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"I'm still trying not to be the daughter of a murderer. I'm still trying to redeem [my parents]. I carry the structure of their bones around my insides...and try to tell the world, '...They were more than that.'" Allison Moorer is a Grammy- and Academy Award- nominated singer-songwriter whose father killed her mother when Allison and her sister were young. A longtime musical storyteller, Moorer examines her parents, her youth, and that pivotal tragedy, considering how it has shaped her into her adult self and how much of her identity is (and how much can be) separate from that horrifying event and its endless repercussions. I didn't know of the author before her memoir began garnering attention. Blood: A Memoir reads like her journal; Moorer sifts through memories, looks through photos, celebrates her parents' joyful moments, curses their weaknesses, and feels devastation at the horrific tragedy that in some ways felt inevitable; in hindsight, her parents' relationship was like a train speeding down a track toward a cliff. She does all of this gorgeously, sharing feelings, mental snapshots, carefully considered possibilities, and frank reality. There's a lot of pain here. But Blood doesn't read as though Moorer is flogging her significant sorrow and anger or highlighting dramatic events for memoir or record sales. I felt like I was following her on her honest, zigzagging, messy journey toward gaining more of an understanding of the people her parents were and the forces that shaped their lives (and their daughters' lives)--as though I was witnessing her step-by-step movement toward something that more closely resembles peace. Late in the book Moorer notes, "I learned to hold my fists up to the world to try to protect myself from being seen...." and says that she has often found it impossible to let down her protective wall and be vulnerable. Yet she is sentimental about the people who made her, instilled a love of music in her, and raised her--although not always competently--until she was a young teenage woman. They weren't perfect, but they were her parents, and she still sings their songs, tries to redeem them, and lives out some of their dreams. The foreword was written by Allison's sister, singer and songwriter Shelby Lynne. Regarding their talking through their past together, Moorer says, "So many memories we share and purposely keep well-oiled. We keep them alive even if they hurt us and suck up all the air in the room. They are all we have of our folks and the family we were." In Blood, Moorer, after years of therapy, reflection, and working through her enormous rage and loss, sets a goal of trying to be gentler with herself. As far as trying to sort through the addiction and abuse that led to her parents' early deaths, she notes, "I do know I can't spend all of myself on it, for there are, with any hope, a lot of days left to be reckoned with, work to do, real love to be learned about, and a son to raise." Moorer's love of music (including her passion to write, sing, and harmonize) links many of these memories and pages. I listened to Lynne and Moorer's joint album, Not Dark Yet, while reading this book, and it was a beautiful backdrop. What did you think? I first mentioned this book in the Greedy Reading List Three Memoirs I'm Reading Now, 10/7/20 Edition. You might also like the list Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year.

I love Glennon's heart and her honesty, but many of these essays ended too soon for me. Doyle, the bestselling author of Carry On, Warrior and Love Warrior, writes about her life's ups and downs again in her newest book. In Untamed, she shares lessons she's learned through being true to herself, loving herself and caring for others, bringing up her children, examining her religious faith, and finding love. In often very short essays, she explores living genuinely despite others' criticisms; giving herself permission to take up space in the world and speak up; feeling and expressing a full gamut of emotions rather than keeping the peace; rejecting the myth of ideal mothers being martyrs; and generally relying on her inner voice to guide her through an honest, genuine, and fulfilling life. I found that I missed a more narrative arc here--I would have loved spending more page time in her daily family and work life and seeing time pass in both respects. This might have served as a unifying framework for her thoughts and her exhortations to the reader. Many essays ended too soon for me; I often wanted her to take things a step further to share implications or conclusions, or to explore topics more deeply. I love Glennon's heart and her honesty about her limitations and what she's working on in herself. She's often funny, especially when she's letting us into the small moments of her life. I enjoyed hearing more about her unexpected love story with Abby Wambach, and I admire how she strives to make the world a better place, both generally and also through her wide-reaching nonprofit Together Rising. Any Bossy thoughts on this book? Have you read this one? What about her earlier books? I admit to wanting Doyle to dig further in some of these essays, but I do love how much heart she has. I mentioned this book (along with With or Without You and City of Girls) in Three Books I'm Reading Now, 1/6/21 Edition.

