84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. This book, about a freelance writer living in New York who strikes up a friendly correspondence with a used bookseller in London, was the basis for a film starring Ann Bancroft and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Described as a quick but heartwarming read, this is “a love story about people who love books for readers who love books.”
The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America by Sara B. Franklin. Legendary editor Judith Jones was a 25-year-old working at Doubleday’s Paris office when she discovered Anne Frank’s manuscript in the slush pile and begged her boss to publish it. This was only the first of many incredible discoveries in the publishing world. Franklin uncovers her work with literary icons such as Sylvia Plath and John Updike, as well as being on the forefront of the trend of cookbook publishing.
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector’s Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend by Rebecca Romney. Rare book collector and Jane Austen enthusiast Romney became curious about the female authors who inspired her favorite writer. She set about to rediscover the literary heroes of Jane Austen, many of whom were gradually erased from the Western canon. In each chapter, she explores different writers such as Frances Burney, Maria Edgeworth, and Charlotte Lennox, and her experience reading them and searching for their rare works with other book collectors.
Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. Morris
As the first Black woman to consistently publish in the field of science fiction in a sea of predominately white male authors, Octavia Butler used the devolution of the American Empire to explore her own place in the world and examine the best and worst of humanity. Author Susana M. Morris examines Butler’s life story against the cultural, social, and historical contest that shaped her life, including the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, women’s liberation, queer rights, and Reaganomics.
Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams. From the first black-owned bookstore (which opened in New York in 1834) to present day, these businesses have faced violence and resistance set against the backdrop of civil rights and investigations from political enemies and federal and local law enforcement. But Adams also explores how these bookstores became a beacon of hope, attracting the presence and work of Black activists such as Malcolm X and writers such as Maya Angelou and Eartha Kitt. Still today, the need for black-owned bookstores lives on and remains an important part of the literary communities across the country.
After just finishing a magnificent but heavy piece of historical fiction, I’m ready for something lighter. I have Cameron Crowe’s memoir The Uncool to listen to while I’m out walking my dogs or doing chores around the house. I’d also love to add From Here to the Great Unknown, written posthumously by Lisa Marie Presley with the help of her daughter, Riley Keough, to the list. I find memoirs much easier to listen to on audiobooks.
What are some of your favorite nonfiction reads from this past year?
Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer and creator/host of the podcast, Missing in the Carolinas. She also works part-time as a bookseller at an independent bookstore in North Carolina. Learn more at FinishedPages.com.
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