I got an early start on my Nonfiction November reading last week, which is a nice change of pace from my normal reading! Focusing on a different genre and reading lots of backlist and based on mood is a bit freeing. Go here for more details on how to participate. And, look for my Year in Nonfiction post tomorrow!
And, here are the Nonfiction November Instagram prompts! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #Nonficnov!
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I finished reading…
Driven
I enjoyed all the tennis history in this memoir, but it desperately needed an editor (it was self-published, which I don’t normally read for this very reason)! 446 pages was outrageous. Mini review coming.
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Bad Blood
Though I did get lost in some of the science and engineering details, this true story of the meteoric rise and spectacular fall of the Silicon Valley startup, Theranos, was kind of mind-blowing. And, also a bit scary for investors. Mini review coming.
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I’m currently reading…
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Believe it or not, this is my first time reading the legendary Anne Lamott! She’s so relatable and funny, which I didn’t expect for some reason. I’m only 25% through, but think I’ll definitely be reading more of her in the future.
Upcoming reading plans…
Still waiting on this library hold, which my Libby app says is “coming soon”…
The Fifth Risk
Michael Lewis is one of my auto-buy authors. I think he’s a master at making dry topics entertaining and breaking down complicated concepts so the layperson can understand them. This time, he’s tackling the U.S. government. However, I’m a little skittish because I didn’t love his two most recent books (Flash Boys and The Undoing Project).
I was reading…
One Year Ago: I read what I’m pretty sure is one of my favorite books of all-time!
Two Years Ago: I was reading a couple books that I remember virtually nothing about.
How was your reading week?
I have read just 3 non-fiction books so far this year. This month I actually read “All That You Can Ever Know” by Nicole Chung. The book is about a Korean adoptee who searches for her biological family and finds them. I was very touched of course since this whole search and find is near and dear to my heart. I found the first 78 pages dragged after that I couldn’t put it down I finished in a afternoon.
The other two non-fiction books I’ve read this year are “Hillbilly Elegy”, and “The American Radical”. It will be interesting to see what all the book bloggers I follow end up reading in November for non-fiction book reading month.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying Anne Lamott’s work! It is definitely worth going back to her older books (her latest few have not been great) on faith and (grand)parenting.
I was going to comment the same thing! Operating Instructions is my favorite book of hers, and I read it while I had a newborn (going on 10 years ago). It just felt like great, big sisterly advice.
Did you know Anne Lamott has a new book out called Almost Everything? It’s a collection of essays on hope. I was thinking about trying it. The Michael Lewis book is another I’m considering, but not sure if I can take anything involving politics right now!
Glad you’re reading Anne Lamott. Traveling Mercies was wonderful, too.
I avoid self published books for the same reason.
I should do NN some year because I love nonfiction.
I read Sally Field’s new memoir (In Pieces), and I am pondering which nonfiction book I’ll read next.
Enjoy your week. I am curious about Sadie.
Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
I was into NF, but going off it in November. All Suspense/Romance for me. I already started with Stolen Obsession by Marlene Bell. So good. Great characters and the story is awesome so far, I hate to put it down! That’s how all books should be!!
I don’t read nonfiction so November will be reading as usual for me. I did start reading Sadie this morning when I was away from home and needed a Kindle book to read. I’ll be alternating it with my current print review book. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Look at you getting a head start on nonfiction! I’m scrambling to finish the fiction in my queue and am probably too ambitious in my reading plans. November always feels short, with the holiday and school days off.
I’m looking forward to your thoughts on Bird by Bird. I have a general like of Anne Lamott, but I read Traveling Mercies years ago and don’t remember much of it. I also read some of her fiction a couple years ago but wasn’t that impressed–I think her nonfiction is generally her best writing.
I read a few non-fiction books each year, but I don’t know if I could read it for a full month. See what I read this month at Girl Who Reads
Good luck with Nonfiction November! I’m doing that, too, but unofficially because I don’t have time to write extra blog posts. I’m just going to see how much nonfiction I can read in a month.
I immediately think of “Shitty First Drafts” every time I see Bird by Bird! I used that with my students for years! 😀
YES!! So much of her advice was so commonsense.