Tag: nonfiction

Explore Audible’s Top Picks of 2019

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that reading doesn’t always have to be you, a book and a comfy seat. More so than ever before, people are listening to their literature on laptops, on smartphones, and on the go. Audible is the best option for this, as it’s available across plenty of devices with a wide range of titles.

Audible has released a map that takes a look at 2019 listening data to see which titles were “more uniquely popular in some states compared to the rest of the country”. Our map below shows each state’s top Audible titles from 2019.

 

 

The shortest route across the US in a car would take four days or ninety-six hours. Forget about your killer soundtrack and instead, think about how many audiobooks you could get through in that time! If you wanted to do it properly, you could go state-by-state and take on each state’s favorite audiobook as you move. Luckily, Audible and Bookstr are here to help. The above infographic shows us which audiobook has been most popular (i.e. listened to more than any other) in each US state.

Let’s take a closer look.

 

Northwest

 

Midwest

 

Southwest

 

Southeast

 

Northeast

 

 

One thing is for sure, self-help is popular country-wide, with many states learning how to Stay Sexy, set Atomic Habits and Not Give a F*ck. George R.R. Martin reigns in several states, proving himself King of The North(east). Fiction and non-fiction are popular all over the country, with fantasy and celebrity novels not contained to any one region.

 

 

Now that you have all you need for a literary road trip across the United States, fill up the tank, download Audible and get moving. Happy listening!

Here are the titles by state:

Maine The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

Maryland  The Woman in The Window by A.J. Finn

New Hampshire The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Vermont City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

Virginia Call Sign Chaos by Jim Mattis, Bing West

Massachusetts Summer of ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand

New York Principles by Ray Dalio

Pennsylvania The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Connecticut Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Delaware Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Ohio Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Rhode Island Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Kentucky Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

West Virginia Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Tennessee The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile

Indiana Shortest Way Home by Pete Buttigieg

Illinois Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler

Iowa Take Control of Your Life by Mel Robbins

Missouri The Institute by Stephen King

Oklahoma Killers of The Flower Moon by David Grann

Kansas A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

Nebraska #IMOMSOHARD by Kristen Hensley, Jen Smedley

South Dakota Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

Wyoming Wolf Pack by C.J. Box

Colorado Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

Utah Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Nevada Unf*ck Yourself by Gary John Bishop

Arkansas Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Mississippi Cemetery Road by Greg Iles

Alabama It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst

Florida How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Georgia 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

North Carolina Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Michigan A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

Wisconsin Heads Will Roll by Kate McKinnon, Emily Lynne

North Dakota Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Montana The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Washington Dune by Frank Herbert

Oregon Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered by Karen Kilgarrif, Georgia Hardstark

California Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss

Arizona The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink, Leif Babin

New Mexico Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light by Stan Lee, Kat Rosenfield

Hawaii Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

South Carolina The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen

Minnesota Neon Prey by John Sandford

Idaho Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Texas Atomic Habits by James Clear

Alaska Good Omens by Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett

Louisiana A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

New Jersey Unfreedom of The Press by Mark R. Levin

District of Colombia Becoming by Michelle Obama

 

You can explore it even closer below: 

Created by Parisha Patel, who you can find here and here.

lite blue-book map

All images via PARIsha patel


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Dive into These New Biographies and Great Personal Stories!

 

Each week, Bookstr scans bestseller lists across the Internet to learn what people are reading, buying, gifting, and talking about most — just so we can ensure consistent, high quality recommendations. This week’s nonfiction picks are new biographies for you to dig into and be inspired! Dig in and enjoy!

 

5. The Man in the glass House by Mark Lamster

 

image via amazon

 

The Man in the Glass House by Mark Lamster tells the story of the most famous architect in the 20th Century: Philip Johnson. Award-winning architectural critic and biographer Mark Lamster’s The Man in the Glass House lifts the veil on Johnson’s controversial and endlessly contradictory life to tell the story of a charming yet deeply flawed man. A rollercoaster tale of the perils of wealth, privilege, and ambition, this book probes the dynamics of American culture that made him so powerful, and tells the story of the built environment in modern America.

 

4. Who Am I again? by Lenny Henry

 

image via amazon

 

Who Am I Again? by Lenny Henry tells the extraordinary story of his early years and sudden rise to fame. Born soon after his Jamaican parents had arrived in the Midlands, Lenny was raised as one of seven siblings in a boisterous working household, and sent out into the world with his mum’s mantra of ‘H’integration! H’integration! H’integration!’ echoing in his ears. A natural ability to make people laugh came in handy. At school it helped subdue the daily racist bullying. In the park, it led to lifelong friendships and occasional snogs. Soon, it would put him on stage at working men’s clubs and Black Country discotheques—before an invitation to a TV audition changed his life for ever.

