1. Home
  2. News
  3. The Vicarious High of Narcotics in Nonfiction*

The Vicarious High of Narcotics in Nonfiction*

Posted by Melody on Friday, Jun 21, 2013

Did you enjoy local author Cheeni Rao’s memoir so much that you wondered where you could find more like it? Well you’re in luck, ‘cuz I just cataloged a few recently released drug memoirs. Check them out:

Marijuanamerica by Ryan Nerz, also published April 2, and receiving some pretty favorable reviews on Amazon.


Place a hold on this book

White Out: The Secret Life of Heroin; A Memoir by Michael W. Cline, published April 2. Read a review from the New Yorker.

 

 

 

 

Place a hold on this book

Tripping with Allah by Michael Muhammad Knight, published March 12. Actually as much about a higher power and its construction as it is about getting higher. See what other readers have to say on GoodReads.

 
Place a hold on this book

 

Humoldt: Life on America’s Marijuana Frontier by Emily Brady, published June 18 (I know, I’m jumping the gun on this one a little, but this kind of insider reportage is hard to come by and worthy of note). If you know the reference by the name of the county and enjoy fantasizing about the lush greenery of Northern California, it’s worth your while to spare a few hours and read this book. Get your library card out and place a hold now.

 

 

 

Place a hold on this book

And for the heartbreaking perspective from the father of an addict, published in 2008, Beautiful Boy by David Sheff, whose new book Clean came out on April 2. Maybe you heard about him on NPR? Listen to the March 27 interview on Weekend Edition or the April 3 one on Fresh Air.

 

 

 

 

Place a hold on this book Okay, one more, an oldie but goody from our Writers' Workshop friend and sometimes visiting speaker, Denis Johnson. This one’s for the fiction lovers in this town who still haven’t read it or seen the movie. Check out Jesus’ Son, and note that Denis Johnson is also a poet. You will see his lyricism in his writing.

 

 

 

*The title Writing on Drugs was taken.

About the Author

Melody's picture

I've been at the library for more than 10 years now, and I still find joy when choosing the best books for our readers. My current reading journey is taking me book by book through different genres. I'm challenging myself to find books that are enough outside my wheelhouse that I'd pass them by on first glance. The genre I'm looking forward to... more

Other Posts by Melody

See more posts from Melody

Melody Recommends

  • Happiness for Beginners: A Novel

    by Katherine Center

    OverDrive Audiobook
    Adventure, Romance, Humor

    As seen on Netflix—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger Helen Carpenter can't quite seem to bounce back. Newly divorced at thirty-two, her life has fallen apart beyond her ability to put it together again. So when her annoying younger brother, Duncan, convinces her to sign up for a hardcore wilderness survival course in the backwoods of Wyoming—she hopes it'll be exactly what she needs. Instead, it's a disaster. It's nothing like she wants, or expects, or anticipates. She doesn't anticipate the surprise summer blizzard, for example—or the blisters, or the rutting elk, or the mean pack of sorority girls. And she especially doesn't anticipate that her annoying brother's even-more-annoying best friend, Jake, will show up for the exact same course—and distract her, derail her, and . . . kiss her. But it turns out sometimes disaster can teach you exactly the things you need to learn. Like how to keep going, even when you think you can't. How being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes getting really, really lost is your only hope of getting found. Happiness for Beginners is Katherine Center at her most heart-warming, captivating best—a nourishing, page-turning, up-all-night read about how to get back up. It's a story that looks at how our struggles lead us to our strengths. How love is always worth it. And how the more good things we look for, the more we find.

    mdworak's picture

    I saw this trailer on Netflix (which knows me so well) and knew I had to read the book first. I prefer audiobooks for rom coms, and this one did not disappoint. I am a sucker for a transformational backpacking journey in fiction--not something I get to do in real life. The characters were humane and loveable, and the banter between the leads was light-hearted and witty. The title comes from the name of a textbook a fellow sojourner brings with her, a book for a positive psychology class she's taking. Happiness studies grew in popularity as the pandemic wore on, so it might sound old hat to you as you're reading this in 2023. The first edition of this novel came out in 2015 and is seeing a resurgence thanks to the film adaptation. Now I just have to find 2 hours to sit still for a movie night. Happy reading! -Melody
See more recommendations

Recent News

Add new comment