My Year in Nonfiction 2024
Welcome to Nonfiction November 2024! I’m eager to participate again this year.
During the month of November, you will notice two posts devoted to nonfiction (My Year in Nonfiction and New to my TBR) and possibly a review or two.
Weekly Topics and Hosts:
(Join us?)
Week 1 (10/28-11/1) Your Year in Nonfiction: Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November? (Heather)
Week 2 (11/4-11/8) Choosing Nonfiction: What are you looking for when you pick up a nonfiction book? Do you have a particular topic you’re attracted to? Do you have a particular writing style that works best? When you look at a nonfiction book, does the title or cover influence you? If so, share a title or cover which you find striking. (Frances)
Week 3 (11/11-11/15) Book Pairings: This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. Maybe it’s a historical novel and the real history in a nonfiction version, or a memoir and a novel, or a fiction book you’ve read and you would like recommendations for background reading. Or (because I’m doing this) two books on two different areas have chimed and have a link. You can be as creative as you like! (Liz)
Week 4 (11/18-11/22) Mind Openers: One of the greatest things about reading nonfiction is the way it can open your eyes to the world around you–no plane ticket required. What nonfiction book or books have impacted the way you see the world in a powerful way? Is there one book that made you rethink everything? Is there a book that, if everyone read it, you think the world would be a better place? (Rebekah)
Week 5 (11/25-11/29) New To My TBR: It’s been a month full of amazing nonfiction books! Which ones have made it onto your TBR? Be sure to link back to the original blogger who posted about that book! (Deb)
*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
My Year in Nonfiction: Nov 2023-Nov 2024
Nonfiction November is an opportunity to reflect on the year, to celebrate and appreciate nonfiction, and to share recommendations.
I read 10 nonfiction books this year which is a lower number than previous years….so I’m disappointed in myself. I’m an incorrigible mood reader and I would have read more if I had been motivated more by the subject matter.
What is your favorite category of nonfiction?
I love narrative nonfiction (followed closely by thought-provoking memoirs).
Narrative Nonfiction is “Nonfiction that uses novelistic devices and strategies to shape the work. That’s material that I really like.”
~Rick Moody
From November 1 to November 1
For this post, I am counting my nonfiction reads from the beginning of November 2023 because those nonfiction reads were not represented in last year’s post. So my nonfiction year will be from November 1 to November 1!
Please join me for Nonfiction November 2024!
My Year in Nonfiction:
***Book titles are Amazon affiliate links or links to my blog reviews
Narrative Nonfiction
BEST OF THE YEAR: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest For Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (audio format). I’m late to the party for this one, but I’m thrilled to have finally read this not-to-be-missed nonfiction title. Have you seen the documentary and/or the recent movie adaptation? If I could press one nonfiction title into your hands this year, it would be this one.
Memoir
MOST PERSONALLY NOSTALGIC: The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger: The Inside Story of California’s First Drive-Through and How it Became a Beloved Cultural Icon by Lynsi Snyder. I grew up eating at In-N-Out…my first date with my husband was at In-N-Out Burger.
MOST RELATABLE: House Lessons: Renovating a Life by Erica Bauermeister. Parts of this were very relatable for homeowners like me who have done renovation projects. She is an expressive, reflective, and poetic writer.
MOST ANTICIPATED: You Never Know: A Memoir by Tom Selleck. This was one of my most anticipated reads, and one that left me feeling “meh.” Selleck is a very private person, and this reads like a glorified resume. He avoids getting personal. Die-hard fans might love it, and it was interesting in places.
CHECKING OFF A CLASSIC: Travels With Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck. I was in the mood to check off a classic and add to my nonfiction reading list….two birds with one stone. It was an OK read. However, I read a critique claiming that Steinbeck must have fabricated some of it because this person tried to follow the route without success. I guess Steinbeck’s son admitted that his father had most likely fabricated some of it. I lost interest at that point and ended up skimming. Some of it was interesting. But I can check it off my list! Have you read it?
Essay
MOST DISCUSSABLE: Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents–And What They Mean For America’s Future by Jean M. Twenge. My husband and I had interesting discussions about this book (audio buddy read). Although we did a buddy listen, I recommend the print format so that you can skim charts, lists, and sections that are not as interesting to you.
BEST WRITING OF ACADEMIC MATERIAL: Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson. If you are interested in the Bible and reading a well-written commentary, you might enjoy Reading Genesis. I admit to mostly skimming it….pausing at certain sections that caught my interest. My husband used it as a study guide as he reread Genesis in the Bible and followed all the references, etc.
MOST DISAPPOINTING: The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians–True Stories of the Magic of Reading by James Patterson. This was a DNF for me. So repetitive. Uninspiring.
Self-Help, Self-Reflection
MOST INSPIRATIONAL: Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere by Savannah Guthrie. I’m a Christian, so I found this spiritual memoir thoughtful, transparent, and inspirational.
