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September is here! This starts my favorite time of year. Growing up, this time of year meant football season, hay rides, and back to school supplies. Now, I still love fall. There’s cold apple cider, pumpkin smoothies, and corn mazes. This week, I’m sharing two of some recent favorite nonfiction reads over the last few years. But first, let’s jump into bookish goods.
Bookish Goods
I Read Banned Books Enamel Pin Badge by Literary Emporium
Last week, we looked at different totes. This week, it’s time to accessorize them with enamel pins. So let’s start with a “Read Banned Books” pin! $11
New Releases
Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology by Rigoberto González
Poet and critic Rigoberto González edits this must-read anthology of poetry from over 180 poets. It includes writers like Sandra Cisneros, Natalie Diaz, and U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón.
Life and Death of the American Worker: The Immigrants Taking on America’s Largest Meatpacking Company by Alice Driver
Arkansas-based reporter Alice Driver reports on a horrific chemical accident that happened at a Tyson meatpacking plant back in 2011. Drive details the long-term impacts of the accident on employees and Tyson’s refusal to take responsibility for the harm caused to its workers.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Heretic: A Memoir by Jeanna Kadlec
Last year, during the HarperCollins strike, a lot of great books flew under the radar. So, I wanted to feature one that I adored. Heretic by Jeanna Kadlec is the story of Kadlec’s experience growing up as an evangelical Christian. She tried to do everything she was supposed to do. She tried to dress modestly, she married a pastor’s son, and she tried to follow what she thought God wanted her to do. But as her marriage begins falling apart, she starts to realize that she certainly is not straight, and the evangelical faith tradition isn’t actually as loving and inclusive as she thought it was. This is an incredible memoir about a crisis of faith and coming of age in your late 20s and early 30s.
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
I love Ashley C. Ford’s writing, and back in 2021, I couldn’t get my hands on her memoir fast enough. Ford grows up feeling isolated and misunderstood. Her family says she’s overly sensitive, but her dad gets her. Except, her dad is in prison, and she’s not sure how he got there. This beautiful memoir of working through one’s trauma, learning to let go, and making a new, better life for oneself is incredible. Ford’s insights and observations invite readers to view the world, and their own lives, in a whole new way.
You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles on Book Riot.
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