 

3. they don’t teach this by Eniola Aluko

 

image via Amazon

 

They Don’t Teach This by Eniola Aluko steps beyond the realms of memoir to explore themes of dual nationality and identity, race and institutional prejudice, success, failure and faith. It is an inspiring manifesto to change the way readers and the future generation choose to view the challenges that come in their life, applying life lessons with raw truths from Eni’s own personal experience.

 

2. 1919 by Eve L. eWing

 

image via Amazon

 

1919 by Eve L. Ewing tells of The Chicago Race Riot of 1919, the most intense of the riots comprising the nation’s Red Summer, which shaped the last century but is not widely discussed. In 1919, award-winning poet Eve L. Ewing explores the story of this event—which lasted eight days and resulted in thirty-eight deaths and almost 500 injuries—through poems recounting the stories of everyday people trying to survive and thrive in the city. Ewing uses speculative and Afrofuturist lenses to recast history, and illuminates the thin line between the past and the present.

 

1. Kd by Marcus Thompson 

 

image via Amazon

 

KD by Marcus Thompson traces the famous journey of Kevin Durant. As a sports columnist for The Athletic Bay Area, and longtime beat reporter covering the Golden State Warriors, Marcus Thompson is perfectly positioned to trace Durant’s inspirational journey. KD follows Durant’s underdog story from his childhood spent in poverty outside DC; to his rise playing on AAU teams with future NBA players; to becoming a star and hometown hero for the Oklahoma Thunder; to his controversial decision to play for the NBA rival Golden State Warriors; to his growth from prodigy into a man, in the first true inside account of this superstar player.

 

Featured Image Via Amazon 

 

Julie Andrews Will Voice Her New Memoir’s Audiobook

Earlier today Entertainment Weekly reported that Julie Andrews, known as the iconic leading lady in both Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, will voice the audiobook version of her forthcoming memoir Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years.

 

Image via Goodreads

 

This isn’t Andrews’ first venture into the world of writing. Previously, the actress published Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, a work that explores her difficult upbringing and earliest experiences with performing.

Home Work picks up where Home left off,  in the 60’s, when Andrews was cast by Walt Disney as the “world’s most famous nanny.”

 

 

And who better to tell her story of success than Andrews herself? Among her other talents, Andrews is often recognized by her voice. Her soothing lilt, and posh accent, is a sound that many have come to associate with childhood comfort. Children who grew up on Mary Poppins, as well as children who grew up on The Princess Diaries, all think of Andrews with the same kind of childlike love. Her career has endured for so long, she’s earned her status as Hollywood’s doting mother.

 

Image via The Irish Times

 

Home Work provides a behind-the-scenes look at the career that thrusted Andrews into icon status. The actress shares anecdotes from the sets of her most iconic works, details you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Entertainment Weekly shared one snippet about how, on a rainy day, Andrews was forced to ride in the back of an ox-drawn cart full of camera equipment to get up the muddy Alps.

 

 

In her classic, Julie Andrews charm, the actress writes:

“I happened to be wearing a fur coat. It was the 1960s after all, and the humor in the contrast between my attire and the mode of transport wasn’t lost on any of us.”

Andrews’ memoir will hit shelves on October 15th, and the audiobook will be available the same day!

Featured Image Via Wikipedia 

Jim Carrey to Publish Book: ‘Memoirs and Misinformation’

Jim Carrey, the 90’s comedy star known for his starring roles in The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and Liar Liar, is jumping into the writing world with his forthcoming work Memoirs and Misinformation. 

 

 

Carrey co-wrote the book with author Dana Vachon, and in a press release it was explained that the work is intended as a “semi-autobiographical deconstruction of persona.”

 

Image via Rolling Stone

 

In recent years, the idea of persona has become a bit of a theme for Carrey. He’s become known for going on diatribes centered on what it means to exist and be perceived by others.

 

 

This hasn’t been great for Carrey’s image, as people often associate the actor with their childhood nostalgia, and quotes like “We don’t exist, we are nothing but ideas,” don’t gel with the wacky, happy-go-lucky, goofball we all assumed Jim Carrey was.