Only one title on this list is nonfiction, but I'm reading another one at the moment that's great so A Woman of No Importance is a nonfiction book that also looks wonderful. Because I'm nothing if not greedy, other nonfiction books in this genre on my to-read list that I'm particularly I'd love to hear: What are your favorite (fiction or nonfiction) books about tough lady spies? 01 The Unexpected Spy by Tracy Walder This is the only nonfiction book on the list.

If you like compelling nonfiction, you might also want to check out the post Six of the Best Nonfiction

#nonfiction, #memoir, #appalachian, #politicssocialjustice, #threestarbookreview

Here For It is refreshing and playful yet thoughtful. I loved spending time with the uproariously funny Thomas. In Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America, R. Eric Thomas, the creator of Elle's sassy and smart daily column "Eric Reads the News," shares his thoughts, experiences, and reflections about life and the world around us with honesty and humor. In essays that are sometimes heartbreaking, often inspiring, and that frequently made me laugh out loud, Thomas explores his sheltered youth, his growing realizations that he was different than most people he knew, his shame and fear about living as his authentic self, and his meandering path toward his current life circumstances, in which he is living as he once only dreamed: he is joyfully challenged professionally, he is unapologetically his own unique self, he is exploring his complicated relationship with religion, and he deeply loves and is loved by his (pastor) husband. I listened to this as an audiobook, and I adored hearing Thomas's voice take me through his essays. His voice and delivery are fabulous. Here For It is refreshing and playful yet thoughtful. I loved spending time with the uproariously funny Thomas as he recounts how he's navigated situations large and small in his life. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Thomas is also a host of The Moth storytelling podcast in D.C. and Philadelphia--and he certainly knows how to craft a compelling and full story out of a momentous moment. I mentioned this book (along with the new mystery The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins and the young adult book I'm reading with my book club for January, Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon) in my first Greedy Reading List of the year, Three Books I'm Reading Now, 1/1/21 Edition. My friend Katherine recommended this book to me last spring and despite how long it took me to get to it, I'm so glad she did!

#memoir, #nonfiction 03 Simon the Fiddler ​ Simon the Fiddler is set at the end of the Civil War.

The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition by Caroline Alexander In this beautiful nonfiction

This is nonfiction that seems too incredible to be true, and I was hooked on the details of their 118 A Marriage at Sea  is nonfiction that reads like fiction. More Nonfiction I've Loved If you love nonfiction books, you might like the titles on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Compelling Nonfiction Reads , Six Favorite Nonfiction and Memoir Reads of the Year , Six Nonfiction and Memoir Reads I Loved , Six of My Favorite Nonfiction Reads , or these other nonfiction

#nonfiction, #memoir, #spy, #politicssocialjustice, #fourstarbookreview, #theunexpectedspy 03 The Unwinding #memoir, #nonfiction, #heartwarming, #fourstarbookreview, #theunwindingofthemiracle 04 Maybe You Should stardom, her religious faith, her reliance on and love for her friends, her deep familial attachments and conflicts

is a sweeping generational story of hardship, sacrifice, and fifty years of Korean-Japanese cultural conflict But these four fiction works and two nonfiction titles are some that have stuck with me in one way or

