We’re in Week 5 of Nonfiction November: New to My TBR. (If you need an introduction to Nonfiction November, please visit the original post on Julie Merilatt’s blog JulzReads. This week is being hosted by Rennie from What’s Nonfiction.
 

It’s been a great month of reading fabulous posts about supercali nonfiction books. I had to rein myself in to keep my additions to my TBR to a (baker’s) half-dozen.
 

I’m beginning to realize that essays are what thrill me in a nonfiction read. Three collections that I added this month:

How Life Imitates the World Series by Thomas Boswell.

Jane at Hotchpot Café tipped me to this one. I’ll be reading it and thinking of my late dad.

So You’re a Little Sad, So What? by Alicia Tobin.

Brandon at Every Read Thing says “I would put Alicia Tobin’s first book up against the best of David Sedaris – it’s that good. I had a great time reading this one and I hope you do too.”

And Tobin is Canadian!

Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard P. Feynman.

RaiderGirl at An Adventure in Reading says: Feynman (winner of the Nobel Prize in physics) is “well known for popularizing physics, and his ability to tell a great story”. Science isn’t usually my thing, so I’m looking forward to stretching a little to take this one in.

Non-essay nonfiction that I added:

Shelleyrae at Book’d Out listed several books about true crimes by women. True-crime is another area I’m not usually much interested in reading but Cargo of Women by Babette Smith caught my eye.

Shellyrae said that it “focuses on the experiences of one hundred women who were sentenced to transportation to Australia, often for petty crimes, in 1829. It’s a fascinating exploration of their experiences as convicts.”

Sue at Whispering Gums reminded me that I must be the last person in the world to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skoot. But since there are new readers being born every minute, if I tackle it this year, I won’t be last anymore (right?)

Deb at ReaderBuzz also prompted my memory- this time about H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald.

I’ve been meaning to put this memoir on my TBR pile for a while now.

And last but not least, as they say, Annabel at Annabookbel let me know that Julie Andrews has a sequel to her memoir Home, which has been sitting unread on my shelves for years.

Now I must get to it and read the follow-up that Annabel recommended: Homework: a Memoir of my Hollywood Years

That wraps up Nonfiction November for me. I’m looking forward to hearing what everyone else added to their TBR lists.

Have you read any of my additions? Which would you recommend that I read first?

P.P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.

We’re into week 3 of Nonfiction November: Be/Ask/Become an Expert (if you need an introduction to Nonfiction November, please visit the original post on Julie Merilatt’s blog JulzReads. This week, I hope to be early enough to get my name in on the link-up, hosted by Katie at Doing Dewey

This past summer I had the pleasure of reading Celtic Knot, a fictionalized account of the assassination of Thomas Darcy McGee.

In school, we learned about McGee’s death, significant because his was the first political assassination in the new country of Canada, taking place just eight months after Confederation. Beyond that and the fact Fenians were allegedly somehow involved, I knew nothing. Although I realize that Ann Shortell, the author of Celtic Knot, took certain liberties with the facts as in any historical fiction, I am certain that I understand a lot more about the political situation in Canada at that time now that I’ve read this than I ever learned in school!

But, I’ve decided, not enough. Over the past 50 years, I’ve owned several cats, all of whom have been named after Canadian historical figures: (Sir Charles) Tupper, (Allen Napier) MacNab, Ikie (Isaac Brock), Laura (Secord), Nelly (McClung), (Pierre) Elliott (Trudeau), Fenian, and not least (Thomas D’Arcy) McGee. I think I have an unfed hunger for Canadian history!

My interest piqued, I found this two-volume biography of McGee by David Wilson: Passion, Reason, & Politics 1825-1857 and Volume 2 The Extreme Moderate 1858-1868. There are also free ecopies of McGee’s own writings: his poetry and Popular History of Ireland.

So – time and cost permitting – I’m going to become somewhat of an expert on Thomas D’Arcy McGee. Thanks to author Ann Shortell for rekindling that flame.

P.S. The protagonist in the novel Celtic Knot is McGee’s (fictional) Irish Catholic maid Clara Swift who was the closest to a witness to the murder that there was. Fifteen-year-old Clara is intelligent and observant and it is through her eyes that we see the tangled mess that is motivation for the alleged killer, the investigation, arrest and then trial of Jimmy Whelan. If you have any interest at all in Canadian history, political or not, I highly recommend that you read Celtic Knot.

