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Best Nonfiction of 2012 (page 3)

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Cover art for BEAUTIFUL THING
NONFICTION
Released: March 6, 2012
Kirkus Star BEAUTIFUL THING: INSIDE THE SECRET WORLD OF BOMBAY'S DANCE BARS
by Sonia Faleiro
"Gritty, gripping and often heartbreaking--an impressive piece of narrative nonfiction."
A harsh, cinematic look at the international sex trade. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE PATAGONIAN HARE
NONFICTION
Released: March 13, 2012
Kirkus Star THE PATAGONIAN HARE: A MEMOIR
by Claude Lanzmann, translated by Frank Wynne
""I am neither indifferent to, nor weary of, this world; had I a hundred lives, I know I would not tire of it," he writes. Intelligent readers will find it hard to argue."
Love and death go hand in hand in the life of journalist and filmmaker Lanzmann, who at 84 delivers his first book (originally published in France in 2009): a beautifully written memoir driven by both the writer's passion for living and his memories of lost friends. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE FOREST UNSEEN
NONFICTION
Released: March 19, 2012
Kirkus Star THE FOREST UNSEEN: A YEAR'S WATCH IN NATURE
by David George Haskell
"Exceptional observations of the biological world worthy of any naturalist's library."
An extraordinary, intimate view of life in an old-growth forest. Read full book review >
Cover art for WILD
NONFICTION
Released: March 20, 2012
Kirkus Star WILD: FROM LOST TO FOUND ON THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
by Cheryl Strayed
"A candid, inspiring narrative of the author's brutal physical and psychological journey through a wilderness of despair to a renewed sense of self."
Unsentimental memoir of the author's three-month solo hike from California to Washington along the Pacific Crest Trail. Read full book review >
Cover art for ON CELESTIAL MUSIC
NONFICTION
Released: March 21, 2012
Kirkus Star ON CELESTIAL MUSIC: AND OTHER ADVENTURES IN LISTENING
by Rick Moody
"Thoughtful, heartfelt and frequently moving, like the best music."
The acclaimed novelist shows off his considerable gifts for parsing music. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE HUNT FOR KSM
NONFICTION
Released: March 26, 2012
Kirkus Star THE HUNT FOR KSM: INSIDE THE PURSUIT AND TAKEDOWN OF THE REAL 9/11 MASTERMIND, KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED
by Terry McDermott, Josh Meyer
"A surprising, sobering look at one of the deadliest terror networks in history and the American spy agencies charged with bringing it down."
Superlative storytelling and crackling reportage define a pulse-pounding narrative tracing the capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Read full book review >