Kendra Winchester is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot where she writes about audiobooks and disability literature. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester.
The last weeks of summer have arrived. Here in South Carolina, we’re still experiencing the muggy heat, but I know a fall breeze is just around the corner. This time of year is when I make a list of all the things I want to do before the end of the season, like barbecuing or giving my Corgis a day at the local dog pool.
August also brings with it a host of new books just waiting for us to crack open their covers. One of the queens of Caribbean Literature, Jamaica Kincaid, has a new collection of her early essays. There’s a must-read biography on one of my favorite sci-fi authors. The last gasp of summer also brings to mind this book on horror films, exactly the types of movies my friends and I used to watch during summer sleepovers. Plus, a memoir from one of my favorite Deaf poets of all time.
In celebration of true stories, I’ve collected nine of some of the most exciting nonfiction titles hitting shelves in August. You might be new to nonfiction or a true stories pro, but whatever the case, there’s sure to be something on this list that catches your eye.
All publication dates are subject to change.
Kendra Winchester is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot where she writes about audiobooks and disability literature. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester.
Putting Myself Together: Writing 1974– by Jamaica Kincaid (August 5)
There are few authors I love more than Jamaica Kincaid. So, of course, her new anthology jumped to the top of my TBR. This collection of essays includes pieces from Kincaid’s early career that were published in places like The New Yorker, The Village Voice, and Ms.
This Happened to Me: A Reckoning by Kate Price (August 5)
As an Appalachian gal, I’m always looking for more stories from the region. Kate Price’s new memoir gives us a snapshot of northern Appalachia as she knows it. This Happened to Me follows her childhood and young adulthood as she tries to break her family’s cycle of generational trauma.
Blessings and Disasters: A Story of Alabama by Alexis Okeowo (August 5)
In Montgomery, Alabama, Alexis Okeowo grew up as the daughter of Nigerian immigrants. While acknowledging Alabama’s flaws, Okeowo gives us a complex portrait of her far too often stereotyped home state. Just like every other state, Alabama contains beauty, art, and a messy history.
Strong Roots: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine by Olia Hercules (August 12)
Olia Hercules tells the story of generations of her family through the recipes they’ve passed down. From her grandmother’s exile to a snowy wasteland because of Stalin to her parents’ flight in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Hercules’s family has held fast to their culture, often through their food. Now, Hercules honors their lives through Ukrainian cuisine.
Both/And: Essays by Trans and Gender-Nonconforming Writers of Color edited by Denne Michele Norris (August 12)
Denne Michele Norris is the first Black, openly trans editor-in-chief of a major literary publication and has cultivated a series of articles by nonbinary writers of color. Inspired by that first series, they’ve now brought together a host of essays by authors like Akwaeke Emezi, Meredith Talusan, and Raquel Willis.
Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. Morris (August 19)
There’s nothing like reading your first Octavia E. Butler novel. Her insight and wisdom shine on every page. So of course, I’ll be savoring this in-depth look at the life of one of America’s best novelists. Author Susana M. Morris delves into Butler’s life and the philosophy behind her writing, giving readers an inside look at history and context behind Butler’s work.
The Quiet Ear: An Investigation of Missing Sound: A Memoir by Raymond Antrobus (August 19)
In one of my most anticipated memoirs of the year, Raymond Antrobus tells the story of being diagnosed as Deaf when he was six. He grew up in East London with a Jamaican father and an English mother. Over the course of his childhood, he navigated both mainstream and Deaf school systems. Eventually, he found his place amongst the larger poetry community and shares his experiences with the world.
Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror by Ashley Cullins (August 19)
Last summer, I watched ALL of the Scream films, marveling at what I’d missed. I then fell down the rabbit hole learning about this series of landmark horror movies. Now, Ashley Cullins has pulled together all of that history in one place. In Your Favorite Scary Movie, Cullins tells the history of Scream, its sequels, and where the franchise is today.
With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories by Nicole Nehrig (August 19)
The textile arts—knitting, sewing, embroidery, quilting—have far too often been disparaged as merely “women’s work.” But these art forms have their own valuable history and culture which should be treasured as the incredible work that it is. Nicole Nehrig presents the stories of women textile artists throughout the centuries who have contributed to these invaluable art forms.
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There are so many good books — I don’t know where to start! If you’re looking for even more nonfiction book recommendations, check out 10 New Nonfiction Book Releases for June 2025 and 8 New Nonfiction Book Releases of July.
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