You know Nonfiction November is going to be packed when it gets started before November does! The other hosts and I have so much planned for you all that we just couldn’t wait. As I said last week, I truly do love this event. It’s hard to find folks in the book blogging community who want to talk nonfiction, but in November, that all changes. It’s nonfiction’s moment and she is ready for it.
Week One: Your Year in Nonfiction
Heather of Based on a True Story had the honor of hosting Week One’s prompt. She asked,
Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
Seeing the below mosaic of everything I’ve read since my Week One post from last November, you can get a pretty good feel for what I like to read—and review. (You can read my reviews for most of these books here or on my Goodreads.) It might seem at first like a little bit of everything, and sometimes it is. But some of the stars of my shelf this year, which I dived into for the first time, were books on police/prison abolition as well as LGBTQ+ liberation. Last year the new stars of the show were abortion rights and reproductive justice.
What constantly pulls me further into nonfiction, and specifically social justice books, are the way that everything new that I learn introduces to me several gaps in my knowledge that I didn’t know were there. (This blog post somewhat explains what I am talking about, albeit using some unverified quotes.) Everything in social justice is connected. I will never know everything there is to know, but I will enjoy learning what I can.
Nonfiction November actually plays a huge role here! Some of my favorite books I’ve read this year I discovered through all of your blogs last November. These titles include Mediocre, The Transgender Issue, Bi, and many more that are now on my shelf just waiting for me to read them. (Plus, I already see a few from Heather’s post that are going on my TBR!)
My top 5 nonfiction books this year
White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad—This has been my go-to recommendation. Hamad hits the nail on the head in terms of how white women weaponize their tears without even knowing it. If you want to read about intersectional feminism, start here.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates—I don’t usually prefer audiobooks, but I listened to this one on a road trip and was mesmerized. Coates’ voice betrays the tragedy and the beauty of his story, and of his most beloved people and places. It was the obvious choice for my favorite banned book during my organization‘s Banned Book Week celebration last month.
The Transgender Issue: Trans Justice is Justice for All by Shon Faye—The Transgender Issue was everything you could want in a book on what trans people go through and need. It too is the perfect starting place if this “issue” is something you want to learn more about. (And you should!)
Women, Race & Class by Angela Davis—This book is 42 years old and relevant as ever. As we explore modern themes in books like White Tears/Brown Scars and Hood Feminism, Women, Race & Class provides an intersectional feminist foundation with a history of the (racist) age of women’s suffrage, a spotlight on revolutionary communist women, the feminist icon that was Frederick Douglass, and more.
A People’s History of Science: Miners, Midwives, and “Low Mechanicks” by Clifford Conner—See, not everything I read is about social justice! My favorite science history is the tale of the underdog. I’ve read about non-Western discoveries, underappreciated developments during the Middle Ages, and now the vast amount of knowledge that unnamed and almost entirely unacknowledged Native knowledge holders and “white collar” workers contributed before white collars were even a thing.
What do I hope to get out of Nonfiction November?
Nonfiction November is my chance to tell so many book lovers about these books I’ve been nerding out on all year, from the popular to the obscure. More importantly, I can’t wait to learn from you and add heaps more books to my TBR! What have you been reading? Join us!
This is a great list! I love a good book mosaic.
Your are a “non-fiction” legend!
I’ve read S. Whitehouse, J. Baldwin, I. Oluo and T-N Coates. They were all excellent!
I need to add Preparing for War (B. Onishi) to my selections from your 2022 list…”
“Jesus and John Wayne” and “American Crusade”. These books are inportant but not books one can read quickly. I should block off a few weeks in Jan-Feb to concentrate on them. Thanks for your Year-in-Non-ficton list and of course for hosting.
Those two are so good. I’d recommend starting with Jesus and John Wayne! It’s truly mind blowing.
An amazing list of books! I’m so glad this event was rescued!
Lots of interesting arguments here. Naturally, as a librarian, I am drawn immediately to the alphabetical order book, lol. Becoming Abolitionists also appeals. Enjoy your reading this month.
I read Jane Against the World a few years ago. It is so good!!!
I want to read more social justice nonfiction books so all your recommendations are perfect. Thanks for sharing! 😀
Yay! I’m glad you like them!!
I know this isn’t the point of your post, but I am obsessed with the button that toggles between light and dark mode on your blog. I must have this. Of these, the Angela Davis interests me the most, and the last one, that’s an interesting niche!
I know this isn’t the point of your post, but I’m obsessed with the toggle button for light and dark mode, I must have this for my blog! I’m most interested in the Angela Davis book, and the science one at the end, that’s an interesting niche!
Thank you!! It was a lot of work to get the toggle feature how I liked it so I’m glad you enjoy it! I had my blog in a dark theme only for over 6 years because that’s what I like, until I finally gave in and made the toggle button because not everyone likes what I like! It’s a plug-in called WP Dark mode.
The Angela Davis one and the science ones are both so good!! ☺️
You shared a lot of books that have somehow escaped my nonfiction radar, and I thank you for that.
Holy moly, that mosaic! I loved Between the World and Me and Kate Moore can do no wrong in my opinion. I have a few on here on my list as well but I have added some too. I cannot wait to see the rest of your posts!
Great array of books! TWICE I’ve borrowed Between the World and Me, Preparing for War and The Scheme only to return them unread to the library. I soooo need to read them! For years I’ve owned a copy of Women, Race and Power and sadly have never touched it. I gotta finally give it a shot.
By the way, If you haven’t done so yet check out Brad Onishi’s podcast Straight White American Jesus. It’s very good. Keep up the great work!!
Ah you will love them all! Fighting Christian nationalism is basically my life. I work at Americans United for Separation of Church and State 😊 and yes I love his podcast! I met him at our conference last April! 😁
I’m looking up that podcast now too! I just finished reading American Idolatry. Andrew Whitehead presents a lot of good arguments on why Christian Nationalism is such a threat, and since he’s writing it from his own Christian perspective, maybe he can have an audience with the crowd that is causing this. 🙁
The Shon Faye was one of my top books of last year and I have the Ta-Nehsi Coates, lined up for this month. Must read the Angela Davis. I love the overlap we have in our interests, if not the exact reads. And yes, hooray Nonfiction November!
I love seeing the social justice books you read. I just finished “The History of White People” for an upcoming book club. The title discouraged me because hasn’t history already been written from white people’s perspective? But it was surprisingly fresh to hear more of the backstory about why it was seen that way. However, it was written a bit too academic for my taste, so it was a struggle to get through.