Recommendations based on I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Deathby Maggie O'Farrell

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Between the World and Me

    by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    A letter to his son, exploring the realities of racism in America.

    “This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it.” In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American ... (Goodreads)

  2. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

    by David Grann
    Exposé of a series of murders of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma and the FBI's investigation.

    In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, ... (Goodreads)

  3. You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain

    by Phoebe Robinson
    A humorous exploration of race, identity, and the everyday microaggressions faced by black women.

    A hilarious and affecting essay collection about race, gender, and pop culture from celebrated stand-up comedian and WNYC podcaster Phoebe Robinson. Phoebe Robinson is a stand-up comic, which means ... (Goodreads)

  4. We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy

    by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    An exploration of the Obama years, and the racial injustices that still plague America.

    "We were eight years in power" was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. ... (Goodreads)

  5. Bad Feminist

    by Roxane Gay
    A collection of essays exploring feminism, race, and gender, and their intersections.

    Pink is my favorite color. I used to say my favorite color was black to be, cool, but it is pink—all shades of pink. If I have an accessory, it is probably pink. I read, Vogue, and I’m not doing it ... (Goodreads)

  6. Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    A guide for raising children with feminist values, and advocating for gender equality.

    From the best-selling author of, Americanah, and, We Should All Be Feminists, comes a powerful new statement about feminism today–written as a letter to a friend. A few years ago, Chimamanda Ngozi ... (Goodreads)

  7. Just Kids

    by Patti Smith
    Chronicles of two young artists in New York City, finding friendship and inspiration in each other.

    In Just Kids , Patti Smith's first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal ... (Goodreads)

  8. Girl, Interrupted

    by Susanna Kaysen
    A memoir of a woman's struggle with mental illness, her fight for survival, and her journey of self-discovery.

    In April 1967, 18-year-old Susanna Kaysen is admitted to McLean Hospital , in Belmont, Massachusetts , after attempting suicide by overdosing on pills. She denies that it was a suicide attempt to a ... (Wikipedia)

  9. The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

    by Julia Cameron
    Exploring the power of the creative spirit and unlocking the potential of the inner artist.

    The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life. Still as vital ... (Goodreads)

  10. Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World

    by Anthony Doerr
    Reflections on a year spent in Rome, exploring the city's culture and people.

    From the author of the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning #1 New York Times bestseller All the Light We Cannot See , a "dazzling" (Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran ) memoir about art and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  11. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

    by Matthew Desmond
    An exploration of eviction’s devastating consequences on the lives of the urban poor.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF, TIME,’S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • One of the most acclaimed books of our time, this modern classic “has set a ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row

    by Anthony Ray Hinton
    A memoir of a man who spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit and how he found hope and freedom through his faith.

    The, New York Times, bestseller and Oprah's Book Club 2018 Selection.,, Winner of the 2019 Moore Prize,Finalist, Dayton Peace Prize, 2019 , ,"An amazing and heartwarming story, it restores our faith ... (Barnes & Noble)

  13. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

    by Anne Lamott
    A memoir of the author's journey towards faith, filled with humor, honesty, and raw emotion.

    Despite–or because of--her irreverence, faith is a natural subject for Anne Lamott. Since Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird , her fans have been waiting for her to write the book that explained ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Year of Living Danishly: My Twelve Months Unearthing the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country

    by Helen Russell
    A British woman's experience immersing in the culture of Denmark, learning lessons on living a better life.

    Denmark is officially the happiest nation on Earth. When Helen Russell is forced to move to rural Jutland, can she discover the secrets of their happiness? Or will the long, dark winters and pickled ... (Goodreads)

  15. Jerusalem: A Cookbook

    by Yotam Ottolenghi
    Exploring the vibrant flavors of Jerusalem through recipes, stories, and photographs.

