[title subtitle=”WORDS and IMAGE Sara Putnam”][/title]
Five must-read nonfiction book recommendations for book lovers of all ages, from our friends at Bookish, Fort Smith, Arkansas’s only independently owned bookstore.
The Third Rainbow Girl
by Emma Copley Eisenberg
At its simplest, this is a true crime book about the unsolved murders of Vicki Durian and Nancy Santomero. However, Eisenberg’s ability to uncover every stone, makes this story anything but simple. Evoking the community of Pocahontas County, “where misogyny is in the groundwater,” Eisenberg’s story is for every Rainbow Girl who ever sought adventure in an unknown land and was lucky enough to live to tell her story.
The Body
by Bill Bryson
As Bryson does so wonderfully, he captures the essence of what it means to inhabit our bodies and explains the significance of each cell and system in a way that your high school physiology teacher never could. His wit carries you through – even the chapters about germs and blood – and his expansive research will leave you feeling a whole lot smarter and thankful for the parts of our bodies that work so wonderfully.
Morning Glory on the Vine
by Joni Mitchell
In a 2000 interview with Mitchell, she claims to “sing her sorrow and paint her joy.” All of that joy can be found in this book of poems and artwork by Mitchell. It began as a series of Christmas gifts for her friends in the 70s and is now compiled into one beautiful book of art. If there are Joni Mitchell fans in your life, this book is necessary for their collection.
Uncanny Valley: A Memoir
by Anna Wiener
Wiener’s memoir is haunting in a way unlike anything before it. As a recent college graduate working in New York City’s publishing industry, Wiener was barely able to make ends meet. When she realizes that she has nowhere to go in the industry, she moves to Silicon Valley and immediately sees a dramatic life change, but as she immerses herself in the tech world, the complexity of what goes on behind the screens begins to take shape. Thoughtful in a way that only a writer living in the tech industry could be, this memoir is what saved her, and ultimately could save the rest of us.
Just a French Guy Cooking
by Alexis Gabriel Aïnouz
Aïnouz is a Frenchman living in Paris, but he is also a YouTube sensation. In his first cookbook, he shares the one hundred favorite recipes, tips and tricks that will allow anyone to enjoy cooking. He lists alternative ingredients for several recipes, and the quiches are exquisite. If you’re a beginner or just too busy to think about what to make for dinner every night, Aïnouz will have something to offer.
