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True Crime, Low Body Count: “Bloodless” True Crime Stories

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I don’t care for true crime. I question some of the drive behind its popularity–it’s got a lot of dead girls and it positions human pain as entertainment–but I also understand why people are drawn to it. The genre has been around for a long time, and it ebbs and wanes in its connection with popular culture. Some works of true crime endure, like In Cold Blood by Truman Capote or Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry’s Helter Skelter, and others are but a flash in the pan. Entire careers have been built in the world of true crime, including staples like Ann Rule.

When I say I don’t care for true crime, I tell a bit of a lie. I have actually read quite a bit of it, and I have enjoyed the books I’ve read. John Krakauer’s Missoula kept me hooked, as did both Columbine and Parkland by David Cullen. Michelle McNamera’s I’ll Be Gone In The Dark was impossible for me to put down, as was Dashka Slater’s incredible YA true crime book The 57 Bus. Here’s where I won’t lie: In Cold Blood is also one of my favorite stories and one I can read stories about and stories derived from again and again. What captures me with true crime isn’t the crime. It’s the way the crime story is told. I want to feel like I’m reading a work of hard journalism, and that tends to lean toward the types of true crime books where there is not a dead body or series of dead bodies. Sometimes there are, of course. But for the most part, I prefer my true crime to have a low body count.

For years, I’ve called this subset of the genre “bloodless” true crime, but that feels a bit disingenuous,. There is always going to be some kind of blood with true crime, whether it’s literal or metaphorical. Calling this micro genre non-violent true crime also feels a little inaccurate: there is hurt along the way and in some cases, it can be violent. I think the better description for the kind of true crime books I like are those of unique obsession. These are stories where the criminal is not hungry for another person but driven to crime related to more material objects. Books in this niche can easily blend in with narrative nonfiction that explores science or art; you might see them recommended with books about, say, bats or owls. But these books do more than offer stories of creatures or objects. There is a crime of some sort at the center of the story, often focused on one or two individuals and exploration of a subculture where said individual is active and engaged. A book like The Language of Butterflies, while good, does not quite fit because it does not focus on the a specific crime related to lepidopteristry.

These books tend to be very white, and they also tend to be very male. This makes perfect sense: white collar crime is more digestible to us as humans, and we find white men to be most digestible in Western cultures (whether or not you believe that or I believe that is another story). Men are authorities and experts, and the crimes of obsession which center them can avoid diving into politics of the other, be it in race, gender, sexuality.

If you, like me, love a good true crime book that focuses less on human destruction and more on obsession, then you’ll want to try some of these books. It is not lost on me that most of these books have the word “thief” in the title.

the art thief book coverThe Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel

I think part of why I am drawn to bloodless crime stories is because of my own (minor) connection to one. During my time at the University of Texas in the graduate Information Studies program, I had an opportunity to help with a research project. The project would result in a manual to help special libraries and archives across the country develop securities policies to protect their collections. This manual was long overdue and it was necessary, thanks to the nationwide crime spree of Stephen Blumburg. Blumberg was an obsessive about books–a literal, not figurative, bibliomaniac–and he stole books, manuscripts, and other significant materials from institutions across the US. You can read the Blumberg story here, and my (tiny) role in the project was helping tabulate the results of an institutional survey about the materials stolen by the book thief.*

When I read the flap copy for The Art Thief, I knew immediately it was a book I needed to read. I grabbed it on audio, and I was not disappointed. The story follows Stéphane Breitwieser, one of the most successful art thieves in modern history. Breitwieser stole hundreds of priceless works of art and artifacts from museums and cathedrals in Switzerland, France, and more over the course of eight years. He lived with his long-time girlfriend in the attic of an apartment building owned by his mother, about the most unassuming setup for such an art connoisseur. And connoisseur he was: Breitwieser was obsessive about the works he took, both in understanding their stories and in figuring out how to carefully remove them from where they belong.

The book is a fascinating look at obsession, as much as it is a book that questions motives. Breitwieser, like Blumberg, did not steal in order to make a profit. He did it because he was obsessive about art and those works in particular. Did he have stendhal syndrome? Did he struggle with kleptomania? Was it some other third thing? There’s ample time in the book dedicated to what the purpose of museums is and the struggles to develop security systems that allow public access while protecting culturally-significant valuables (not to mention the costs associated with security).

It’s hard to know or say. What we do know, though, comes through this book. Finkel’s storytelling is captivating, and his author’s note is a must-read at the end. The work is pieced together from actual interviews with Breitwieser and Breitwieser’s own writings about the crimes. The author’s note also references Blumberg and several other art criminals through history, perfect for readers who want to dedicate days of their life to internet rabbit holes. This is a short read, and the audiobook, performed by Eduardo Ballerini, an excellent option.

This story, like Blumberg’s, is not ancient history. Both men are still alive, their crimes done in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. Would these stories be possible today or, thanks to technology and the speed by which institutions can communicate have hampered their efforts much sooner?

the dinosaur artist book coverThe Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy by Paige Williams

Eric Prokopi because obsessed with the T. bataar bones the moment he saw them. What unfolds in this story is how Prokopi’s encounter with the fossils lead to his need to sell those fossils in the black market. It is a story of natural life trafficking that crosses the planet and delves into the world of underground fossil trade. The book, I should note, looks much lengthier than it truly is–about half of the pages are William’s research notes and references, which should indicate just how deeply researched this one is.

I admit to being a little confused at the conclusion of the book about what Prokopi ended up going to prison for, and that’s probably a result of the laws relating to his arrest being confusion. This is what happens when you commit international crime. Go into this one to learn about dinosaur fossils, the folks whose obsession moves from awe to theft, and where and how countries like Mongolia have become hotbeds for such crimes.

Who do dinosaur bones belong to, anyway? If that’s the one takeaway from the book, well, it’s a pretty good one.

