giftable memoirs and narrative nonfiction

I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine

by Daniel J. Levitin

I love a nonfiction deep dive into a niche topic that makes me think, Whoa, I didn't know I wanted to read about this topic but I'm so glad I picked up this book! Here that is the healing power of music. I am so glad I picked this up; the subtitle is Music as Medicine, and it's focused on the healing power of music This reads as a little bit detective story, a strong dose of science, and a whole lot of encouragement to all of us to find the secret chord within that loves and appreciates music—and how that will make our whole lives and beings better.

Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees

by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Poets writing prose just might be one of my favorite things, and this collection is a powerful example as to why. As she did in her debut prose collection World of Wonders, Nezhukumatathil combines poetry, science, and memoir in micro essays about food and its ability to delight, surprise, and connect. The collection, organized around foods and ingredients particularly meaningful to the author, is packed with both intimate stories and interesting facts, and written in prose so evocative you can practically taste and see the foods and dishes she describes. A love letter to food and family and a delight for the senses. The lavish illustrations by Fumi Nakamura also make this a gorgeous gift book.

Soups, Salads, Sandwiches: A Cookbook

by Matty Matheson

Canadian chef and actor Matty Matheson was already a household name in some circles, but I'll confess I know him from The Bear. His newest cookbook delivers interesting takes on classic soups, salads, and sandwiches with his signature personality and humor. Scrumptious examples include Creamy Sausage Soup with Rapini and Tortellini; Not a McRib Sandwich; and Leftover Steak Salad). This would be a great gift to bring along to anyone whose holiday (or anytime) hospitality you're enjoying this season. If you’re one of us who enjoy reading cookbooks cover to cover like novels, this one’s for you.

Heirloom Rooms: Soulful Stories of Home

by Erin Napier

This collection of essays from the host of HGTV’s Home Town is a warm exploration of how our homes tell our stories: from childhood memories to long-forgotten milestones. She walks through every room in her own home and also shares tours of others’ homes. With gorgeous photos, this would be great to keep out on a coffee table or a nightstand and thumb through when you have a few minutes.

On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft

by Stephen King

This is an exceptional book for book lovers and a must-read for writers, and I'm saying that as someone who has read a grand total of two books by King. (The other is 11/22/63.) I thoroughly enjoyed his descriptions of his fiction writing process (although his descriptions convinced me that I never, ever want to read Carrie.) I especially enjoyed the anecdotes he shared about his marriage, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough when he explores his devastating car wreck and recovery.

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore

by Evan Friss

A great gift for the bookish history lover, The Bookshop traces the history of bookstores in America, starting with Benjamin Franklin’s first shop in Philadelphia (“when the concept of a bookstore…was still embryonic”) through names you’ll likely recognize, like Barnes & Noble and Nashville's Parnassus Books. This isn’t just the story of a beloved institution, it’s also the story of literacy, politics, and community in our country. This is a great read for anyone interested in how bookstores have become blessedly familiar and in the challenges they face today.

The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection

by Robert Farrar Capon

For foodies, faith-seekers, and fans of humor alike, Capon’s 1969 cookbook doubles as a meditation on temporal and eternal life, the sacred (but unstuffy) role of food, and how to bring a spirit of feasting to everyday meals. To give you a taste of Capon’s wry voice, he opens Chapter One with the words, “Let me begin without ceremony,” launches immediately into his first recipe for Leg of Lamb, whose ingredient list includes items such as “spinach (a lot),” and concludes the recipe with “If prepared correctly, it is all delicious.”

How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told

by Harrison Scott Key

As the title indicates, this is not the tale of a marriage's dissolution but its unlikely continuation. The story begins when the author's wife turns to him after dinner one ordinary night and says she wants a divorce. He is stunned. Key's voice is frank and funny, even as he relates, almost in real time, how he learned of his wife Lauren's affair with a family friend and the chaos this revelation brought to his family, including the couple's three young daughters. Early on, Key takes a close friend's advice to fight for his wife, and proceeds to interrogate his own role in their problems, the past unaddressed traumas that continue to fuel present hurts, and what his Christian faith means to his life and relationship now. I'm sure my jaw dropped a time or two while reading, including when Lauren showed up to voice her own chapter in which she shares her side of what happened. I hear the print is great but I enjoyed this on audio: Key's humor added levity to tough moments, and his Southern accent was a nice surprise and fitting for a story that unfolds mostly in Savannah.

Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir

by Ina Garten

Ina Garten’s much-anticipated memoir was certainly on my radar but wasn’t necessarily a priority read. But then I found myself in need of a new audiobook on October 1, the memoir’s actual release day. I downloaded the audiobook on a whim and couldn’t stop listening to Ina narrate her own story. I listened to much of it in the car on a rather stressful solo road trip, and found Ina to be the perfect traveling companion: chatty, engaging, and soothing all at once. Maybe you should take my words with a grain of salt because I’m by no means a superfan: I have a few Ina Garten cookbooks, I’ve had good luck with her recipes, I’ve seen a few snippets of her tv show while vacationing someplace with all the channels. I’m not a student of Everything Ina—but golly I loved this memoir.

The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper

by Roland Allen

I thoroughly enjoyed this wide-ranging history of one of my favorite office supplies and all-around life tools: the notebook. Allen gives us glimpses into the notebooks of everyone from Isaac Newton and Agatha Christie to everyday workers and thinkers who used this seemingly innocuous tool to develop sometimes world-changing ideas. He explores how the notebook became a powerful tool for creativity, and gets practical with ways you can use it to change the way you think.

Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts

by Oliver Burkeman

I loved Oliver Burkeman’s first title, Four Thousand Weeks, and read it slowly over the course of three weeks. This one was no different–I enjoyed taking it in snippets over my morning coffee. In Meditations for Mortals, Burkeman gives us a path to embracing limitations we can’t escape: the number of hours in our day, the temptation toward perfectionism, and more. This was a breath of fresh air.

What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

by Caroline Chambers

This practical, approachable cookbook came at the perfect time and has really delivered. I love that the recipes are organized by how time consuming they are, and that each one is a complete meal: protein, vegetable, and starch.

giftable memoirs and narrative nonfiction

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