Mission

Bibliophiliac is the space where one passionate, voracious reader reflects on books and the reading life. You will find reviews, analysis, links, and reflections on poetry and prose both in and out of the mainstream.

A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. Franz Kafka

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Sunday Salon: Nonfiction November Week One



In the spirit of "better late than never," here is my first post for Nonfiction November. Week One is hosted by Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness,  

What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year?

The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party by Daniel James Brown was an absolutely riveting read, definitely my favorite nonfiction.

What nonfiction books have you recommended the most?

I recommend The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson all the time. I read it so many years ago that many of the details are forgotten, but the main story, and the incredible writing have stuck with me. And last year I read Jesmyn Ward's Men We Reaped and just couldn't stop recommending it and talking about it and reading passages out loud to innocent passers by.

What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven't read enough yet?

I love the graphic novel format, and there are so many books now that combine visual art or the graphic novel format and nonfiction writing (memoir, history, essay). I'm very interested in this form and would like to explore it.

What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

September and October were dominated by my work life--so much so that I didn't post a single review for more than a month. And I felt awful: overwhelmed, isolated, burdened by the demands of work. I want to reconnect with my reading life and the reading community. I hope to get around to people's posts and see what everyone is reading, and get some ideas for books to add to my list.

For this month (and probably into the end of the year) I will be reading some of the nonfiction titles that have been sitting on my TBR shelf. Here are a few on my list:

Between the World and Me by Ta Nehisi Coates
Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David Von Drehle
It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences by Janet Casagrande
The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee

What are your favorite nonfiction books?

6 comments:

Lisa said...

Ha - I love that "reading passages to innocent passersby!"

JoAnn said...

The Indifferent Stars Above is on my list... loved The Boys in the Boat audio and want to read this one, too. The Devil in the White City is a favorite, too. I finished Between the World and Me yesterday - so, so good!!

Terra said...

I bought Devil in the White City and now I want to move it up on my TBR stacks. Two favorite nonfiction books for me are The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family and The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser.

Anonymous said...

Polishing the Mirror
Recommend: Seven thousand Ways to Listen, Soul Shifts, Frequency, Your Unique Self, A Religion of One's Own, and Conscious Evolution
Type of non-fiction to read more of: third alternatives, the middle route, synergy building communications

Iliana said...

Ah work, it does take us away from our hobbies and personal pursuits doesn't it! :)

I don't read a lot of nonfiction but right now I'm ready Being Mortal and think it's going to be a great one.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

I'm crazy about Erik Larson. I've read all his books.

Thanks for this post.

http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2015/11/nonfiction-november.html