This is my last book gift guide of the holiday season. I hope these lists (see links below) may have helped you find a book or two for someone you love--or for yourself! A Bossy book-buying note: If you're buying books this holiday season, please support your local independent bookstore. They need and appreciate our business now more than ever! (The book covers on this site link you to Bookshop, a site that supports the beloved indies that keep us swimming in thoughtful book recommendations and excellent customer service all year round.) Happy holidays! The Bossy Bookworm 01 Answers in the Form of Questions by Claire McNear If your young people love "Jeopardy" and mourned the passing of Alex Trebek last month like mine did, they might be good candidates for this book. McNear shares interviews with Trebek, producers sharing exactly how they put together the beloved nightly show (there are around 8,000 episodes), hopeful contestants' sometimes wildly competitive trivia paths to the show, and for good measure, also explores the popular "Saturday Night Live" spoof of the show. Other "Jeopardy"-related books I've given to factoid-loving young people in the past with positive results include two of longtime "Jeopardy" contestant (and highest earning game show contestant ever) Ken Jennings's books, Brainiac and Maphead. (Jennings has also authored a series of Junior Genius Guides to U.S. presidents, the human body, dinosaurs, and more that look interesting for young readers.) 02 Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls Forgotten Fairy Tales offers ten stories you may never have heard before that take place around the world, and it showcases young women being their fearless and clever selves. I love books like this (and I hope the young person I'm giving this book to does too). Usborne, the publisher of this title, produces beautiful books my kids have always loved (I'm also giving an Usborne graphic novel about King Arthur as a gift this year), but the publisher's titles aren't always readily available (and don't benefit local booksellers) because they like to sell direct to customers. With that in mind, another book, Fairy Tales of Fearless Girls by Susannah MacFarlane, feels similar in sensibility to Forgotten Fairy Tales. Fearless Girls offers retellings of well-known fairy tales, some visible racial diversity in its illustrations, and it features young female characters using their brains to solve problems--although there is still somewhat of a focus on looks and beauty. 03 Sprawlball by Kirk Goldsberry In Sprawlball, Goldsberry offers A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA in a book perfect for basketball fans of any age who like analysis, visual interpretations, stunning illustrations, and who love basketball itself. Based on research and Goldsberry's own knack for creating visual maps highlighting players' strengths and abilities, Sprawlball is both fascinating and lovely to look at. Another basketball-focused book gift I like is Basketball (and Other Things): A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered, Illustrated by Shea Serrano. Serrano dives into fan disputes big and small, including "Who was the best dunker of all time?" "Which version of Michael Jordan was the best Michael Jordan?" and other sometimes ridiculous issues in this fun exploration of basketball controversy and information. 04 The Ickabog by J. K. Rowling I'm just finishing the Harry Potter series for the third time (I read it once on my own before having kids, and I've read it once with each of my children). There are such strong messages of acceptance, embracing diversity, and practicing intense loyalty to friends of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds in those books, I find myself actively trying to separate this immersive, love-filled fictional world of Rowling's with the hurtful comments she made earlier this year about transgender people. I've found I've been resisting reading this year's Troubled Blood, the newest book in the Cormoran Strike mystery series that Rowling writes under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. But The Ickabog made me want to test my ability to separate the creator from her potentially lovely creation. The Ickabog is about a monstrous legend in the perfect and delicious world of Cornucopia. The legend takes on a life of its own and threatens the safety of everyone in the land, and young best friends Daisy and Bert embark on an adventure to uncover the true monster and save the kingdom. With illustrations from children across the United States and Canada. 05 The Office by Andy Greene Young people who love "The Office" and its over 200 episodes are perfect recipients for this behind-the-scenes look at The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s. Rolling Stone writer Greene offers inside scoop about classic episodes, characters, actors, and storylines. He traces the origins of the show from its funny, humble BBC beginnings to its incredible nine TV seasons aired in the United States--including the story of how it was almost canceled after six episodes, exclusive interviews about the making and evolution of the show, and more. 06 The How-To Cookbook for Teens by Julee Morrison One positive development that's occurred because of our family's slower pace during the pandemic has been that each of my kids has been cooking dinner once a week. (And because I am so greedy about this, I ask them to double their recipes to ensure the magical existence of leftovers, so there are far fewer meals for any grown-ups to plan for). They're straddling the kid/adult cookbook genres, ready to take on more slightly advanced techniques and more complex recipes but still wanting straightforward and efficient methods to get the meal cooked promptly. In our house, recipes for semi-beginner cooks need to balance independent tasks and confidence-boosting familiarity; the main goal is to make it both fun and empowering (and helpful to grown-ups). So I'm hoping this cookbook isn't too easy for a young teen who's already done some cooking. Other cookbooks my kids have loved and cooked their way through recently--and which incidentally don't have a large percentage of dessert and sweet recipes, something we don't personally need more of--are The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs: 100+ Recipes That You'll Love to Cook and Eat from America's Test Kitchen, and The Complete Children's Cookbook: Delicious Step-by-Step Recipes for Young Cooks from DK. Cookbooks for them=meals for the whole family and less cooking (and more reading) for me. See how I greedily did that? Two other cookbooks I'm gifting to young people in my own house this year are The Unofficial Harry Potter cookbook by Dinah Bucholz and a cookbook I'd like the young people in my house to aspire to cook from (and then I'd like them to feed the results to me), Milk Street Tuesday Nights: More Than 200 Simple Weeknight Suppers That Deliver Bold Flavor, Fast, by Christopher Kimball. Which books are you gifting the young people in your life this holiday season? I mentioned other book gift ideas for kids and teens in an earlier post; like this list, that one includes a book with behind-the-scenes looks at a popular TV show ("The Simpsons") and also lists a tiny inspirational book by Lin-Manuel Miranda, a book of life skills for young people, a gorgeous coffee table book that encourages armchair travels to exotic places, a mention of the kids' cooking magazine I'm giving as a gift, and more. I'm also giving Obama's book, A Promised Land, to my teen, and not only because I want to read it myself. I think I may actually want to listen to Obama's soothing, dulcet voice read the audiobook (although I've heard he reads it sloooowly and I may need to up my usual listening speed from 1.5x--yet I do like a challenge). I hope the ideas here and those in my earlier holiday gift lists may help you with a few ideas for beautiful book gifts for the loved ones on your list! You might also like the book gift idea lists Shhh! Books I'm Giving as Gifts This Holiday, Shhh! More Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays, and Shhh! Books I'm Giving Kids and Teens This Holiday.

