#NonficNov
#nonfictionbookparty: Instagram Daily Challenge
Click on the logo to see the detailed schedule
Like every year, a bunch of really cool bloggers are co-hosting Nonfiction November.
Here is the topic for Week 1 (Oct 31-Nov 4):
YOUR YEAR IN NONFICTION
Hosted by Katie @ Doing Dewey:
Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions:
What was your favorite 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?
Here is the recap of the nonfiction I have read (the links will send you to my review when it’s posted).
Having finished my Bible project, my number of nonfiction this year is far below the one from the past two years, but with 18 (actually 19, if I consider than I read one twice), I’m still happy. That’s 15% of all I have read so far in 2022.
And I am planning on finishing at least 3 more before the end of the year.
Here are the titles, in the various categories:
Memoir:
- Passport, by Sophia Glock
- L’Axe du loup : De la Sibérie à l’Inde, sur les pas des évadés du goulag, by
- Down and Out in Paris and London, by George Orwell
= these top 3 memoirs deal also with travels - Revenge of the Librarians, by Tom Gauld – in cartoons
On science / environment / contemporary issues:
- Digital Hell: The Inner Workings of a “Like”, actually read in French: L’Enfer numérique, by Guillaume Pitron
On history:
- After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris From the Belle Époque Through the Revolution and War, by Helen Rappaport
- The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women, by Kate Moore
- Thomas Jefferson’s Crème Brûlée: How a Founding Father and His Slave James Hemings Introduced French Cuisine to America, by Thomas J. Craughwell
On Japan/self-help:
- Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life, by Beth Kempton
In literary criticism:
- Agatha Christie Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World, by Mark Aldridge
On nature:
- A Brush With Birds: Paintings and Stories from the Wild, by Richard Weatherly
On music:
-
Absolutely on Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa, by Haruki Murakami and Seiji Ozawa
In Orthodox spirituality:
- Les Chemins du cœur : l’enseignement spirituel des Pères de l’Église, by Placide Deseille
- This Holy Man: Impressions of Metropolitan Anthony, by Gillian Crow
- Beginning to Pray, by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom (I actually read this one twice this year)
Poetry:
- River of Stars: Selected Poems of Akiko Yosano
- The Year of My Life, by Kobayashi Issa
- Selected Poems of Rainer Maria Rilke
I’m very happy for the diversity of topics covered.
***
What were your favorite nonfiction reads of the year?
It turns out both are French.
What nonfiction books
have you recommended the most?
Digital Hell: The Inner Workings of a “Like” is supposed to be published in English on March 7, 2023 by Scribe US.
But I have written a detailed review and talked about it to many people. Everyone seems to be eager to discover this. It is such a major issue, with such an impact on the environment, that so few people are talking about.
And because I read this book, I have drastically reduced by online activity.
So I will not participate in the daily #nonfictionbookparty Instagram challenge this year.
As for Revenge of the Librarians, I have mentioned it to several students and members of my book club, and the reaction was, OMG, I’m buying a copy right now for a Christmas gift for such and such in my family.
So authors and publishers, from my library copy, you are going to get quite a few sales!
Do you have a particular topic
you’ve been attracted to more this year?
Not really, and I am glad for the diversity
What are you hoping to get out
of participating in Nonfiction November?
As usual, to get acquainted with more nonfiction readers
and find good titles unknown to me.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE NONFICTION THIS YEAR?
Words And Peace 
I don’t read non fiction but I would if I didn’t have a speculstive fiction blog. Looks like you’ve had a good year of non fiction😁
LikeLike
You could always start another blog, lol
LikeLike
I particularly remember your discussing L’Enfer Numérique but sadly the details of the central argument have passed me by! My own non-fiction reading this year has been very limited, however, essays on the Mabinogion and Renaissance theatre design don’t measure up to your achievement – time was when I mostly read nonfiction and fewer novels than now!
LikeLike
I hope you can get to read L’Enfer Numérique when it gets translated. I thought my review was clear, but I guess it’s not
LikeLike
It was clear, as I remember, but I read so many reviews that my main takeaway from them is whether the book is good or not, and I knew from yours it was! I’d have to reread what you said though to clarify how.
