8 Nonfiction Must-Reads Coming Out This October

Get Literary
October 3 2018
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Have we mentioned that fall is an amazing time to be a reader? ’Cause it is. Awards season is in full swing (the National Book Awards, the Kirkus Prize, the Andrew Carnegie Medal, are all announced, to name just a few!), and publishers are falling all over themselves to release their biggest titles. That’s nothing but great for us, the readers, ’cause we have excuse after excuse to sit at a café with a PSL, a scarf, and a stack of new reads. This October there are some amazing nonfiction books coming out, from celeb memoirs to in-depth studies on female rage (of which there is a lot), and more—check them out!

This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.

My Squirrel Days
by Ellie Kemper

Shefali's Pick

One of the perks of publishing (of which there are not many—but the few we have are awesome) is knowing about a book super early. When I found out we were publishing a title by Ellie freaking Kemper, I basically flipped. I loved her on The Office and was so happy when she got a lead role on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt where she could showcase her particular brand of aggressively optimistic and adorkable. I’m only part way through My Squirrel Days, but it is ah-mazing! Ellie is still sweet—but somewhat surprisingly (I stress the somewhat!), she is incredibly smart and I learned a lot about her. She went to Princeton (Princeton!) and is as much a writer as she is an actress—she’s written for The Onion and McSweeney’s (which is one of my all-time favorite sites) and The Huffington Post and could probably write most of the SNL writers under the table (that’s how you use that phrase, right?). You’ve seen her on TV—now read about Ellie IRL.

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My Squirrel Days
Ellie Kemper

Comedian and star of The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Ellie Kemper delivers a hilarious, refreshing, and inspiring collection of essays “teeming with energy and full of laugh-out-loud moments” (Associated Press).

“A pleasure. Ellie Kemper is the kind of stable, intelligent, funny, healthy woman that usually only exists in yogurt commercials. But she’s real and she’s all ours!”Tina Fey

“Ellie is a hilarious and talented writer, although we’ll never know how much of this book the squirrel wrote.”—Mindy Kaling

Meet Ellie, the best-intentioned redhead next door. You’ll laugh right alongside her as she shares tales of her childhood in St. Louis, whether directing and also starring in her family holiday pageant, washing her dad’s car with a Brillo pad, failing to become friends with a plump squirrel in her backyard, eating her feelings while watching PG-13 movies, or becoming a “sports monster” who ends up warming the bench of her Division 1 field hockey team in college.

You’ll learn how she found her comedic calling in the world of improv, became a wife, mother and New Yorker, and landed the role of a bridesmaid (while simultaneously being a bridesmaid) in Bridesmaids. You’ll get to know and love the comic, upbeat, perpetually polite actress playing Erin Hannon on The Office, and the exuberant, pink-pants-wearing star of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

If you’ve ever been curious about what happens behind the scenes of your favorite shows, what it really takes to be a soul cycle “warrior,” how to recover if you accidentally fall on Doris Kearns Goodwin or tell Tina Fey on meeting her for the first time that she has “great hair—really strong and thick,” this is your chance to find out. But it’s also a laugh-out-loud primer on how to keep a positive outlook in a world gone mad and how not to give up on your dreams. Ellie “dives fully into each role—as actor, comedian, writer, and also wife and new mom—with an electric dedication, by which one learns to reframe the picture, and if not exactly become a glass-half-full sort of person, at least become able to appreciate them” (Vogue.com).

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MENTIONED IN:

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By Heather Waters | June 7, 2019

8 Nonfiction Must-Reads Coming Out This October

By Get Literary | October 3, 2018

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Make Something Good Today
by Erin Napier and Ben Napier

Abby's Pick

Can you lose an entire sunny Saturday binge-watching Fixer Upper? Do you have a mood board for your dream kitchen (mine is white glass-front cabinets, quartz counters, farmhouse sink) even though you live in a 300-sq. ft. studio? And are you a sucker for a cute couple in love? Then pick up this memoir from the stars of HGTV’s Home Town and discover how they met, how they like to create, and how they saved their hometown of Laurel, MS.

