Nonfiction November

I thought I might participate in Nonfiction November this year. I haven’t participated before, not being the biggest nonfiction reader, but I thought I’d try to do a post a week, if they are appropriate. I am also planning to review two nonfiction books this month, including one I originally intended for the 1962 Club, but it didn’t fit my schedule.

The host for this week’s Nonfiction November is Based on a True Story, so people’s reviews and comments will be listed there.

So, here is the description for the theme for this week:

Week 1: Your Year in Nonfiction : Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions – What was your favourite nonfiction read of the year? Do you have a particular topic you’ve been attracted to more this year? What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

I have read eight nonfiction books this year, three of which I haven’t reviewed yet (although two are coming up in a few weeks). They are listed in order of my reviews:

• Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster by Alison Weir
• The Big Sea by Langston Hughes
• The Shakespeare Thefts: In Search of the First Folio by Eric Rasmussen
• Romney Marsh by John Piper
• Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
• The Other Day by Dorothy Whipple
• The Bathysphere Book: Effects of the Luminous Ocean Depths by Brad Fox

These books don’t easily fall into categories, but:

• 3 are memoirs and 1 is a biography
• 4 are related to literature, 3 by authors known in the literary world and the last about Shakespeare’s work
• 1 is a sort of travelogue or nature book
• 2 are science-related

The books I enjoyed most were The Other Day, a memoir of Dorothy Whipple’s childhood, which was touching and funny, and The Bathysphere Book, a nonlinear account of the ocean explorations of William Beebe in a bathysphere, leading up to his deepest dive in 1930. This book was really interesting and included vivid descriptions of a bunch of colorful characters. Unfortunately, my reviews of these two books won’t appear until November or December. Silent Spring also made my mind boggle.

I have only recommended The Bathysphere Book to my husband. It will be interesting to see if he reads it.

I didn’t really have in mind gaining anything by participating except maybe that participation will draw me into reading more nonfiction.