LikeLike
You should definitely give it a try when it comes out in English next March
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m a librarian and somehow I missed Revenge of the Librarians? Take away my [unowned] cardigans! LOL Good stuff here!!
LikeLike
This is a very recent book. But you definitely need to have it ordered for your library
LikeLike
I read The Radium Girls last year from Nonfiction November. It was fascinating! I love the diversity in your reading. I’ll look forward to reading Digital Hell when it’s released here. Adding Revenge of the Librarians to my list now.
LikeLike
It was fascinating, but so depressing, to see the number of victims needed before something got a bit done. Though the area where the factory was is still residential, including public buildings. Scary
LikeLike
I’m normally quite a big reader of non-fiction, so am surprised to realise I haven’t read a single NF book this last month. Good to see Tom Gauld among your offerings – I love his cartoons.
LikeLike
Yes, he is so so good! art and content
LikeLiked by 1 person
Searching for more books in French…so your blog is the place to look!
L’Enfer numérique – Guillaume Pitron…I just ordered and will start it this week! Thanks for this NF reading tip!
LikeLike
Great move on Pitron! I was really impressed… and shocked. I want to read another by him, it actually exists in English: The Rare Metals War: the dark side of clean energy and digital technologies.
On similar topics, have you read Fred Vargas (yes, the same Vargas who used to write fabulous thrillers): L’Humanité en Péril. Amazing, and also scary.
With a sequel, that I haven’t read yet : Quelle chaleur allons-nous connaître ?
She no longer writes polars, wanting to focus on warming people about what we are doing to the environment. But same quality of writing for sure!
LikeLike
A nice selection. I had to choose several for my favourite of the year, but then I do read a lot of nonfiction!
LikeLike
Yes, even with only 18, that was hard to pick only 2
LikeLike
I’ve been eyeing off After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris for a while now and keep thinking I will read it for Paris in July, but then Maigret tempts once again!
LikeLike
I’m ashamed I haven’t reviewed the Romanovs book yet. I guess it was so good, and there is so much I want to say about it
LikeLiked by 1 person
It can be difficult to sum up a satisfying non-fiction read, without writing another book!!
LikeLike
Well put!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this … great variety, much more than I had in mine. And I love your cheekiness in including poetry! I never quite know where to put that along the fiction/nonfiction spectrum.
I love Wabi sabi – both the concept and the phrase itself.
LikeLike
Actually several bloggers included poetry last year, so I decided to do the same. Actually libraries also classify poetry in nonfiction
LikeLike
Haha … either I didn’t notice last year or I forgot. In my day as a librarian, we classified poetry as literature. There really wasn’t a fiction or nonfiction separation so much as subject matter eg literature, history, religion, language, technology, etc.
LikeLike
so you were not using the Dewey decimal system? Now American poetry e.g. is 811, and American fiction 813
LikeLike
I think I’ve written about this elsewhere … I think “that” fiction in DDC is the narrow definition of imaginative prose BUT for me non-fiction is not everything else that isn’t DDC’s fiction. It is fact-based writing. Would you call Romeo and Juliet non-fiction? I really couldn’t. It’s drama and it’s imaginative but it’s not 813. I think American drama is 812. Feature films are fictional but they are also elsewhere in Dewey. So, I guess what I’m saying is that DDC is not what I would use to define what is nonfiction? Does this make sense?
LikeLike
It makes sense
LikeLiked by 1 person
PS Sorry for the delayed replies … I am out of town visiting our children and grandchildren so am not keeping up well with my blogging.
LikeLike
No worry, I have also many older comments to accept and reply to right now!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Phew!
LikeLike
Hmm … I entered a response and it disappeared. Did it go into moderation, or into the ether?
I commented on poetry and Wabi Sabi!
LikeLike
weird that it didn’t tell you that it went into moderation, like all the comments I receive
LikeLike
Ah so it did … good! I only have moderation for the first time from an email. Once the commenter is approved they’re not moderated again … u less they use a different email,
LikeLike
I personally to prefer to moderate all comments, so that I can take time to read, respond, and visit the commenter’s blog
LikeLike
Fair enough. I believe I get to see all comments coming to me blog anyhow as they show up in my WP notifications.
