Ever since the first grade, I have loved reading. And funny enough, I know that this love began in first grade, because my parents still have the documents from my pre-K teacher saying how I proudly stated “I do not read books.” Additionally, my mom always loves to tell me how amazing it is that I read so much, given how I would always leave story time to go kick a ball down our hallway (…that story would have been so much cooler if I’d fulfilled my childhood, and definitely, very realistic, dream of becoming a professional soccer player 😂).
Anyway, below is a long list of books I love. Check them out 🤪. And please support your local libraries!!! And your local bookstores!! And if you want to order a book online, use Bookshop.org (they send their profits to local bookstores).
Nonfiction
What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha
Why I love this book: This book taught me what “environmental health” means and all that it encompasses, and helped show me that environmental health is what I am truly passionate about. Environmental health is not just the health of the environment, but also how the environment affects human health (and vice versa…along with how it affects the health of other organisms as well). Environmental health brings together people from a multitude of disciplines: toxicology, ecology, medicine, politics, communications, you name it.
Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont by Robert Bilott
Why I love this book: Honestly, this book was impossible to put down. My college chemical toxicology professor recommended this book to me, and I couldn’t be more grateful! This is just one (of many) book(s) that reminds me of why I am passionate about toxicology, environmental health, and taking down the bourgeoisie (LOL…see my Blog Post “WHAT’S UP WITH PRESTIGE” to learn more about that). Also, if you’re thinking, “Knicki, I really hate reading nonfiction,” well good news! There is a movie about this story, called Dark Waters.
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
Why I love this book: This is the book I recommend to everyone that I’m trying to get into reading nonfiction…it reads like a thriller, which is scary because it’s all true!!! Fascinating story about Marburg and Ebola viruses. And, something special to me, a lot of this story took place close to where I grew up AND worked after college. Such as: Fort Detrick, Frederick, Point of Rocks, etc. I’m pretty sure this is also a movie/show???
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
Why I love this book: This is the FIRST nonfiction book that I read, and it ~quite literally~ changed my life. My high school AP Environmental Sciences teacher (and high school soccer coach) recommended this book to me. Prior to reading this book I was certain I wanted to be a physical therapist – I love human health and I love working with people…but after reading this book, I thought that I could do more! I became so passionate about ecology and conservation…I’ve had a weird and windy career path, and tbh I still don’t know where I’m heading…but I know that this book changed my life. AND, Elizabeth Kolbert writes about a very serious topic in SUCH an enjoyable way. I literally laughed out loud while reading this.
Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach
Why I love this book: Mary Roach is BY FAR one of my ALL TIME favorite authors. She is SO funny…again, I literally laugh out loud while reading her books. And I learn so much too!! I even got my dad to read this book, and HE laughed out loud too! (That’s saying something). I’ve also always kind of enjoyed talking about/learning about gross topics…(my parents will happily tell you about the What’s Your Poo Telling You calendars that I got annually for a couple of years…)
The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum
Why I love this book: Deborah Blum is another one of my all time favorite authors, and she is also SO FUNNY while telling an interesting and educational story!! This is another book that my college chemical toxicology professor recommended to me (yes, I am a teacher’s pet) AND is another book that gets me so ~jazzed~ up about toxicology (please see what I did there…*cough* check the title of the book *cough*). This book is also a movie LMAO…I’m doing the most to turn people onto nonfiction. Oh, also, I asked for this book for Christmas one year and my family was genuinely worried about me.
Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence Given
Why I love this book: Recommended to me by a friend after a breakup! One of my favorite quotes, “Make a promise to yourself to stop investing in people’s potential. You’re not a start up investor.” I recommend every woman everywhere to read this! Heck, people of other genders should read it too!
Memoirs
Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride
Why I love this book: Wow. This book brought out so many different emotions. While reading it, I smiled from cheek to cheek, I ugly cried, AND I felt inspired and encouraged. Sarah McBride has made history and I hope she knows that she has saved lives. Sarah takes us through her journey of coming out as transgender, working in politics, falling in love, experiencing loss, and fighting for all humans to be treated as such. She writes so beautifully — her passion and empathy shine through in her writing. This book has made me hopeful that there are people in power who want to give ALL people equitable access to basic human necessities (crazy we have to fight for that), has encouraged me to be more involved in my community, and reminded me the strength of vulnerability. It also made me happy that I came out. For a while I didn’t want to because I didn’t feel like I should have to. But the truth is that LGBTQ+ people are discriminated against. And as Sarah McBride says, “Our identities matter. They help make us who we are and shape our outlook. Existing in them is a radical act, one that requires, in many instances, courage, hard work, and determination.” So I’m happy I came out. And I’m hopeful that every new generation gets to grow up knowing that they are loved and that their life matters.