 

the falcon thief book coverThe Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and The Hunt For The Perfect Bird by Joshua Hammer

In May 2010, Jeffrey Lendrum was arrested in the UK at an airport after a security guard in one of the lounges thought something suspicious was going on. Lendrum had left his partner in the lounge while he went into the bathroom for twenty minutes. The guard went in after and noticed nothing had been touched while he was in there — no shower, no running water. But there was a suspicious looking egg in the garbage can. Before long, it was discovered Lendrum had numerous eggs secured to his body, along with numerous eggs in his luggage. These were the eggs of falcons, each of which — were they to make it alive to his destination in Dubai — would net him a lot of money from political leaders in the region who practiced the art and sport of falconry. 

From here, the book follows the rise of falconry in the middle east and how it ties into their history, as well as how it is Lendrum got caught up in the theft of some of the world’s most rare raptor eggs and how he traversed some of the most dangerous places in order to steal the eggs and make a profit. It’s a fascinating and infuriating story, not only because of how it plays into disturbing nature and causing further harm to hurting species, but also because of how Lendrum’s passion for nature went so off-course from his boyhood days in South Africa. 

The Falcon Thief, besides its obvious exploration of theft of eggs, has some moments of animal harm, but it’s one I think those who are sensitive to that might be able to stomach without too much problem. Hammer offers a fair assessment of why Lendrum would partake in such illegal acts, while balancing the history and legacy of falconry in the middle east. It’s not an apology nor excuse for his behavior; rather, it’s context and conjecture for the whys, particularly where Hammer was unable to get the information first-hand. 

It is bizarre to think about the books you read in The Before of COVID and those you read in The After as things. But I read this one in a hotel in San Mateo, California, in late January 2020. I remember it vividly…and I remember that memory being forever sealed into my head, in part because I was able to read it outside in the sun in January and because the flight back–out of San Francisco–was the first time I saw individuals taking COVID measures. Little did I know.

the feather thief book coverThe Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson

Do not be put off by the premise of this one if you think nothing sounds more boring than a guy ho steals feathers for fly-tying. I promise–it is unbelievably interesting. This true crime book follows a man who becomes so obsessed with fly-tying that he breaks into a museum to steal their rare birds to sell the feathers for profit. Johnson’s attention to details and passion for cracking the mystery of the still-missing birds is propulsive, and the way this looks at a very specific community’s passion — in this case, the fly-tying community’s passion for very specific bird feathers — was fascinating. There’s a lot here, too, about ethics and about the ways people throughout history have sought what’s not theirs, starting with how those birds and feathers ended up in the British Museum of Natural History in the first place.

The images in this one, tucked near the back of the narrative, added a ton. I was surprised to see images of Edwin himself, who wasn’t at all what I expected (like Johnson himself had said just pages earlier), and seeing what these fly-ties looked like and the birds that drew such lust from those hobbyists made the crime all that more fascinating.

The Feather Thief may have been the first book to crack open this subgenre interest for me in a way that I could best put into words. I want to know about the crimes, yes, but more than that, I want to know about the psyche of the person behind it. What makes someone fall so deeply into a community like that of fly-tying? And how does a person move from the position of being engaged to becoming obsessive and acting on that obsession? That marriage of journalism with crime gives the right strokes of psychology and sociology, married with philosophy and history.

I know a lot of folks found Susan Orlean’s The Library Book another solid example in this micro genre, but I was not as smitten with it. I found the vocational awe to overwhelm the story, with the actual crime at hand–the 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Public Library’s Central Library–kind of being secondary to talking about how cool libraries and library workers are. The photos in it were also just bad and added nothing. Others disagree with me, given the high ratings of the book across the internet. It’s unfortunate for me, though, since it did not make me want to hurry and pick up the other white collar true crime book in Orlean’s arsenal: The Orchid Thief.

obsessive true crime cover collage

 

There are several other books within this niche, and though I haven’t read them, it’s worth including them for readers eager for more. As I mentioned, this is a very white and very male category of books which is in and of itself worth unpacking. Who gets their criminal mischief repackaged as entertainment as opposed to a dire warning? Who gets to live their life after being caught and who ends up finding themselves harmed in the process?

If a story about the wild Asian arowana, one of the world’s rarest fish, sounds up your alley, then the book you’ll want to pick up is Emily Voigt’s The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World’s Most Coveted Fish.

How about America’s flower selling culture and the quest to replicate a rare ghost orchid? That’ll be for you in Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief.

I did read The Truffle Underground: A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and Manipulation in the Shadowy Market of the World’s Most Expensive Fungus by Ryan Jacobs, and it, too, fits nicely into this subgenre, with a bit of caveat. The story is not quite as narratively-driven as the others here, but that exchange in writing style does not shortchange the story of folks who become obsessed with truffles and “hunting” them. I had no idea what a mess the truffle industry is top to bottom (I like truffle oil, though admit the aftertaste is what ultimately makes me decide to go for it or not–if I am not in the mood to enjoy that truffle flavor for the rest of the day, I’m going to skip it).

The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity by Axton Betz-Hamilton does not exactly fit this list but deserves a place here anyway. This is a memoir, but it’s bloodless true crime memoir about identity theft and the ways and hows Axton’s parents dealt with having their identities stolen over and over…and how her own identity was stolen from her by those she thought she could trust. This book gets billed as a mystery, which I think is unfair. There’s not really a mystery here in the sense of a “whodunit?” It’s much more a “whydunit?” Readers who, like me, dig the crime books above will find this one captivating, too.

 

*Someday maybe I’ll see about putting this story into a book format–I wonder if Blumberg, like his art thief counterpart Breitwieser, would ever grant personal interviews. He’s 75, so perhaps this is a question to find an answer to sooner, rather than later.

