Biography, Book Club, History, Nonfiction

The Last Pirate of New York by Rich Cohen

A Ghost Ship, a Killer, and the Birth of a Gangster Nation It's another Nonfiction Book Club selection! This was one that I put forth to the group for voting and it was definitely a compelling read. Synopsis From the publisher marketing:Handsome and charismatic, Albert Hicks had long been known in the dive bars and… Continue reading The Last Pirate of New York by Rich Cohen

Essays, Nonfiction

Shit, Actually by Lindy West

The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema When the world is crap, we need some brevity to cheer ourselves up. Shit, Actually, is that brevity - and I enjoy everything Lindy West writes, so reading this was a given. Synopsis From the publisher marketing:New York Times opinion writer and bestselling author Lindy West was once… Continue reading Shit, Actually by Lindy West

Book Club, History, Nonfiction, Sociology

The Geography of Genius by Eric Weiner

Lessons from the World's Most Creative Places It's another Nonfiction Book Club selection! We discussed this one at the end of August and embarrassingly, I had not finished it by the time we discussed it so I'm a bit behind in posting my review today. Synopsis From the Back Cover:Bestselling author Eric Weiner is no… Continue reading The Geography of Genius by Eric Weiner

Biography, Book Club, History, Nonfiction, Sociology

Bringing Down the Colonel by Patricia Miller

A Sex Scandal of the Gilded Age, and the "Powerless" Woman Who Took on Washington The latest Nonfiction Book Club book is one I'd been anticipating reading for quite some time and am very curious to see what my fellow book club members think of it! Synopsis From the back cover:Journalist Patricia Miller tells the… Continue reading Bringing Down the Colonel by Patricia Miller

Biography, History, Nonfiction

Mobituaries by Mo Rocca

Great Lives Worth Reliving Mobituaries was featured in the holiday catalog for the regional association for the indie bookstore I work at, and it really sold quite well for the holidays. When it came time to find a new audiobook to listen to before bed, I thought I'd give Mobituaries as try, not knowing it… Continue reading Mobituaries by Mo Rocca

Book Club, History, Nonfiction, STEM

The Poison Squad by Deborah Blum

One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century ‘Tis the last Nonfiction Book Club book of the year, as recommended by a former coworker to the group. Next year, 2020, all book club selections will have been voted on by the group as a whole. Synopsis From the Back… Continue reading The Poison Squad by Deborah Blum

Nonfiction, STEM

Change is the Only Constant by Ben Orlin

The Wisdom of Calculus in a Madcap World I love all things pop-math. As a former math teacher and currently still nerdy math lover, I love when authors and creative minded people take complex math concepts and make them relatable and understandable for all people. Synopsis From the Front Flap:From the author of the beloved… Continue reading Change is the Only Constant by Ben Orlin

Essays, Memoir/Autobiography, Nonfiction

Make It Scream, Make It Burn by Leslie Jamison

Of all the ARCs on our shelves at work, I’m not sure what made this one jump out. Maybe the cover, maybe the fact that I was craving essays, maybe it was sent to me specifically, I don’t remember. But however it got in my hands, I’m grateful for the fact that it did. Synopsis… Continue reading Make It Scream, Make It Burn by Leslie Jamison

Bookish Tuesday, Fantasy, Fiction, Nonfiction, Romance, Sociology

Favorite Reads of 2019 So Far

I've had a good reading year so far, better than previous years - I've only hated 3 books so far! But below are my favorites thus far - not necessarily published in 2019 but read in 2019. And surprisingly, only 1 work of nonfiction and 3 fiction. Range by David Epstein An enjoyable psychology/sociology minded… Continue reading Favorite Reads of 2019 So Far

Essays, Memoir/Autobiography, Nonfiction

Maeve in America by Maeve Higgins

Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else In preparing for a weekday drive to my father's place two hours away, I went searching for a fairly short and entertaining book to listen to on the drive - enter Maeve in America! Synopsis From the Back Cover:Maeve Higgins was a bestselling memoirist and comedian in her… Continue reading Maeve in America by Maeve Higgins