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You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

The stories shared by comedian Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey Lamar are hilarious and heartbreaking, unbelievable and yet unsurprising. Their personal and professional experiences and those of their parents demonstrate systemic racism experienced from Omaha to Chicago and New York City. Yes, this book is funny. More importantly, it provides valuable insight on the experiences of Black women in modern America–the daily injustices, the casual ignorance, and the obstacles faced.

Action Park: Fast Times, Wild Rides and the Untold Story of America’s Most Dangerous Amusement Park by Andy Mulvihill with Jake Rossen

Action Park is a memoir written by Andy Mulvihill, whose father, Gene, founded the titular amusement park in 1978. Located in New Jersey, Action Park was known for its innovative rides with lax safety standards, and was popularly known by nicknames such as “Traction Park” and “Class Action Park”. This book tells the horrifying, fascinating story of the park from its founding to its eventual closure in 1996 following six deaths and countless personal injury lawsuits.

The Poison Squad by Deborah Blum

The Poison Squad tells the story of Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, head chemist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 30 years beginning in the late 1880s, who was instrumental in the passing of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act. Not only an account of Wiley’s career, this book also describes in detail the horrifying food industry practices that led to the need for national regulations.