Thanks to James who blogs at The Mirimichi Reader who brought this book to my attention, and to the author who kindly sent me a beautiful hardcover copy to read in exchange for my unbiased (except for my love of Canadian history!) review.

P.P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.

We’re into week 2 of Nonfiction November: Book Pairings (if you need an introduction to Nonfiction November, please visit the original post on Julie Merilatt’s blog JulzReads. This week, I hope to be early enough to get my name in on the link-up, hosted by Sarah at Sarah’s Bookshelves
 

 
Since I didn’t read a great deal of NF this past year, I have only one real pairing – and not an original one at that. Way back in the spring when I was eagerly waiting for my turn to borrow Jennifer Robson’s The Gown from the library, one of the bloggers I read recommended the nonfiction book My Wedding Dress: True-Life Tales of Lace, Laughter, Tears and Tulle edited by Susan Whelan and Anne Laurel Carter. Unfortunately, I didn’t record who it was who mentioned this book; if it was you, please let me know so that I can give you credit, because it was delightful.

The editors, Canadian writers themselves, issued an invitation to a number of women writers, all with links to the Canadian writing scene, to submit an essay about their wedding dress. Amazon describes the book thusly:
“These are intimate stories about relationships; not just those between men and women, but between women and their mothers, friends and children. And, of course, with their wedding attire – a relationship that is sometimes simple, sometimes complex, but always fascinating in what it tells us about individual lives and aspirations.”

But don’t be put off by the lace and tulle: this book contains a wide variety of wedding dresses, some not dresses at all, and covers a lot of different types of weddings ranging from very traditional to not-even-close. Each essay is accompanied by one or more photos submitted by the author.

I loved every story – every one, I say.

I did read The Gown later in the year, but I was disappointed by it.

Would you have a story to tell about your wedding dress?

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.

Although I’m a little late out of the gate for this event (if you need an introduction to Nonfiction November, please visit the original post on Julie Merilatt’s blog JulzReads; Julz is also hosting this first week) I hope to keep up as the month progresses.

Here’s the list of nonfiction books I’ve read since last November, from my highest rating to my lowest. I’ve included an asterisk next to those that I read at the urging of my fellow event participants.

1. *Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
2. My Wedding Dress: True-Life Tales of Lace, Laughter, Tears and Tulle edited by Susan Whelan and Anne Laurel Carter
3. *Micro Living: 40 Innovative Tiny Houses Equipped for Full-Time Living by Derek “Deek” Diedriksen
4. The Golden Age of Murder: the Mystery Writers Who Invented the Modern Detective Story by Martin Edwards
5. The Clever Gut Diet: How to Revolutionize Your Body from the Inside Out by Dr. Michael Mosley
6. *The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More than Anything You Can Buy in a Store by Cait Flanders
7. *Year of Clutter by Eve Schaub
8. *Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World by Benny Lewis
9. Marty Mann Answers Your Questions about Drinking and Alcoholism by Marty Mann
10. *Tree Houses: Fairy Tale Castles in the Air by Philip Jodidio
11. *A Glorious Freedom: Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives by Lisa Congdon
12. The Blue Satin Nightgown: My French Makeover at Age 78 by Karin Crilly
13. *Between the World and Me by Ta-nehisi Coates

And two I did not finish:
* The Paper Garden: Mrs. Delaney Begins Her Life’s Work at 72 by Molly Peacock
All Things Consoled by Elizabeth Hay

 
Favourite and Most Recommended

The title of ‘favourite’ is a close race between My Wedding Dress and Micro Living, but, honestly, the book I recommended most was Dr. Suess’ Oh the Places You’ll Go. It probably seems flighty of me but I found some profound life advice in this book. You know: life is wonderful. Until it’s not. But pick yourself up, work hard, have patience, and life will be wonderful again, although perhaps in a different way. This book is so much fun to read that I think everyone should!

 
While many participants seem to have been reading memoirs, my nonfiction treats this past year have been, in large part, books recommended to me during last year’s event. I asked for advice on downsizing, simplifying, and major life changes after age 60. I received many suggestions, and have had some fine reading experiences this year because of them.

This year, I hope to broaden my nonfiction reading and beef up my TBR list with titles about a wider variety of topics. I feel a good month coming on!

