Gretchen Lida
![Gretchen Lida](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/Gretchen.png)
Gretchen Lida is an essayist and an equestrian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brevity, the Rumpus, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications. She is also a contributing writer to Book Riot and the Washington Independent Review of Books. She teaches composition in Illinois, lives in Chicago, sometimes resides on Nantucket Island, and is still a Colorado native. Find her on Twitter at @GC_Lida.
36 entries by Gretchen Lida
Sociopath: A Memoir
By Patric Gagne
![Sociopath: A Memoir](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/sociopath-9781668003183_lg.jpg)
What does it feel like to be unfeeling?
Who Gets Believed?
By Dina Nayeri
![Who Gets Believed?](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/whogetsbelieved.jpg)
Why so much hinges on “selling” our stories.
It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me: A Memoir
By Rex Chapman with Seth Davis
![It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me: A Memoir](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/its-hard-for-me-to-live-with-me-9781982197773_lg.jpg)
A frank, razor-sharp reflection on fame and a spectacular fall.
Unfinished Woman: A Memoir
By Robyn Davidson
![Unfinished Woman: A Memoir](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/unfinishedwoman.jpg)
This challenging, rich reflection rewards patient readers.
Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy
By Charles Busch
![Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/leadinglady.jpg)
A playful, poignant look at the life of a renowned drag queen.
Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future
By Gloria Dickie
![Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/eightbears.jpg)
What Goldilocks got wrong about the world’s fiercest land predator.
Who Gets Believed?: When the Truth Isn’t Enough
By Dina Nayeri
![Who Gets Believed?: When the Truth Isn’t Enough](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/whogetsbelieved.jpg)
Why so much hinges on “selling” our stories.
A Coastline Is an Immeasurable Thing: A Memoir Across Three Continents
By Mary-Alice Daniel
![A Coastline Is an Immeasurable Thing: A Memoir Across Three Continents](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/acoastline.png)
A lyrical reflection on growing up a “third culture” kid.
Mothertrucker
By Amy Butcher
![Mothertrucker](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/mothertrucker.jpg)
A bittersweet exploration of God, violence, and the power of friendship.
Sinkhole: A Legacy of Suicide
By Juliet Patterson
![Sinkhole: A Legacy of Suicide](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/Sinkhole_300dpi_RGB_0.jpg)
An intelligent, deeply researched reflection on the ultimate form of self-harm.
Fuzz
By Mary Roach
![Fuzz](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/Screenshot_(549).png)
This book’s laugh-out-loud delivery belies its sober underlying message.
War and Me: A Memoir
By Faleeha Hassan; translated by William Hutchins
![War and Me: A Memoir](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/warandme.jpg)
A heartfelt if impersonal recollection of life in Iraq.
The Sound of the Sea
By Cynthia Barnett
![The Sound of the Sea](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/soundof.jpg)
What can the beachy treasures tell us about the health of our planet?
The Window Seat
By Aminatta Forna
![The Window Seat](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/WindowSeatHC_CoverUpdate.jpg)
This timely essay collection reminds us that we’re all citizens of the world.
Thin Places: A Natural History of Healing and Home
By Kerri ní Dochartaigh
![Thin Places: A Natural History of Healing and Home](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/ThinPlaces_300dpi_RGB_0.jpg)
A lyrical recollection of growing up amid the Troubles.
Winter Pasture
By Li Juan; translated by Jack Hargreaves and Yan Yan
![Winter Pasture](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/Screenshot_(33)_1.png)
This newly translated memoir has long been loved in the author’s native land.
Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America
By Amy Butcher
![Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/mothertrucker.jpg)
A bittersweet exploration of God, violence, and the power of friendship.
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law
By Mary Roach
![Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/Screenshot_(549).png)
This book’s laugh-out-loud delivery belies its sober underlying message.
The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans
By Cynthia Barnett
![The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/soundof.jpg)
What can the beachy treasures tell us about the health of our planet?
The Window Seat: Notes from a Life in Motion
By Aminatta Forna
![The Window Seat: Notes from a Life in Motion](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/WindowSeatHC_CoverUpdate.jpg)
This timely essay collection reminds us that we’re all citizens of the world.
The Story of More
By Hope Jahren
![The Story of More](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/storyofmore.jpg)
A perfect, pocket-size primer on environmental problems and solutions.
Winter Pasture: One Woman’s Journey with China’s Kazakh Herders
By Li Juan; translated by Jack Hargreaves and Yan Yan
![Winter Pasture: One Woman’s Journey with China’s Kazakh Herders](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/Screenshot_(33)_1.png)
This newly translated memoir has long been loved in the author’s native land.
Dark, Salt, Clear: Life in a Fishing Village
By Lamorna Ash
![Dark, Salt, Clear: Life in a Fishing Village](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/dark.jpg)
Compassionate realism illuminates this account of a working-class seaside town in England.
Waters of the World
By Sarah Dry
![Waters of the World](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/waters.jpg)
The author flexes her skills as an historian but unfortunately goes slack in her prose.
Having and Being Had
By Eula Biss
![Having and Being Had](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/Screenshot_(181).png)
An occasionally uncomfortable — and long overdue — exploration of power and privilege.
![The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/Screenshot_(136).png)
This new work combining science and social justice makes a strong case for coming and going.
Underland
By Robert Macfarlane
![Underland](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/underland.jpg)
A poetic, entrancing exploration of the spaces that lie beneath.
![The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/storyofmore.jpg)
A perfect, pocket-size primer on environmental problems and solutions.
Half Broke: A Memoir
By Ginger Gaffney
![Half Broke: A Memoir](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/halfbroke.jpg)
An outstanding reflection from a horse trainer attempting to reach both animals and inmates.
![Waters of the World: The Story of the Scientists Who Unraveled the Mysteries of Our Oceans, Atmosphere, and Ice Sheets and Made the Planet Whole](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/waters.jpg)
The author flexes her skills as an historian but unfortunately goes slack in her prose.
Ghost Riders
By Mark Felton
![Ghost Riders](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/ghostriders.jpg)
How an unlikely team-up rescued the Spanish Riding School’s prized steeds.
A Dream Called Home
By Reyna Grande
![A Dream Called Home](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/adream.jpg)
An American tale of love, family, writing, and immigration for the next generation.
Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss
By Margaret Renkl
![Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/latemigrations.jpg)
A lyrical reflection on life that blends observations of the natural world with family memories.
Underland: A Deep Time Journey
By Robert Macfarlane
![Underland: A Deep Time Journey](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/underland.jpg)
A poetic, entrancing exploration of the spaces that lie beneath.
Savage News: A Novel
By Jessica Yellin
![Savage News: A Novel](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/savage.jpg)
This uneven media critique sadly proves that good politics doesn’t always make for good writing.
White Dancing Elephants
By Chaya Bhuvaneswar
![White Dancing Elephants](https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/assets/uploads/whitedancing.jpg)
This award-winning debut boasts virtuoso range and depth.