The best of reading from the experience of others.
By Carolyn DeBerard
If you take a stroll through the Nonfiction section of the Lewiston Library, you’ll come across a wide range of subjects. We carry most of the usual suspects, including Biographies, Crafting, Science, and World History. One lesser known area that you may not be aware of is our collection of Literary Essays. Literary essays are an interesting and entertaining way to get that nonfiction fix you’re after, because each book is basically what it sounds like: a collection of essays from a particular author, usually centering around a particular subject or theme, and compiled into one readable tome. Here’s just a few of the varied collections we have to offer:
Paperback Crush: the totally radical history of 80s and 90s teen fiction by Gabrielle Moss: Take a trip back in time to the awesome early era of those vintage paperbacks we all swooned over. From Sweet Valley High to Christopher Pike, these essays will bring up all kinds of nostalgic feelings and give insight into the history of one of the most popular genres ever.
For the Time Being by Annie Dillard: The Pulitzer Prize-winning author gives us her thoughts on life’s biggest questions, such as “Why are we here?” and “Where did we come from?”. Dillard’s search for answers will definitely give you food for deep thought.
Night Rooms: Essays by Gina Nutt: Night Rooms takes a peek at real life, relating it to horror films and ruminating on such things as anxiety, depression, survival, and grief.
Armageddon in Retrospect: and other new and unpublished writings on war and peace by Kurt Vonnegut: The first posthumous collection of previously unpublished short stories and essays on war and peace by this acclaimed writer will surely make you a Vonnegut fan all over again.
So Sad Today: Personal Essays by Melissa Broder: From the creator of the Twitter feed by the same name, this collection delves into some of the more difficult aspects of life, from love and low self-esteem to death and addiction, all with poetic humor and deeply personal insights.
Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby: This collection of hilarious essays is chock full of self-deprecating humor, funny insights into “adulting”, general confusion about our weird world, and stories about the author’s life experiences that will have you rolling with laughter.