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.

Nonfiction November is being hosted this week by Katie at Doing Dewey.

Oh, my! I’ve seen about a hundred books this month that I want to read. I had to narrow it down, guys. Sorry for anyone I missed.

First – the answers to my call for experts on making big later-in-life changes, and for downsizing. Thank you to all who commented on this post!

Life Changes:
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Suess (to be covered in a separate post, coming soon) recommended by Brona at Brona’s Books

The Paper Garden: Mrs. Delany Begins Her Life’s Work at 72 by Molly Peacock also by Brona, and seconded by Rebecca at Bookish Beck and Marcie at Buried in Print (Doesn’t this look luscious?)

A Glorious Freedom: Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives by Lisa Congdon also cited by Rebecca

Heather at Gofita’s Pages praised Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak a Language from Anywhere in the World by Benny Lewis

 
Downsizing:
Duane Elgin’s Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Life That is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich was applauded by Jane at Hotchpot Cafe as the “bible” of downsizing from a cultural perspective

Rebecca also appreciated Year of No Clutter by Eve O. Schaub

The Year of Less by Cait Flanders was cited by Jade of Reading with Jade as being thought-provoking in terms of downsizing

Genevieve Parker Hill’s Minimalist Living: Decluttering for Joy, Health and Creativity was recommended by Michael at Inexhaustible Invitations as dealing with lifestyle shifts in general, in addition to offering practical advice about how to declutter

I also picked up a couple of other helpful resources:
GrowingBolder.com website and podcast also endorsed by Jane and
The Minimalists podcast applauded by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best

I already have Voluntary Simplicity and Eva Schaub’s book on my bedside table, and have the rest of the above list reserved at the library.

Further down my TBR I added:

Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper
and
Lost in Translation: A Life in a New Languageby Eva Hoffman
I’ve misplaced the names of the bloggers who recommended these. If it was you, please let me know!

 
Although not part of a Nonfiction November post, Christie at the Ludic Reader highly praised Orchestra in My Garden: Lessons Learned from Digging Deep by Linda Brooks
 

I saw Educated by Tara Westover on many blogs this month, but it was Rebecca at Bookish Beck who was either the first who mentioned it, or the first to convince me to read it. She called it “one of the most powerful and well-written memoirs I’ve ever read.”

And last, but certainly not least, two books on race because I have biracial grandchildren and because I can’t see race as anything but a social construct:

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

and

 

Good White People: the Problem with Middle-Class White Anti-Racism by Shannon Sullivan, both brought to my attention by JoAnn of Lakeside Musing who has done a prodigious amount of reading on this subject.

What a great month. Thanks for all the great recommendations – it was really hard to narrow my list down.

Do any of my choices tempt you?

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.

Nonfiction November is being hosted this week by Rennie at What’s Nonfiction. The prompt is

Nonfiction books often get praised for how they stack up to fiction. Does it matter to you whether nonfiction reads like a novel? If it does, what gives it that fiction-like feeling? Does it depend on the topic, the writing, the use of certain literary elements and techniques? What are your favorite nonfiction recommendations that read like fiction? And if your nonfiction picks could never be mistaken for novels, what do you love about the differences?

Whew! It’s these kind of questions that make me feel totally inadequate and unqualified to be discussing books.

Sure, I like narrative nonfiction, and it helps if there are real-life examples but nonfiction doesn’t necessarily have to read like a novel to keep my interest. Especially if it’s a book that is ‘teaching’ me: I don’t want just dry facts or a school textbook, but I don’t need it sound like fiction either, although history often can! And I doubt I differ from most casual (or even noncasual) readers of nonfiction here.

Memoirs are a slightly different kettle of fish, but even then, I don’t need to think they’re novels, although I think that many do have that feel – and thus seem to be the most widely read area of nonfiction. But what makes them seem so? I will leave that up to the more qualified to discuss.

The one memoir I read this year Truck: a Love Story is the account of a few years in the life of a man while he is having his beloved derelict International Harvester truck restored. IH trucks were never widely sold and have become something of a rare collector’s item. Perry, however, wanted a working truck – and got one, despite having very little cash to work with. I recommend it.

Do the memoirs that you read need to have ‘novel’ qualities?

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.

NONFICTION NOVEMBER is being hosted this week by Julz at JulzReads.
 

