Hey bookworm friends! I don’t typically pick up a ton of nonfiction books but recently I read two that I adored and think are incredibly valuable reads. I simply want to shout about them from the rooftops but I’ll settle for sharing my thoughts here. Both of these reads inform my values and reflect my deepest desires for the future of our one and only shared world. Below are my mini reviews for 2 fantastic nonfiction books: Genocide Bad & Braiding Sweetgrass.
2 Fantastic Nonfiction Books
Genocide Bad: Notes on Palestine, Jewish History, and Collective Liberation
by Sim Kern
Published by Interlink Books
Genre: Nonfiction
Format Read: Ebook
Cover Artist: Ganzeer
Themes
History of Imperialism │Politics│ Social Justice │ Activism │Dismantling Propaganda
Content Warnings:
Genocide, Death, Colonialism, Child Death, Grief, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Torture, Rape, Anti Jewish Hate, Racism, Islamophobia, Hate Crime, Xenophobia…honestly almost any CW you can think of, it’s not light stuff given the subject matter.
Review for Genocide Bad
I had been trying to read this book for a while! I borrowed it from my library 3 times (you’re welcome circulation numbers 😉) but I never felt in the right headspace to pick it up…until now. Back in 2023, I found the author on Instagram when they recommended books by Palestinian authors, and I’ve been watching their videos ever since. I’m forever thankful to Sim because it was through them that I was exposed to information about Palestine in the first place (I’m ashamed to say that before that I was ignorant about so much!) The way they speak in their videos is engaging, accessible, and well-argued yet passionate. And now that I’ve read it, the same can be said for Genocide Bad.
At around 250 pages, it’s not a long book but it covers a lot of ground in that short time! Thanks to their background as an anti-Zionist Jewish activist and educator, Sim is in a uniquely well-suited place to show readers how to dismantle Zionist talking points, which they do one by one in their essays. Afterwards, they give concrete examples of how we can imagine and strive towards a post-scarcity society, this was hands-down my favourite section. And at the end, the focus is on Palestinian voices as they share letters written by families in Gaza.
“Conflict is inevitable, and our allies are not disposable. We need to fess up to mistakes when we make them, and apologize when we’ve hurt someone, but we also need to abandon a culture of resorting to public humiliation, exile, and shunning of anyone who slips up.“
It may have taken me some time to get to it but once I cracked it open, I didn’t want to put it down. Reading this book made me feel like I was in community. It taught me a lot, made me cry and rage, and then it turned around and gave me so much hope. And book recommendations! Genocide Bad is the kind of book I would love to have a physical copy of to highlight passages and refer back to. Sim has been and continues to be an instrumental part of my, admittedly burgeoning, liberatory education and I will gladly read anything they write in the future!
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Published by Milkweed Editions
Genre: Nonfiction
Format Read: Audiobook
Narrator: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Cover Artist: Gretchen Achilles
Themes
Science │Nature│Memoir│Indigenous History│Ecology
Content Warnings
Colonization, Genocide, Animal Death, Racism, Grief, Death, War, Cannibalism, Suicide, Forced Institutionalization, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Drug Use, Violence, Fire Injury, Addiction… among others. Heavy topics are discussed.
Review for Braiding Sweetgrass
I’ve been curious about Braiding Sweetgrass for years so when I saw an Nonfiction buddy read group select it, I happily jumped in. Wall-Kimmerer is botanist, a member of the Potawatomi Nation, a mother, and a teacher. She blends science with Indigenous knowledge in this part memoir, part scientific exploration that is at its very core a celebration of nature and our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world.
The author tells stories that focus on various indigenous teachings and history, her personal life, and experiences as a professor of science. A lot of the more science-y bits were interesting but sometimes the specific details were hard to grasp via audio for me. However I find that didn’t matter for understanding the general message of the book. I really connected to the more human parts of the story and to the ideas of a gift economy and allegiance to gratitude.
“The commodity economy has been here on Turtle Island for four hundred years, eating up the white strawberries and everything else. But people have grown weary of the sour taste in their mouths. A great longing is upon us, to live again in a world made of gifts. I can scent it coming, like the fragrance of ripening strawberries rising on the breeze.”
It did take me two months to read because I slowly listened to the audiobook but it turns out that was actually perfect; I loved the narration by the author herself! I was on the edge of tears for huge portions of the book because of how beautifully told and poetic it was but also because of how sad it was in some parts. I almost cried in public while listening to her description of how there were only 9 fluent speakers of the Potawatomi language left. But I also found so much comfort in her voice, and I could hear her joy and love for all living things in it. I definitely want to read more from her as well!
Let’s chat in the comments!
Have you read any of these? What are some nonfiction books that you hold dear to your heart? 🌱💚
I haven’t read any non fiction for a long time, at the moment I don’t think I’m in the right headspace but happy to see you found two you loved.
Lynn 😀
That’s totally understandable, when or if you are I highly recommend both of these. They both taught me a lot and they both have an overarching hopeful tone that gave me a lot of comfort.