nonfiction

A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman who Stopped Them / Timothy Egan

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A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman who Stopped Them
By: Timothy Egan
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Number of Pages: 448
Published: June 4, 2024 (1st Published April 4, 2023)
Publisher: Penguin Books
Dates Read: November 4, 2025 - November 23, 2025
Format: Library Book / Book Group

Trigger Warnings: racism, lynching, murder, domestic violence, torture, suicide

After telling the story of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to power in the 1920s, Timothy Egan then tells you how one woman brought it crumbling down.

So, I knew a few things going into this, but also expanded my knowledge too. One, that the KKK hated Blacks; I feel like that is always broadly talked about (but didn’t realize how much they hated Catholics??). Two, the Nazis got the idea for the Holocaust from America, mostly from the KKK (though I don’t think I realized that they (the KKK), also hated Jews, again, I thought it was just Blacks?). Three, American History is so covered in racism that even though a lot of people want to bury it, it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

Reading this made me think of the fact that sure, not everyone was a part of the Klan, but so many people stood by and let them run havoc because they knew someone in the Klan so therefore were sympathizers of the group. I would hope that nowadays, even if cousin Arnold was a part of a race hating group, that doesn’t mean I have to support him in any way. 

It really got to me about how the Klan used preachers and leaders of the church to teach the hatred principles of the Klan. People get so easily brainwashed by religion that it really goes to that saying “Racism is taught, not inherited”.

Sure, I think everyone needs to read this – if not to see the comparisons of what is happening currently but to also see how to not make the same mistakes. But,  I also want Madge’s story to be shared more. This woman took down the KKK – a group that was not far away from having their fingers dipped into the Presidency of the United States – from her deathbed! 

I’m not going to tell you this is an “easy” read, because, I’ll say it again, American history is covered in racism and people treated others horribly just because of their skin, or ethnic background, or how they chose to worship, but just because it’s horrible, doesn’t mean the story shouldn’t be shared or talked about. We can learn from our mistakes.

My Perfectly Imperfect Body / Debbie Tung

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My Perfectly Imperfect Body
By: Debbie Tung
Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir
Number of Pages: 208
Published: September 16, 2025
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Dates Read: October 22, 2025
Format: Library Book / eBook

Trigger Warnings: eating disorders, body shaming, body dysmorphia

A graphic memoir from author Debbie Tung about her journey overcoming body-image struggles throughout her teen and young adult years.

I was a preteen/teenager in the 2000s, the reason I don’t like having a scale in my place is because I would constantly be weighing myself and comparing the weight to the day before, or last week, etc. I was a super skinny kid and people used to comment on how skinny I was and how wonderful it was – so of course, once my metabolism slowed down and I gained weight, I instantly felt horrible about myself and always felt fat. I know that’s not the same thing Tung went through, but it still messes up people’s thoughts about themselves when you comment on anybody’s weight.  Being a teenager sucks already, but then growing up in a world with photoshop (or any basic photo editing app to be real), you compare yourself to something that’s not even really real

Tung’s art is simple but still powerful as she captures the painful thought process of comparing yourself to others and body dysmorphia. Her story is raw and emotional and leaves it open for others to connect with her story and feel seen. I also feel like this is a good book for adults to read to kind of see the warning signs in younger teens. Tung’s parents didn’t really intervene much and when they did, I felt like it wasn’t much.

Overall, I think this is an important read, especially for young girls as it’s filled with an important reminder: your worth is not defined by someone else’s journey.

At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom / Erin Entrada Kelly, Ferdelle Capistrano (Narrator)

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At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom
By: Erin Entrada Kelly, Ferdelle Capistrano (Narrator)
Genre: Middle Grade, Nonfiction
Number of Pages: 208
Published: May 6, 2025
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Dates Read: August 8, 2025
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

In this novel, you learn about Josefina “Joey” Guerrero, a guerrilla fighter, a spy, a Medal of Freedom recipient, Hansen’s disease survivor, teacher, and peacemaker. Told with historical photos as well as key themes and moments in history, readers will learn about a piece of WWII that many probably haven’t heard about.

Learning (yet again) something new in 2025 about WWII. I wasn’t too familiar with the Philippines in WWII, so I absolutely hadn’t heard of Joey Guerrero, but I adore Erin Entrada Kelly’s writing and once I saw she was writing a nonfiction about someone, I knew it was important that I knew who Joey was.

