Spring is the time of renewal. What better way to reset and refresh than with a perspective-shifting read? This May, a number of unmissable nonfiction books hit the shelves, and within them are the histories of inspiring historical figures, research into crucial ecosystems and environmental issues, pressing cultural and sociological explorations, and more. Here are nine gripping nonfiction books coming this May.
Trigger Warning: There are mentions of racism, police brutality, and sexism in this article. We advise you to proceed through this content with caution.
Is A River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane — Releasing May 1st
Celebrated nature writer Robert Macfarlane returns with a book dissecting the question its title presents: Is a river alive? By taking his readers on a journey through three different rivers in three different parts of the world, Macfarlane provides a confident yes in answer to his question.
The first section explores northern Ecuador, where resource mining threatens the forest and river ecosystems; the next is the suffering bodies of water of southern India, where activists fight for their protection; and the last is the north-eastern region of Quebec where the Mutehekau — or Magpie — river is threatened by destructive damming plans. Macfarlane illuminates rivers as more than places for human consumption, use, and misuse by presenting them as living beings in their own rights, deserving recognition as such in both people’s minds and in law.
Big Dumb Eyes: Stories From A Simpler Mind by Nate Bargatze — Releasing May 6th
Popular standup comedian Nate Bargatze brings his signature self-deprecating humor and storytelling to the page with his first book coming May 6th. Through a collection of confessions, opinions, and personal stories, fans get a close look at the inner workings of Bargatze’s brain. If you’re looking for a brazen book with a lot of heart and laughs, pick up Big Dumb Eyes and let Bargatze walk you through the highs and lows of his life.
Ocean: How to Save Earth’s Last Wilderness by Sir David Attenborough and Colin Butfield — Releasing May 8th
Alongside his long-term collaborator Colin Butterfield, Sir David Attenborough writes a testament to the unwavering endurance, beauty, and mystery of our oceans in his new book. Spanning a history of a hundred years, the varying and distinctive ecosystems of eight oceans, and innumerable unique species, Ocean captures the wondrous and mysterious depths of one of the most underexplored places on our planet.
Readers are exposed to the resilience of ocean habitats, their capacity to heal themselves and adapt, and the potential for a return, and even an exceeding, of the ocean’s full glory if humans take action now. This is an eye-opening book and one that is crucially needed for the protection and flourishing of the ocean.
It’s Probably Nothing: Critical Conversations on the Women’s Health Crisis (and How to Thrive Despite It) by Naga Munchetty — Releasing May 8th
In her sophomore work, Naga Munchetty, journalist and host of BBC Breakfast, analyzes the dismissal of women’s pain and health issues within healthcare and its critical societal implications. Too often, women’s worries over their health have been downplayed as an innate part of the female experience. Whether it’s being constantly relayed back to period or reproductive pain, turned into signs of witchcraft as in the olden days, or the classic insistence of psychogenic pain, women’s issues have been routinely misread and ignored.
Munchetty illuminates the trials and tribulations of women’s efforts to be listened to, diagnosed, and treated. By focusing on her own struggles with adequate treatment in healthcare facilities and speaking to medical experts throughout her book, Munchetty reinforces the importance of standing your ground when it comes to your health. Operating in a system that was built without women in mind is a constant obstacle, but drawing attention to the issue is the first step in change.
When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors by Paula Apkan — Releasing May 8th
Paula Apkan illuminates the histories of twelve astounding queens and women warriors from Africa who led with love and fought for the prosperity of their kingdoms and people in her new nonfiction release, When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors. The legacies and impact these women have still reverberate in Africa, but beyond their homes, few have heard their stories and names.
These women’s reigns stretched across Ancient Egypt, pre-colonial Nigeria, the luscious lands of Rwanda, and apartheid South Africa and, in the hands of Apkan, illuminate a new perspective on gender politics. Thoroughly researched and beautifully written, Apkan resurrects these powerful figures and explores each of their ascents to power and the way they shaped the futures of their people. We get a chance to see the immense respect and power bestowed on these remarkable women before the destructive forces of colonialism took hold in this new revelatory release.
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow — Releasing May 13th
The life and works of Mark Twain, known as the father of American Literature, are explored in the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Chernow’s latest release. Starting in 1835 with a deep dive into Twain’s childhood in Mississippi, Chernow beautifully captures Twain’s journey from piloting steamboats on the Mississippi River to the beginning of his writing career in Nevada at a local paper where his brash and funny dispatches soon picked up traction. Chernow lifts the curtain on this momentous literary figure, painting an image of a man obsessed with his public persona and who brazenly sought renown and fortune.
Readers are taken through the conception and completion of Twain’s most famous works: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His canonical rise is met swiftly with his economic downfall and the tragic passing of his wife and two daughters. The highs and lows of Twain’s life, career, and legacy are handled with great care and masterful analysis in the biography of one of the most influential men in American Literature.
The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny by Laura Bates — Releasing May 15th
This chilling dissection of the dangers of new and arising misogynistic technologies and the effect they have on gender equality is more than enough to send a shiver down your spine. Laura Bates exposes the pervasive sexism within frequently evolving technologies that have a profound effect on human relationships.
From online brothels, AI girlfriends stored in your pocket, and deepfake pornography made from your online persona to the younger generation poisoned by “manosphere” rhetoric and the scourge of online sexual abuse, the world is teetering in a dangerous direction. In the name of profit, women are being exploited. Unnerving and unflinching, Bates sheds light on an epidemic we cannot ignore. With the safety and equality of women on this line, this gripping book urges us to act before it’s too late.
Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline — Releasing May 20th
One of the most prominent and inspiring figures in LGBTQIA+ history, Marsha P. Johnson, is celebrated in this revolutionary and long-overdue biography from Tourmaline. Exquisitely written and dutifully researched, Tourmaline brings Marsha roaring back to life with vivid color. We see the multifacetedness that defined Marsha in her life as both an activist and an artist.
Tourmaline recounts Marsha’s performances with RuPaul and the world-famous drag group The Hot Peaches, her life as a muse to various artists, including Andy Warhol, and, of course, her fearless and historic role in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. Marsha embodies the resilience, struggle, and beauty of the gay rights movement and continues to be an example of bravery and vibrancy that the world can only hope to live up to.
Chief Rondo: Securing Justice for the Murder of George Floyd by Chief Medaria “Rondo” Arradondo and Jennifer Amie — Releasing May 13th
The murder of George Floyd was an abominable miscarriage of justice and the spark of mass civilian protests fighting against the racial injustice that is embedded in the United States’ police forces and criminal justice system. Leading up to the fifth anniversary of these historic events, Chief Medaria “Rondo” Arrando of the Minneapolis Police Department releases a first-hand account focused on leadership, justice, and race during one of the most divisive times in recent American history.
Chief Rondo, the first Black police chief in the history of the Minneapolis Police Department, discusses his life growing up in Minneapolis and his aspirations to give back and serve the community he loves. In May 2020, Chief Rondo found himself at the epicenter of a national crisis and took accountability. As the nation drew lines between Black and “Blue,” Chief Rondo followed the path of right and wrong and condemned the so-called “blue wall” that shamelessly protected police from accountability. His leadership was instrumental in the convictions of George Floyd’s murderers: Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao. This inspiring account reinforces the true purpose of the police force, sheds light on a broken system, and serves as an example for all leaders.
It’s always a good time to learn something new. These new nonfiction releases promise not only to be good reads but important and perspective-shifting reads. Check back next month for the next drop of new nonfiction releases!
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