Drop that firework and run to your nearest bookseller and grab the newest nonfiction releases coming out in July!
The comfort book by matt haig
July 6
Matt Haig delivers the reassuring hug that he needed over the years in this collection of history, science, and memoir. The bestselling author of Midnight Library offers a ray of hope for those at their lowest, and those who will reach it eventually. When you’re scraping rock bottom, a helping hand can come from anywhere, even between the pages of a genre-defining novel.
Trejo by danny trejo
July 6
Actor Danny Trejo claimed his title of beloved pop culture icon in his flawless portrayals of the “bag guy,” getting foiled and beaten down again and again. But even with his cult-like fanbase, Trejo’s story from the country’s most notorious prisons to the big screen wasn’t well known, until now. In this hilariously heartbreaking memoir of recovery and spirituality, Trejo guides us through his tumultuous life story from robber to global inspiration.
This is your mind on plants by Michael Pollan
July 6
New York Times bestselling author Michael Pollan (strangely close to pollen) explores the difference between coffee and opium poppies, tea and marijuana. How can one plant cement itself in our daily lives, while another remains criminalized? Pollan examines “plant drugs” opium, caffeine, and mescaline to find out just how we’ve come to – possibly arbitrarily – differentiate the good plant from the bad.
The icepick surgeon by sam kean
July 13
In his gripping new novel, Sam Kean highlights historical moments when scientists pursue evil for the sake of the good, and the misguided ideas that push the brilliant to commit atrocities in the name of discovery. Shocking revelations, like Thomas Edison’s fervent support for the electric chair, bring you in, but the connections to today’s phenomenons like vaccine hesitancy and mental healthcare keep you coming back.
Carry on by Congressman john lewis
July 13
The loss of Congressman John Lewis sent shockwaves through communities fighting for justice. A juggernaut of the Civil Rights Movement and the political landscape that unfolded afterwards, Lewis held a reserve of knowledge hard to come by in this world. Luckily, even as he battled cancer in his last moments, he culminated his thoughts on faith, organizing, protests, and the years of struggle into his last memoir. For those looking to pick up where Lewis left off, or wishing to remember his undying fight for change, Lewis’s novel motivates us continue the fight.
All made up by rae nudson
July 13
The cost of makeup and the industry that dictates it goes unnoticed by many in their daily lives, but what influence does it truly have over our lives? Author Rae Nudson helps readers consider how makeup can help us fit in and defy society’s patriarchal standards by looking back at historically significant women. From Cleopatra to Marsha P. Johnson, Nudson discusses how makeup aligns with whiteness, and when it can protect – and hurt – the women who wear it.
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