Educated by Tara Westover
Why I love this book: Honestly, this book is amazing. It’s both very thought-provoking, while also giving you insight into Mormonism, family struggles, and (of course) education, and how all these things look different for different people. Genuinely one of the most fascinating books I have ever read.
Braver Than You Think: Around the World on the Trip of My (Mother’s) Lifetime by Maggie Downs
Why I love this book: Oh I could go on and on about this book…if you check out my Solo Travels page, you’ll see quotes from this book. Maggie and this book are a big reason I got the courage to finally start traveling solo! But this book is SO MUCH more than a travel book. It’s a book about pain, sorrow, mourning, and (eventually) healing. I laughed, I cried, I got chills, I think about it all the time. I recommend this book to EVERYONE, but especially to people who know/love someone who has (or had) Alzheimer’s Disease, or even if you’ve lost a parent. I think you will relate a lot to this and feel seen with your feelings.
On Trails: An Exploration by Robert Moor
Why I love this book: Robert takes us on his thru-hike through the Appalachian Mountains and Trail (which, btw, is my retirement goal). I love this book, not just because thru-hiking the AT is a dream of mine, but because this book talks about so much more (see, memoirs are just like that, lol). It’s also about how trails are formed, how humans affect nature, and how we pick our own paths through life. Admittedly, it’s been a couple of years since I read this…so I don’t have much to add…but trust me, it’s good.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Why I love this book: Gosh…Michelle Obama is such an incredible and inspiring woman. She tells her life from childhood through the end of Barack’s presidency. She doesn’t hold back with any of her feelings – she is truly and authentically herself, and an inspiration for all women. We are so much more than the people we date – we are strong, smart, independent, and our own unique person.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
Why I love this book: Learning about Britney’s life, and especially her rise to fame and the fallout with her family as they took advantage of her and put her into a conservatorship, was eye opening, and unfortunately (probably) very relatable for many young, female stars like herself. Britney is a deeply passionate person who cares so much for the people in her life – I am so happy and so proud of her for not losing sight, and continuing to fight for herself, though I am sorry that her family and media made life so much more difficult than it should have been.
Fiction
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Why I love this book: Okay…to be completely upfront…this IS a “middle grade” book, and I DID steal it from my fourth grade teacher’s classroom. HOWEVER, I did read it again about a year ago, and I still thought it was so good!! And, now that I’m older, I see how it might have influenced me to become the person I am. This is the first book I remember loving (aside from Frog and Toad…the OG gay icons). This book is why I love sycamore trees. And, now that I’m older, I think this book is (part of) why I’m a conservationist, a romantic, and won’t put up with classist (racist or sexist) bullsh*t. It’s a great book. For all ages 😉
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
Why I love this book: I am BEGGING everyone to read this book. This is one of my most favorite books of all time. It is just so freakin beautiful. And it’s heartbreaking. But, it’s really, really beautiful. I’ve read it three times now, and I know I’ll read it more. This book follows the story of Poppy, who was once Claude, and her family. If you have any confusion about transgender people (or LGBT+ stuff in general), I highly recommend this book!! I think you will learn a lot 🙂 PS – I recommended this book to a friend, and she texted me, “I absolutely loved this is how it always is ❤️❤️❤️❤️”
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Why I love this book: Oof, this book makes me feel a lot of things (and some things that I really don’t like to feel/be reminded of), BUT I still think this is one of my all time favorite books. The imagery of the swamp, the love story, the pain…it’s all great. This book reminds me of why I love reading — it sometimes puts into words how I feel better than I ever could. I often feel like I’ve been abandoned (not by my parents lol…but…other people) and like I have no one and have to do things on my own. You know what…not gonna dig deeper into this haha…it’s a great book (and a great movie too!!!) and you should read (or watch) it if you haven’t yet!!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Why I love this book: Okay…you might be seeing a trend that I really love books that are sad and make me cry. And that nearly every book I’ve mentioned is one of my most favorite books ever…and this is another one of those books. And it’s true!! It’s historical fiction set during the WWII/the Holocaust. And it’s narrated by Death. Which is pretty cool. It’s amazing and you should read it. Warning: I did not cry reading this book. I full on sobbed.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Why I love this book: Yes. This is also a book. Not just a movie. And when you read the book, you will see that they cast the movie ~perfectly~. Jurassic Park has always been one of my favorite movies, and now it is one of my favorite books too! I am a nerd and this is a scicomm blog, so it only makes sense to have one of the most famous science-fiction books shared on here too.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Why I love this book: As a toxicologist and a feminist…this book is awesome. It goes back and forth between present day and the late 1700s, following the lives of three different women. The apothecary’s business is built on liberating women from the men who wronged them (lol…saying this is like saying that Jigsaw in Saw is just trying to help people be better). I listened to this as and audiobook and it was amazing!!
