5 nonfiction books readers won’t want to miss
There is a stack of novels sitting precariously high on my nightstand right now, but nonfiction is where it’s at this month.
Here are 5 releases that are standouts in their respective genres.
“JUST THE FUNNY PARTS … AND A FEW HARD TRUTHS ABOUT SNEAKING INTO THE HOLLYWOOD BOYS’ CLUB” BY NELL SCOVELL »
After working for years in a maledominated industry, this Hollywood veteran could have written a book called “Just the Angry and Bitter Parts,” a title she jokingly refers to in her book. Instead Scovell has written a charming, intelligent, laugh-out-loud memoir of her 30 years as a television writer, producer and director. Over the course of a career in which she worked on “The Simpsons,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” to name a few, Scovell takes us inside Hollywood meetings and writing rooms while at the same time transcending the entertainment bio genre. Scovell knows what’s she’s doing: She was Sheryl Sandberg’s collaborator on “Lean In” and the woman behind the 2009 Vanity Fair essay “Letterman and Me.” She authentically speaks to women’s issues in the workplace: navigating sexual politics, finding a seat at the table, being visible (as opposed to invisible), supporting other women and speaking up. The combination is both entertaining and important.
“STATE OF RESISTANCE: WHAT CALIFORNIA’S DIZZYING DESCENT AND REMARKABLE RESURGENCE MEAN FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE” BY DR. MANUEL PASTOR »
I read Mike Davis’ groundbreaking “City of Quartz” upon moving to Los Angeles 20 years ago. I had been informed that it was the quintessential book about California and prerequisite reading for living in L.A. Now 28 years after “Quartz,” sociologist Pastor deep dives into the state of California, exploring its roots, history, and recent advances, making a case for the state’s important role in the future of the country. Pastor is a professor of sociology and American studies and ethnicity at University of Southern California, where he serves as director of the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity and co-director of USC’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. His opinion is informed and it’s also optimistic. More importantly, it’s a potential guide to a better future.
“MAGIC HOURS: ESSAYS ON CREATORS AND CREATION” BY TOM BISSELL »
Author Tom Bissell (“The Father of All Things,” co-writer of “The Disaster Artist”) lives in Los Angeles and writes about magic — the magic inherent in acts of creativity. Focusing on subjects like David Foster Wallace’s famous 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address (later published as “This is Water”), Tommy Wiseau’s infamous film “The Room,” the writings of Jim Harrison, and the video-game acting of Jennifer Hale (“a kind of Meryl Streep of the form”), Bissell is a thoughtful and engaging writer of essays that collectively offer insight into creativity.
“ELASTIC: FLEXIBLE THINKING IN A TIME OF CHANGE” BY LEONARD MLODINOW »
Mlodonow wrote one of my favorite books, “Feynman’s Rainbow: A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life” about his time at Caltech working down the hall from physicist Richard Feynman. I thought of him when Stephen Hawking died recently, the two having worked together on another favorite, “A Briefer History of Time” for non-physicists like me. I’ve eagerly awaited this new book on the psychology and neuroscience of change and it doesn’t disappoint, as it features Mlodonow’s trademark intelligence and humor.
“I’VE BEEN THINKING…REFLECTIONS, PRAYERS, AND MEDITATIONS FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE” BY MARIA SHRIVER
Former first lady of California Maria Shriver was recently a guest on a favorite podcast, The Beautiful Writers Podcast. Listening to her I was struck by her faith, her gratitude, her self-awareness. Her new book is an expression of all of those things, offering moments of grace in its pages.
And if in spite of my recommendations you’re still looking for an escape that only fiction can offer, I have three words for you: “Ready Player One.” Fans waited seven years to see author Ernest Cline’s dystopian novel about a worldwide virtual reality game play out on the big screen and the time has finally come. A double feature of the book then the movie sounds like the perfect spring break to me.