Reading the Chunksters discussion

having been with this group for some time now, I noticed that once in a while non-fiction title slip into chunkster nominations. I personally love non-fiction that deals with everything from natural sciences and evolution, to history and pop culture studies. Sometimes these books are well over 500 pages and are very intimidating to tackle on one's own. I know not everyone is into non-fiction, so I wonder if some members of this group would be interested in these kinds of side reads.

Here's the list of books on my TBR that are chunksters:

The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome by Susan Wise Bauer
London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd
The Human Career: Human Biological and Cultural Origins by Richard G. Klein
Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe by Norman Davies
Heimskringla: or, The Lives of the Norse Kings by Snorri Sturluson
The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean by David Abulafia
Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia by Orlando Figes
Egypt, Greece and Rome: Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean by Charles Freeman
The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions by David Quammen
The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution by Richard Dawkins
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
1000 Years of Annoying the French by Stephen Clarke
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey
Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir

And so on and so forth... If you'd like to post your lists, I would love to check those books out!

Haha I see a few of mine on there. :) I read a LOT of history and I've been trying to branch more into science. I'd love to see some Chunksters non-fics but I dont want to commit the group to too many reads, one always seems to fall to the wayside.

Could that alternate with classic/modern/nonfiction?

Yeah, that's why I thought a loosely based buddy read of some sort would be nice. I don't see people constantly committing to non-fiction either, so I'm posting a thread here to get some suggestions.

Some of my TBRs on your list... I have a bit of a spare time problem for a book like the London biography, but let's say I'm generally interested in a NF sideread. I just can't promise I'll be able to join.
Good idea!

I would be interested in reading a non-fiction book with the group. I think for me I would have to have at least a little interest in the topic to devote time to reading the book. I guess that can be said for any book though.

I actually read one earlier this year, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, which was absolutely fascinating for every one of its 1000+ pages. I'll have to check out my list and see what else is on there...

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
The Wealth of Nations: An Inquiry into the Nature & Causes of the Wealth of Nations
Master of the Senate
Charles Sumner
Truman
Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child

Nevermind, I won't go on, there are too many. All of those are over 1000 pages!

Yes, I think we can definitely get a Non-fiction Chunkster! So many options!

I'm so scared to approach The Decline and Fall of Roman Empire even though it's been on my shelf for years. I have the Penguin Classics edition that came in three volumes, each containing two original volumes. The first book alone has 1200+, which just terrifies me. I really want to try it though.

For anyone interested, I found an excellent journal documenting one reader's 28-month journey through all six volumes. So inspirational!

Statistically I don't think this group has done well on books that are 1000+ pages. For our first nonfic I think it would be better to start 500-1000 pages. Just my two cents.

Andrea wrote: "I'm so scared to approach The Decline and Fall of Roman Empire even though it's been on my shelf for years. I have the Penguin Classics edition that came in three volumes, each containing two origi..."

I've been longing to do The Decline and Fall also, not only for the insight into history but because a number of people I respect have said that it may be the best writing ever done in the English Language. But it would indeed take take a long time. I'm wondering whether a separate Goodreads group should be set up to tackle it. Anybody interested in considering that?

Everyman, who would lead that group? I was also wondering if there were any volunteers to oversee these Non-fiction reads? I think the idea is great, if someone will lead and get it off the ground. I know Andrea (mod) has been commenting in here, so maybe I'm just being a worry wart, but if we really want to get a non-fiction read off the ground we need someone to spearhead that part of the group.

I don't know if we need a new group, we could always just add a non-fiction folder and run it from there, but if there is no one to lead discussions and make polls and do the general upkeep for the non-fiction reads then the idea will fizzle, ya know?

I am interested in reading The Decline, but it would have to be a long-term project, because I just can't afford to spend all my time reading just that. Besides, I think it's a kind of work nobody should rush through. Because of that I think a separate group would work the best, just for The Decline in particular.

As for other non-fiction books, I have no problem lending a hand in leading the discussion and all if there are enough people interested in the project. So far I understand we only have about 5, maybe 6 people? Even if we get everyone on board with one particular book, maybe only 1-2 will actually finish. I am just looking at statistics here. It would also be helpful if everyone interested listed their favorite topics for non-fiction they like to read. At least that way we will see if having a non-fiction discussion is even feasible.

For example, this is what I enjoy reading about. The books are just examples to illustrate the variety of topics that attract me. In no particular order:

1. Popular science that explores the world we live in



2. Natural history



3. History



4. Humour and pop-culture studies



5. Literature and linguistics



I am not very picky at all about the genre of my non-fiction, but the topic needs to engage me and the book has to be written well. That is all I usually ask for. But I know many people are very specific, and that is why I would like to know what everyone else is interested in.

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir is also on my TBR list. I've tried twice, and I just lose steam after the first section.

I'd also really like to read the book I just bought 1421: The Year China Discovered Americaby Gavin Menzies or his book The Lost Empire of Atlantis: History's Greatest Mystery Revealed.

I am interested in history (art/womens/military/maritime/you name it), natural history, science, philosophy, and I suppose literature and linguistics... I don't think I'd be nearly as interested in Humor (for 500 pages?! lol) or pop-culture studies. I tend to read to get away from the modern world, not further immerse myself in it. I'm also generally bored with biographies/autobiographies, but I suppose if someone had a fantastic one to suggest I'd be more open to the idea.

I would be interested in a non-fiction read. I've already read a few of the books mentioned above, but many of the others are on my TBR list.

I don't know that we need another group for it either (although there is certainly a wealth of material if anyone wanted to do so) but I like the idea of having a folder and running that one by various themes throughout the year, such as the ones Andrea suggested. Some of those will end up being long solo reads for me otherwise, if I read them at all.

I think a nonfiction read would be great. With fiction, it can be hard to stick to the pace of ~50 pages per week. For a longer nonfiction work, though, this seems quite reasonable!

I would love to read The Guns of August. At "only" 600 pages, maybe this or another book of similar length would be easier for a first nonfiction chunkster? I would also love to read A Short History of Nearly Everything or The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail - But Some Don't

I would attempt The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, though the length is intimidating. More generally, I am interested in biography, history, economics and science nonfiction reads.

I would also be interested in reading Decline as a long term project. Has this been discussed again?

I think it lost the poll to The Once and Future King and Les Miserables

Ah - ok. I've been MIA for awhile. Hope to be more active in the new year.

But you can nominate it again when the opportunity arises.

Barzun's From Dawn to Decadence From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, 1500 to the Present might be an interesting non-fiction to start with. More general than some of the others (Gibbon, for one) it opens themes that might be more interesting to discuss. I started it several years ago, but got sidetracked. But what I read was interesting and very discuss-worthy.

Everyman wrote: "Barzun's From Dawn to Decadence From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, 1500 to the Present might be an interesting non-fiction to start with. More general than so..."

That is a great book. I've read it twice.