All in Nonfiction

What the Eyes Don't See

What the Eyes Don't See

Chris Mathers Jackson
Nonfiction

What the Eyes Don’t See (2018) by Mona Hanna-Attisha tells the story of Flint, Michigan and its toxic water. The author, Dr. Mona, is the woman who found scientific proof that Flint’s water was indeed toxic; through her position as the head of the pediatric residency at Flint’s Hurley Medical Center, she was able to access blood-lead levels of Flint’s children.  Her courage and tenacity, her family’s background and her long-established love of social and environmental justice primed her to step out as a leader for Flint.  This book is her story.

Puritans & Whalers: Reading Coastal Massachusetts

Puritans & Whalers: Reading Coastal Massachusetts

Chris Mathers Jackson
Travel Reading, The Classics, Contemporary Fiction, Nonfiction

In the weeks leading up to Halloween 2018, my family headed east to Boston and coastal Massachusetts. In addition to the Boston downtown (and all its Freedom Trail historical glory), we visited both Salem and New Bedford, Massachusetts. In preparation for our trip I chose to read Hawthorne’s The House of Seven Gables and Sena Jeter Naslund’s Ahab’s Wife: or, the Star Gazer (1999).

Aloha, Hawaii

Aloha, Hawaii

Chris Mathers Jackson
Travel Reading, The Classics, Nonfiction

While my husband scours the Lonely Planet and Moon guidebooks for the islands and my first grade daughter eagerly listens to geographical and historical information set out in the Hawaii: The Aloha State book (one of a set of the fifty states) she found in the children’s section of our library, I opt for more literary preparation: Sarah Vowell’s Unfamiliar Fishes, The Story of Hawaii by Hawaii’s Queen, Jack London’s Hawaii stories and Mark Twain’s Letters from Hawaii.

A Literary Tea Party

A Literary Tea Party

Chris Mathers Jackson
Cookbook, Nonfiction

Alison Walsh’s 2018 literary cookbook, A Literary Tea Party: Blends and Treats for Alice, Bilbo, Dorothy, Jo, and Book Lovers Everywhere, is one of the best books I stumbled upon at my public library last year. Published by Skyhorse Publishing, Walsh’s book combines beautiful pictures with easy-to-follow recipes inspired by some of my favorite stories.