Looking for something new to read? Browse our non-fiction picks for June! Includes books about George Michael, the evolution of humans, tasty recipes and more.
Want more suggested books? Take a look at our recommendations.
A British Childhood: How Our Children Live Now
Frank Cottrell Boyce
Frank Cottrell-Boyce tells the story of what it means to be young in Britain today and the consequences of growing up at the sharp end of two major crises – the pandemic and austerity.
During his time as Children’s Laureate he visited schools that had been forced to make permanent homes in temporary buildings, where teachers doubled up as social workers, therapists and nutritionists. He talked to children abandoned within the prison system, seen to have forfeited their right to the second chance a good education might provide. He met families shuttled from one hotel room to another as they awaited the outcome of asylum decisions. And he talked to the extraordinary array of people working to change the fortunes of the young people around them.
These encounters prompted him to reflect on his own upbringing in Merseyside, the difference literature made to his early years, and how, during his lifetime, childhood in Britain has been transformed.
The Twitnam Summer
Hester Grant
Jonathan Swift settled into his great friend Alexander Pope’s new house on the river at Twickenham, and joined by John Gay, the trio of Scriblerus Club writers spent a delightful and creative summer, pushing each other to new satirical heights, exploring the gardens and houses of their aristocratic friends and thinking up ways to torment Robert Walpole’s corrupt Whig administration without going to jail.
The three of them added up to more than the sum of their considerable parts and, as well as being a brilliant evocation of the radical rage, the joy and stench of early eighteenth century life, The Twitnam Summer is also a very moving portrait of male friendship.
Tonight the Music Seems So Loud: The Meaning of George Michael
Sathnam Sanghera
He wrote one of the biggest hits of our age in ‘about an hour’ in his childhood bedroom. He would go on to collaborate with some of the greatest musicians of all time, from Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder. He was a pop star who bleached his hair blonde, wore tiny shorts and, at the same time, critiqued his own image mercilessly. He lived through the AIDS crisis and one of the most homophobic periods of British history and yet when he finally came out, he did so boldly and unapologetically. Wham! were the first Western pop group to play in Communist China and he repeatedly broke boundaries in music too.
Ten years after his death, George Michael is still everywhere. This title is a portrait of one of Britain’s most beloved musicians and an account of a strange and turbulent period of British history.
Family: Simple, Healthy Recipes for Everyone
Caludine Boulstridge
French-British chef and mother-of-three Claudine Boulstridge is passionate about family food. She wants to show everyone how to transform daily meals into flavour-forward, vibrant and healthy home-cooked dishes you and your children, will love at any age.
Packed with tempting and creative recipes and practical ideas for a balanced, varied diet, this book will make mealtimes more delicious and help you to nourish adventurous eaters at the same time. Today most people work long hours, meaning that it can be hard to find the time to cook meals from scratch.
This cookbook will transform the way you eat as a family without upending your daily routine. With one-pot dishes, prepare-ahead meals, and minimal washing up, this book is the perfect solution for health-conscious, time-pressed families.
The Nuclear Age: An Epic Race for Arms, Power and Survival
Serhii Plokhy
Acclaimed historian Serhii Plokhy paints an intricate picture of a world governed by fear.
From the first artificial splitting of the atom in 1917 and the race to create the first atomic bomb in World War II, through the fraught arms race of the Cold War, to the imperialism, neo-colonial motivation and wars being waged today, the threat posed by nuclear weapons is as pertinent as ever.
As he examines the motivations of key players, Plokhy confronts the crucial question of our age: what can we learn from the first nuclear arms race that can help us to stop the new one?
Humans: The Evolution of a Species
Alice Roberts
Humans – who are we? Physically, we’re unremarkable in the animal world – a hairless ape. But somehow, in combination, our characteristics make us remarkable.
How can our fingers open this book with such precision, prising apart pages just a fraction of a millimetre thick? How can we understand the symbols in it and read the thoughts someone has transferred to the page? With our union of dexterity and brain power, we discovered ways of finding food and beating the elements not only in our home on the African savanna, but in every habitat from jungle to Arctic waste.
Uncovering exactly how we did this is not easy. Each fossil or flint tool discovery seems to rewrite the human story. This thought-provoking book presents the latest advances in understanding, challenging old myths and baked-in misconceptions – all through the lens of the human body.
Emily’s Cooking: How to Make Food Your Kids Will Actually Eat
Anouska Emily Mauree
Emily’s recipes are fun to make, simple to prepare and crucially, your kids will actually eat them. Whether you need food that’s perfect for a party, easy to pack into a lunchbox or guaranteed to keep the whole family happy at dinner, this is How to Make Food Your Kids Will Actually Eat.
From the easiest snacks to reach for in a pinch to simple lunchbox solutions, these are recipes that your kids will truly love!