Nonfiction November is here! This annual event, an entire month of bookish topics devoted entirely to nonfiction, is always a favorite.
Week one (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?
Our host this week is Heather at Based on a True Story
MY YEAR IN NONFICTION
2024 has been a very good reading year for me so far but, in terms of nonfiction, it's been just okay. (I consider my nonfiction year to run from November 2023 through October 2024.)
The bullet point takeaways include:
- my overall percentage of nonfiction is down (19% vs an average of 25%)
- my overall nonfiction quality/enjoyment is down this year
- I haven't read from my go-to nonfiction categories this year
So what have I been reading?
My nonfiction reading this year has included memoir, history, and how-to/instructional titles. These topics are a bit of a departure for me, especially the how-to/instructional category. Overall they have been less satisfying.
How do I consume nonfiction?
I prefer nonfiction on audio, and almost all of my nonfiction this year has had an audio component. I am especially fond of read/listen combinations for history and biography, and I love memoirs read by the author.
What was my favorite/most recommended nonfiction title this year?
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Honorable Mentions
... and a new author discovery
Also a Poet: Frank O'Hara, My Father, and Me by Ada Calhoun
Wedding Toasts I'll Never Give by Ada Calhoun
What are my favorite topics?
My favorite nonfiction topics generally include social justice, the Supreme Court, medicine, food and foodie memoirs, current events, history, and books about books & reading.
*Note to self - stick to those topics next year
What are my goals for Nonfiction November?
I want to get my nonfiction reading back on track by reading at least two books related to my favorite topics this month. I also hope to discover more nonfiction titles.
Memoirs read by the author are a favorite of mine, too. I "read" a lot more celebrity memoirs than I did when I was younger just for the chance to hear the voice.
ReplyDeleteJoy - It's been quite a while since I last read a celebrity memoir, but there are several out now that sound tempting.
DeleteI love the title of the last book! I like nonfiction and have a few memoirs so far on my list for next year.
ReplyDeleteVicki - That title attracted my attention, too. I read Also a Poet first and decided I wanted to read of Calhoun's work.
Delete19% is still a very decent ratio of nonfiction to fiction! I find that it is hard to find the nonfiction titles I want to read on audio, but I agree that listening to an author read their memoir is the best.
ReplyDeleteHappy Nonfiction November!
Jane - I started reading a lot more nonfiction about a decade ago and even got up to 35% prior to the pandemic. Since then I've been drifting back down through the 20s. I'm still happy with 19% nonfiction, but disappointed that there were no real standout titles this year other than Team of Rivals.
Delete