This week we can be an expert, ask an expert, or become an expert.

I don’t feel like an expert on anything right now but I do need some inspiration.

What’s happening:

My husband and I are preparing for retirement which means selling our large home and drastically downsizing.

We are also thinking about making a big move to South America – for six months of the year anyway.

What I need:
1) memoirs of people who have made major life changes (or maybe learned a new language?) AFTER AGE 60;

2) the best books about downsizing, especially for when retiring and thinking about where the things you do keep will eventually end up.

 
Any experts out there? Bring on your recommendations – please!

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.

NONFICTION NOVEMBER is being hosted this week by Sarah at Sarah’s Book Shelves. The prompt is to pair one of our nonfiction reads with a fiction title.

Fortunately, one of the few nonfiction books I read in the past year was The Crown: the Official Companion, Volume 1: Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen.

I don’t know how many of you have watched the Netflix series The Crown starring Claire Foy and Matt Smith but I was in love with it. I suspect most viewers felt the same, as it has a 90% rating at RottenTomatoes.com

The Companion book contained many photos of the series, but also of the real-life royals. It also provided history for each episode about the political and personal disasters taking place at the time. Although we googled the events as the show progressed, I found many things in this book that I had not previously known.

Reading the book greatly enriched my understanding of the time period and of the challenges facing the Queen and Winston Churchill, and I wish I had read it concurrently with watching the series.

* * * * *

My fiction pick for this is a book I read in 2016 titled The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. It had originally been recommended by Shannon of River City Reading.

It’s a chick-litty romance which is not something I usually read, but I was intrigued by the royal connection. It features all-American Rebecca (Bex) Porter, who goes to Oxford and falls in love with the guy across the hall, who just happens to be the heir to the British throne. It was sort of based on William and Katherine, but would make great reading now in light of Harry & Meghan.

There are the meetings with “the family”, procural of the queen’s approval, the protocol, the protocol, and more protocol. If you’re a fan of the Duchess of Sussex and her handsome husband, I’m pretty sure that you’ll really enjoy this book.

So, tell me, are you a royals watcher?

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.

It’s been almost six months since my last post and I expect that quite a few of you didn’t expect to see me blog again. Truthfully, the longer I went, the more unsure I was that I would return. But more about that in another post.

For now, I’m breaking radio silence by taking apart in NONFICTION NOVEMBER hosted by five fabulous bloggers. To kick off the month, I’m looking back on my year of nonfiction and linking to this week’s co-host Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness.
 
My reading overall was down dramatically in the past year, and I had only 3½ nonfiction titles in the mix. They represented a wide range of topics: medicine, history and lifestyle.

I enjoyed all of them equally and rated each of them four stars out of five, but the one that has stayed with me is In Pursuit of Memory: The Fight Against Alzheimer’s by Joseph Jabelli.

In the foreword, we’re warned:

As the world’s population ages, Alzheimer’s is expected to affect 135 million people by 2050, overtaking cancer to become the second leading cause of death after heart disease.

and in Chapter 1:

[N]ew acceptance highlighted Alzheimer’s as ‘a major killer’—the fourth leading cause of death in America alone—and something far more ominous than previously thought. With the world’s population steadily ageing, Alzheimer’s could now be seen for what it truly is: a global and inescapable epidemic.

The author tells us about the origins of Alzheimer’s Disease, the research that’s being done, what we can personally do to prevent it, and what’s happening in experimental treatment.

He also includes a quote by Professor Nick Fox on a tour of a Science Museum:

‘One in three people in this room will get Alzheimer’s,’ Fox continued. ‘One in two will look after someone with Alzheimer’s.’ He paused and turned again. “As a society we’re sleepwalking into this.’

Don’t sleepwalk. Given those odds, you’ll be affected in some way by this disease. So, read this book.

I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been up to in their nonfiction reading. Be sure to visit the list of participants at Sophisticated Dorkiness.

It’s good to be back.

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.

The 2016 edition of Nonfiction November is wrapping up. This week’s link-up is hosted by Lory at The Emerald City Book Review.

Lory asks: Which of this month’s amazing nonfiction books have made it onto my TBR?