Early 2023 YA Nonfiction for Your TBR

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YA nonfiction continues to be one of the underdogs of the literary world. There are few awards dedicated to honoring the work, and as much as some of us have rallied for Goodreads to make it a category for their annual readers’ choice awards, they haven’t (and I suspect they will not). It also doesn’t get the same social media attention as fiction does. All of that is unfortunate, especially because it is both a growing and wonderful arena of books. We know teens are big nonfiction readers, and books written with them as an audience in mind matters. Because I keep track and read YA nonfiction, I find it worthwhile to roundup the upcoming new releases as much as I can to give these books a boost they might not otherwise see in “most anticipated” and similar roundups. That all said, let’s take a look at some of the early 2023 YA nonfiction you’ll want on your radar.

These are all YA nonfiction books hitting shelves between January and the end of April. I’ve pulled descriptions from Amazon. As usual, because it is harder to track down all of the nonfiction being published for young adults, this list is far from comprehensive. It leans more heavily on narrative nonfiction than more of the how-to style nonfiction. If you know of other YA nonfiction hitting shelves in the first few months of the year not included, I’d love to hear about them in the comments. Usual disclaimers apply here that one of the tricky parts of YA nonfiction is that many are published for 10-14 or 12-18, so some of these titles might lean more toward middle grade than YA.

Early 2023 YA Nonfiction

cash is queen book coverCash is Queen : A Girl’s Guide to Securing, Spending and Stashing Cash by Davinia Tomlinson and Andrea Oerter (1/3)

The world’s first money book written exclusively for girls, Cash is Queen is designed to deliver the sophistication, practicality, and fun guaranteed to appeal to today’s young woman.

Study after study shows that women are far happier discussing virtually anything else but bank balances, and this lack of confidence in openly discussing money matters is crippling the female population financially. Women negotiate less in salary discussions, are excessively cautious and risk averse when it comes to investing, and lack the general awareness around how to optimize retirement savings to guarantee a comfortable retirement.

With clear explanations and empowering text by experienced financial expert Davinia Tomlinson, you’ll learn that establishing a positive relationship with money as an adult must be cultivated in childhood.

Cash is Queen explains in a tone that’s relatable, fresh, and fun, everything a young girl needs to know about saving, spending, and stashing her cash, helping girls everywhere establish positive financial habits that will last a lifetime.

Non-patronizing or preachy, this book is essential reading for young girls everywhere as they enter adulthood and begin the journey of discovery in identifying the mark they would like to leave in the world.

dark testament book coverDark Testament: Blackout Poems by Crystal Simone Smith (1/3)

In this extraordinary collection, the award-winning poet Crystal Simone Smith gives voice to the mournful dead, their lives unjustly lost to violence, and to the grieving chorus of protestors in today’s Black Lives Matter movement, in search of resilience and hope.

With poems found within the text of George Saunders’s Lincoln in the Bardo, Crystal Simone Smith embarks on an uncompromising exploration of collective mourning and crafts a masterwork that resonates far beyond the page. These poems are visually stark, a gathering of gripping verses that unmasks a dialogue of tragic truths―the stories of lives taken unjustly and too soon.

Bold and deeply affecting, Dark Testament is a remarkable reckoning with our present moment, a call to action, and a plea for a more just future.

Along with the poems, Dark Testament includes a stirring introduction by the author that speaks to the content of the poetry, a Q&A with George Saunders, and a full-color photo-insert that commemorates victims of unlawful killings with photographs of memorials that have been created in their honor.

 

female gifted and black book coverFemale, Gifted, and Black: Awesome Art and Literary Pioneers Who Changed the World (Black Historical Figures, Women in Black History) by Becca Anderson and M.J. Fievre  (1/10)

Learn about amazing women in Black history. Whether you learned about these women in school or not, these Black historical figures changed society and inspired future generations. Read all about these powerful women in black history such as Amanda Gorman, Alice Walker, Warsan Shire, Eartha Kitt, Gloria Hendry, Issa Rae, Pearl Bailey, Shonda Rhimes and so many more. From artists to writers, models to dancers, Female, Gifted and Black inspires you to be a trailblazer with these stories of strength, perseverance, and talent.

Dive into this Black history book. Driven by female empowerment, this collection of biographies tells the unique stories of these powerful women in Black history who made a difference. From artists to activists, Female, Gifted and Black showcases a plethora of passions and skills to prove that Black is beautiful. These mighty women in Black history prove that your passions and drive are the most powerful things you have.

Inside Female, Gifted and Black, you’ll learn to:

  • Recognize the importance of honoring Black intelligence, willpower, and passion
  • Celebrate the strength of these revolutionary women in Black history
  • Channel your inner womanhood
  • Discover powerful stories of accomplishments achieved by Black historical figures

 

doomed book coverDoomed: Sacco, Vanzetti, and The End of the American Dream by John Florio, Ouisie Shapiro (1/24)

In the early 1920s, a Red Scare gripped America. Many of those targeted were Italians, Eastern Europeans, and other immigrants.

When an armed robbery resulting in the death of two people broke headlines in Massachusetts, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti―both Italian immigrants―were quick to be accused.

A heated trial ensued, but through it all, the two men maintained their innocence. The controversial case quickly rippled past borders as it became increasingly clear that Sacco and Vanzetti were fated for a death sentence. Protests sprang up around the world to fight for their lives.

Learn the tragic history we dare not repeat in Doomed: Sacco, Vanzetti, and the End of the American Dream, an action-packed, fast-paced nonfiction book filled with issues that still resonate today.

 

how to be a young antiracist book coverHow to Be a (Young) Antiracist : How to Be a (Young) Antiracist by Ibrim X. Kendi and Nic Stone (1/31)

The New York Times bestseller How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi is shaping the way a generation thinks about race and racism. How to be a (Young) Antiracist is a dynamic reframing of the concepts shared in the adult book, with young adulthood front and center. Aimed at listeners 12 and up and co-authored by award-winning children’s book author Nic Stone, How to be a (Young) Antiracist empowers teen listeners to help create a more just society. Antiracism is a journey—and now young adults will have a map to carve their own path. Kendi and Stone have revised this work to provide anecdotes and data that speaks directly to the experiences and concerns of younger listeners, encouraging them to think critically and build a more equitable world in doing so.