of e-reading giftees on my fall and holiday gifting list--and I already offer many of my fiction and nonfiction

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading A Marriage at Sea , Sophie Elmhirst's nonfiction that reads like , compelling nonfiction book about a couple whose ambitious sailing trip from England to New Zealand Elmhirst manages to shape a suspenseful nonfiction work despite the couple's significant periods of isolation A Marriage at Sea is nonfiction that reads like fiction. 02 A Family Matter by Claire Lynch In Claire

I sometimes like to dig into a big nonfiction read during the summer, when I feel like time stretches unconventional family in late 20th century Manhattan, Victorian-England-set historical fiction, and a nonfiction

I'm reading Annie Hartnett's upcoming novel The Road to Tender Hearts ; and I'm reading John Green's nonfiction Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green In John Green's nonfiction John Green is also the author of the nonfiction collection of essays The Anthropocene Reviewed (which was one of my six favorite nonfiction reads the year I read it) as well as the young adult novels An

This is nonfiction that seems too incredible to be true, and I was hooked on the details of their 118 Elmhirst manages to shape a suspenseful nonfiction work despite the Maralyn and Maurice's significant If you love nonfiction books, you might like the titles on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Compelling Nonfiction Reads  , Six Favorite Nonfiction and Memoir Reads of the Year , Six Nonfiction and Memoir Reads I Loved , Six of My Favorite Nonfiction Reads , or these other nonfiction books I've reviewed . 06 The Knight

Science and Nature Bossy Book Gift Ideas I love giving nonfiction book gifts about interesting elements my past Bossy gift idea lists (linked below) for quirky books, perennial classics, modern favorites, nonfiction Bossy Book Gift Ideas: Sports Nonfiction Shhh! Bossy Book Gift Ideas: Cookbooks Shhh! Bossy Nonfiction Book Gift Ideas   2021 Bossy Book Gift Guides Shhh! Nonfiction and Hobby Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays Shhh!

The Books I'm Reading Now Please don't ever let me read such disturbing nonfiction again--I'm reading Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser File my reading of this nonfiction I was overly ambitious and thought I could handle any nonfiction book topic.