NEW TO MY TBR LIST THIS MONTH:

 Field Notes: A City Girl’s Search for Heart and Home in Rural Nova Scotia by Sara Jewell

Amazon: “Field Notes includes forty­-one essays on the differences, both subtle and drastic, between city life and country living. From curious neighbours and unpredictable weather to the reality of roadkill and the wonders of wildlife, award­-winning narrative journalist Sara Jewell strikes the perfect balance between honest self-­examination and humorous observation.” Plus, Jewell lives just an hour down the road from me!

This was recommended by Naomi of Consumed by Ink. I already have it reserved at the library.
 

The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers by Josh Kilmer-Purcell

Kilmer-Purcell writes with dramatic flair and trenchant wit, uncovering mirthful metaphors as he plows through their daily experiences, meeting neighbors, signing on caretaker Farmer John, herding goats, canning tomatoes, and digging a garden, as he and his partner fix up their 205-year-old house near the hauntingly beautiful town of Sharon Springs, N.Y.

JoAnn of Lakeside Musing recommended this to me. My library ‘holds’ list now also includes this title.
 

When in French: Love in a Second Language by Lauren Collins

Amazon: “What does it mean to love someone in a second language? Collins wonders, as her relationship with her French boyfriend Olivier continues to grow entirely in English. Are there things she doesn’t understand about Olivier, having never spoken to him in his native tongue? Does ‘I love you’ even mean the same thing as ‘je t’aime’?”

Language, French – this is for me! I first saw this book on Kathy’s blog at Bermuda Onion, and Kate at Parchment Girl also recommended it to me. I’m so looking forward to this!

Am I Alone Here?: Notes on Living to Read and Reading to Live by Peter Orner

Amazon: “‘Stories, both my own and those I’ve taken to heart, make up whoever it is that I’ve become,’ Peter Orner writes in this collection of essays about reading, writing, and living. Orner reads—and writes—everywhere he finds himself: a hospital cafeteria, a coffee shop in Albania, or a crowded bus in Haiti. The result is ‘a book of unlearned meditations that stumbles into memoir.'”

This was on one of Deb’s lists at ReaderBuzz.
 

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

While an illness keeps her bedridden, Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence on her nightstand. As a result, she discovers the solace and sense of wonder that this mysterious creature brings and comes to a greater understanding of her own place in the world.

An Adventure in Reading‘s raider girl told me about this one, which is now also on my library ‘reserved’ list.

 
A couple of great recommendations that also made it to my TBR list came in after I wrote this post but this represents one new book for each fabulous week of Nonfiction November 2016! Are you adding any of these to your TBR list?

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog

This week’s link-up is hosted by Julz at JulzReads. The prompt for this week’s Nonfiction November entry is expertise.
 

It’s probably no surprise to anyone that I’m choosing to be the expert on moving-and-starting-over a new life in the country.
 

1. Country Matters: The Pleasures and Tribulations of Moving from a Big City to an Old Country Farmhouse by Michael Korda

From Amazon: “With his inimitable sense of humor and storytelling talent, New York Times bestselling author Michael Korda brings us this charming, hilarious, self-deprecating memoir of a city couple’s new life in the country.

At once entertaining, canny, and moving, Country Matters does for Dutchess County, New York, what Under the Tuscan Sun did for Tuscany. This witty memoir, replete with Korda’s own line drawings, reads like a novel, as it chronicles the author’s transformation from city slicker to full-time country gentleman, complete with tractors, horses, and a leaking roof.”

 
2. From Stone Orchard: a Collection of Memories by Timothy Findley

From Amazon: “As they say, if only the walls could talk …

The walls have never talked so eloquently or endearingly as they do in From Stone Orchard, a collection of Timothy Findley’s Harrowsmith columns – revised and expanded – plus new writings, all on life at a 19th-century farm just outside of Cannington, Ontario. Here are tales of the farm’s past, both distant and recent: the comic coincidences leading to the naming of the swimming pool, and why Margaret Laurence would never dip her toe in it. Or the night dinner party guests went outside in the twilight, dressed like royalty, to watch a herd of majestic deer pass through the gardens.”

 
3. Heading Home: On Starting a New Life in a Country Place by Lawrence Scanlan
From Amazon: What harassed and harried city-dweller has not dreamed of escaping to a quiet place in the country? With his wife, Scanlan moved from the city of Kingston to a 19th Century frame house on the Napanee River in the village of Camden East, Ontario (pop. 250).

