The best books to give and get: Nonfiction picks of 2018
This week, The Thread is sharing some of our favorite books of the year.
Tell us the best book you read @TheThreadMPR.
"I Wrote this Book Because I Love You" by Tim Kreider
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Tim Kreider's heartfelt and funny memoir chronicles a series of attachments and love affairs. It both amuses and puts into perspective the realities of human love. Kreider has created a darkly wise book which may leave you feeling a little better about the world.
I Wrote this Book Because I Love You I Wrote this Book Because I Love You
"Always Another Country" by Sisonke Msimang
As a child of parents exiled by the apartheid policies of her father's South African homeland, Sisonke Msimang grew up hearing of how things would change when apartheid fell. Her beautifully written memoir describes how not only did this take much longer than her parents expected, but also how the journey deposited her in Minnesota for four years. She unflinchingly describes the good and the bad — including how the dream of South Africa has not turned out quite as she hoped.
Always Another Country Always Another Country
"My Own Devices" by Dessa
As a performer, Dessa is known for her remarkable ability for turning a phrase when she raps. Her writing is similarly dextrous and fearless as she writes about her life as a performer on the road, as a woman making her way in the hyper-masculine world of hip hop. She is a wellspring of ideas who presents a reader with a wealth of material to consider.
"Bad Blood" by John Carreyrou
John Carreyrou takes you behind the scenes of the downfall of would-be medtech giant Theranos. Starting in 2003, CEO Elizabeth Holmes bullied co-workers and hoodwinked investors as she sold herself as a revolutionary thinker who would change the life of any American on medication. You will be astonished by the credulity and arrogance of Silicon Valley's brightest minds who helped fuel the company's rise to a $9-billion dollar valuation that was built on lie after lie.
"Bad Blood" by John Carreyrou "Bad Blood" by John Carreyrou
"In Pieces" by Sally Field
This is the Hollywood memoir to read: Sally Field has penned an honest and intimate look at her life in and out of the spotlight. After entertaining audiences on film for decades, Field now lets readers in on her emotional journey behind the scenes, from her relationship with her family to her tangled moments of romance.
"In Pieces" by Sally Field "In Pieces" by Sally Field
"Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger" by Rebecca Traister
There's been much political talk lately of "the year of the woman," as more women take increasingly public roles in politics and activism. Rebecca Traister goes back long before the Women's March or #MeToo to trace the role of women — and women's anger — in politics and key American movements. She discusses both what anger can accomplish — and the stigma that follows those who express it.
"Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger" by Rebecca Traister "Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger" by Rebecca Traister
"Heavy" by Kiese Laymon
Kiese Laymon delivers one of the most difficult and illuminating memoirs of the year in "Heavy." Beginning with his childhood in Mississippi and continuing to his experiences as an adult in New York City, Laymon writes beautifully on identity, obligation, race, obsession and what families sometimes can't bring themselves to say to one another.
"Heavy" by Kiese Laymon "Heavy" by Kiese Laymon
"Fly Girls" by Keith O'Brien
Yes, you know Amelia Earhart. But make room for five more women in your knowledge of aviation history. Keith O'Brien details the daring acts and sheer defiance of early women aviators who competed in national air races in the 1930s, going up against the men who doubted their right to be there.
"Fly Girls" by Keith O'Brien "Fly Girls" by Keith O'Brien
"The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts" by Tessa Fontaine
Lots of people harbor the childhood dream of running off to the circus. But unlike most of us, Tessa Fontaine actually took the leap. In her 20s, reeling from her mother's catastrophic stroke, Fontaine bluffed her way into a job involving snake handling and fire eating and went off to tour the country with a carnival. Her memoir weaves her life on the road together with the story of her mother's health crisis, which is never far from her mind.
"The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts" by Tessa Fontaine "The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts" by Tessa Fontaine
"Boom Town" by Sam Anderson
Some cities hog all the attention: You can read a hundred books on New York City, and Los Angeles has a shelf to itself. But Sam Anderson gives Oklahoma City its turn on stage. This offbeat and entertaining history of the city tackles strange weather, opportunistic pioneers, the high profile 1995 bombing and basketball — a lot of basketball.
"Boom Town" by Sam Anderson "Boom Town" by Sam Anderson
"All You Can Ever Know" by Nicole Chung
Nicole Chung always knew she was adopted. She was born to Korean parents, and raised by a white family. But as she grew older, the simple, oft-repeated story around her biological parents' choice to place her for adoption began to feel lacking. Chung's memoir describes her deeper search for answers, and the complicated truths that emerged along the way.
"All I Can Ever Know" by Nicole Chung "All I Can Ever Know" by Nicole Chung
"Dopesick" by Beth Macy
The headlines are filled with news of opioid overdoses, increasing fatalities and communities that have been devastated by addiction. Beth Macy's book offers the most comprehensive look at the crisis to date, tracing the roots of the epidemic and documenting the lives of those struggling across the U.S., in cities, suburbs and towns. It's a devastating portrait of modern America.