LikeLike
I thought Radium Girls was heartbreaking. It and Wabi Sabi are the only books you read last year that I have also read, which is surprising to me.
I’ve added Beginning to Pray and Revenge of the Librarians to my TBR list.
LikeLike
Yes, I think you would get a lot of Beginning to Pray, even if you are not Orthodox. Yes Radium Girls was so so depressing. And to know that the place of that factory is now a regular residential area, and has also some public buildings on it!
LikeLike
Love your round up of your non fiction reading.
I like the sound of Digital hell, and the passport.
As for your favourite, my French well my French I can’t read , write, forgot all that I learnt. – I feel malade? 😪
Lovely to connect with you. Regards Bella
LikeLike
Malade is sick, so I hope that’s not the case. You might enjoy Passport, yes
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Revenge of the Librarians sounds fantastic. And I have Down and Out in Paris … on my TBR pile, probably waiting for Paris in July.
My Non-fiction November Week 1.
LikeLike
Yes, Tom Gauld is so gifted!
LikeLike
Yes, I used malade to say I feel sick that I forgot my French.. lol.
All the best
LikeLike
Oh I see 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
You did well – some very interesting books for sure. I haven’t read any but plan to. Happy NF reading
LikeLike
Thanks, you too!
LikeLike
Digital Hell sounds important to read, I’m glad to hear it’s going to be translated. I’m increasingly disenchanted with social media although I would find it hard to give up my blog.
LikeLike
Yes, I’m not planning to do that either
LikeLike
18 is wonderful! My goal is 20 but I never quite make it! The fun is in the trying!
LikeLike
Exactly!
LikeLike
Digital Hell seems a must read. I’m glad it’s going to be translated soon. I wonder if reading it would also affect my online activity? I’m pretty much ready to give up social media … but I’d have a hard time relinquishing the blog.
LikeLike
That’s mostly what I have kept.
LikeLike
Impressive, diverse reading. I have to check out Revenge of the Librarians.
LikeLike
Oh yes, please do!
LikeLike
I really enjoyed Radium Girls and found it made for surprisingly good book club discussion! And I’d like to get to Agatha Christie’s Poirot too, especially in parallel with a re-read of the Poirot series, although that feels like quite a commitment 🙂
LikeLike
Oh yes, i can see that as a book club discussion.
I did listen to all of Hercule Poirot. Hoopla has them all, with Hugh Fraser as a superb narrator.
It took me 19 months (obviously reading and listening to many other books at the same time), I talked about my experience here: https://wordsandpeace.com/2021/12/06/may-2020-november-2021-19-months-with-hercule-poirot/
LikeLike
Thanks for your nonfiction recommendations, I’ll be looking for Digital Hell when it’s translated.
LikeLike
Great idea
LikeLike
Adding Digital Hell to my TBR, but I’ll have to wait for the english version as my high school french is probably not up to the task. I’ve read other books about the benefits of dematerialization and this one seems to offer an interesting counterargument. Thanks!
LikeLike
Definitely powerful counterargument, as he shows there’s no such thing as dematerialization. Digital data themselves need and use tons of energy and even technical elements, such as for instance many wires at the bottom of the ocean!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do like travel memoirs, although I only read one this year, which was “Blue Sky Kingdom” by Bruce Kirkby. I’ve already put the Tom Gauld book on hold. Thanks for the recommendation!
LikeLike
Blue Sky Kingdom sounds really good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Sunday Post #69 – 11/06/2022 | Words And Peace
You certainly have great variety in your nonfiction. I am quite the opposite, always stick to the same subjects. The Agatha Christie biography has been on my radar as well, I’ll probably get to it next year.
LikeLike
It’s definitely a good one
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Nonfiction November 2022: Book Pairings | Words And Peace
Pingback: Nonfiction November: New to My TBR | book'd out
Pingback: Nonfiction November, Week 5 | Shoe's Seeds & Stories