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Make Something Good Today
Erin Napier and Ben Napier

From Ben and Erin Napier, the stars of the hit HGTV show Home Town, comes Make Something Good Today, a memoir that tells us all to seek out the good in life, celebrate the beauty of family and friends, and prosper within our communities because everything we need in life to be happy, is within our grasp.Long before their hugely popular TV show, an expanding family, or demolition day on their dream home, Erin began keeping a daily online journal to help her stay focused on the positive and count her blessings in life. She never expected that her depictions of small-town life in the tiny swath of Mississippi where she Ben call home would catch the eye of a television producer and set them off on the journey of a lifetime. Make Something Good Today offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of a couple that America has come to know and love for their easy humor, adoring relationship, and ability to utterly transform a place into something beautiful and personal. This is the poignant story of how Erin and Ben took a small, tight-knit town into their own hands (literally) and used ingenuity, community, and authenticity to rebuild a once-thriving American Main Street. And how, by combining Ben’s carpentry skills with Erin’s design eye, Home Town is making it clear to us all that small-town living can feel as big as you make it. Complete with family photographs, Erin’s hand-painted sketches, and never-before-heard personal stories, this inspirational memoir reminds us all not to give up hope that great love stories are possible, big things can bloom in small towns, and there is always magic in the ordinary if you know where to look for it.

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MENTIONED IN:

8 Nonfiction Must-Reads Coming Out This October

By Get Literary | October 3, 2018

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When’s Happy Hour?
by The Betches

Abby's Pick #2

If you’re not already following these hilarious women on Instagram, you should be; in their newest book (after Nice Is Just a Place in France and I Had a Nice Time and Other Lies), they guide millennial women ready to take the leap from #bossbetch to being the boss. Whether you're trying to become a CEO, figure out your 401(k), or just save enough money to go to happy hour twice a week, they’re ready to help (and pour the rosé).

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When’s Happy Hour?
The Betches

The New York Times bestselling authors of I Had a Nice Time and Other Lies and Nice Is Just a Place in France are back with a guide on how to thrive professionally, get ahead in the workforce, and basically become the Beyoncé of whatever you aspire to do. We get it. You run shit. You can go from being blackout at drunk brunch to being ready to meet your new boyfriend’s parents in two seconds. But how do you go from being the boss of your personal life to taking charge of your career? That’s where the Betches come in. We are dedicated to making you the most successful, betchiest career woman you can be. After all, we only became Betches after we worked like, really hard. And now we’re confident enough to help you become the best. You’re welcome. You can thank us later. As New York Times bestselling author Jessica Knoll says, “I only ever want the cold, hard truth from a betch.” So whether you’re trying to become a CEO, navigate an office hookup, or just save enough money to go to happy hour twice a week, we’re here to help. It’s time to channel your inner Elle Woods, Miranda Priestly, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Per our last email, you better read this.

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MENTIONED IN:

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The Library Book
by Susan Orlean

Sienna's Pick

Susan Orlean tells the story of the mysterious fire that destroyed the Los Angeles Central Library back in 1986. Not only is this book a whodunit, but it also covers the history of the American library and how it’s evolved over time. Do you ever wonder how people used to find the answers to random facts before the Internet? Apparently, you used to be able to CALL the Los Angeles Central Library’s help line and a librarian would find the answer for you!

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The Library Book
Susan Orlean

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Single State of Mind
by Andi Dorfman

Abby's Pick #3 (Abby loved a lot of books this month!)

America’s favorite Bachelorette has penned not one but two books about life “after the final rose,” It’s Not Okay and Single State of Mind, now out in paperback. SSOM follows Andi as she faces her most brutal relationship challenge yet: surviving the New York dating scene. And because it’s Andi, even her bad dates are fun and fabulous to read about!

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Single State of Mind
Andi Dorfman

The breakout star of ABC’s The Bachelorette and New York Times bestselling author of It’s Not Okay returns with a “relatable AF” (Cosmopolitan) collection of her adventures as a still-single gal surviving and thriving in New York City.Sharing moments like finding her first New York apartment (the front door broke so she had to use the fire escape), her first dates on “celebrity Tinder” (just as bad as regular Tinder) and finally, watching her ex-fiancé propose to another woman on Bachelor in Paradise, Andi Dorfman doesn’t shy away from pulling back the curtain on the life of a reality star who’s returned to reality. Once again, Dorfman “doesn’t hold back” (HuffPost) as she recounts her romantic mishaps, city adventures, and, of course, insider Bachelor experiences. Single State of Mind is Sex and the City for the reality TV generation.

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MENTIONED IN:

8 Nonfiction Must-Reads Coming Out This October

By Get Literary | October 3, 2018

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This Will Only Hurt a Little
by Busy Philipps

Erin's Pick

Did you love  Dawson’s Creek? Were you obsessed with  Freaks and Geeks or  Cougar Town? Are you a feminist with a love of pop culture? (Of course, you are.) Are you a former Arizonian like me who sees the words “left Arizona to pursue her passion,” immediately thinks, “I need to support this!” and runs out to buy the book? If so, you have to add Busy Philipps’ memoir to your shelf right now. From the title alone, I knew this was going to be a hilarious read, and I wasn’t disappointed. Busy opens up about a Hollywood filled with sexism, on-set bullying, and body shaming, and about facing professional betrayal. But even as she describes a life of being repeatedly knocked down—both literally and figuratively—each page contains her incredible sense of humor and her unshakable sense that disappointment shouldn’t stand in her way. And if I haven’t convinced you this book is a must-read yet, just imagine a naked toddler setting off on her own to explore her neighborhood in Scottsdale, Arizona. This was at the beginning of Busy’s life, and it only got crazier from there.

