Nonfiction November: My Year in Nonfiction

Nonfiction November has been happening all month and I'm late to the party! November has been an exceptionally busy month for me (in a good way, thankfully) and I've barely even checked in here. But before the month comes to an end, I would like to talk about the nonfiction titles I've read in the past year. 

MY YEAR IN NONFICTION

For Nonfiction November, I consider my reading year to run from November 1, 2024 through October 31, 2025. Overall, I've had a very good reading year. Here are the bullet point takeaways for nonfiction:

• my overall percentage of nonfiction was down - 19% vs an average of 25% 
• my overall satisfaction/rating for nonfiction titles was about average
• after a disappointing 2024, I selected more titles from my go-to nonfiction categories 
• I opted for read/listen combinations whenever possible

My nonfiction selections this year included memoir, essay, medicine/public health, history, and humor. Noticeably absent was social justice, the Supreme Court, and foodie memoirs. Here is my list:

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I've Tried Being Nice: Essays by Ann Leary - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oranges by John McPhee - ⭐⭐⭐

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain - ⭐⭐⭐

How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key - ⭐⭐⭐

A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put by Annie B. Jones - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green - ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

The Jane Austen Insult Guide for Well-Bred Women by Emily Reed - ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (reread) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

2025 NONFICTION FAVORITES

A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan

No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris

Honorable Mention

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection 

by John Green

What was your favorite nonfiction title this year?

The collection post for Nonfiction November Week 1: Your Year in Nonfiction can be found here.

October Reading Wrap-Up and November Possibilities

I love fall and October is my favorite month of the year! The weather and foliage were glorious, so we visited quite a few parks, trails, and historic sites. This photo, taken early in the month at Gillette Castle, looks south down the Connecticut River.

Our NYC daughter and son-in-law and my sister-in-law all visited in October. We took a couple of short trips, too. First was five days in NYC. Highlights included an afternoon at the newly renovated Frick Collection  and dinner at the Gramercy Tavern. My husband has been wanting to try their tasting menu for years! We ended the month with a trip to central NY for my nephew's wedding.

As for reading, I finished four book - all four or five stars - early in the month. I barely had time to read for the last week or two.

BOOKS READ IN SEPTEMBER

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén

literary fiction in translation, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Heart the Lover by Lily King

literary fiction, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 2 by Beth Brower

historical fiction, group reading project, ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

In a Distant Valley by Shannon Bowring

literary fiction, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*my Quick Lit reviews are here*

NOVEMBER READING POSSIBILITIES

Dracula Daily by Bram Stoker

a long term group read, wraps up this week

The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990 by Jonathan Mahler  

nonfiction, in progress

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 3 by Beth Brower

group reading project, in progress

The Promise by Damon Galgut

reread, World Lit book club selection

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

reread, MMD December selection

How was your October? What was your favorite book?