I love joining in with Non Fiction November – over the years I have tried to increase the amount of non fiction I read, and this annual feature is a great spur towards doing more of that. Week one of the month is hosted by Rennie at What’s NonFiction and simply asks us to review our NF reading this year, reflecting on these questions:
What was your favourite nonfiction read of the year?
It’s impossible to limit it to just one – these are my faves from the 21 NF books I’ve read so far
- Fave memoir – Beeswing by Richard Thompson
- Fave medic – Catch Your Breath by Ed Patrick
- Fave elegant prose – Deborah Levy – The Cost of Living and Real Estate (vols 2 and 3 of her ‘living autobiography’)
Do you have a particular topic you’ve been attracted to more this year?
It’s got to be culture/media this year. From rock’n’roll with David Hepworth and Richard Thompson to 70s TV comedy and Tim Walker’s Star Turns interviews, I’ve read more of those than science / medical books this year, and I have a stack of recent memoirs in my TBR to get to (Dave Grohl, Bob Mortimer, Stanley Tucci, Hayley Mills).
What nonfiction book have you recommended the most?
That’s easy – The Book of Pebbles by Christopher Stocks, illustrated by Angie Lewin. Simply lovely.
What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
Simply to keep me reading and enjoying NF, and finding some more titles to add to my teetering piles look out for!
I remember your Book of Pebbles review. Not a title I was expecting to add to my tbr list! Very much looking forward to the Stanley Tucci.
I too was taken with your review of The Book of Pebbles, and it is in my Christmas pile 😊
Oh yes, I am reminded I want The Book of Pebbles! And I can’t resist Dave Grohl, although he is marking the end point of my TBR challenge so what will I do without him there if I read him (oh yes, remember my husband’s birthday, as that is the cut-off date!). Have fun with the Month!
I’ve really enjoyed a lot of the books and articles I’ve read that comment on pop culture and media, but I’m not the most into TV or music, so I do sometimes worry about how much I’ll get out of books on this topic. Have you been able to get things out of these books even if you’re not familiar with all the media they cover? Or have you been careful to select books where you have that familiarity? Thanks for joining us!
An interesting question! Thanks for asking. While I don’t follow current music trends (my taste is firmly rooted in the 70s and 80s – my formative years as a teen and young adult), I have always watched lots of TV and love cinema. These days I’m very selective over my TV viewing – but streaming still makes it hard to keep up with the best new series, but I am always interested. But you’re absolutely right, where reading about it is concerned, I do tend to select books where I have some familiarity. I wouldn’t choose to read a biography of a musican I’d not listened to, or a film/TV star I’ve not seen on screen. Cultural histories are different though and often add many to my wishlists.