paigepea
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Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Jul 23, 2014 11:49:19 GMT
I'm interested in reading non-fiction but I don't know where to start. I normally read only literary fiction. Any suggestions / recommendations? Thx.
Paige.
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lindy
Shy Member
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Jun 26, 2014 0:15:26 GMT
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Post by lindy on Jul 23, 2014 11:53:37 GMT
Malcolm Gladwell's books are a good start (Tipping Point, David & Goliath). Atul Gawande writes in a similar style to Malcolm Gladwell, but he focuses on medicine. Fascinating stuff.
I also like Bill Bryson, especially his "Short History of Everything."
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grinningcat
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Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Jul 23, 2014 12:03:16 GMT
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peabay
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Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Jul 23, 2014 12:05:49 GMT
"River of Doubt" - it's about a trip Teddy Roosevelt took down one of the uncharted Amazon tributaries. Great book.
"Beyond the Beautiful Forevers" by Katherine Boo. It's about the Indian slums. Also a great book.
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Post by mandolyn9909 on Jul 23, 2014 12:27:07 GMT
"house in the sky" by Amanda Lindhout. I read this recently and loved it. It is about two reporters that get captured in somalia.
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tuesdaysgone
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Jun 26, 2014 18:26:03 GMT
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Jul 23, 2014 12:39:55 GMT
"Empty Mansions: Mysterious life of Hugette Clark" by Dedman. Tells the true story of a extremely wealthy woman who lived most of her life as a recluse.
"Wild Swans" by Chang Follows three generations of women in China.
Both of these were outstanding. They read like fiction and I could hardly put them down.
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janeliz
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Jun 26, 2014 14:35:07 GMT
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Post by janeliz on Jul 23, 2014 12:51:43 GMT
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts
The above book is a favorite of mine. It seems like such a grim subject for pleasure reading, but it's wonderful. Really well written and moving. I also love Jon Krakauer's books.
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lesley
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Jul 6, 2014 21:50:44 GMT
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Post by lesley on Jul 23, 2014 13:04:08 GMT
I'm currently enjoying The Witness Wore Red by Rebecca Musser, about the FLDS. This year, I've also read Devil In The Details by Jennifer Traig about her experience with OCD and it's religious variant, scrupulosity. It was fascinating. i would also recommend Five Days at Memorial about Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans. It was excellent.
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Post by mandolyn9909 on Jul 23, 2014 13:14:05 GMT
"Empty Mansions: Mysterious life of Hugette Clark" by Dedman. Tells the true story of a extremely wealthy woman who lived most of her life as a recluse. "Wild Swans" by Chang Follows three generations of women in China. Both of these were outstanding. They read like fiction and I could hardly put them down. Thanks for the recommend. I just bought wild swans on amazon for 1.99.
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Post by worrywart on Jul 23, 2014 13:16:25 GMT
One type of non fiction that I like is stories about people who have overcome obstacles and challenges...Two books that I recommend are
Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See and
Beyond the Bear: How I Learned to Live and Love Again after Being Blinded by a Bear
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Post by turangaleela on Jul 23, 2014 13:21:54 GMT
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Post by dulcemama on Jul 23, 2014 13:37:30 GMT
Some favorites, in no particular order: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadaversby by Mary Roach-any of Mary Roaches books are great but this is my favorite The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America-a look at how the financial crisis developed from the perspective of people at different places in society The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity-fascinating look at how parents see their children who are very different than themselves. Also goes into research on different disabilities or ways of being and how these people function in society as a whole. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
A couple of biographies: Storyteller: The Authorized Biography of Roald Dahl I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen
Right now I'm reading The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl and enjoying it so far. I've always been interested in the dust bowl though.
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shawallapea
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Jun 28, 2014 21:28:33 GMT
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Post by shawallapea on Jul 23, 2014 13:53:28 GMT
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbran - I am not a big non - fiction fan but I couldn't put this one down. It was excellently written and the story itself is very gripping.
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Post by 1lear on Jul 23, 2014 13:55:36 GMT
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts
The above book is a favorite of mine. It seems like such a grim subject for pleasure reading, but it's wonderful. Really well written and moving. I also love Jon Krakauer's books. That book sounds interesting. I also agree that any of Jon Krakauer's books are worth reading-I loved Into Thin Air.
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paigepea
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Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Jul 23, 2014 14:11:03 GMT
Thank you. These are fantastic recommendations and are really getting me into the spirit of non fiction.
Page.
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garcia5050
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Jun 25, 2014 23:22:29 GMT
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Post by garcia5050 on Jul 23, 2014 14:15:15 GMT
Some favorites, in no particular order: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadaversby by Mary Roach-any of Mary Roaches books are great but this is my favorite I second Mary Roach. She has a fantastic sense of humor.
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Post by quinlove on Jul 23, 2014 14:21:18 GMT
Thanks for starting this thread. I've written down a few I want to get.
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Post by pretzels on Jul 23, 2014 14:44:58 GMT
While on my vacation, I read these four:
"Five Days at Memorial" by Sheri Fink
"Some Girls: My Life in a Harem" by Jillian Lauren
'When Men Become Gods: Mormon Polygamist Warren Jeffs, His Cult of Fear, and the Women Who Fought Back" by Stephen Singular
"A Death in Wichita: Abortion Doctor George Tiller and the New American Civil War" by Stephen Singular
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Post by Karene on Jul 23, 2014 14:46:20 GMT
The Victorian House: Domestic Life from Childbirth to Death by Judith Flanders. She goes room to room in a Victorian house and tells about what would happen there and the work that would be done. It is interesting.