For more fiction and nonfiction books about race Colson Whitehead is also the author of The Underground For more nonfiction titles that focus on race, please click here .

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Tommy Tomlinson's engaging nonfiction about the Westminster Dog Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show by Tommy Tomlinson Tommy Tomlinson's playful, intriguing nonfiction

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading The Anxious Generation , nonfiction by Jonathan Haidt that explores 01 The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt The subtitle of Jonathan Haidt's nonfiction title The Anxious

my past Bossy gift idea lists (linked below) for quirky books, perennial classics, modern favorites, nonfiction So Far Bossy Holiday Book Gift Ideas: Cookbooks Bossy Holiday Book Gift Ideas: Sports and Recreation Nonfiction Bossy Book Gift Ideas: Sports Nonfiction Shhh! Bossy Book Gift Ideas: Cookbooks Shhh! Bossy Nonfiction Book Gift Ideas   2021 Bossy Book Gift Guides Shhh! Nonfiction and Hobby Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays Shhh!

novel set in 13th-century Ireland, Bright I Burn ; I'm listening to Among the Bros , Max Marshall's nonfiction NetGalley. 02 Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story by Max Marshall Max Marshall's Among the Bros is a nonfiction

forget to check my past Bossy gift idea lists for quirky books, perennial classics, modern favorites, nonfiction Bossy Book Gift Ideas: Sports Nonfiction Shhh! Bossy Book Gift Ideas: Cookbooks Shhh! Bossy Nonfiction Book Gift Ideas   2021 Bossy Book Gift Guides Shhh! Nonfiction and Hobby Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays Shhh!

my past Bossy gift idea lists (linked below) for quirky books, perennial classics, modern favorites, nonfiction So Far Bossy Holiday Book Gift Ideas: Cookbooks Bossy Holiday Book Gift Ideas: Sports and Recreation Nonfiction Bossy Book Gift Ideas: Sports Nonfiction Shhh! Bossy Book Gift Ideas: Cookbooks Shhh! Bossy Nonfiction Book Gift Ideas   2021 Bossy Book Gift Guides Shhh! Nonfiction and Hobby Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays Shhh!

Quinn offers plenty of interpersonal conflict, romance, suspected double-crossing, and details of life The nonfiction Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy is made up of vividly recounted behind-the-scenes Macintyre also wrote the fantastic Spy and the Traitor , which was one of my Six Favorite Nonfiction Books of the Year the year I read it and which I also listed on the Greedy Reading List Six Compelling Nonfiction

Don't forget to check my past Bossy idea lists for quirky books, perennial classics, modern favorites, nonfiction Nonfiction and Hobby Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays Shhh! Bossy Nonfiction Book Gift Ideas 2023 Bossy Book Gift Guides Shhh! Bossy Book Gift Ideas: Sports Nonfiction Bossy Independent Bookstore Love A Bossy book-buying note: If

But Cushla--along with many other citizens--is more and more astounded by the increasing conflict between You can click here to find more Bossy reviews of books set in Ireland, including the nonfiction book

I'd love to hear: What are your favorite (fiction or nonfiction) books about tough lady spies? Notorious Terrorists by Tracy Walder with Jessica Anya Blau I love a peek at a secret world, and in the nonfiction This is the only nonfiction book on this list.

Don't forget to check my past Bossy idea lists for quirky books, perennial classics, modern favorites, nonfiction Nonfiction and Hobby Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays Shhh! Bossy Nonfiction Book Gift Ideas 2023 Bossy Book Gift Guides Shhh! Bossy Book Gift Ideas: Sports Nonfiction Shhh!

centuries later who tries to piece together her life, A True Account; I'm listening to Jennifer Wright's nonfiction NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company. 02 Madame Restell by Jennifer Wright The subtitle of Jennifer Wright's nonfiction

Continental Army, A Girl Called Samson, to be published April 1; I'm reading detective Paul Holes's nonfiction From Paul Holes, the detective who found the Golden State Killer, comes a nonfiction work about tracking

two books in his Passenger series, both released last year; and I'm reading a science-and-sex-focused nonfiction Nagoski's nonfiction is. Come As You Are is about the way women's sexuality works and why.