What a remarkable woman Joey was. She never let anything stop her, or slow her down. Her life wasn’t picture perfect, but she’d accept it and keep going. She was resourceful too – knowing she wouldn’t get checked as much because of her disease. It was kind of crappy how the US treated her after everything she did (but in all honesty, it doesn’t surprise me…)

Overall, though this book is aimed at middle grade readers, I still think older readers would enjoy it. As a woman in her 30’s, I found the breakdown of information a lot more digestible than older history books.

*Thank you Greenwillow Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Can Posters Kill?: Antisemitic Propaganda and World War II / Jerry Faivish and Kathryn Cole

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Can Posters Kill?: Antisemitic Propaganda and World War II
By: Jerry Faivish and Kathryn Cole
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Number of Pages: 100
Published: October 21, 2025
Publisher: Second Story Press
Dates Read: August 2, 2025 - August 4, 2025
Format: ARC

Can Posters Kill? takes readers through a historically visual journey of anti-Jewish media dating from 15-century paintings to the horrendous propaganda of the second World War. With each poster, the author breaks down the image on how it was used as both a political and social tool. With understanding of how it was used in the past, we can recognize and prevent it from happening again.

I’m not sure if this book is aimed at younger (teen) readers or adults, but either way, it’s a fantastic, informational read. I did read it in chunks through the three days I read it, because it’s a lot to take in, but it’s easily done as every two pages is a poster and then the explanation on the corresponding page.

It still amazes me that people didn’t look at these posters and see just how wrong everything was with it. Some of them are subtle, sure, but others literally have their hatred for Jews in big, bold lettering – and these would be posted in the middle of towns and marketplaces!

People need to see these posters; and thankfully, the author, who is a child of two Holocaust survivors, collected them and is sharing them in this collection. I know we have to understand our past, in order to (hopefully) not repeat it in our future, but so many people love to turn a blind eye to things that don’t directly involve them, or are upset and need someone to push their anger onto.

*Thank you Publishers Weekly and Second Story Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection / John Green

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Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
By: John Green
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Number of Pages: 198
Published: March 18, 2025
Publisher: Crash Course Books
Dates Read: July 12, 2025 - July 14, 2025
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

John Green talks about tuberculosis’ history and how it’s connected to many things.

This book goes beyond statistics by putting a name to a patient, Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone, and humanizing the experience of living with TB. 

Green isn’t wrong that everything is tuberculosis – is some of it stretched a little bit to make the connection? Sometimes, but for how long this disease has been around, it’s bound to be connected to everything in some way, shape, or another.

I do applaud Green for calling out big pharmaceutical companies (cough cough Johnson&Johnson) for having such high prices for medicine for no other reason than greed – because if you heal a patient, that’s one less person using your medicine. 

“What’s different now from 1804 or 1904 is that tuberculosis is curable, and has been since the mid-1950s. We know how to live in a world without tuberculosis. But we choose not to live in that world.”

But also the fact that TB becomes drug resistant because it’s constantly evolving into different strains is INSANE.

Overall, I knew I would enjoy this book – I like anything John Green writes to be honest. This is definitely a crash course in tuberculosis, but it’s an amazing starting point for people.

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival / Estelle Nadel, Bethan Strout, Sammy Savos (Illustrator)

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The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival
By: Estelle Nadel, Bethany Strout, Sammy Savos (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 272
Published: January 23, 2024
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Dates Read: March 15, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: Holocaust, death, murder, war, antisemitism

Estelle Nadel was just seven years old when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939 – back then she was known as Enia Feld and she was born into a Jewish family. Once a vibrant child who loved to sing, Estelle would eventually lose her voice over the next five years as she went into hiding.

At the mercy of her neighbors during the war, Estelle would survive the deaths of her mother, father, her eldest brother and sister, and countless others, all before the age of eleven. After the war, Estelle would travel barefoot around European borders to find solace in an Austrian displaced persons camp before finally traveling across the Atlantic to New York City.

Told with the art from debut illustrator, Sammy Savos, Estelle tells her story of surviving the Holocaust and the years after.