 

 

 

change the game book coverColin Kaepernick: Change the Game by Colin Kaepernick, Eve L. Ewing, Orlando Caicedo (Illustrated by) (3/7)

A high school senior at a crossroads in life and heavily scouted by colleges and Major League Baseball (MLB), Colin has a bright future ahead of him as a highly touted prospect. Everyone, from his parents to his teachers and coaches, is in agreement on his future. Everyone but him.

Colin isn’t excited about baseball. In the words of five-time all-star MLB player Adam Jones, “Baseball is a white man’s sport.” He looks up to athletes like Allen Iverson: talented, hyper-competitive, unapologetically Black, and dominating their sports while staying true to themselves. College football looks a lot more fun than sleeping on hotel room floors in the minor leagues of baseball. But Colin doesn’t have a single offer to play football. Yet. This touching YA graphic novel memoir explores the story of how a young change-maker learned to find himself, make his own way, and never compromise.

 

 

in limbo book coverIn Limbo: A Graphic Memoir by Deb JJ Lee (3/7)

A debut YA graphic memoir about a Korean-American girl’s coming-of-age story―and a coming home story―set between a New Jersey suburb and Seoul, South Korea.

Ever since Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee emigrated from South Kora to the United States, she’s felt her otherness.

For a while, her English wasn’t perfect. Her teachers can’t pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes―especially her eyes―feel wrong.

In high school, everything gets harder. Friendships change and end, she falls behind in classes, and fights with her mom escalate. Caught in limbo, with nowhere safe to go, Deb finds her mental health plummeting, resulting in a suicide attempt.

But Deb is resilient and slowly heals with the help of art and self-care, guiding her to a deeper understanding of her heritage and herself.

This stunning debut graphic memoir features page after page of gorgeous, evocative art, perfect for Tillie Walden fans. It’s a cross section of the Korean-American diaspora and mental health, a moving and powerful read in the vein of Hey, Kiddo and The Best We Could Do.

 

nearer my freedom book coverNearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself by Monica Edinger, Lesley Younge (3/7)

 

 

hidden systems book coverHidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day by Dan Nott (3/14)

We use water, electricity, and the internet every day–but how do they actually work? And what’s the plan to keep them running for years to come? This nonfiction science graphic novel takes readers on a journey from how the most essential systems were developed to how they are implemented in our world today and how they will be used in the future.

What was the first message sent over the internet? How much water does a single person use every day? How was the electric light invented?

For every utility we use each day, there’s a hidden history–a story of intrigue, drama, humor, and inequity. This graphic novel provides a guided tour through the science of the past–and reveals how the decisions people made while inventing and constructing early technology still affect the way people use it today.

Full of art, maps, and diagrams, Hidden Systems is a thoughtful, humorous exploration of the history of science and what needs to be done now to change the future.

 

michi challenges history book coverMichi Challenges History : From Farm Girl to Costume Designer to Relentless Seeker of the Truth: The Life of Michi Weglyn by Ken Mochizuki (3/14)

A powerful biography of Michi Weglyn, the Japanese American fashion designer whose activism fueled a movement for recognition of and reparations for America’s World War II concentration camps.

The daughter of Japanese immigrants, Michi Nishiura Weglyn was confined in Arizona’s Gila River concentration camp during World War II. She later became a costume designer for Broadway and worked as the wardrobe designer for some of the most popular television personalities of the ’50s and early ’60s.

In 1968, after a televised statement by the US Attorney General that concentration camps in America never existed, Michi embarked on an eight-year solo quest through libraries and the National Archives to expose and account for the existence of the World War II camps where she and other Japanese Americans were imprisoned. Her research became a major catalyst for passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, in which the US government admitted that its treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II was wrong.

Thoroughly researched and intricately told, Michi Changes History is a masterful portrayal of one woman’s fight for the truth―and for justice.

 

share better book coverShare Better and Stress Less by Whitney Phillips, Ryan Milner (3/14)

We know that pollution damages our physical environments—but what about the digital landscape? Touching on everything from goat memes gone wrong to conflict in group chats to the sometimes unexpected side effects of online activism, this lively guide to media literacy draws on ecological, social justice, and storytelling frameworks to help readers understand how information pollution spreads and why. It also helps them make sense of the often stressful and strange online world. Featuring a hyperconnected cast of teens and their social-media shenanigans, reader-friendly text tackles the thorny topic of internet ethics while empowering—and inspiring—young readers to weave a safe, secure, and inclusive digital world. Readers are invited to delve further into the subject with the help of comprehensive source notes and a bibliography in the back matter.

 

 

 

rising class book coverRising Class : How Three First-Generation College Students Conquered Their First Year by Jennifer Miller (3/28)

This eye-opening YA narrative nonfiction follows three first-generation college students as they navigate their first year―and ultimately a global pandemic.

Making it through the first year of college is tough. What makes it even tougher is being the first in your family to do so. Who can you turn to when you need advice?

Rising Class follows three first-generation freshmen, Briani, Conner, and Jacklynn, as they not only experience their first semester of college, but the COVID-19 pandemic that turned their Spring semester upside down. From life in the ivy league to classes at a community college, this nonfiction book follows these students’ challenges, successes, and dreams as they tackle their first year of college and juggle responsibilities to their families back home.

Eye-opening and poignant, Jennifer Miller writes a narrative nonfiction story that speaks to new beginnings, coming of age, and perseverance.