    With Jerusalem, Ottolenghi re-teams with his friend and co-owner of his restaurants, Sami Tamimi. Both men were born in Jerusalem in the same year: Tamimi on the Arab east side and Ottolenghi in the ... (Goodreads)

  16. Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

    by Irin Carmon
    Celebrating the life and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    New York Times Bestseller Featured in the critically acclaimed documentary, RBG, "It was beyond my wildest imagination that I would one day become the 'Notorious RBG." — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 2019 She ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. Herding Cats

    by Sarah Andersen
    A humorous graphic novel about the struggles of being an introverted artist and navigating social situations.

    The delightful third installment of, Sarah's Scribbles, by Sarah Andersen, winner of three consecutive, Goodreads Choice, , Awards, for Best Graphic Novels & Comics ". . . author Sarah Andersen uses ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl

    by Carrie Brownstein
    Music memoir of a punk rock pioneer, her struggles and triumphs in the music industry.

    From a leader of feminist punk music at the dawn of the riot-grrrl era, a candid and deeply personal look at life in rock and roll. Before Carrie Brownstein codeveloped and starred in the wildly ... (Goodreads)

  19. Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002

    by David Sedaris
    A collection of diary entries from David Sedaris, showcasing his wit and humor while providing insight into his personal life and creative process.

    David Sedaris tells all in a book that is, literally, a lifetime in the making. For forty years, David Sedaris has kept a diary in which he records everything that captures his attention-overheard ... (Goodreads)

  20. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

    by Sherman Alexie
    A memoir about the troubled relationship between a Spokane Indian father and his son.

    A searing, deeply moving memoir about family, love, loss, and forgiveness from the critically acclaimed, bestselling National Book Award-winning author of, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time ... (Barnes & Noble)

  21. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

    by Atul Gawande
    An exploration of the human experience of mortality and the importance of end-of-life care.

    In, Being Mortal, author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern ... (Goodreads)

  22. What Happened

    by Hillary Rodham Clinton
    A candid look into the 2016 election, exploring the events leading up to her defeat.

    “In the past, for reasons I try to explain, I’ve often felt I had to be careful in public, like I was up on a wire without a net. Now I’m letting my guard down.” —Hillary Rodham Clinton, from the ... (Goodreads)

  23. Truth & Beauty

    by Ann Patchett
    A heartfelt exploration of female friendship, and the challenges of life and love.

    "A loving testament to the work and reward of the best friendships, the kind where your arms can’t distinguish burden from embrace.” –People,, New York Times, Bestselling author Ann Patchett’s first ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. A Year in Provence

    by Peter Mayle
    A humorous memoir of a British couple's first year in Provence, France, adjusting to the culture shock and idiosyncrasies of their new home.

    In this witty and warm-hearted account, Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Lubéron ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Death and Life of Great American Cities

    by Jane Jacobs
    Exposes the flaws of urban planning, advocating for a more organic approach.

    A direct and fundamentally optimistic indictment of the short-sightedness and intellectual arrogance that has characterized much of urban planning in this century, The Death and Life of Great ... (Goodreads)

  26. Regarding the Pain of Others

    by Susan Sontag
    An exploration of the power and impact of photographic images of war and suffering.

    Twenty-five years after her classic On Photography , Susan Sontag returns to the subject of visual representations of war and violence in our culture today. How does the spectacle of the sufferings ... (Goodreads)

  27. Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman

    by Lindy West
    A humorous and honest memoir about growing up as a woman, challenging societal norms.

    Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible–like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you--writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times

    by Pema Chödrön
    A guide to overcoming fear and embracing life, through spiritual practice and self-reflection.

    Lifelong guidance for learning to change the way we relate to the scary and difficult moments of our lives, showing us how we can use all of our difficulties and fears as a way to soften our hearts ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor

    by Adam Kay
    An honest, funny, and heartbreaking account of life on the NHS frontline.

    Welcome to the life of a junior doctor: 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids, and the hospital parking meter earns more than you. Scribbled in secret after ... (Goodreads)

  30. From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

    by Caitlin Doughty
    Journey to explore different cultures' death rituals, evaluating one's own mortality.

    A New York Times and Los Angeles Times Bestseller “Doughty chronicles [death] practices with tenderheartedness, a technician’s fascination, and an unsentimental respect for grief.” —Jill Lepore, The ... (Barnes & Noble)