Memoir Is My Favorite Nonfiction Genre
The days are growing shorter, but pumpkin hasn’t quite hit the aisles of my local grocery store. This time of year, I often fall back on my favorite genres. I adore memoir. There’s just something about personal narrative that draws me in and doesn’t let go. So this week, we’re looking at some must-read memoirs. But first, it’s time for bookish goods and new books!
Bookish Goods
Bookworm Tote Bag by Gladfolk
Do I need more tote bags? No. But do I want this one anyway? Absolutely. $23
New Releases
Quick and Easy Vietnamese: Everyday Vietnamese Recipes for the Home Cook by Uyen Luu
Uyen Luu encourages home cooks of all skill levels to try their hand at Vietnamese cuisine. Quick and Easy Vietnamese presents recipes that are straightforward and adaptable for whatever you happen to have in your pantry.
Chae: Korean Slow Food for a Better Life by Jung Eun Chae
This stunning volume is organized by seasons, with each section presenting different key recipes that Chae finds vital to her cooking. From her own kitchen in Melbourne to yours, Chae shares how to cook everything “from tofu to gochujang, soy sauce to kimchi, makgeolli to doenjang.”
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Mamaskatch by Darrel J. McLeod
Darrel’s mother escapes a residency school where the nuns were incredibly abusive to the Native children, adding to the generational trauma that Darrel’s family had already experienced. The majority of the memoir focuses on his own childhood and adolescence, including moving around from house to house as his mother struggles with addiction and he discovers more about his own sexuality. Just as a heads up, there is violence and sexual assault of women and children in this memoir.
The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie
This book is one of my favorite hidden gems. It won the Stella Prize a few years ago but has somehow still flown under the radar. I especially love the Australian audiobook, which Vicki Laveau-Harvie performs herself. The Erratics follows Laveau-Harvie as she flies back home to Canada to care for her elderly parents after her mother’s fall. When she arrives, Vicki discovers that her mother has been starving her father. What follows is her account of trying to navigate care for her parents while coming to terms with her difficult childhood.
That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles on Book Riot.
Happy reading, Friends!
~ Kendra
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