 

unaccompanied book cover

Unaccompanied: Stories of Brave Teenagers Seeking Asylum by Tracy White (3/28)

This book tells the true stories of five brave teens fleeing their home countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guinea, on their own, traveling through unknown and unfriendly places, and ultimately crossing into the US to find refuge and seek asylum. Based on extensive interviews with teen refugees, lawyers, caseworkers, and activists, Tracy White shines a light on five individual kids from among the tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors who enter the U.S. each year. In stark black and white illustrations, she helps us understand why some young people would literally risk their lives to seek safety in the US. Each one of them has been backed into a corner where emigration to the US seems like their only hope.

 

ay mija book cover¡Ay, Mija! (A Graphic Novel) : My Bilingual Summer in Mexico by Christine Suggs (4/4)

In this bilingual, inventive, and heartfelt debut, graphic novel talent Christine Suggs explores a trip they took to Mexico to visit family, embracing and rebelling against their heritage and finding a sense of belonging.

Sixteen-year-old Christine takes their first solo trip to Mexico to spend a few weeks with their grandparents and tía. At first, Christine struggles to connect with family they don’t yet share a language with. Seeing the places their mom grew up—the school she went to, the café where she had her first date with their father—Christine becomes more and more aware of the generational differences in their family.

Soon Christine settles into life in Mexico, eating pan dulce, drawing what they see, and growing more comfortable with Spanish. But when Mom joins their trip, Christine’s two worlds collide. They feel homesick for Texas, struggle against traditions, and miss being able to speak to their mom without translating. Eventually, through exploring the impacts of colonialism in both Mexico and themselves, they find their place in their family and start to feel comfortable with their mixed identity.

 

questions i am asked about the holocaustQuestions I Am Asked About The Holocaust : A Young Reader’s Edition by Hédi Fried(Author), Laila Ekboir(Illustrator), Alice E. Olsson(Translator) (4/4)

Hédi Fried was nineteen when the Nazis arrested her family and transported them to Auschwitz. While there, apart from enduring the daily horrors at the concentration camp, she and her sister were forced into hard labor before being released at the end of the war.

After settling in Sweden, Hédi devoted her life to educating young people about the Holocaust. In her 90s, she decided to take the most common questions, and her answers, and turn them into a book so that children all over the world could understand what had happened.

This is a deeply human book that urges us never to forget and never to repeat.

 

 

 

where to start book coverWhere to Start : A Survival Guide to Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mental Health Challenges by Mental Health America, illustrated by Gemma Correll (4/11)

It can be extremely hard to figure out what’s going on in our own heads when we are suffering—when we feel alone and unworthy and can’t stop our self-critical inner voice. And it’s even more difficult to know where to go for answers. But this book can help. Here you’ll find clear, honest, jargon-free information about all the most common mental illnesses, including a first self-assessment test; tips on how to get help and how to talk about your mental health with friends, family, and medical professionals; and tools for staying healthy. Plus, the book’s accessible and reassuring information and resources are interspersed with insightful and very funny drawings by acclaimed cartoonist Gemma Correll. This will be a book that you’ll cherish.

 

work what you got book coverWork What You Got by Zion Clark, James S. Hirsch (4/11)

When a baby named Zion was born in 1997 to an imprisoned, drug-addicted mother, his future seemed bleak. Born without legs due to a rare condition called caudal regression syndrome, Zion was abandoned and shunted to a foster-care system ill-equipped to care for him. In this stirring memoir, readers will follow as he is bounced from home to home, subjected to abuse, neglect, and inconceivable hardship. Somehow, Zion finds supportive angels along the way: his first two foster families, who offer a haven; the wrestling coach who senses his “warrior spirit” and nurtures it; the woman of fierce faith who adopts a seventeen-year-old and cheers his every match. From play-by-play narration of how Zion adapts wrestling moves to defeat able-bodied opponents, wielding phenomenal arm and hand strength, to accounts of his extraordinary work ethic, unflagging optimism, and motivational speaking, this is an inspirational story of courage that will appeal to any athlete who respects determination, any young person facing adversity, and any reader who wants to believe in the human spirit.

money out loud book coverMoney Out Loud : All the Financial Stuff No One Taught Us by Berna Anat and Monique Sterling (4/25)

So no one taught you about money, either? Let’s figure this me$$ out together. 

In this illustrated, deeply unserious guide to money, Berna Anat—aka the Financial Hype Woman—freaks out her immigrant parents by doing the unthinkable: Talking about money. Loudly. 

Because we’re done staying silent, anxious, and ashamed about our money. It’s time to join the party and finally learn about all the financial stuff that always felt too confusing. Stuff like:

  • How to actually budget, save, and invest (but also make it fun) 
  • How our traumas shape our most toxic money habits, and how to create new patterns
  • How to build wealth in a system designed to keep us broke 
  • How to use money to fund our biggest dreams—and change the world

No more keeping our money on mute. It’s time to grab the mic.

 

I Had a Baby

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It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? And by a minute, I mean…a few months. A lot has happened in my life since I last posted here. I’m reading a lot less and writing basically none, and that’s due mainly to the fact that I added a small human to my family in May. While I had an overall average pregnancy (no major complications, the usual aches and pains – uncomfortable but manageable), my birth and postpartum were pretty traumatic. I’m fine and so is the baby, but it was definitely not the birth experience I hoped for. However, now that we’re currently exiting the “fourth trimester” and kinda sorta getting the hang of taking care of a baby, I find myself with some time to do a little more than just feed the baby, burp the baby, change the baby, rock the baby, and try to squeeze in some food and sleep for myself.

As far as my reading life goes, I did read a few helpful pregnancy books before delivering, plus I occasionally page through a couple of baby-care books when I can. I’m also forcing myself to read a chapter or two of an actual print book – not related to babies, just for fun – every week. I thought I’d be able to continue my audiobook listening, but I’ve found it difficult to be able to focus enough on the stories while caring for the baby. Those tasks demand just enough of my mental energy to make following a book at the same time mostly impossible. Instead, I put on some low-energy television that I can still follow while only paying half attention to it (Survivor was our show of choice in the first month, but I mainly re-watch crime procedurals now).

I’m hoping to be able to get back into reading and writing more as the baby sleeps longer and my family gets more efficient and practiced with our baby-care duties. To kick off this goal, here’s a rundown of my recent reads.

Pregnancy and Baby-Related

Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong – and What You Really Need to Know by Emily Oster

I dislike the clickbait subheads on Oster’s books, but I really appreciate her straightforward discussions about pregnancy and caring for an infant. She’s an economist who writes about where the “conventional pregnancy wisdom” comes from – namely, the studies behind the advice and guidance doctors, other mothers, and the internet give new parents.

I found this book super helpful for right-sizing the actual risk of my activities to my baby in utero, and the conclusions I drew are mainly that there’s a lot less risk than you’d think. Just as I expected, much of the guidance about what to avoid (anything that tastes good or is mildly exciting) is fear-mongering and not based on science. For the most part, the only things that will harm a fetus are binge drinking (small amounts of alcohol are fine and not shown to cause harm), excessive caffeine (two cups of coffee a day are fine), and smoking and other recreational drug use (any amount). Foods pregnant people are often told to avoid, like sushi, are fine to consume if they’re from a provider you trust and stored safely. In my area of the world, food-borne illness such as listeria has more widely been found in melon, ice cream, and prepared salads, none of which pregnant people are told to avoid.

Oster does a good job of laying out the facts about each study, including whether it’s a good study in the first place or if there’s actually been a study done on a particular piece of guidance at all (it’s really hard to do ethical studies on pregnancy!). She repeatedly emphasizes that she wants the reader to draw her own conclusions about what she should or should not do/consume, giving examples from her own life (she chose to continue to eat turkey sandwiches; a friend of hers chose to avoid them). For my part, it helped me as a first-time mother calm my fears about harming my child and made me feel a bit freer in those precious months before my life would change entirely.

Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster

What I remember most from this follow-up to Expecting Better is that women who forego the epidural tend to push for shorter amounts of time and have faster recoveries. Because of this, I wrote in my birth plan that I wanted to wait and see how my pain was before getting the epidural. I ended up asking for it before I was even admitted to the hospital because the pain was so bad – I believe I would have passed out from it if I hadn’t gotten the pain relief. It was definitely the right choice for me and if I have another baby, I will take the epidural immediately again. (I also only pushed for about 15 minutes so it doesn’t seem like it had any effect on that!) This is another good book from Oster, though I admit not a lot of it stuck with me.

Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, Second Edition by Myra J. Wick, M.D., Ph.D.

I chose this as my pregnancy preparedness guide because I wanted an alternative to What to Expect When You’re Expecting, which had reviews that indicated even the most current edition had out of date information and the writing style spoke down to its audience. This is a straightforward, no-nonsense book from the experts that breaks down a pregnancy week by week, discussing what symptoms are normal, what symptoms are more serious and may require medical attention, and other useful ways to prepare for a new baby.

 

Mayo Clinic Guide to Your Baby’s First Years, Second Edition by Walter J. Cook, M.D., and Kelsey M. Klaas, M.D.

More of the same from the Mayo Clinic. This guide discusses common themes in the first half (feeding, sleeping) and then goes month-by-month in the second, covering milestones and normal growth.

 

 

 

Baby 411: Your Baby, Birth to Age 1 by Dr. Ari Brown and Denise Fields

This is a great dip-in, dip-out guide to everything baby. We’ve used it when we had a specific question or concern – just turn to that page and find the answer. It’s interesting to see what advice conflicts with the Mayo Clinic book or the pediatrician. The authors of Baby 411 suggest using distilled water, then boiling it, before mixing it with powdered formula (the former because of fluoride that newborns don’t need; the latter to sterilize the powder, which does not come sterilized). Our pediatrician says neither is necessary for an otherwise healthy newborn. So while there are many good books on the subject of babies, some discretion and decision-making will always be required.

 

Just for Fun

There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool

This is the print book I’m currently making my way through. I bought it at the last Texas Book Festival pre-Covid; it was among the set of books I purchased that I read fairly quickly after buying them, which is unusual for me (like many a bookworm, I acquire many more books than I actually read). This was one of the few I hadn’t gotten around to yet. It’s an epic YA fantasy with an ensemble cast about a world whose Prophets disappeared many years ago – and a prophecy that speaks of the birth of a new Prophet that could either save or destroy everything. Five teenagers, some with magical powers, are each caught up in the adventure.

I’m halfway through it, which feels like a minor miracle considering my reading is constantly interrupted or simply relegated to the back burner in favor of other activities (mostly feeding myself and sleeping). I’m enjoying the book, but not loving it, and I think that’s largely due to the fact that it’s really difficult for me to push from my mind thoughts about what I Should Be Doing (laundry, listening for the baby waking up, washing bottles, tidying the house, etc., etc.) and focus on just reading. The book is a bit of a slow burn as Pool slowly reveals how each character is connected to each other and to the larger story. Chapters cycle through each character’s point of view, making this a good readalike for teens who enjoyed that aspect of Game of Thrones but want something a bit more on their level.

The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth

I had never heard of this author before, but I really enjoyed this story about the tense relationship between a woman and her mother-in-law, and what happens when the mother-in-law is found dead (presumably murdered). This is less domestic noir and more tragic family story with a bit of suspense thrown in. Hepworth is really good at crafting three-dimensional, difficult, but sympathetic characters, and the mother-in-law in this story stuck with me long after I finished the book and learned how she died. If you enjoy psychological thrillers but want something a bit less soapy, I recommend giving Hepworth’s books a try (I also read and can recommend The Good Sister).

 

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

This author duo specializes in melodramatic psychological thrillers with a huge twist (or two) at the end. They are a lot of fun, though not of the highest quality. I started this one on audio while pregnant and finished it while caring for a newborn. I got a bit impatient with it, though, knowing that there would be a trademark Hendricks/Pekkanen twist at the end, and I looked up spoilers online before finishing it. The twist isn’t nearly as clever or satisfying at the one in their first hit, The Wife Between Us, and it made the book mostly forgettable for me, but it was an enjoyable few hours that helped pass the time in those first few long nights with a newborn at home.