LEAST RELATALE: The Plan: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi. I finished this book and my reaction was, “huh?” I thought it was repetitive, overwritten, and impractical (unless you have a whole lot of time on your hands for journaling and navel gazing!). I would say that it’s a book about mindset rather than a plan. Even though she is an entertaining and easy-to-read writer, a long-form article would have sufficed. I’m curious what you think about it?
Answering Prompt Questions for My Year in Nonfiction:
- What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year?
My favorite nonfiction book I read this year is Boys in the Boat (audio format): unputdownable, unforgettable, inspiring, and memorable. 5 Stars.
In addition to a disappointing year numbers-wise, it was also a disappointing year content-wise. I can recommend only a few from this list. I’m looking forward to more enjoyable nonfiction in 2025. - What nonfiction book have you recommended the most?
The nonfiction I’ve recommended most is Boys in the Boat (audio format). Have you seen the film adaptation? - Do you have a particular topic you’ve been attracted to more this year?
I’m an incorrigible mood reader (even in nonfiction), but obviously I’m always attracted to narrative nonfiction (more like Boys in the Boat please!) and thoughtful memoirs and biographies. Of the three memoirs read, my favorite is House Lessons. The Tom Selleck memoir was the most anticipated, but it was just OK…not as compelling as I’d hoped (although die-hard fans will appreciate it!). The In-N-Out memoir was simply nostalgic as a SoCal fast-food consumer. - What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
I’m eager to read posts from other bloggers and add inspiring nonfiction titles to my 2025 TBR! I’m especially hoping for some terrific narrative nonfiction titles and a couple of great biographies/memoirs.
QOTD
I would love to hear all about your favorite nonfiction reads in the comments! If you could recommend ONE NF title for me, what would you recommend?
If you are participating in #NonficNov, please leave a link to your post in the comments.
Happy Reading Book Friends!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
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~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
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Lovely to see your nonfiction reads this year Carol. Is there an official Nonfiction November going on again this year as I’ve not seen anything?
There hasn’t been too much publicity.
Thanks for the pingback and for joining in Nonfiction November Carol.
I wish I had a better report!
Didn’t realize nonfiction November was going on until yesterday! I like week 1’s prompt, so I’ll join in, albeit a bit late!
Never too late! I’ll look for your post!
Hi, Carol – I read Travels with Charlie when I was a teenager and then reread it again last year. While I had heard the controversy that some of the events of these travels were fictionalized, that didn’t bother me.
For me, a book that makes me think this deeply, sweeps me away with its language and ideas and passionately makes me want to discuss it is a five-star read (even if it is fictionalized nonfiction). Steinbeck’s humanistic acuity, evocative descriptions, and this upfront glimpse into his thoughts in the later years of his life were reason enough for me to read (and cherish) this witty and insightful book.
There’s a lot to appreciate!
I did read Travels with Charley a few years ago, and I thought, Man Alive, this man can WRITE!!! I was so impressed. I thought The Grapes of Wrath was a true classic. But in Travels, I started to get bored with his trip and I think he did, too! I was a little disillusioned that he interrupted his trip to go home now and then, and that he didn’t visit EVERYWHERE, like, every state. But then I thought, be reasonable. I think he started it with the best of intentions and then it just got repetitive or he got tired of the road. I read the same critiques, but couldn’t tell if they were true or not, so I ignored them. He probably pitched the idea to his editor and was contractually obligated to deliver something.
There were interesting parts and parts I skimmed! It did get a bit repetitive. Thanks for commenting and sharing your reading experience.
Enjoy your non-fiction reads, Carol. 💖📚
I hope I can find some good ones in November!
The In-N-Out Burger one sounds like an interesting read. I’d never heard of the restaurant until I was visiting California with my in-laws in the early 2000s and they got all excited about taking us there! We have a bunch of them where I live now and the drive-thru lines are ALWAYS packed. I like In-N-Out well enough, but I still don’t understand why it’s as crazy popular as it is. Maybe I need to read the book to find out…
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Maybe it’s a 60s nostalgia thing?! 🤷♀️
Also….prices are still reasonable, service is great, etc!
[…] didn’t realize Nonfiction November was going on until late last week, thanks to Carol! While my primary focus is SciFi Month, I figured I can still join in at random. As it happens the […]
Thanks for linking to my post!
I just DNF’d The Plan because I was getting so overwhelmed! I would have thought of myself as type A, but it seemed like she had lists and bullet points and acronyms for each list, bullet point, and acronym!
I ended up skimming it….she lost me! I’m not sure I could summarize her content in one coherent sentence. It was impractical, convoluted, overwritten, and forgettable. Usually I can come away from books like this with a couple of solid and helpful thoughts….but no. I think she’s riding the crest of Lazy Genius. Thanks for commenting!
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