk/books/best-... (also includes several male authors)

Women authors and their books promoted in it:

How To Break Up With Fast Fashion by Lauren Bravo (9 Jan release)

Me and White Supremacy: A 28-Day Challenge to Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad (4 Feb release)

Lift as You Climb: Women and the Art of Ambition by Viv Groskop (5 March)

How To Get Over A Boy: For Women Who Date Men by Chidera Eggerue (6 Feb release)

Jailbirds: Lessons from a Women's Prison by Mim Skinner (6 Feb release date)

Going Dark: The Secret Social Lives of Extremists by Julia Ebner (20 Feb release date)

The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis by Christiana Figueres andTom Rivett-Carnac (25 Feb release)

Things I Learned from Falling by Claire Nelson (5 March UK release; July US release)

The Home Stretch: Why It’s Time to Come Clean About Who Does the Dishes by Sally Howard (5 March release)

Why Women Are Poorer Than Men and What We Can Do About It by Annabelle Williams (5 March release)

No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us by Rachel Louise Snyder (12 March release)

Handiwork by Sara Baume (26 March release)

Lost, Found, Remembered by Lyra Mckee (2 April release date)

Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias by Pragya Agarwal (2 April release date)

Clothes and Other Things That Matter by Alexandra Shulman by Alexandra Shulman (23 April release date)

Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Every Day by Clemency Burton-Hill (28 May release)

What Have I Done by Laura Dockrill (4 June release)

Fat Cow, Fat Chance by Jenni Murray (25 June release)

Not Quite White by Laila Woozeer (25 June release)

How Do We Know We're Doing It Right: & Other Essays on Modern Life by Pandora Sykes (9 July release)

Inferno: A Memoir of Motherhood and Madness by Catherine Cho (9 July release)

Hungry by Grace Dent (a "nostalgic food memoir"?) (TBD release)

What is everyone looking forward to in 2020 non-fiction releases? Is there anything you're so excited about you're pre-ordering, or have you read excerpts that impressed you?

Not pre-ordering but definitely interested in A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet

and
Invisible Companions: Encounters with Imaginary Friends, Gods, Ancestors, and Angels
and

Making Comics (which are both technically 2019 but I won't be able to get my library copies till 2020)

This New York Times review of Family Papers: A Sephardic Journey Through the Twentieth Century by Sarah Abrevaya Stein intrigues.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/bo...

If anyone is interested in academic readings at non-extortionate prices, some of the books published by the University of London press are open access and therefore you can download a PDF copy for free: https://www.sas.ac.uk/publications/se.... I'm currently eye-ing Memory, migration and (de)colonisation in the Caribbean and beyond, Gender in Medieval Places, Spaces and Thresholds and Envisioning Global LGBT Human Rights: (Neo)colonialism, Neoliberalism, Resistance and Hope.

From the Washington Post, "When it Comes to Happiness, Americans Are Doing it Wrong. These Books are Here to Help."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...

Mentioned are:

Ichigo-ichie by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia Puigcerver

Cosy: The British Art of Comfortby Laura Weir

The Little Book of Fika: The Uplifting Daily Ritual of the Swedish Coffee Break by Lynda Balslev

The Power of Nunchi: The Korean Secret to Happiness and Success by Euny Hong

I'm not typically drawn to self-help-ish titles, but all of these look intriguing to me. Have you read any of these? Do you recommend it?

My Want to Read list just increased exponentially. Such great recommendations!

Cam wrote: "If anyone is interested in academic readings at non-extortionate prices, some of the books published by the University of London press are open access and therefore you can download a PDF copy for ..."

Thanks for the link, Cam. I've just downloaded Ways into Shakespeare's Sonnets.

Cam wrote: "If anyone is interested in academic readings at non-extortionate prices, some of the books published by the University of London press are open access and therefore you can download a PDF copy for ..."

I downloaded "The Dull Duty of an Editor: Working with Dickens and Webster". The title was too fabulous to resist.

