The Content Reader

We have reached the last week of Nonfiction November. It has been a great month, with many discussions on nonfiction, various subjects and inspiration from people with other interests than my own. This week is hosted by Rennie @ What's Nonfiction  and the task is to go through recommendations through the month, and see what ended up on your TBR. In my case, they entered into my list of Wish to Read  I am not entirely sure I will be able to track all of my recommendations, so sorry about that. If you recognise it, please let me know, and I will add your link. The Brontë sisters are a big interest of mine. I love their books, but also enjoy reading about them. I have already read quite a few books, but I am happy to have received tips on some books, of which I was not aware. Lisa of Hopewell  recommended three interesting books, and they all seem different from the ones I have read before. It is always good when an author/expert manages to near the subject from a dif...

This weeks Nonfiction November is hosted by Leann of Shelf Aware . This week we look into how we choose our nonfiction books. Leading us to what makes a book you have read your favourite one. Is the topic important? Is it the way it is written? They way it tells a story? Do you look for a humorous approach, or a more serious one? Leann thinks that picking one of your favourite nonfiction books, is like picking your favourite human. Leann gives us a hint of what could be part of our favourite nonfiction read. Time period – favourite this year or decade Type of nonfiction – is it a big idea book, a how-to book, a memoir, a book aimed at academics or clinicians? Use Case – are you trying to find out how to solve a problem? Do you need a new skills? Is the topic on business, creativity, mindset, relationships, etc? How easy it is to understand and ultimately, how helpful was it? Leann thinks it is hard to rate a book by using stars and numbers. I totally agree. Both as concerns f...

Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. He was one of the most popular writers in the 1920s and 30s. He published his first book in 1900 and his last in 1942, the same year he committed suicide, together with his wife. They were then living in exile in Brazil. Amok came in 1922. Amok, or running amok, is often used when describing something wildly out of control or causing a frenzy (Wikipedia). It is a good title for this book of five short stories. The stories tell of men and women who, when something specific happens, loose their bearing in life, that is, they run amok. We meet a man obsessed by playing chess, almost like an addict. One day he finds himself on a cruise ship, where the world's best chess player, a very young man, has challenged some enthusiast. Winning over the young man, he withdraws and refuses a return match. He quietly tells his story to a fellow passenger. “People and events don't disappoint us, ...

This week's book beginnings and page 56 text comes from a book on my shelves. Since it is November and I am participating in Nonfiction November , I choose a non-fiction book; The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England  by Ian Mortimer. Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader "What does the word 'medieval' conjure up in your mind? Knights and castles? Monks and abbeys? Huge tracts of forest in which outlaws live in defiance of the law" Such images may be popular but they say little about what life was like for the majority." The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice "The foregoing makes the woman's lot seem a particularly harsh one. However, there are some great advantages to being a woman. When the king issues writs to his sheriffs summoning an army, it is the men who have to risk their lives and fight, not the women. Despite this, high-status women are still entitled to all the benefits of being connected...

We have reached week 3 in Nonfiction November, hosted by Katie at Doing Dewey  This is all about being the expert, asking the expert or becoming an expert. There are three ways to approach this week. Be the Expert: Share three or more books on a single topic that you have read and can recommend Ask the Expert: Put a call out for good nonfiction on a specific topic that you have been dying to read Become the Expert:  Create your own list of books on a topic that you would like to rea Can I be so bold as to use all three of the options? It is rewarding to be an expert, fantastic to be able to ask and expert, which will, hopefully, made you become an expert. My main interest in nonfiction is history. Although it seems to take a lesser part in the educational flow (at least in Sweden), I think it is important to know and remember our history. The German philosopher Friedrich Hegel said: " The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history." ...

The second week of nonfiction reading is hosted by Sarah's Book Shelves . This is a week of pairing nonfiction books with fiction. From Sarah: "It can be a "If you loved this book, read this!" or just two titles that you think would go well together. Maybe it's a historical novel and you'd like to get the real history by reading a nonfiction version of the story." Pairing nonfiction and fiction - theme Russia I am still reading the very big and thick book about Stalin: Stalin, The Court of the Red Tsar  by Simon Sebag Montefiore. Excellent, scary and terrifying reading of the situation behind the scenes. Still 150 pages to go. While visiting the library the other day, I saw the book Stalin's Children. Three Generations of Love and War  by Owen Matthews. Matthews tries to find out what happened to his family. His mother is Russian. Her father was picked up one day in 1937, never to be seen again. Her mother was sent to one of Stalin's ca...

The first Mystery Path you find under link. I have read a few very good mystery/thrillers and would like to share a few short reviews with you. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton Another typical Kate Morton story. I love her way of telling two parallell stories; a modern one and a mystery in the past. This time we meet Elodie Winslow, a young archivist, living in London. She is working for a prestigious, old lawyer's firm and take care of their archives. One day she finds a leather satchel with two unrelated items; a sepia photograph of a beautiful, mysterious woman dressed in Victorian clothing, and an artist's sketchbook containing a drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river. It is a drawing of Birchwood Manor and it feels familiar to Elodie. The past story takes place in the summer of 1862, when a group of young artists meet in the house of talented painter Edward Radcliffe. They are meeting to spend a secluded summer with friends and to find ins...