 

 

Digging Deep: Five Excellent Deep Dive Podcasts To Try

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I love a good podcast. Despite being a reader and having a YA podcast, though, I tend not to listen to podcasts about books or reading. I prefer something different, and I’ve come to find in the last year or two exactly what it is I love about a show: a well-researched deep dive into social, historical, and/or cultural phenomena. These shows tend to be scripted or rely on significant research for the hosts to share, meaning the show notes for each are a treasure trove of great reading material post-episode.

While I don’t have a commute and don’t do a whole lot of driving, I find plenty of time to listen to podcasts. Like with audiobooks, I listen to them while doing household chores — think showering, folding and putting away laundry, cleaning — as well as more recently, while feeding the baby. I don’t often get to listen in big chunks of time, which mirrors why it is nonfiction tends to work better for me both in audiobooks and for pods. I don’t feel like I miss out popping in and out of the story or show.

Recommending podcasts is like recommending music to me. I don’t feel especially qualified to do it since it’s not my area of expertise, and then when I have shared a podcast or music I love with someone, I tend to believe they already know about it and it’s not new to them. This is often not the case, though. But because it’s not books and therefore, a space I feel super confident in, I don’t tend to share as much. But let’s change that today!

These five podcasts are in my regular rotation and/or were podcasts I listened through when I discovered them. All of them are deep dive podcasts. Grab whatever podcatcher you use (I’m a Spotify podcast listener, if you’re wondering) and be prepared to listen to so much good stuff.

 

5 Great Deep Dive Podcasts About Social, Cultural, and Historical Phenomena

 

Five Excellent Deep Dive Podcasts on Social, Historical, and Cultural Phenomenon

 

Maintenance Phase

Hosted by Michael Hobbs — who you’ll see again shortly — and Aubrey Gordon, author of the book What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat (excellent on audio, though be prepared to be bummed Gordon doesn’t perform it!), this biweekly podcast tackles topics on health and wellness. This is a fat positive show, and it seeks to shed light on things that are or once were trendy in weight loss, health, and diet culture.

Both Hobbs and Gordon are in their 30s, so many of the topics they touch on are ones I remember or was familiar with growing up. Their chemistry is fantastic, and it’s clear how much they enjoy each other and the ways they push one another to dig even deeper in their research. My only complaint is when they joke about being able to talk about a topic for three hours, they don’t. Give it to me!

You do not need to listen to this one in any order or begin in any specific spot.

Recommended episodes: “The President’s Physical Fitness Test,” “Snackwell’s Cookies,” “Snake Oil,” and “The Wellness to QAnon Pipeline”

 

You’re Wrong About

You think you know the story behind a historical moment or a cultural event, but do you really? That’s the premise of this outstanding podcast, hosted by Michael Hobbs (see above!) and writer Sarah Marshall. The show looks at how the media and our collective memory have reshaped significant events or stories. It’s jarring to see where things I believed to be true or people I thought I “knew” were not/did not match the realities, thanks to how their stories were spun.

I discovered You’re Wrong About a year or so before Hobbes started Maintenance Phase, and it’s been neat to hear his perspective on each of the shows. Marshall’s also great at what she does, and I can only hope we see her in-progress book about the Satanic Panic sooner, rather than later.

You don’t need to listen to this one in any order or start in any spot. There are a few shows that take place over multiple episodes, such as the ones on OJ Simpson and Princess Diana. The topics aren’t given short shrift.

The podcast is weekly, but sometimes it is a few weeks between episodes. I can only imagine the piles of research for many of the shows.

Recommended Episodes: “Losing Relatives to Fox News,” “Wayfair and Human Trafficking Statistics,” “D.A.R.E.,” “Disco Demolition Night,” and all of the Diana episodes.

 

Under the Influence

I don’t even remember how I stumbled upon this podcast, but it hooked me immediately. This is a show you do need to listen to start to finish, but it’s so compelling that stopping can be a challenge. It truly got me through those first few weeks postpartum.

Hosted by writer Jo Piazza, Under The Influence is about the world of mom influences on social media. How do they become famous? What happens to them when they achieve a notoriety? Why do many of them get caught up in the world of MLMs or subscribe to QAnon beliefs?

Piazza found herself spending hours diving into the world of mom influences and realized it made for a compelling podcast series. This is not a show that’s going to demonize these women; instead, it’s a look at how they’ve been cast in popular culture, why and how white influences are given far more opportunities than influencers of color, and what happens when an audience turns on an influencer. There are certainly moments when, as a listener, I rolled my eyes thinking about things I’ve seen. The show unpacks those reactions and instincts in such a savvy way.

Start from the beginning with this podcast. There are 12 episodes. 

 

 

History of the 90s

Kathy Kenzora, a former Toronto reporter, started a podcast called History of 1995, and the popularity of that show led to an expansion into a deeper dive into the history of the whole decade. This podcast is incredibly researched, and Kenzora develops a narrative that’s hard to stop listening to once you stop. I’ll note that her voice isn’t the most engaging, likely because you can tell she’s reading a script, but her perspective as a Canadian is especially interesting to hear when she digs into US-centric stories (her episode on the Oklahoma City Bombing, for example, defines the various government departments in the building — something US folks would never likely think twice about).

The wide range of topics is what keeps me coming back to this one, as well as the nuggets of insight I’d never considered before. One episode may cover a specific music genre such as Grunge (which made me pause in reconsidering how I’d never classified Pearl Jam as grunge, despite the fact Eddie Vedder was one of the first grunge artists) and then the next might explore the truth behind the Atlantic Olympic Bombing (this episode was composed SO WELL that I didn’t even think about the real bomber until the very end, when Kenzora reminded the listeners we never touched that yet).

