Category: Nonfiction

Cover for Women in the Valley of the Kings by Kathleen Sheppard

Review: Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age by Kathleen Sheppard

October 7, 2024

In Women in the Valley of the Kings, Sheppard tells the untold story of eleven women who changed the landscape of Egyptology in different ways. This book covers the life and careers of Amelia Edwards, Marianne Brocklehurst, Maggie Benson, Nettie Gourley, Emma Andrews, Margaret Alice Murray, Kate Griffith, Emily Paterson, Myrtle Broome, Amice Calverley, and … More Review: Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age by Kathleen Sheppard

Cover for The Witch's Door by Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina M. Rossi

ARC Review: The Witch’s Door: Oddities and Tales from the Esoteric to the Extreme by Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina M. Rossi

September 30, 2024

This book introduces you to the world of oddities that has been curated by Regina and Ryan Cohn, creators of the Oddities Flea Market. This is a look at their life collecting and some of the items that have been a part of their collection.  I will admit, I didn’t really know a lot about … More ARC Review: The Witch’s Door: Oddities and Tales from the Esoteric to the Extreme by Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina M. Rossi

Cover for They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Review: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott

September 20, 2024

This was a very emotional and impactful graphic novel. I have been meaning to read this for a while now and was glad that I could read about this piece of history that was not included in the history books I had to read during school.  This is the story of George Takei’s childhood in … More Review: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott

Cover for Kinky History by Esme Louise James

Review: Kinky History: A Rollicking Journey through Our Sexual Past, Present, and Future by Esmé Louise James 

September 13, 2024

After following James’ Kinky History videos on Instagram, I knew I needed to read this book. She always presents the kinky facts from history in a fun and easy to understand manner. This book is just a longer version of that.  James uses a mixture of history, science, and personal anecdote to tell the history … More Review: Kinky History: A Rollicking Journey through Our Sexual Past, Present, and Future by Esmé Louise James 

Cover for The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff

Review: The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff

September 10, 2024

As someone who lived through this event and watched it happen on television, this was a hard book to listen to. This attack happened when I was in the fourth grade (9 years old). A teacher came into our class to notify us that an attack had a happened and told us to turn on … More Review: The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff

Cover for Egypt's Golden Couple by John and Colleen Darnell

Review: Egypt’s Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were God on Earth by Josh Darnell and Colleen Darnell

August 26, 2024

This was a well researched look of the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. While I found aspects of this book to be fascinating and engaging, other parts of this book felt a bit dense and some of the created scenes felt a bit unnecessary since there is no evidence to back them up.  The Darnell’s … More Review: Egypt’s Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were God on Earth by Josh Darnell and Colleen Darnell

Cover for Prequel by Rachel Maddow

Review: Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel Maddow

July 1, 2024

Prequel takes a look at the rise of fascist tendencies in the US today and how it was also prevalent in the past. In the 40s the pro-fascist, pro-Hitler, antisemitic movement was large and it was funded by Germany’s, who sent out millions of leaflets and letters with the help of Congressional frank mail.  This … More Review: Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel Maddow

Cover for Cryptids, Creatures & Critters by Rachel Quinney

ARC Review: Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World by Rachel Quinney

June 18, 2024

Cryptids, Creatures & Critters features 90 different creatures from all around the world. Each creature’s page includes the sighting location, cute artwork of the creature, 1-2 pages of the lore behind the creature, and for some, content warnings. This book contains cryptids, and creatures from folklore and mythology. This was an easy to read creature … More ARC Review: Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monsters & Mythos from Around the World by Rachel Quinney

Cover for The Wrath to Come by Sarah Churchwell

Review: The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells by Sarah Churchwell

June 10, 2024

The Wrath to Come shows how one of the most popular stories of all time, Gone With the Wind, can be used to explain the current division in the United States. Churchwell explains how the history of mythmaking has influenced America’s politics and how Gone with the Wind influenced that mythmaking.  “The United States is, … More Review: The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells by Sarah Churchwell

Cover for The United States of Cryptids by J.W. Ocker

Review:  The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters by J.W. Ocker

May 24, 2024

This was an in depth look at cryptids in the United States and their origin stories. Each entry includes the type of cryptid, the location of sighting, the earliest sighting, and the size, before going into the story of the cryptid. As a bonus, at the end of the book the author includes sites and … More Review:  The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters by J.W. Ocker

Cover for The Ship Beneath the Ice by Mensun Bound

Review: The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance by Mensun Bound

May 20, 2024

TW: Graphic excerpts from Endurance’s crews journals that discuss animal deaths, death of their dogs and a cat, threat of starvation, bullying, harsh living conditions and the expectation of dying.  After reading Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage a few years ago, I was very excited when it was announced that they had found the ship in … More Review: The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance by Mensun Bound

Cover for The Mine Wars by Steve Watkins

ARC Review: The Mine Wars: The Bloody Fight for Workers’ Rights in the West Virginia Coalfields by Steve Watkins

May 14, 2024

“God does not walk in these hills…The devil is here in these hills, and the devil is greed.” As a West Virginian, I have heard of the Mine Wars but like most people, I never learned about it in school because it was not a topic that is taught. If you read this book you … More ARC Review: The Mine Wars: The Bloody Fight for Workers’ Rights in the West Virginia Coalfields by Steve Watkins