Nonfiction November: A Bank Robber Book Pairing

Nonfiction November 2015
As part of Nonfiction Novemberhosts Katie at Doing Dewey, Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness, Becca at I’m Lost in Books, and Leslie at Regular Rumination challenged us to pair a fiction with a nonfiction book.

When I saw this challenge, I knew immediately that I had the perfect pairing to share (11/22/63 by Stephen King with Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly). Alas…as I started writing, I realized I’d essentially already shared this pairing last year as part of my Books About the Kennedys post. But, we’re still keeping things interesting over here with con men!

Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale, Sutton

The Nonfiction

Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale (originally published in 1980)
“Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history.  In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot’s uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was twenty-one.” (Amazon) In 2002, this book was made into the movie starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hanks.

Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

The Fiction

Sutton by J.R. Moehringer (September 25, 2012)
In Moehringer’s fictional take on real life Willie Sutton, the notorious Depression-era bank robber who was on the FBI’s first ever Most Wanted List, he imagines what could have happened if Sutton took a newspaper reporter and photographer on a trip down memory lane upon his release from prison.

Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

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25 Comments

  1. Great pairing! I haven’t read Catch Me if You Can (I saw the movie – *ducks*), but I really liked Sutton. That was fiction that read like great narrative nonfiction, in a way.

    Posted 11.10.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I’m the opposite of you on Catch Me If You Can – read the book, haven’t seen the movie. Sutton was great – and I think you’re right about how it read. I also loved his memoir, The Tender Bar, from a long time ago.

      Posted 11.10.15 Reply
  2. Leslie wrote:

    What a great pairing!!

    Posted 11.10.15 Reply
  3. I loved 11/22/63 but I’m not sure I can bring myself to read something by Bill O’Reilly.

    Posted 11.10.15 Reply
  4. Oh, my gosh…Catch Me If You Can is SUCH a great story, right?!! I didn’t read it until AFTER the movie (I didn’t know there was a book until I started doing some recon after watching the film), and it was great. I’ve not heard of Sutton, but it sounds really interesting. I love seeing what folks have paired up; this is great! Mine will be up tomorrow; hope you have a great day, Sarah!

    Posted 11.10.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Isn’t it??! Abagnale was quite a wheeler/dealer…to think after his jail sentence he started working FOR the government! Master of reinvention. Sutton is based on a real life bank robber…different type of guy than Abagnale, but the writing is wonderful in that one. I’ll look out for your pairing!

      Posted 11.10.15 Reply
  5. carrie wrote:

    i read catch me if you can not long ago and loved it (not surprisingly because i loved the movie as well). after reading the book i can honestly say i think DiCaprio and Hanks were perfectly cast as their characters.

    Posted 11.10.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      This is embarrassing, but I haven’t seen the movie!

      Posted 11.10.15 Reply
  6. I would have never thought to pair these two books. Great idea!

    Posted 11.10.15 Reply
  7. There are so many great stranger-than-fiction stories out there. I did see the movie but I’m always interested to know more about the facts. The novel looks great too.

    Posted 11.10.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Ha – this was definitely a truth is stranger than fiction type of book…and I love those too!

      Posted 11.10.15 Reply
  8. What a great pairing! I’d love to read Catch Me if You Can. Sutton is new to me, but looks good, too.

    Posted 11.10.15 Reply
  9. Amanda wrote:

    Interesting pairing. I’ve only seen the movie of Catch Me if You Can – but both books look great. I still need to read 11/22/63! I need to get an ebook because the size is just too intimidating!

    Posted 11.10.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      And I haven’t seen the movie! OMG-11/22/63 is one of my all-time favorites. And, yes, e-book is the way to go.

      Posted 11.10.15 Reply
  10. I loved the movie, Catch Me if You Can and had NO idea that it was a book. I’ve been under a rock, I guess. Now, Sutton really sounds like an interesting book for this non-non-fiction reader. I love those type of stories and some true crime, so this one might actually turn me into a non-fiction reader. I’ll have to see if its available at the library.

    Posted 11.10.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      True crime is one of my favorite book categories – and fiction based on true crime as well! I weirdly read a lot of it last year. Sutton was fantastic – and also his memoir, The Tender Bar. I love his writing style.

      Posted 11.10.15 Reply
  11. I was just thinking about CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and wondered to myself if the book was as good as the movie. And then I see your little recommendation. Good timing.

    My Nonfiction Pairs

    Posted 11.11.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I haven’t seen the movie, so I can’t compare, but I found the book fascinating!

      Posted 11.11.15 Reply
  12. Trish wrote:

    Is it bad that hearing about Sutton makes me want to seek out all kinds of other true crime books? I really enjoyed Catch Me If You Can (movie and book) and like all kinds of true crime books. I’m not familiar with Sutton, though!!

    Posted 11.11.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I love true crime – and fiction based on true crime! True Crime – I love Ann Rule and Dominick Dunne…and In Cold Blood. Fiction Based on True Crime – The Wife, The Maid, and The Mistress and Monday, Monday…and Sutton, of course!

      Posted 11.11.15 Reply
  13. This is an interesting pairing! I want to pair it with the TV show White Collar too. It seems like they’d go really well together 🙂

    Posted 11.12.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Oooh – I’ll have to check out White Collar then – I’ve heard of it, but don’t know all that much about it!

      Posted 11.12.15 Reply
  14. I love reading True Crime books but have never read a heist one even though I love heist movies! Catch Me If You Can is a favorite movie of mine, and I can’t believe I’ve never added the book to my collection, so thank you for reminding me off this and giving me an excuse to go buy a book!

    Posted 11.13.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I never saw the movie, but the book is kind of unbelievable…if it were fiction, it would be almost too outrageous to believe.

      Posted 11.14.15 Reply

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