The Nonfiction Digest, Issue #9
This Week in Nonfiction: Celebrity Book Sighting, Oprah’s Bookclub Pick, and a New Look at Personality Transformation
Welcome to the party, nonfiction lovers! Grab a drink (or a cozy cup of tea), settle into your favorite spot, and let’s get this nonfiction party started. This week’s Nonfiction Digest has hot new titles, pop culture surprises, and a cover matchup that might spark a few opinions. And in honor of Women’s History Month, every issue in March will be all about women writers, creative females, and those making HERstory.
In this issue:
Celebrity Book Sighting: An iconic actress caught reading!
Pop Culture Rewind: Two GenX actresses talk about their famously wild childhoods.
Coming Soon: A new book that has us intrigued.
Review Roundup: We’re talking about the latest pick from Oprah’s book club.
Substack Spotlight: This author’s take on personality dynamics might just change how you see yourself.
Cover Showdown: Two covers, one book. Which one speaks to you? Vote in the poll.
Celebrity Book Sighting | Halle Berry
The brilliant Halle Berry was spotted with a copy of How to Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better Than Before by Tamsen Fadal. According to this Page Six article, Halle’s getting ready to celebrate turning 59 (what? how?), and it looks like she’s arming herself with some solid advice. Maybe it’s just me, but menopause books seem to be everywhere lately—or maybe I’m just noticing them more because of my own, ahem, age. Either way, if Halle’s reading it, I’m curious!
Pop Culture Rewind | Ione Skye and Drew Barrymore
I know I talked about Say Everything: A Memoir in last week’s Nonfiction Digest—but I’m not done fangirling yet!
On The Drew Barrymore Show, Ione and Drew bonded over their famous childhoods—both raised in a “bohemian lifestyle” (which is a generous way to put it). Seeing these two Gen X girlies open up about messy family relationships and complicated pasts was so refreshing. If you’re into raw, honest memoirs with some surprising celebrity name-dropping, this one’s a must-read.
Coming Soon | Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives by Gretchen Rubin
Quick—do you know what an aphorism is? (I’ll admit, I had to look it up.)
Turns out, it’s one of those short, clever sayings that somehow capture a big truth in just a few words. In Secrets of Adulthood: Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives, out April 1,
shares her best aphorisms—her hard-earned nuggets of wisdom about adulthood.Curious about her inspiration? Check out Gretchen’s article here.
Review Roundup | The Tell: A Memoir by Amy Griffin
I don’t usually pay much attention to celebrity book clubs (not a lot of nonfiction picks), but when I saw The Tell: A Memoir by Amy Griffin getting buzz, I was intrigued. Oprah called it an “extraordinary memoir” and said she was “floored” by it.
“The Tell is the most powerful memoir I’ve read in years. It’s the rare story that will liberate you from shame, empower you to stop cycles of abuse, and make it safer for you to tell the truth. It left me filled with hope.” -Adam Grant
Read more and hear from Oprah about this extraordinary new title.
Substack Spotlight | Interview with Olga Khazan
is the author of the newly released Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change. Here she answers the Memoir Land Author Questionnaire from . Take a peek into her writing process!
Cover Showdown | Merkel's Law: Wisdom from the Woman Who Led the Free World by Melissa Eddy
On the left is the paperback, featuring a colorized image of Angela Merkel under a thought bubble. On the right is the hardback, which has a solid colored background and a line drawing of hands.
I like the image on the left—it helps people who might not know who Angela Merkel is—but the cartoony feel throws me off. I'd reach for the hardback first.
Which one would you pick? Vote in the poll below.
And that’s a wrap on this week’s party! What book are you reading to celebrate Women’s History Month?
If you’re loving this nonfiction celebration, why not bring a friend to join in the fun?
Oh, and don’t forget to check out all the new authors being added to the Nonfiction Author Substack Directory—over 100 incredible writers now listed!
Happy Reading!
Jaymi
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Just started listening to The Tell and she’s an excellent storyteller. Really enjoying so far.
Terrific book party!! thank you so much for doing the research and curating what will be interesting!