No matter how many different experiences from the Holocaust I read about, they never cease to amaze me in how much strength and resilience people showed in order to survive the war and even the aftermath of it. People of all ages survived it and all their stories deserve to be shared and honored. 

Estelle’s journey didn’t end with liberation, and after making it to America, she still struggled with finding her place as she was still relatively young. After growing up, Estelle made it her mission in life to speak to school children and share her story, so that the Holocaust would not be forgotten.

Estelle Nadel passed away on November 28, 2023.

Continental Drifter / Kathy MacLeod

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Continental Drifter
By: Kathy MacLeod
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Memoir
Number of Pages: 224
Published: April 2, 2024
Publisher: First Second
Dates Read: February 18, 2025 - February 20, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

With a Thai mother and an American father, Kathy lives in two different worlds. Most of the year she lives in Bangkok and goes to the International School. But then, during the summer, her family travels twenty-four hours straight to get to a tiny seaside town in Maine. Even though she looks forward to eating all the food she can’t get back home, Kathy doesn’t feel like she belongs with the New England kids either. Kathy just wants to find a place where she belongs.

This graphic memoir not only captures the uneasiness of being eleven, but also being a biracial/bicultural preteen at a summer camp. Kathy struggled with fitting in both in Bangkok, where she was too American and in Maine, where no one looked like her and she didn’t always understand the pop culture references. 

The art of this novel fit well for the audience as it was but simple but beautiful.

Overall, this graphic novel is perfect for those who may also feel like they just can’t fit in and those who set expectations high for an event (ex. Summer camp) and it falls short of what they thought.

Winner of Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Children’s Literature (2025)

Wild Chorus: Finding Harmony with Whales, Wolves, and Other Animals / Brenda Peterson

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Wild Chorus: Finding Harmony with Whales, Wolves, and Other Animals
By: Brenda Peterson
Genre: Nonfiction, Animals
Number of Pages: 240
Published: April 1, 2024
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
Dates Read: February 1, 2025 - February 16, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

In Wild Chorus, author Brenda Peterson talks about her lifelong relationship with animals and how humans can learn from beluga whales, wolves, raccoons, bears, elk, herons, and many more.

This book is filled with personal essays, which I enjoyed because I could kind of go back and forth on reading it and reading a fiction book. Some nonfiction books take me a long time to get into, and others I just can read information after information without needing a break.

I definitely took a lot of photos of passages in the book to go back and read later, or to share with my friends.

Brenda Peterson’s writing is very chill and friendly, it just felt like I was reading a letter a buddy wrote me about their latest outdoorsy adventure.

*Thank you Mountaineers Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Unboxing of a Black Girl / Angela Shanté

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The Unboxing of a Black Girl
By: Angela Shanté
Genre: Poetry, Nonfiction
Number of Pages: 160
Published: May 7, 2024
Publisher: Page Street YA
Dates Read: December 16, 2024 - December 17, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings: racism, sexual assault, misogyny

In this collection of vignettes and poetry, Angela Shanté reflects on Black girlhood in New York City.

I am not a Black woman and this collection was not written for me, but there were still parts of this collection that resonated with me.

Shanté’s writing was raw and moving and shows the love she has for her friends and family while also showing how the world treats black girls throughout their lives.

This is a super quick read, but still powerful.

Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I’d Known / George M. Johnson, Charly Palmer (Illustrator)

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Flamboyants: the Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I’d Known
By: George M. Johnson, Charly Palmer (Illustrator)
Genre: Nonfiction, YA
Number of Pages: 144
Published: September 24, 2024
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Dates Read: December 9, 2024 - December 10, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover / Audiobook

Through 14 personal essays, George M. Johnson talks about writers, performers, and activists from the 1920s who were both Black and Queer. Mixed together with personal narrative, poetry, and illustrations from Charly Palmer, Flamboyants looks at parts of icons’ history that are not always celebrated in their entirety.

I loved how Johnson put his own wittiness into the essays and didn’t sugarcoat the history. He called out the inner homophobia that some people had and how some thoughts and feelings that people were having over 100 years ago, are still happening today. Throughout the minibiographies, Johnson talked about himself to make personal connections with the reader – which was kind of a pro and con all in one, sometimes I just wanted to hear about the person being highlighted.

This book serves as a wonderful introduction for young readers to the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Some won’t be so well known, while others are, but it will definitely open the door for readers to do more research.