In looking for fresh, good Black History Month resources, I encountered this list of nonfiction selections displayed at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, entitled, "Strong Black Women" and including several titles I hadn't seen before. One of the things I love about it is that it ranges from light to heavy and highly accessible to more demanding literary heft, so there's something for everyone. Finally, it was published in January 2018, so I anticipate that affordable copies in a range of media options, likely at your library, are the norm. Note, some authors are men.

https://www.carnegielibrary.org/staff...

Black Girls Rock!: Owning Our Magic. Rocking Our Truth. by Beverly Bond

Blessed Life: My Surprising Journey of Joy, Tears, and Tales from Harlem to Hollywood by Kim Fields

Chasing Light: Michelle Obama Through the Lens of a White House Photographer by Amanda Lucidon

Diversifying Diplomacy: My Journey from Roxbury to Dakar by Harriet L. Elam-Thomas

Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper

A Good Cry: What We Learn From Tears and Laughter by Nikki Giovanni

How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

I Will Not Fear: My Story of a Lifetime of Building Faith Under Fire by Melba Pattillo Beals

The Josephine Baker Critical Reader: Selected Writings on the Entertainer and Activist by Mae G. Henderson

Justice Leah Ward Sears: Seizing Serendipity by Rebecca Shriver Davis

The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish

The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir by Jenifer Lewis

Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat by Patricia Williams

Real American: A Memoir by Julie Lythcott-Haims

Sign My Name to Freedom: A Memoir of a Pioneering Life by Betty Reid Soskin

This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins

We're Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors

I read and recommend Tiffany Haddish's book as well as Nikki Giovanni's. If you've read any of the others, let us know what you thought.

Becoming by Michelle Obama, I would definitely add that to the list.

I also finally read Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by Nora Krug, thanks to the many recs from this group to read it, adding myself to that list of people who would recommend

Anita wrote: "Becoming by Michelle Obama, I would definitely add that to the list.

I also finally read Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by [auth..."

Agreed on both! It's funny about Becoming. I expected to love it. I did love it. I think I took for granted that it was wonderful because, of course it was wonderful. But, as a result, when I picked my top 10 best books from 2019, I almost forgot to include it and I haven't talked it up to friends as much as I otherwise would. Poor Michelle. That's what a reputation for excellence does. :)

Two intriguing new nonfiction books written by women authors are reviewed in a single review entitled, "Highways Through Hell," which appeared in today's print NYTimes Book Review.

Overground Railroad: The Green Book & Roots of Black Travel in America by Candacy A. Taylor, and

Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights by Gretchen Sorin

An excerpt: "...Both of these deeply researched books detail the potentially dangerous ordeals African-Americans faced just to see relatives down South, travel for work or take a family vacation. Black drivers had to worry about traffic stops that could turn violent or deadly (they still do), and avoid getting lost lest they find themselves in “sundown” towns, all-white communities from which blacks were banned after dark and where those who did enter risked confrontations with angry mobs...

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/bo...

Hey all, I came across this article from Haymarket books offering ten free ebook downloads for the next two weeks (article dated march 18). The books are non-fictions focused on social and political issues, and not all are female authored, but included is Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis. The topics range from racism to environmental, political and economical, class and immigration. Worth a look-see at least.

Hey all,

Has recently come to my attention that Verso (they're a left-wing Indie non-fic publishing house) is having an 80% off all ebooks and 40% off paperback sale for next two weeks to help with self-isolation.

Michael Eric Dyson promoted both of the following nonfiction books in this week's By the Book interview in the NYTimes. I'm intrigued by each.

Black Talk, Blue Thoughts, and Walking the Color Line: Dispatches from a Black Journalista by Erin Aubry Kaplan, and

The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy by Martha C. Nussbaum

I'd not heard of Nussbaum before this interview and looking through these titles, there must be a dozen that interest me. If you've read her before and have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them.

Carol wrote: "I'd not heard of Nussbaum before this interview and looking through these titles, there must be a dozen that interest me. If you've read her before and have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them.

