Nonfiction November is here. The first week is hosted by Rennie at What's Nonfiction. Since I am away from home, I don't have access to all my nonfiction. However, I did bring some along for this trip. I still have eight nonfiction waiting to be read.
- Imperiernas tid 1815-1919 (Europa's koloniale eeuw. De koloniale rijken in de negentiende eeuw, 1815-1919) by Henk Weaselling
- Fifty Plants That Changed the Course of History by Bill Laws
- The Fall of Carthage by Adrian Goldsworthy
- Jihad! The Secret War in Afghanistan by Tom Carew
- Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall
- Story Genius by Lisa Cron
- The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England by Ian MortimerWomen Travellers (ed.) by Mary Morris with Larry O'Connor
- A Fortune-Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzani
As usual there are mostly books on history, but there are a couple of other themes as well (plants, travelling and writing.
Week 1: (November 1-5)
My year in fiction so far consists of six biographies, three history books, three books connected to literature and one travel book. It adds up to 13 books.
- Bowen, H.V./McAleer, John/Blyth, Robert J. - Monsoon Traders, The Maritime World of the East India Company
- Pye, Michael - The Edge of the World, How the NORTH SEA Made Us Who We Are
- Murphy, S.J., G. Ronald - Tree of Salvation, Yggdrasil and the Cross in the North
- Theroux, Paul Riding the Iron Rooster (his travels in China)
What was your favourite nonfiction read of the year?
It is difficult to say since I enjoyed most of the books. A story that really stayed with me was Christopher McCandless life, excellently portrayed by Jon Krakauer in Into the Wild It is a story about a young man who tries to find his place in this world. A fascinating account as well as dreadful.
Do you have a particular topic you’ve been attracted to more this year?
My nonfiction is mostly about history. I think I will try this November to choose a few other books. Here are a few other themes that I might try out.
- Peterson, Jordan B. - 12 Rules for Life, An Antidote to Chaos (trying to organise myself?)
- Frostegård, Johan - Evolutionen och jag ("The Evolution and I") (where do we all come from?)
- Hibberd/Usmar, Jessamy/Jo - This Book Will Make You Mindful (again organise your mind?)
- Pearl, Eric - The Reconnection (to another world/dimension?)
- Terzani, Tiziano - A Fortune-Teller Told Me (travel books are always interesting)
- Walker, Matthew - Why we sleep - unlocking the power of sleep and dreams (will maybe help me sleep better?)
What nonfiction book have you recommended the most?
I don't often recommend nonfiction books, but would probably go for a biography. Two books I do recommend though are by Mary S. Lovell:
- Jane Digby - A Scandalous Life (1995)
- Sir Richard Burton - A Rage to Live (1998)
- Mitford sisters - The Mitford Girls – the extraordinary lives of the six Mitford sisters (2001)
These are the three books I have read by her and they are my favourites ever. Especially the one about Sir Richard Burton (the explorer, not the actor). Amazing life.
What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
I don't think it will change my overall nonfiction reading. I do enjoy other bloggers views and recommendations, and I always find some books that sounds interesting and I would like to read. Always good to widen your own horizon. Apart from that it is always a pleasure to discuss views with fellow bloggers.
Brilliant lists. As so often with your posts, I would love to read them all!
ReplyDeleteHere is my Year in Non-Fiction November for Week 1. I have read 24 non-fiction books so far this year.
Thank you Marianne. You have quite a list as well. Very interesting and more varied subjects that my lists.
DeleteYou think? I believe your lists are quite varied, as well. A lot more than most.
DeleteLovely to see so many of the bloggers I already follow joining in (as well as finding new people to follow)!
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed. Seems to be more bloggers that I follow that join this year. I find nonfiction more difficult to review, but enjoy reading other's reviews.
DeleteSo many fascinating topics!
ReplyDeleteThank you Emma. I will not be able to read all of them, but there are months to come.
DeleteI’m curious about How to be a Heroine , The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England by Ian MortimerWomen Travellers also appeals. Thanks for sharing your recommendations
ReplyDeleteSamantha Ellis held a talk for the Brussels Brontë Group. It was the first time I encountered her. She talked about her biography of Anne Brontë (still to read). In the meantime I found this book in the library. It is really enjoyable. I had not read all of the books she refers to, but I loved how she put them in perspective to her own life, her thoughts and actions. A really wonderful book.
DeleteShe also had some interesting views on the life of Anne Brontë, so I am eager to read that one as well.
Time Traveller's Guide should be an interesting read. I have, in later years, become quite a fan of the Medieval ages. One thinks it was so dark, but it was far from it, when one enter into the times. If you are interested in the times, I can recommend Barbara Tuchman's 'A Distan Mirror'. A fantastic tale of the 14th century.
Oh I LOVED The Lonely Empress! I read it many years ago but I absolutely love anything about Sisi's life. So peculiar and sad but endlessly compelling, and an interesting time and place in history too.
ReplyDeleteAfter not reading anything about her for awhile, I actually read two this year and they were among my favorites so I highly recommend them if you're interested in the topic: Twilight of Empire, which is about her son's bizarre murder/suicide with his mistress, and Stealing Sisi's Star, about the theft of her last remaining jewelry star from Schönbrunn Palace.
Oh, I am glad you loved it too. It was an excellent account of her life, I found. Thank you for the two recommendations. I am adding them to my list. If I remember correctly the Mayerling drama was also mentioned in The Lonely Empress. I also read about it in The Habsburgs by Andrew Wheatcroft (my review here: https://thecontentreader.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-habsburgs-by-andrew-wheatcroft.html). The drama is quite an amazing story, that still holds secrets.
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