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This Will Only Hurt a Little
Busy Philipps

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A hilarious, heartfelt, and refreshingly honest memoir by the beloved comedic actress known for her roles on Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek, and Cougar Town who has become “the breakout star of Instagram stories...Imagine I Love Lucy mixed with a modern lifestyle guru” (The New Yorker).

“You guys!! Busy is a legit writer with a voice as clear as a bell. This book is honest, funny, intimate, and well-observed by a person who has observed some sh*t.” —Tina Fey

“Judy Blume meets Karl Ove Knausgaard meets one brave woman from Arizona. On the page, Philipps’ toughness shines through—a rare and feminine ethical code; devoted and blunt. It’s a thrill to watch her stumble right up until the very moment she storms the f*cking gates.” —Miranda July

There’s no stopping Busy Philipps. From the time she was two and “aced out in her nudes” to explore the neighborhood (as her mom famously described her toddler jailbreak), Busy has always been headstrong, defiant, and determined not to miss out on all the fun. These qualities led her to leave Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of nineteen to pursue her passion for acting in Hollywood. But much like her painful and painfully funny teenage years, chasing her dreams wasn’t always easy and sometimes hurt more than a little.

In this stunningly candid memoir, Busy opens up about chafing against a sexist system rife with on-set bullying and body shaming, being there when friends face shattering loss, enduring devastating personal and professional betrayals from those she loved best, and struggling with postpartum anxiety and the challenges of motherhood.

But Busy also brings to the page her sly sense of humor and the unshakeable sense that disappointment shouldn’t stand in her way—even when she’s knocked down both figuratively and literally (from a knee injury at her seventh-grade dance to a violent encounter on the set of Freaks and Geeks). The rough patches in her life are tempered by times of hilarity and joy: leveraging a flawless impression of Cher from Clueless into her first paid acting gig, helping reinvent a genre with cult classic Freaks and Geeks, becoming fast friends with Dawson’s Creek castmate Michelle Williams, staging her own surprise wedding, conquering natural childbirth with the help of a Mad Men–themed hallucination, and more.

Busy is the rare entertainer whose impressive arsenal of talents as an actress is equally matched by her storytelling ability, sense of humor, and sharp observations about life, love, and motherhood. Her conversational writing reminds us what we love about her on screens large and small. From film to television to Instagram and now to the page, Busy delightfully showcases her wry humor and her willingness to bare it all.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life to write this book. I’m just so grateful someone asked. Otherwise, what was the point of any of it??”

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Hindsight
by Justin Timberlake

Saimah's Pick

Justin has been tearin’ up the charts since the ’90s. And now, he is telling his story with a new book, Hindsight. It will include photos and anecdotes from Justin’s childhood as well as more recent projects. Justin will be sharing the inspiration behind many of his hit songs and albums. He will also be sharing candid photos and stories about adjusting to fatherhood and his search for inner calm and strength.

If you were a fan of Justin in *NSYNC, like I was, or if you are a newer fan of his, you will want to get your hands on this book, which hits shelves on October 30th!

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Hindsight
Justin Timberlake

In his first book, Justin Timberlake has created a characteristically dynamic experience, one that combines an intimate, remarkable collection of anecdotes, reflections, and observations on his life and work with hundreds of candid images from his personal archives that range from his early years to the present day, in locations around the world, both on and off the stage. Justin discusses many aspects of his childhood, including his very early love of music and the inspiration behind many of his hit songs and albums. He talks about his songwriting process, offering the back story to many of his hits. He muses on his collaborations with other artists and directors, sharing the details of many performances in concert, TV comedy, and film. He also reflects on who he is, examining what makes him tick, speaking candidly about fatherhood, family, close relationships, struggles, and his search to find an inner calm and strength. Living a creative life, observing and finding inspiration in the world, taking risks and listening to an inner voice—this is Justin Timberlake.

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MENTIONED IN:

8 Nonfiction Must-Reads Coming Out This October

By Get Literary | October 3, 2018

Justin Timberlake is publishing his first book!

By Saimah Haque | August 22, 2018

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