Essays cover a wide range of topics, styles and moods and are a great place to start exploring the nonfiction genre. These books of essays are available to borrow from the Lititz Public Library.
Sister Mother Husband Dog, Etc. by Delia Ephron
Hollywood screenwriter and bestselling author shares personal recollections, including a piece about bad hair days, an appreciation of her dog and a remembrance of losing her older sister, Nora Ephron.
When I Was a Child I Read Books by Marilynne Robinson
The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gilead investigates themes that have preoccupied her work, such as the role of faith in modern life and the contradictions inherent in human nature.
Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Bestselling, single, mother-and-daughter writers humorously cover subjects such as the tumultuous world of dating, the impossibility of finding a reliable snow blower and the joys of owning a dog.
Planting Dandelions: Field Notes From a Semi-Domesticated Life by Kyran Pittman
A contributing writer for Good Housekeeping presents eighteen essays on the lighter side of family life with topics like settling down, entering midlife and making recession-related sacrifices.
I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections by Nora Ephron
The author discusses her career in journalism, divorce, a long-anticipated inheritance with unanticipated results and the evolution of her relationship with her email inbox.
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
This collection celebrates the author’s life in France and America, from an attempt to make coffee with water from a flower vase to a drug purchase in a North Carolina mobile home.
The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild by Craig Childs
Forty narrative essays present a tour of the author’s encounters with a variety of animals, evaluating the behaviors, habitats and life cycles of creatures like bighorn sheep, sharks and peregrine falcons.
How to Be Alone by Jonathan Franzen
Thoughtful essays explore themes often pursued in the author’s novels, such as loneliness, the erosion of civil life and private dignity.
Sacagawea’s Nickname: Essays on the American West by Larry McMurtry
Novelist shares his love for the western landscape and belief in the unique aspects of the western experience.
Firstlight: The Early Inspirational Writings of Sue Monk Kidd
Before becoming the bestselling novelist of The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair, Kidd wrote inspirational essays for Guideposts, an interfaith magazine.
I’m All Over That: And Other Confessions by Shirley MacLaine
In a collection of personal essays, the actress shares her views and insights on aging, Hollywood, being polite, sex and anger.
My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who’s Been Everywhere by Susan Orlean
The author recounts her adventures in a variety of exotic locales, from the African music scene in Paris to the World Taxidermy Championships in Springfield, Illinois.
Thrillers: 100 Must Reads edited by David Morrell and Hank Wagner
Through essays contributed by modern thriller writers such as David Baldacci, Lee Child, Sandra Brown and others, this book explores 100 works of suspense from the ancient world to modern times.
Forward From Here: Leaving Middle Age and Other Unexpected Adventures by Reeve Lindbergh
The daughter of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh reflects on growing older, her famous parents, family secrets and the transition out of middle age.
Hold the Enlightenment by Tim Cahill
A travelogue of exotic locales includes swimming with the great white sharks, searching for the mythical Caspian tiger in Kurd country, drinking snake-blood cocktails in China and learning yoga in Jamaica.
Originally published on November 15, 2013 in the Lititz Record Express.