Nonfiction on the Shelves (07/12/17)

Mothers + daughters, a celebrated writer’s home-life, female aviators during WWII and death… All topics explored in today’s featured titles:

I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere but the Pool by Lisa Scottoline, Francesca Serritella

“The Edgar Award–winning Scottoline and her writer daughter, Serritella, have been investigating human foibles in a series that now reaches its eighth title (following I’ve Got Sand in All the Wrong Places). Expect more wit and wisdom; with library marketing.”–LJ Pre-Pub Alert

Coming of Age: The Sexual Awakening of Margaret Mead by Deborah Beatriz Blum

“This biography gives us something equally rich: knowledge of her colorful, defiant, and courageous life—one of nonconformity, gender-bending, and paving new paths. VERDICT Through Blum’s narrative, Mead becomes more than a quotable female pioneer and transforms into a three-dimensional woman.” —Library Journal, starred review

Jane Austen at Home: A Biography by Lucy Worsley

“Worsley gives sharply drawn pictures of domesticity in the many homes that Austen inhabited, including her family’s rented houses in Bath and residences where she, her widowed mother, and sister visited as guests before they settled in Chawton, a site of pilgrimage for Janeites. A charming, well-researched journey to ‘Austen-land.’” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Her book is a lovely excavation of Austen’s home life, in which she provides readers access into places such as Pemberley without ever giving too much of herself away. This volume is sure to delight Austen fans, while Worsley’s examination of manuscripts will make new material accessible to scholars unable to visit the British Library, Hampshire Archives, Kent History and Library Centre, or the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Record Office.” — Library Journal, starred review

The Women Who Flew for Hitler: A True Story of Soaring Ambition and Searing Rivalry by Clare Mulley

“Biographer Mulley comes through in a major way with this deep dive into the lives of WWII–era German aviatrixes Hanna Reitsch and Melitta von Stauffenberg…Absolutely gripping, Mulley’s double portrait is a reminder that there are many more stories to tell from this oft-examined time.” — Booklist, starred review

“This compelling work has the drama and suspense of the best movie scripts. It is the perfect choice for lovers of narrative non-fiction, especially those interested in strong females.” — Library Journal, starred review

The Art of Death: Writing the Final Story by Edwidge Danticat

“From ‘The Art of’ series, this emotional, brave work interrogates and bears witness to the ultimate unknown. Will appeal to readers looking for warmth and insight—whatever their personal circumstance.” — Library Journal, starred review

“National Book Critics Circle Award winner Danticat…takes on an unpleasant topic with sensitivity and passion.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

White Man’s Game: Saving Animals, Rebuilding Eden, and Other Myths of Conservation in Africa by Stephanie Hanes

​”For every reader who has ever been inclined to support such heart-tugging philanthropic quests,​ ​Hanes provides a cautionary tale that reveals the complex motives behind such causes and the often​ ​fraudulent machinations needed to bring them to fruition.”–Booklist, starred review