nonfiction book recs pls?
of course !!! here are some of my faves :)))
eggshell skull by bri lee (a memoir by a survivor of sexual assault, and this book takes a very fascinating look at the australian legal system from bri, who actually worked as a legal assistant and oversaw hundreds of assault cases herself. an absolute five star book imo)
how to be a dictator: the cult of personality in the twentieth century by frank dikotter (this one's more for the history nerds, but it's a super interesting book that analyses eight dictators and the circumstances that allowed them to rise to power. a very englightening and accessible read)
the shortest history of china by linda jaivin (once again for the history nerds but this book!!!!! it's pretty short but still packed with so much information, and i really enjoyed taking my time to absorb the contents)
in the dream house by carmen maria machado (one of the most clever books i've read in my entire life. this memoir is written about a woman who was in an abusive relationship with another woman, which is a style of abuse that is rarely talked about, but she still manages to pack in so much stunning prose that at times, you forget everything she's saying is real. machado plays with form and structure in the most brilliant way i've ever seen, and this book truly showcases her talent)
what my mother and i don't talk about: fifteen writers break the silence by michele filgate (if you have mommy issues read this book rn i promise you will cry. filgate literally brought the fifteen most talented writers in the world and asked them to rip my heart open on a page fr)
forensics: what bugs, burns, prints, dna and more tell us about crime by val mcdermid (i'm just gonna copy and paste my review for this from goodreads bc it outlines everything i need to say - this was brilliant !! i know absolutely nothing about forensic science outside of what i've seen on tv but mcdermid has written this book in a simple, concise way that captured the most fascinating parts of criminology and kept me hooked. maybe this is just the law student in me jumping out but it's a truly worthwhile read, as long as you can stomach quite a few graphic descriptions of violent crime)
see what you made me do: power, control and domestic violence by jess hill (an absolutely englightening look at domestic violence and abuse in all of their nuances and the different forms they takes. highly highly recommend that you read this book at least once in your lifetime)
know my name by chanel miller (i felt sick within the first twenty pages. a harrowing memoir from chanel miller, the survivor of the famous contemporary sexual assault case involving brock turner, who ended up getting only 3 months in jail for raping her behind a dumpster while she was unconscious. i can't emphasise enough that this is not, by ANY means, an easy one to get through, so please only read it if you're 100% sure you'll be alright)
what white people can do next: from allyship to coalition by emma dabiri (an absolutely fascinating look at racial allyship that i had never even considered - there were one or two parts that i'm not fully certain i agree with, but all in all it's an interesting piece of political theory, as well as being very short and quite accessible too)
