Award Winning and Outstanding Nonfiction of 2024 Lists Begin
Catch up with the latest in news for fans of nonfiction. Let’s dive in.
Adam Higginbotham’s Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space Wins the Kirkus Prize
The prestigious Kirkus Prize for nonfiction went to Challenger by Adam Higginbotham. In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded with no survivors. Higginbotham looks at NASA’s challenges with their ever-tightening budget, risking the lives of their astronauts. Kirkus says of Challenger, “As the author capably chronicles, the space shuttle program began with major obstacles—not just the technical hurdles of building a reusable shuttle capable of withstanding the rigors of launch and reentry, but also ‘a further new parameter, one of which NASA had no existing experience: a limited budget.’ That tight budget, imposed by Nixon-era austerity measures reducing a $14 billion request to just $5.5 billion, ‘the first of many fatal compromises,’ led to shortcuts in construction that NASA leaders overlooked even as contractors voiced worries about them.” The other finalists include The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise by Olivia Laing, The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq by Steve Coll, Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America by Shefali Luthra, Another Word for Love: A Memoir by Carvell Wallace, and Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir by Tessa Hulls.
Barnes & Noble Announces Their Best Books of the Year
Ahead of the holiday season, Barnes & Noble announced their best books of the year, including many different categories in cookbooks, memoir, history, and more. Included is The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates, which has made waves for its essay on Palestine. Notable in memoir is Ina Garten’s Be Ready When the Luck Happens, her first memoir and most personal book yet. In the category titled “The Best Smart Thinking Books of 2024,” Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine Rundell, The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan, and The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Target Announces Exclusive “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book” Available on Black Friday
Earlier this month, Taylor Swift started the last leg of her record-breaking Eras tour. To commemorate the tour, Target announced this one-of-a-kind book, which includes over 500 images—including never-before-seen photos—from the tour and reflections written by Taylor Swift herself. The book will be available on Black Friday, November 29th, and retail for $39.99. “Here is the official retrospective of the most wondrous tour of my life, my beloved Eras Tour,” said Taylor Swift in the press release. “Thank you to the fans who came to this show. You were what made The Eras Tour what it became.”
