Top 10 Non-fiction Reads for 2020!
Welcome to part 1 of my 3-part countdown of favorite books from 2020! First, is Non-fiction. There was a part during this pandemic, where I just couldn’t deal with reading fiction. Instead, the real life stories of peoples lives was much more comforting. I got to read more about some of my classic favs like James Baldwin and learn about some new writers like George M. Johnson. As you will notice on this list, many of my picks are from 2 of the same series. If you’re a lover of non-fiction, I recommend adding these books to your TBR for 2021!
“The brilliant intellect and candor of Anthony Bourdain is on full display in this collection of interviews from throughout his remarkable career, with an introduction from The New Yorker's Helen Rosner.”
“A collection of the very first, the very last, and the very best interviews conducted with Prince over his nearly 40 year career.”
“Whether it’s learning about the complexities of femalehood from Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison, finding a new type of love in The Color Purple, or using mythology to craft an alternative black future, the subjects of each essay remind us why we turn to books in times of both struggle and relaxation. As she has done with her book club–turned–online community Well-Read Black Girl, in this anthology Glory Edim has created a space in which black women’s writing and knowledge and life experiences are lifted up, to be shared with all readers who value the power of a story to help us understand the world and ourselves.”
“Black in Asia is an anthology of diaspora stories featuring over 20 Black writers who have lived across South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Mongolia. Through inspiring and educational personal stories, this book offers a glimpse into the experience of being Black in Asia, promoting discourse on racial justice beyond the United States.”
“In this wide-ranging collection of thought-provoking interviews — including her first and last — Toni Morrison details not only her writing life, but also her other careers as a teacher, and as a publisher, as well as the gripping story of her family.”
“In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.”
“Collected here are significant interviews from other moments in Baldwin’s life, including an in-depth interview conducted by Studs Terkel shortly after the publication of Nobody Knows My Name. These interviews showcase, above all, Baldwin’s fearlessness and integrity as a writer, thinker, and individual, as well as the profound struggles he faced along the way. Including, never before available, the unexpurgated last interview with James Baldwin.”
“There are as many truths about the sex trade as there are people who participate in it. In this new collection of creative nonfiction, people who’ve tangled with the sex industry write about the complications that arise in the mix of sex and money. From the accounts of love and loss, occupational hazards and tricks of the trade to personal stories of hope, resistance and survival, Prose & Lore is a fiery collection of narratives by people who have walked the walk, and are now telling their tales.”
Well, there you have it folks! My top 10 non-fiction picks for the year. Stay tuned for my top 10 poetry and fiction picks!
Follow Hardy Publications on Facebook!
Hardy Publications blog is an affiliate of Amazon.