Ah, summer. A season free of school, of homework, of books. Unless you’re me. Or Maddie. Or someone who just loves to read.
I read a lot of nonfiction books this summer without meaning to. I think I just outgrew my young adult fantasy phase from freshman year and high school (though, you’re never too old for it) and was looking for books a little more grounded in reality. Here are the best nonfiction books I read this past summer that taught me something new without reading like a textbook!
“The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America” by Eric Cervini
If you thought you put in a lot of research for last semester’s final essay, whew! Just wait until you read this 2021 Pulitzer Prize in History finalist. “The Deviant’s War” meticulously — but never dully — chronicles the pre-Stonewall gay rights movement through the legal and social battles of Frank Kameny, who appealed his termination from the U.S. Army for his alleged homosexuality. This led to the first civil rights claim related to sexual orientation filed in the Supreme Court and the start of his life-long battle for gay rights in America. This book is a triumphant tale of perseverance, packed with endlessly interesting details of the lives of its activists and takes ample care to tell all the stories it can of those involved in the movement.
“She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story that Helped Ignite a Movement” by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey
Look, I help run a college newspaper: I’m a sucker for journalism about journalism. “She Said” documents the authors’ investigation into Harvey Weinstein, among other prominent men, for sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace — their articles in The New York Times led to its 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service and propelled the global “#MeToo” movement of the late 2010s. The book was published in 2019 (five years ago, crazy!) and is a story of the strength of survivors and the grit necessary for journalists to bring these voices to the public ear. I had seen the movie before this summer and can confirm it is just as compelling (but read the book first, always).
“All About Love: New Visions” by bell hooks
I took PHIL 107, Philosophy of Love and Sex, last semester and loved it (pun intended), so I decided to continue my education when I saw this bright red title on the shelf in my favorite bookstore. In less than 300 pages, hooks managed to shift and twist the way I view love: not just romantic, but platonic, familial and for the self. Published in 1999, her argument is optimistic and rooted in the importance of loving action: of going beyond words and intentions to be loving and thinking critically about how we are taught to love, all in a lovely (again, pun intended) blend of philosophy and sociology. I don’t particularly consider myself a pessimist, but the book certainly gave me a bit more hope in the world.
I just have one question after all of this: Is it an unwritten requirement for every nonfiction book ever to have a subtitle? It takes up so much of my word count …
