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[TV still from Insecure, 3 Arts Entertaiment and HBO]

The second season of Issa Rae’s incredible Insecure premiered last night on HBO and we’re so excited.  To celebrate this masterful show’s return to television, we read Issa Rae’s 2015 memoir The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. And then we couldn’t stop reading. Here are all the showrunner-penned memoirs and non-fiction books we read this summer, colored with our expert opinions and graded so you know what to pick up and what to pass on.

[Photo by Mael BALLAND on Unsplash]

It’s Amelia Earhart Day and here at Quirk Books we’re not only celebrating the birthday of this magnificent groundbreaking aviatrix, we’re also basking in the splendor of the brilliant courageous women who came before and after her. Each of these women brings her own remarkable twist to the history of aviation and we’re thrilled we have the opportunity to share their stories with you today. Happy Amelia Earhart Day, y’all!

(Photo by Ellyot on Unsplash)

As space pioneer Sally Ride’s birthday approaches (May 26) and discussion of the incredible women in Hidden Figures demands attention and captivates imaginations, we consider the role of women in science and how, for years, their stories have been superseded by their male counterparts. Today we honor Sally Ride and the countless women who broke boundaries and denied stereotypes by highlighting exceptional accounts of their stories.

A mention of the word ‘scurvy’ often brings to mind pirates, but you might not be aware that scurvy is a very real and still relevant issue. Scurvy is a condition caused by a lack of vitamin C, which causes tiredness, muscle weakness, rashes, and bleeding gums. Pirates often suffered from scurvy due to the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables while sailing the seven seas. May 2^nd is Scurvy Awareness Day, so to do our part, we’re highlighting 5 swashbuckling stories about pirates! The Limestrong website also recommends making your cat a fruit helmet and sharing via social media, which we also fully endorse. Yes, there are pictures for inspiration!

[Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash]

This weekend, the environmentally conscious all around the world will come together to celebrate Earth Day—a day for spreading awareness and taking action to save the planet. There’s no doubt that taking care of our home is a hugely important issue, and there is so much that everyone can do to make a difference. Even in small ways, like taking shorter showers, recycling, riding a bike, or walking rather than taking a car. But what can we do as readers? We take a look at some of the ways that bookworms can help the Earth…and not only on April 22.

To continue our week-long celebration of all things Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge, we're pulling up a barstool in some of our favorite bars in pop culture.