Heading Home plots their transition from city to country, with its challenges and comic twists. The book’s twelve chapters, each devoted to one month, chronicle a year in the life of the village. Scanlan points to a wide range of data and interviews dozens of people who have opted out of city life–all to show that a major demographic shift is underway.

As lyrical as it is practical, Heading Home shows the way to a new life beyond the freeways and high-rises. Heading Home is the perfect book for all who have lived in the city but who yearn to start over–in a country place.

I could add to this list, but these three provide enough of a foundation for you to know if the country life is really for you.

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog

This week’s link-up is hosted by Sarah at Sarah’s Book Shelves. The prompt for this week’s Nonfiction November entry is to make a pairing of a non-fiction book and a related novel.

The best match I can think of is Beginning French: Lessons from a Stone Farmhouse and the Bruno, Chief of Police series. Both are set in the same area of southern France. But I’ve talked about those books before.

So instead I’m going to present some of my reading from last year and suggest

Alan Turing, the Enigma Man by Nigel Cawthorne which supposedly was the book that the movie The Imitation Game was based on.

It’s not the most interesting lifestory I’ve ever read but it’s not bad, and it’s short.

I’d follow that up with Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis. Although these are two separate books, they’re not really, being just one long story that had to be divided up for publishing. Both concern time travel from the year 2060 to WWII England – London, Kent, and Bletchfield Park among other locales.

Willis’ time travel is complex but, in the end, it all makes sense. I did so enjoy both of these books.

 
Do you have interesting nonfiction/fiction pairings for me?

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog

This week’s link-up is hosted by Rachel at Hibernator’s Library. The prompt for this week’s Nonfiction November entry asks what I look for in nonfiction reading.

More than anything, I want to learn from NF. I want to investigate ideas or times or places that I’m not familiar with. And I tell myself I’m particularly interested in anything to do with Canada, some things France, history, country living (especially moving to the country), or things bibliophilic. But what I’ve actually read over the last ten years leans toward food and memoirs. Oops!

I know I’m not big into how-to or self-help or business and I want my nonfiction to be narrative. Occasionally, I’ll work hard to take in a topic (and feel better for it) but generally I’d like to skip textbook or reference style NF.

For some reason, although the cover doesn’t seem as important to me as it does with the novels I read, the title does. And oddly, sub-titles have huge appeal for me.

So books like Lawrence Scanlan’s Heading Home: On Starting a New Life in a Country Place (Canadian, country, subtitle) or Adam Gopnik’s The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food (France, food, subtitle!) have huge appeal.

For the record, I’ve read Heading Home more than once and love it, and since I’ve greatly enjoyed at least two of Gopnik’s other NF books (Paris to the Moon and Winter: 5 Windows on the Season) I’m putting The Table Comes First at the top of my TBR list – in fact, I just reserved it at the library.
 

What about you? What do you look for in your non-fiction reading?

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog

Nonfiction November has arrived and this year I’m going to try to join in.

This week, we’re all looking back at our year of nonfiction, and for me, that’s pretty sad: my favourite NF books were cookbooks. In fact, the majority of nonfiction I perused this year was about food: cooking it (Sheet Pan Suppers, The Fibromyalgia Cookbook, One Pot French, Edwardian Cooking: The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook, Salad in a Jar, Fermented Vegetables), avoiding it (Minimize Me: 10 Diets to Loce 25 Pounds in 50 Days, Eat it Later: Mastering Self-Control and the Slimming Power of Postponement), or digesting it (Gut: the Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ).

Out of the handful of non-cookbooks I read, I most enjoyed The Shelf: From LEQ to LES: Adventures in Extreme Reading by Phyllis Rose.

Rose chose a shelf of (ironically) fiction books in her library and read each of them, reporting on her progress, the history behind the books, and other literary tidbits.

However, the book I recommended the most was a short memoir about buying a old farmhouse in southern France and living there part of each year. Beginning French: Lessons from a Stone Farmhouse by Les Americains is charming and includes mouth-watering recipes. (There we go with food again.)

Although I read two other memoirs (Wildflower by Drew Barrymore and Paris Nights) and a microhistory (Frozen in Time: Unlocking the Secrets of the Franklin Expedition), I missed reading history or biographies that include history. I’m looking forward to getting some great ideas in that area this month from the other participants in Non-Fiction November.

Bring it on!

P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog