The Curious Reader's Field Guide to Nonfiction


Book Description

If your nightstand is stacked with histories or essays, how-to guides or science books, The Curious Reader’s Field Guide to Nonfiction is going to be your new favorite companion. Just like a field guide helps you identify plants or birds, this book helps you navigate the rich world of nonfiction. You’ll uncover how your favorite authors break down complex topics, keep you hooked, and forge those deep, personal connections that make their work unforgettable. This is more than a passive guide; it's an interactive companion that supports your lifelong reading journey. Practice spotting techniques "in the wild" and track your responses in the Field Notes. Record your own preferences and favorites in the Field Observations. Use the Book Club discussion questions to spark lively conversations and impress your fellow readers. With this guide by your side, you'll notice and appreciate skillful writing and understand why you love your favorite authors. You'll differentiate between a writer's craft and your personal tastes, helping you choose books that resonate and abandon those that don't, without guilt. Dive back into your nonfiction reading with renewed wonder and a sharper eye. The Curious Reader’s Field Guide to Nonfiction is your key to unlocking deeper insights and greater enjoyment in every book you read.




The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America


Book Description

National bestselling book: Featured on Midwest, Mountain Plains, New Atlantic, Northern, Pacific Northwest and Southern Regional Indie Bestseller Lists Perfect book for the birder and anti-birder alike A humorous look at 50 common North American dumb birds: For those who have a disdain for birds or bird lovers with a sense of humor, this snarky, illustrated handbook is equal parts profane, funny, and—let's face it—true. Featuring common North American birds, such as the White-Breasted Butt Nugget and the Goddamned Canada Goose (or White-Breasted Nuthatch and Canada Goose for the layperson), Matt Kracht identifies all the idiots in your backyard and details exactly why they suck with humorous, yet angry, ink drawings. With The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, you won't need to wonder what all that racket is anymore! • Each entry is accompanied by facts about a bird's (annoying) call, its (dumb) migratory pattern, its (downright tacky) markings, and more. • The essential guide to all things wings with migratory maps, tips for birding, musings on the avian population, and the ethics of birdwatching. • Matt Kracht is an amateur birder, writer, and illustrator who enjoys creating books that celebrate the humor inherent in life's absurdities. Based in Seattle, he enjoys gazing out the window at the beautiful waters of Puget Sound and making fun of birds. "There are loads of books out there for bird lovers, but until now, nothing for those that love to hate birds. The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America fills the void, packed with snarky illustrations that chastise the flying animals in a funny, profane way. " – Uncrate A humorous animal book with 50 common North American birds for people who love birds and also those who love to hate birds • A perfect coffee table or bar top conversation-starting book • Makes a great Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthday, or retirement gift




A Field Guide to Awkward Silences


Book Description

Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri turns her satirical eye on her own life in this hilarious new memoir... Most twentysomethings spend a lot of time avoiding awkwardness. Not Alexandra Petri. Afraid of rejection? Alexandra Petri has auditioned for America’s Next Top Model. Afraid of looking like an idiot? Alexandra Petri lost Jeopardy! by answering “Who is that dude?” on national TV. Afraid of bad jokes? Alexandra Petri won an international pun championship. Petri has been a debutante, reenacted the Civil War, and fended off suitors at a Star Wars convention while wearing a Jabba the Hutt suit. One time, she let some cult members she met on the street baptize her, just to be polite. She’s a connoisseur of the kind of awkwardness that most people spend whole lifetimes trying to avoid. If John Hodgman and Amy Sedaris had a baby…they would never let Petri babysit it. But Petri is here to tell you: Everything you fear is not so bad. Trust her. She’s tried it. And in the course of her misadventures, she’s learned that there are worse things out there than awkwardness—and that interesting things start to happen when you stop caring what people think.




The Writer's Process


Book Description

Want to be a better writer? Perfect your process. For example, do you fear the blank page? You may be skipping the essential early phases of writing. Do you generate swarms of ideas but never publish anything? You need strategies to focus and persist to the finish. When you learn to work with your brain instead of against it, you'll get more done and have more fun. Master the inner game of writing The Writer's Process combines proven practices of successful authors with cognitive science research about how our minds work. You'll learn: How to invite creativity and flow into the writing process Why separating the writing process into different steps makes you more productive How to overcome writer's block, negative feedback, and distractions How to make time for writing in a busy, interrupt-driven lifeIt's filled with ideas that you can put into practice immediately. The Writer's Process is a 2017 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner and a Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Silver Award winner.




American Honey


Book Description

Sarah M. Wells had one degree in mind when she went off to college: to secure her Mrs. and become a stay-at-home mom. Ten years later, life does not look the way she expected. Instead of staying home, she’s the primary breadwinner while her husband raises their kids. Together, they’ve weathered miscarriages, job changes, role reversals, community shifts, family vacations, and even youth league recreational soccer. Now, in the midst of their tenth year of marriage, temptations saunter in and threaten to shake everything they’ve built together to the ground. In American Honey, Wells digs in deep to uncover the foundation of what made her and what it is that will help sustain her relationships. What keeps a marriage together? Could it fall apart? Through intimate details, vulnerability, humor, and love, Wells explores the depths of mercy and faith it’s going to take to weather the storms of married life.




Strange Birds


Book Description

From the award-winning author of The First Rule of Punk comes the story of four kids who form an alternative Scout troop that shakes up their sleepy Florida town. * "Writing with wry restraint that's reminiscent of Kate DiCamillo... a beautiful tale." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review When three very different girls find a mysterious invitation to a lavish mansion, the promise of adventure and mischief is too intriguing to pass up. Ofelia Castillo (a budding journalist), Aster Douglas (a bookish foodie), and Cat Garcia (a rule-abiding birdwatcher) meet the kid behind the invite, Lane DiSanti, and it isn't love at first sight. But they soon bond over a shared mission to get the Floras, their local Scouts, to ditch an outdated tradition. In their quest for justice, independence, and an unforgettable summer, the girls form their own troop and find something they didn't know they needed: sisterhood.




What a Plant Knows


Book Description

Explores the secret lives of various plants, from the colors they see to whether or not they really like classical music to their ability to sense nearby danger.




Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet


Book Description

Do you wonder if humans are the only beings who wonder if they are alone in the universe? Our sun is a star. In the night sky are all kinds of stars, and orbiting those stars are planets like the ones in our own solar system. Could those planets have life like we do on Earth? Planet Earth is not too big, not too small, not too hot, and not too cold. It’s just right. Our very own Goldilocks planet . . . . Follow a young girl as she explores these questions in this gorgeous book about the wondrous search for another Goldilocks planet.




Because of an Acorn


Book Description

"This enchanting and informative picture book explores the vital connections between the layers of an ecosystem, relating how every tree, flower, plant, and animal connect to one another in spiraling circles of life."--




Writing to Be Understood


Book Description

Have you ever wondered what makes your favorite nonfiction books so compelling, understandable, or enjoyable to read? They connect with you, as a reader. This book will help you recognize and apply the methods of your favorite writers to your own work. Writing To Be Understood is the thinking writer's guide to effective nonfiction writing techniques, such as: - Using analogies effectively to illustrate unseen concepts - Appealing to the reader's innate curiosity - Balancing humility with credibility For each topic, the book combines insights from cognitive science with advice from writers and expert practitioners in fields of psychology, technology, economics, medicine, policy, and more. Whether you're an expert trying to communicate with a mainstream audience or a nonfiction writer hoping to reach more people, Writing to be Understood will help you expand the impact of your words. Gold medal winner, 2019 Independent Publisher Book Awards