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.
As the first leaves begin to change into vibrant colors of orange and yellow, literary award season is well underway. To start us off, we have the Eisner Awards for comics, and finalists for the Lambda Literary Awards. Plus, a former vice president announces her forthcoming memoir.
Harris opens up about her historic presidential run after Biden’s exit in new memoir, ‘107 Days’ (AP)
In an announcement that rocked political news outlets, Kamala Harris announced that she’s not running for governor of California. In fact, she’s not running for any public office at all. In her statement, Harris noted that about a year ago, she announced her campaign for president of the United States. Now, she’s publishing a memoir about her experience titled 107 Days.
Harris said in a statement, “107 days traveling the country, fighting for our future — the shortest presidential campaign in modern history. Since leaving office, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on those days and with candor and reflection, I’ve written a behind-the-scenes account of that journey. I believe there’s value in sharing what I saw, what I learned, and what it will take to move forward.” 107 Days will be published with Simon & Schuster, and no details about the book deal have been disclosed thus far.
True Story
Sign up for True Story to receive nonfiction news, new releases, and must-read forthcoming titles.
Announcing the Finalists for the 37th Annual Lambda Literary Awards (LAMBDA Literary)
At the end of July, the Lambda Literary Association announced the finalists for this year’s awards. The Lambda Literary Awards has several nonfiction categories, including Bisexual Nonfiction, Gay Memoir/Biography, Lesbian Memoir/Biography, Transgender Nonfiction, and LGBTQ+ Nonfiction. These categories highlight some of the best queer and trans literature the past year has to offer, making for excellent reading lists for lovers of true stories. The winners will be announced on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
2025 Eisner Awards Announced
Comic lovers rejoice as the winners of the 2025 Eisner Awards were announced at the end of July of this year. As they mention on their website, “Named for the pioneering comics creator and graphic novelist Will Eisner, the Eisner Awards, considered, the “Oscars” of the comic book industry, were given out in 32 categories for works published in 2024.”
In my favorite category, Graphic Memoir, Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir, by Tessa Hulls won the prize. Feeding Ghosts stands as one of the most decorated graphic novels or memoirs of the year, having won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critic Circle John Leonard Prize, the Libby Award for Graphic Novel, the Anisfield Wolf Prize, and more.
You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
English (US) · 