The Books I'm Reading Now At the moment I'm listening to Timothy Egan's narrative nonfiction account Timothy Egan is also the author of The Worst Hard Time, fascinating narrative nonfiction about the Dust

fiercely loving woman; and I'm reading All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days, Rebecca Donner's narrative nonfiction funeral. 03 All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days by Rebecca Donner The subtitle of Rebecca Donner's nonfiction This powerful work of narrative nonfiction tracks Mildred through her courageous efforts, through immeasurable

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Cultish, nonfiction by Amanda Montell; the upcoming (to be published 01 Cultish: The Language of Fanatacism by Amanda Montell In her nonfiction work Cultish: The Language

become her gorgeous, high-achieving, Harvard-bound cousin comes true; and I'm reading Jonathan Haidt's nonfiction research into moral psychology to address the reasoning between a timely, potent issue: the power in conflicting

Here are my six favorite reads of the past month: contemporary fiction, young adult, nonfiction, fantasy Empire of Pain is essential nonfiction that details the shocking narcissism, relentless ambition and Patrick Radden Keefe is a master of compelling, important nonfiction. book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland was one of my Six of the Best Nonfiction by Douglas Stuart Young Mungo offers a striking story of disappointment, abuse, Protestant-Catholic conflict

Only one title on this list is nonfiction, but because I'm nothing if not greedy, other nonfiction books I'd love to hear: What are your favorite (fiction or nonfiction) books about tough lady spies? This is the only nonfiction book on the list.

Nagamatsu's recently published science fiction How High We Go in the Dark; listening to Angela Duckworth's nonfiction Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth In researcher and professor Angela Duckworth's nonfiction

fascinating, thought-provoking science fiction The Humans; and I'm reading The Quiet Zone, captivating nonfiction Kurczy's nonfiction explores the treasure of quiet in a world largely filled with noise, stimulation,

adhering, for now, to the satisfyingly arcane Dewey Decimal System developed in the late 1900s for the nonfiction

Despite some small moments that felt heavy-handed, this is a powerful, fast-paced, compelling nonfiction The subtitle of Browder's nonfiction book is A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight If you like nonfiction books that read like fiction, you might try the books on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Compelling Nonfiction Books that Read Like Fiction and Six of the Best Nonfiction Books I've Read

standalone novel, The White Lady, a World War I-set novel, The Care and Management of Lies, and the nonfiction

Australian outback at the end of the 19th century, Only Killers and Thieves centers around one family’s conflicts Doc is nonfiction, but it reads like historical fiction (as opposed to a heavier nonfiction title like

Crosley's upcoming literary fantasy; Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe's exhaustive and infuriating nonfiction Meticulously researched, interesting, and infuriating, Empire of Pain is essential nonfiction reading

I had several literary fiction reads, a dystopian fantasy, and a fun nonfiction book. is reeling from economic troubles; Brendan's older adoptive brother deeply resents his presence; and conflicts Tommy Tomlinson's playful, intriguing nonfiction Dogland takes an engaging look at dogs--particularly remain separate, I was taken with the double-edged quest, elite training, magical abilities, and complex conflicts

There's a book of short stories; one nonfiction book; a memoir; an atmospheric, mysterious novel; historical Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green In John Green's nonfiction John Green is also the author of the nonfiction collection of essays The Anthropocene Reviewed  (which was one of my six favorite nonfiction reads  the year I read it) as well as the young adult novels An Griffin Sisters  also takes on deep familial conflicts, coping with loss and a devastating blow for future

don't forget to check my past Bossy idea lists for quirky books, perennial classics, modern favorites, nonfiction Nonfiction and Hobby Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays Shhh! Bossy Nonfiction Book Gift Ideas A Bossy book-buying note: If you're buying books this holiday season