By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná
Novels and short stories and movies and shows! There is so much great fictional content out there, but maybe you want to try something a little different this summer. Try mixing it up with a nonfiction book!
If you like that, try this!
If you like When Franny Stands Up, try In on the Joke
Why you should try it: Franny Steinberg is very similar to another comedienne (any fans out there?), but she's fictional. The women in Levy’s book are real and really funny.
Description: This account of the trailblazing women comics who forged a path for today’s female comics looks at the obstacles faced by pioneers such as Moms Mabley, Elaine May, John Rivers, and Phyllis Diller.
If you like The Last of Us, try Blight: Fungi & the Coming Pandemic
Why you should try it: The show, based on the video game, imagines what life would be like if a fungal infection turned parasitic. The book posits that this is already happening in nature and has the potential to cross species to humans.
Description: A prescient warning about the mysterious and deadly world of fungi—and how to avert further loss across species, including our own.
If you like Kitchens of the Great Midwest, try The Midwest Survival Guide
Why you should try it: Food and the Midwest go hand-in-hand, as do close-knit communities and state fairs. But there’s a lot more to Midwest culture, and if you’re new here, you might need the help.
Description: A hilarious full-color guide to Midwestern culture, from comedian and journalist Charlie Berens, creator of the viral comedic series The Manitowoc Minute.
If you like Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil & the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty, try Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood & the Generation That Saved the Soul of the NBA
Why you should try it: You are clearly a fan of basketball, so after reading about a recent era in basketball history, take it back to the 70s and the players that laid the foundation for the version of the game we know and love today.
Description: A vital narrative history of 1970s pro basketball and the Black players who shaped the NBA.
If you like Jade Is a Twisted Green, try Life, I Swear: Intimate Stories From Black Women on Identity, Healing & Self-Trust
Why you should try it: If Jade's journey of self-discovery prompted you to look deeper into yourself, this essay collection is the perfect next step. And! It has a podcast.
Description: In this stunningly illustrated essay collection inspired by the popular podcast Life, I Swear, prominent Black women reflect on self-love and healing, sharing stories of the trials and tribulations they've faced and what has helped them confront pain, heal wounds, and find connection.
About Dontaná
Dontaná is a Collection Management Librarian who was born with an unending reading list. She is almost always reading two books simultaneously and is easily distracted by cool covers.