 

Image via ETOnline

 

This, combined with Carrey’s habit of being very vocal on social media about his political beliefs, has earned the actor a bit of a negative reputation. However, this hasn’t effected Carrey’s acting opportunities, and he starred as Dr. Eggman in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie.

His reputation will also serve as a selling point for Memoirs and Misinformation, as this press release statement hints at;

“Carrey and Vachon have fashioned a narrative about acting, Hollywood, agents, celebrity, privilege, friendship, loneliness, romance, addiction to relevance, fear of personal erasure, growing up in Canada, and a cataclysmic ending of the world — apocalypses within and without.”

 

 

Sonny Mehta, the Editor in Chief for the book publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, added, “Jim Carrey has written a novel that is more revealing about his life than any memoir could possibly be. It is a perceptive and highly entertaining book about the arc of fame, as well as a look inside the mind of an artist, the life that shaped him, and the world he inhabits.”

And in classic Jim Carrey fashion, when asked about the work he stated, “None of this is real, and it’s all true.”

Memoirs and Misinformation will be available in both hardcover and ebook form on May 5, 2020.

 

 

 

Featured image via The Wrap

Explore the Great Outdoors With the Help of Our Nonfiction Wildlife Picks!

Each week, Bookstr gives you a look at some of the best novels in a particular genre for your continued reading list.

Today, we’ll be recommending five of the best wildlife nonfiction books to give your motivation to explore the natural world!

 

 

5. ‘The Animal Dialogues’ by Craig Childs

 

Image via Amazon

 

The Animal Dialogues by Craig Childs is a thrilling book about the author Craig Childs and his various encounters with grizzly bears, sharks, porcupines, elks, bighorn sheep, and many others. Captured with chilling, intimate descriptions and wry humor, this book is a must read for wildlife fans who want to see tons of varied encounters with dozens of different creatures.

 

4. ‘Field Guide to the natural world of New York City’ by Leslie Day

 

Image Via Amazon

 

Field Guide to the Natural World of New York City by Leslie Day showcases the wild world of a place you’d not normally think to look at for diverse wildlife: New York City! The book explores three islands full of different kinds of wildlife at its three rich islands: Manhattan, Long Island, and Staten Island. Written by a real life naturalist, this book sheds light on the real wild side of New York with tips of identifying different animals, plants, and more among the urban sprawl.

 

 

3. ‘Unlikely Friendships’ by Jennifer s. Holland

 

Image via Amazon

 

Unlikely Friendships documents one heartwarming tale after another of animals who, with nothing else in common, bond in the most unexpected ways. A cat and a bird. A mare and a fawn. An elephant and a sheep. A snake and a hamster. The well-documented stories of Koko the gorilla and All Ball the kitten; and the hippo Owen and the tortoise Mzee. And almost inexplicable stories of predators befriending prey—an Indian leopard slips into a village every night to sleep with a calf. A lionness mothers a baby oryx.

Ms. Holland narrates the details and arc of each story, and also offers insights into why—how the young leopard, probably motherless, sought maternal comfort with the calf, and how a baby oryx inspired the same mothering instinct in the lionness. Or, in the story of Kizzy, a nervous retired Greyhound, and Murphy, a red tabby, how cats and dogs actually understand each other’s body language. Your heart will expand at seeing this unlikely friendships come to life.

 

2. ‘Wild Justice’ by Marc Bekoff

 

Image via Amazon

 

Wild Justice by Marc Bekoff tells about the morality animals. Are animals capable of complex emotions such as a understanding of justice?

With this book, the author answers yes and showcases many examples to support their argument: a female Gorilla who mourned the death of her beloved child, a rat who refused to push a lever for food when he saw doing so electrocuted his friend, or a wild elephant who paused to care for a younger one after it was injured. This book shows us that, whether we like it or not, animals are more like us than we think.

 

1. ‘Winter World’ by Bernd Heinrich 

 

Image via Amazon

 

Winter World by Bernd Heinrich is all about how animals survive the harsh winters and the process of hibernation. From flying squirrels to grizzly bears, and from torpid turtles to insects with antifreeze, the animal kingdom relies on some staggering evolutionary innovations to survive winter.

Unlike their human counterparts, who must alter the environment to accommodate physical limitations, animals are adaptable to an amazing range of conditions. Examining everything from food sources in the extremely barren winter land-scape to the chemical composition that allows certain creatures to survive, Heinrich’s Winter World awakens the largely undiscovered mysteries by which nature sustains herself through winter’s harsh, cruel exigencies.

 

 

 

Featured Image Via Amazon