You can listen to these biweekly episodes in any order. I think some of the two-parters would have been better as a longer one-parter, but they’re still worth listening to both if the topic is of interest.

Recommended Episodes: “Nickelodeon,” “Woodstock ’99,” “Girl Power,” and “Olympic Bombing and the Wrong Man, Richard Jewell.”

 

 

The Dream

The Dream has produced two seasons so far, and I think the second season is much weaker than the first. Perhaps it’s because Maintenance Phase does something similar and better, or perhaps it’s because the “wellness industry” is a topic I know more about than the show has offered. That said, the first season is an incredible deep dive into Multi Level Marketing (MLM) schemes and the dark history behind them, as well as how they lure folks in.

Hosted by Jane Marie and Dann Gallucci, the show really focuses on the capitalist underpinnings of two arenas that aren’t called capitalist machines enough. Rather, MLMs and wellness “sell the dream” of a lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist, using exploitative measures to do so.

I read Amanda Montell’s recent book Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism in March this year, and it was really worthwhile to think about what The Dream explored in comparison with how MLMs and other groups use language to situate themselves as different, as powerful, and as the means to achieving that “ideal” life.

Start from the beginning with this podcast. There are 11 episodes in season one and 10 in season two. 

 

 

Are there any similar podcasts in your rotation you love? I’m always looking for more, and I’m especially interested in similarly-minded podcasts hosted by and about people of color. Leave your recs for me, and I hope you found something new here to enjoy.

A Few Recent Reads – Historical Egypt themed

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I’ve been on an Egypt kick lately, reading a mix of historical fiction and nonfiction. Here are a few recent reads.

Mirage: Napoleon’s Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt by Nina Burleigh

I knew nothing about Napoleon’s ill-considered foray into Egypt in the late 18th century. Intending to invade the country and use it as a springboard to conquer other parts of North Africa and the Middle East, Napoleon brought not only his army but also a small group of savants, scientists whose job it was to study anything and everything about a country most French people knew nothing about. In fact, the savants (and most of the soldiers) had no idea where they were going when they agreed to follow Napoleon on his latest jaunt; they were persuaded by a combination of scientific curiosity and Napoleon’s star power. They included over 150 astronomers, mathematicians, naturalists, artists, chemists, and even a musicologist. Many of these men were pioneers in their field.

They were in Egypt for just over three years, were the first Europeans to uncover the Rosetta Stone (though it became the property of the British – and remains so despite Egypt’s requests to have it returned – when they defeated the French not much later), and compiled a huge 23-volume book describing what they had observed and learned. I found Mirage interesting in a number of ways: the history of science and scientific study including the advent of Egyptology, how 18th century Egyptians lived, the clash of cultures and how the savants embraced or rejected colonization and conquest, the character of Napoleon and how and why so many of his countrymen idolized him, and much more. Two details in particular that I remember vividly: in their thirst while trekking across the hot and dry desert, the French would often gulp down seemingly fresh water that was infested with tiny leeches, which then became stuck in their throats and grew; and in 1799, Napoleon abandoned his army in Egypt to return to France, leaving his army and his savants without their leader in Egypt for two more years, during which they suffered from bubonic plague, attacks from Egyptians and Turks, and finally succumbed to the British army, which forced them to surrender most of their artifacts.

 

Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie

For most of us, Agatha Christie’s books were written far enough in the past that even though they were set in her own time, they feel like historical fiction. But much to my delight, Christie did write a genuine historical mystery, one set in ancient Egypt around 2,000 BC. It’s still classic Christie though: a murder in a family home, with a limited suspect pool made up of the family members and servants. Here, the new concubine of a ka-priest is murdered, and everyone in the home had reason to want her dead, including the ka-priest’s three sons, their wives, a resentful servant, a scribe new to the household, and the ka-priest’s elderly mother. The only person beyond suspicion is the de facto protagonist Renisenb, the ka-priest’s only daughter who has returned to the household after her husband died.

There are some interesting details about Egyptian daily life, in particular the job of a ka-priest, someone hired by an Egyptian to maintain a loved one’s tomb (in this book, the ka-priest is a respected and wealthy landowner). And as the concubine is only the first of many murders, Christie has ample opportunity to show ancient Egyptian death rites. The book opens with a letter from Christie herself to Professor S. R. K. (Stephen) Glanville, an Egyptologist and friend of Christie’s who inspired the idea of a historical mystery set there. Christie clearly did some research into ancient Egypt, though the book never does feel truly immersive; historical fiction was not her forte. The mystery, though, is a good one – details all come together in the end, and while the rising body count narrows the suspect pool substantially so that readers may likely guess the culprit before the reveal, it’s still satisfying. Moreover, it’s just an interesting thing to read about how Christie imagined Ancient Egypt.

 

The Painted Queen by Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess

I wrote a bit about this one a couple of weeks ago, when I was partway through it. Now that I’ve finished it, I think I appreciate it more than most other readers have. The story was engaging, with two dual mysteries, two dastardly villains, and two dramatic reveals where both villains met their somewhat grisly ends (one involves a crocodile). I wish Hess had brought back more of our favorite characters for a last hurrah, particularly Evelyn, but overall I think she did a really solid job.

To be honest, the series had tapered off a bit ever since Ramses and Nefret finally got together. The mysteries followed the same cadence each time, and with Sethos being a good guy and no real romantic tension left to explore, the characters felt reassuringly familiar but not particularly interesting (the mysteries themselves were never the highlight). The Painted Queen is set before Ramses/Nefret reconciled and Sethos left behind his villainous ways (and his true identity was revealed), but it didn’t quite recapture the old excitement. I wish there had been more scenes from Manuscript H with Ramses and Nefret sharing page time; that most of all feels like a squandered opportunity. Still, The Painted Queen matches some of the later Peters books in quality. Fun fact: this book actually references Napoleon’s expedition and the savants briefly!