A World Between by Emily Hashimoto
Why I love this book: I love a good love story, smut, and explorations of identity…I can relate to many of the struggles and feelings 😅 One of the things I’ve loved most about the books I’ve read recently is how they don’t have a definitive ending…there are so many different possible ways the characters’ lives could continue to unfold…and I like that because it is so realistic (you can’t say that about most romantic novels). One of my favorite takeaway from this book was: our sexual identity and pursuits are personal, fluid, and don’t need to be explicitly defined to still be real.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Why I love this book: This is one of those books that I think is perfectly classified as a “beach read” — it’s a light, feel good book, with a slow burn and a good story NOT just focused on romantic relationships, but friendships too. This book helped kick me back into reading, and I am so grateful for it.
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
Why I love this book: TBH, I don’t know much about Greek mythology, but this book got me excited about it! It was a unique re-writing of the story of Medusa. Medusa is often thought of as a monster…which doesn’t make sense since she was the one who got r*ped?
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Why I love this book: WOW!!! This is probably one of my most favorite books I have EVER read (as of July 28, 2024). This is the story of a mom and her child running away from their home in Mexico to make a new life in the U.S. after their whole family was murdered by the cartel. This book was heartbreaking, heartwarming, and just makes you feel all the feels. It is also very eye opening to learn how difficult it can be for immigrants and people seeking refuge to really get to safety. And how many never do. HIGHLY recommend if you’re willing to have your heart strings pulled on
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Why I love this book: If you love the movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” you’ll love this book. When faced with the reality of all her life’s regrets, the main character gets to live out some alternative lives she could have lived, had she made some different decisions. I loved this book, and reading it after a breakup was…kind of rough? Lol, but it was a good reminder that life is a mixture of some good and some bad. A favorite quote: “She imagined seeing herself as just another brilliant freak of nature. Just another sentient animal, trying their best. And in doing so, she imagined what it was like to be free.”
One Day by David Nicholls
Why I love this book: Truly one of the best books I have ever read…it was almost hard to believe that it was written by a man AND 15+ years ago, given how relevant it still is to dating and love in this day in age. It follows the story of a boy and girl (tale as old as time?) and their relationship over the course of 20 years. I think part of the reason I love this book is because it feels so real — one or both of them is sometimes not a good friend, they struggle in their careers, they deal with family loss, but there is always their deep love and care for each other that brings them back to each other. (I cried on the plane finishing this book).
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Why I love this book: Would you believe that this is – yet again – one of the best and most beautiful books I have ever read? (It really is) — it follows the lives of Mariam and Laila, whose lives become intertwined with their marriage to their abusive husbands. This book has heartbreak – and lots of it – but it also has laughter, joy, and lots of resilience. I first “read” this as an audiobook, and it was almost dangerous to be driving I was crying so much (lol).
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Why I love this book: This book follows the friendship and lives of two girls who vowed to be best friends forever in high school, and continued to be just that for the remainder of their lives. It shares all the complexities of being a woman — balancing career and family, having different dreams from your friends, the challenges of motherhood, and the power of female friendship. It made me laugh, smile, and bawl my eyes out. It was awesome (it’s a Netflix show too!)
intalksicology 