Beyond Belfast by Will Ferguson. He walks the Ulster Way, the longest waymarkded trail in the British Isles. He has amusing stories of the villages and towns that he past through.
Bill Bryson's books.
Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses who Stole Their Father's Crown by Maureen Waller. This is about Queen Anne, Queen Mary and her husband William of Orange, and their relationship with their father, James II.
The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg. This is about bathing through history. Very interesting. We heard about in an interview on the radio.
An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage. This book shows how foods has help shape and transform societies through history.
A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage. This follows history through beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and cola.
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of those who survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan.
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond.
Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. This was extremely interesting. I had no idea that salt was so valuable.
Terry Jones' Barbarians by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame. He does a lot of history programs. This one is about the barbarians in the Dark Ages. He has a video that goes with this book. He did a good video on The Crusades as well.
If you are interested in biographies of English monarchs try Alison Weir's books.
If you are interested in ancient egypt, try John Romer. He has done a lot of books and documentaries on Egypt. He also did a very good documentary and book called Testament, where he tries to trace the bible from the beginning. He is an egyptologist, historian and archeologist.
Hope someone finds these interesting. These are some of the books I that I have enjoyed.
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Post by auntkelly on Jul 23, 2014 14:54:46 GMT
Back in the old days, when I actually went to the library, I'd always browse the biography/autobiography section, until I found a book about someone whose life I found interesting. Now I go to Amazon and browse the biography section of the Kindle section, and although it's not quite the same thing as skimming through the books at the library, it's still a great way to find a good nonfiction book to read.
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Deleted
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Oct 5, 2024 20:10:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2014 15:00:21 GMT
If you like American history, David McCullough is a great author. His book, 1776, is one of my favorites.
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Post by Goldynn on Jul 23, 2014 16:08:12 GMT
I'm jealous of you, OP. Non-fiction is my favorite and I wish I could read many of them for the first time again. I agree with several that have already been listed (Stiff, Bill Bryson, etc) and here's a few more:
Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls (if you are one of the seemingly few who have not yet read this)
On Writing, by Stephen King Three Weeks with My Brother, by Nicholas Sparks Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich Bossypants, Tina Fey The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch Wild, Cheryl Strayed Orange is the New Black, Piper Kerman Breaking Night: From Homeless to Harvard, Liz Murray Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, by Gabrielle Hamilton A Girl Named Zippy, and She Got Up Off the Couch, by Haven Kimmel
Theres just so many good ones, hope you find something you really like.
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Post by mandolyn9909 on Jul 23, 2014 16:13:06 GMT
I'm jealous of you, OP. Non-fiction is my favorite and I wish I could read many of them for the first time again. I agree with several that have already been listed (Stiff, Bill Bryson, etc) and here's a few more: Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls (if you are one of the seemingly few who have not yet read this) On Writing, by Stephen King Three Weeks with My Brother, by Nicholas Sparks Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich Bossypants, Tina Fey The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch Wild, Cheryl Strayed Orange is the New Black, Piper Kerman Breaking Night: From Homeless to Harvard, Liz Murray Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, by Gabrielle Hamilton A Girl Named Zippy, and She Got Up Off the Couch, by Haven Kimmel Theres just so many good ones, hope you find something you really like. How could I forget about the Glass Castle. That is one of my favourites for sure!
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Post by turangaleela on Jul 23, 2014 16:26:09 GMT
I'd like to note that I am giving up my Throbbing Member status by posting this. It was fun while it lasted.
Mary Roach, seconded on that. Stiff was my favorite of hers, too. Rick Bragg is from Alabama and has written some beautiful/heartbreaking stories about his family (Ava's Man, All Over but the Shoutin).
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Post by ntsf on Jul 23, 2014 16:37:14 GMT
boys on the boat, seabiscuit, the founding brothers by joseph ellis, longitude. unbroken.
if you are willing to tackle big books, The peabody sisters. the big burn...about the massive wildfire of 1910
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Montannie
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Jun 25, 2014 20:32:35 GMT
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Post by Montannie on Jul 23, 2014 16:42:43 GMT
If you like American history, David McCullough is a great author. His book, 1776, is one of my favorites. I just picked up a copy after hearing David McCullough on a radio program talking about it. I started watching "Turn" on AMC this spring, about the spy network created during the revolution, and got interested in this topic again. I've read other books by McCullough -- I agree he is a great writer!
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peabay
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Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Jul 23, 2014 17:23:06 GMT
Yes, as suggested "Wild" is terrific. Read that. Her other book "Tiny, Beautiful Things" is life changing. I would recommend that as well.
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Post by jojam on Jul 23, 2014 17:24:55 GMT
I loved "The Elephant Whisperer."
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tuesdaysgone
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Jun 26, 2014 18:26:03 GMT
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Jul 23, 2014 17:57:29 GMT
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbran - I am not a big non - fiction fan but I couldn't put this one down. It was excellently written and the story itself is very gripping. Yes! This book is wonderful.
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JerseyJenn
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Jun 26, 2014 2:50:47 GMT
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Post by JerseyJenn on Jul 23, 2014 18:10:26 GMT
I am currently reading The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson. It's about the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 and a serial killer who built a hotel where he lured people and killed them. The book reads like a novel and deals with the creators of the Fair and the obstacles they faced while telling the story of what the serial killer was doing at the same time.
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