Seattle Staff Faves 2023: Nonfiction
Every year we ask our staff across the library system for their favorite books published in the current year. Enjoy this variety of nonfiction staff favorites, with annotations by staff members or as noted. (Created November 2023)
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Feast
"In … Cariño's debut poetry collection, imagery of food and the body builds an evocative picture of childhood in the Philippines and, later, life in the United States." (Shelf Awareness)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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A Living Remedy
"An adopted daughter finds herself robbed of the chance to give back to beloved parents. As Chung seeks a way to grieve without self-punishment, this open-hearted, unflinching account will be a boon to others." (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Better Living Through Birding
"This remarkable story will resonate with birders, nature lovers, and everyone who has been made to feel as though they’re outside the mainstream." (Booklist)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Exit Interview
"A firsthand look at the jungle that is Amazon.com. With wry humor, Coulter provides candid insights about life, love, and gender as well as surviving a toxic workplace." (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Monsters
"What’s a fan to do when they love the art, but hate the artist? asks book critic and essayist Dederer in this nuanced and incisive inquiry. Contemplative and willing to tackle the hard questions head on, this pulls no punches." (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Poverty, by America
"...a brilliantly researched and artfully written study of how the U.S. has failed to effectively address the issue of poverty. Thankfully, as Desmond reveals the frustrating ways in which private and public systems designed to help the poor have fallen short, he also uses his knowledge of the subject to explore what works and identify potential solutions that merit further consideration." (Booklist)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Last Gay Man on Earth
"photo graphic novel, funny and adorable" (Toby)
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: Available
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The Rigor of Angels
"An intellectual history centered on three men who expanded our understanding of what we can and cannot know about reality. A challenging book that rewards those willing to suspend their prejudice about the fixed nature of reality." (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
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Greater Than the Sum of Our Parts
"Palestinian activist Nada Elia... insists that Palestine's fate is linked through bonds of solidarity to other communities crossing racial and gender lines, weaving an intersectional feminist understanding of Israeli apartheid throughout her analysis. She also looks deeper into the interconnectedness of Palestine with Black, migrant, and queer movements, and with other indigenous struggles against settler colonialism, including that of Native Americans." (publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
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Look at the Lights, My Love
"The 2022 Nobel laureate ruminates on a year of shopping at her local big-box retailer. A dryly charming look at the way the French live now, through the sharp eyes of its most acclaimed chronicler." (Kirkus )
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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