It’s Nonfiction November, my friends!
And that thought is happy enough, I almost don’t mind the looming November chill as we begin our descent into winter.
First, thanks to Julie of JulzReads, who brought this lovely event to my attention. She’s one of our co-hosts this month, along with Katie at Doing Dewey Decimal, Lory at Emerald City Book Review, Sarah at Sarah’s Book Shelves, and Rachel at Hibernator’s Library.
If you’re a nonfiction reader, please come along for the fun!
goes like this…
Your Year in Nonfiction: Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions – What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year? What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven’t read enough of yet? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
Nonfiction is my natural happy place. I love narrative nonfiction so much it almost loves me back.
Here’s a list of the nonfiction books I’ve finished so far this year:
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The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
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Spark Joy by Marie Kondo
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Getting Things Done by David Allen (read twice)
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What I Talk about When I Talk about Running by Haruki Murakami
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My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places by Mary Roach
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Being Nixon by Evan Thomas
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It’s a Long Story: My Life by Willie Nelson
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Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch
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The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
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Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg
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Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage by Molly Wizenberg
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Frost on My Moustache: The Arctic Exploits of a Lord and a Loafer by Tim Moore
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Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
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Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
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Speed Kings: The 1932 Winter Olympics and the Fastest Men in the World by Andy Bull
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Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life by Brian Grazer
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Dream Home: The Property Brothers’ Ultimate Guide to Finding & Fixing Your Perfect House by Jonathan Scott and Drew Scott
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Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower
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Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian by Anthony Ervin and Constantine Markides
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First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies by Kate Andersen Brower
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Work Simply by Carson Tate
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The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough
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Mess: One Man’s Struggle to Clean up His House and His Act by Barry Yourgrau
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Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses “No, But” Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration: Lessons from the Second City by Kelly Leonard and Tom Yorton
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Black Hawk: An Autobiography by Black Hawk
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This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live by Melody Warnick
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The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson
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Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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My Life in France by Julia Child
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Hidden America: From Coal Miners to Cowboys, An Extraordinary Exploration of the Unseen People Who Make This Country Work by Jeanne Marie Laskas
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Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland by Sarah Moss
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The Clancys of Queens by Tara Clancy
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Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell
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Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg
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Co. Aytch by Sam Watkins
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Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation’s Leaders by Brady Carlson
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The Curated Closet: A Simple System for Discovering Your Personal Style and Building Your Dream Wardrobe by Anuschka Rees
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Getting Things Done by David Allen (re-read)
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Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
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The Magnolia Story by Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines
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Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter
And which one is my favorite? (such a difficult question!)
I almost cheated and gave answers to subsets of that question (most life-changing, most enjoyable, most unputdownable), but I’m going to do the right thing and pick just one.
My favorite: Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter. In my review, I explain all the reasons why.
The book I’ve recommended most… that’s a tie. I rave incessantly about Getting Things Done by David Allen, which is so life-changing (there! I sneaked it in!) that I read it twice this year.
(Here’s what I said the first time. And the second time.)
But for sheer reading enjoyment, the book I rave about to people is Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian by Anthony Ervin and Constantine Markides. It knocked my socks off when I read it, and it’s one of the finest examples of “nonfiction that reads like fiction” that I’ve encountered.
As far as “What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven’t read enough of yet?” … the first thing that comes to mind is: biography. I feel like I’m reawakening to the joys of reading biographies.
And… what do I hope to get out of participating in Nonfiction November? I’m looking forward to reveling in the joys of nonfiction with my fellow readers. And I can’t wait to find out what others list as their favorite nonfiction books of the year.
So… what’s your favorite nonfiction book of the year?
16 thoughts on “Nonfiction November: It’s ON!”