I read several of her books when I was in grad school ( a long time ago!) but can't remember the titles. Probably Cultivating Humanity: A Classical Defense of Reform in Liberal Education and Women and Human Development: The Capabilities Approach.

I do remember her writing was a pleasure to read.

Story❤ wrote: "Carol wrote: "I'd not heard of Nussbaum before this interview and looking through these titles, there must be a dozen that interest me. If you've read her before and have any recommendations, I'd l..."

Lovely. Thank you, Story!

This list was published in January by BitchMedia, but it's new to me, plus with so many libraries closed, we're only now getting to enjoy the last several months of Q1 and Q2 releases.

BitchReads: 17 Nonfiction Books Feminists Should Read in 2020

A Black Women's History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry

Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity by Peggy Orenstein

Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis by Ada Calhoun

Stop Telling Women to Smile: Stories of Street Harassment and How We're Taking Back Our Power by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh

and more ...

https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/bi...

I'm a big fan of Five Books, and this list of Five Books identified by Barbara Krauthamer, Professor of History and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, as the best 5 books to read for Juneteenth is one I intend to work through over the next year. (1 of 5 is authored by a male author.) The interview is great, too.

https://fivebooks.com/best-books/june...

Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery by Deborah Willis

Closer to Freedom: Enslaved Women and Everyday Resistance in the Plantation South by Stephanie M.H. Camp

To 'joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women's Lives and Labors After the Civil War by Tera W. Hunter

A Black Women's History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Gross.

The NYTimes Book Review cover review today is about American Baby: A Mother, a Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption by Gabrielle Glaser. It's a stunner. Adding to my TBR, near the top.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/bo...

Five Books published Mireya Loza's, "[5] best books on Migrant Workers." All books referenced and discussed are written by women authors. I also appreciated the framing at the beginning of the interview on what we mean by the term, "migrant workers", how US policies were modified to create this category, etc.

Mentioned books:

No Man's Land: Jamaican Guestworkers in America and the Global History of Deportable Labor by Cindy Hahamovitch

Loza's own Defiant Braceros: How Migrant Workers Fought for Racial, Sexual, and Political Freedom

Managed Migrations: Growers, Farmworkers, and Border Enforcement in the Twentieth Century by Cristina Salinas

Migrant Citizenship: Race, Rights, and Reform in the U.S. Farm Labor Camp Program by Veronica Martinez-Matsuda

and
The Nature of California: Race, Citizenship, and Farming Since the Dust Bowl by Sarah D Wald


https://fivebooks.com/best-books/migr...

Five Books published "Best books on Asian American History", 3 of which are penned by women authors, and the interview of University of Michigan Professor Melissa Borja is a great one.

Dreaming of Gold, Dreaming of Home: Transnationalism and Migration Between the United States and South China, 1882-1943 by Madeline Y. Hsu

Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History by Catherine Ceniza Choy

The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority by Ellen D. Wu.

https://fivebooks.com/best-books/asia...

Several books by women on this year's Wainwright Prize shortlist:

Thin Places by Kerri Ní Dochartaigh

The Wild Silence & The Salt Path By Raynor Winn Set

I Belong Here: A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain by Anita Sethi

Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs

Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape by Cal Flyn

Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future by Elizabeth Kolbert


Named after nature writer Alfred Wainwright, the prizes are awarded to the work which best reflects Wainwright’s core values and include a celebration of nature and our natural environment or a warning of the dangers to it across the globe.

I highly recommend Islands of Abandonment.

What an intriguing list. Thanks for sharing this, Story. I wasn’t familiar with the Wainwright Prize.

I read Under A White Sky earlier this year and thought it was very good. A reflection on long term consequences of many man made "fixes" for our struggle to cohabitate with nature.

I volunteer as an "auditor" on another website regarding books and came across this one today. It seemed timely to a lot of our discussions this year and sounds really interesting. Thought I'd pass along!

Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy.