Chicks On Lit discussion

I'm really getting into reading nonfiction/memoirs lately.

So..what are some of your favorites that you could recommend?

I really enjoy Erik Larson. They're non-fiction, but read more like novels.

Some of my other favorites:
-Animal, Vegetable, Miracle A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
-Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
-Little Heathens Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
-But Enough About Me A Jersey Girl's Unlikely Adventures Among the Absurdly Famous by Jancee Dunn
-Sons of Camelot The Fate of an American Dynasty by Lawrence Leamer

Thanks! I have a few of those on my tbr list and a few of them are new to me! So I can't wait to check them out!

I hope you don't mind, but I compared our shelves to see what I'd read that you have on your TBR shelf. Reading Lolita in Tehran A Memoir in Books and In Cold Blood are also books I really enjoyed.

Ooh good! I just actually picked up Reading Lolita in Tehran at a book sale! Maybe I'll have to start on that soon!

I really enjoyed Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. I haven't read anything else by him, but I intend to after reading that. I also really enjoyed Against Medical Advice A True Story, Infidel, The Body Project An Intimate History of American Girls, Divided Minds Twin Sisters and Their Journey Through Schizophrenia and Sisters The Lives of America's Suffragists. I could go on, but that's a good chunk.

I bought Reading Lolita and enjoyed what I read, but never finished it. I think I would have been more into it had I read all the books they mentioned. She has a new book out that's more autobiographical, that I might check out if I get the chance.

A few years ago I read Lucky Man by Michael J Fox and found his journey enthralling. I have also recently purchased his new book Always Looking Up. It is on my big pile of books to read.

I've been enjoying memoirs and non-fiction lately too.

A few of my faves...
The Glass Castle A Memoir
Go Ask Alice
My Story "A Child Called It", "The Lost Boy", "A Man Named Dave"

Some I want to read...
Summer at Tiffany
Crazy Love
Marley & Me Love and Life with the World's Worst Dog
Sleep, My Child, Forever
Eat, Pray, Love One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

Mandy Sue, I really enjoyed Marley & Me! Haven't brought myself to watch the movie yet though...afraid I will cry. I'm in a minority when I say I didn't like Eat, Pray, Love that well!

I bawled like a baby watching the movie. I'm not even a huge animal person. I doubt I will read the book. I hate watching the movie and then reading it..knowing what is going to happen. I wish I would have read the book first.

A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

has to be one of the best that I have read in the past year

For some reason, all I've been reading lately are memoirs, too.

Marley & Me
All of Jen Lancaster's memoirs
Crazy Love
All really good.

I'm working on Glass Castle now, and just picked up Geography of Love at the library today.

I have yet to read Eat Pray Love, but have heard so many mixed reviews. I don't think it's something I can get in to.

ps. read marley and me before seeing the movie. the book is better. the movie was just ok for me. and i sobbed like a baby through the entire thing.

Cindy ~ My mom is trying to locate her copy so I can read it. I know I'm going to cry my eyes out. I always read the books before the movies unless I didn't know it was a book.

anything by philip gourevitch is great nonfiction work.

Kat wrote: "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

has to be one of the best that I have read in the past year"

I saw that book at Target and almost got it! Glad to hear that you enjoyed it!

I second Eat Pray Love!

Brandie wrote, "I have yet to read Eat Pray Love, but have heard so many mixed reviews. I don't think it's something I can get in to." I will say that it's one of the most honestly written memoirs I've ever read and while I couldn't relate to some of her experiences, I could relate to much more than I thought. One of my all time fav's. I think you could be surprised!

Jamie, my other suggestions are:

Under the Tuscan Sun

A Year in Provence

The Red Leather Diary Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal

A Pig in Provence Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France

Trail of Crumbs Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home

ooh, ooh...I also have Under the Tuscan Sun at home, to read. I love the movie, but really wanted to read the book. I've heard it's really good!

Jo...maybe I'll try it someday :) Just to see what everyone is talking about!

Brandie wrote: "ooh, ooh...I also have Under the Tuscan Sun at home, to read. I love the movie, but really wanted to read the book. I've heard it's really good!"

I LOVE the movie~ book is VERY different and once you get used to that, it's a fabulous read!

If anyone likes the movie The Sound of Music, I totally recommend Forever Liesl, by Charmian Carr - she played Liesl von Trapp and she talks about the making of the movie and its' impact on the world. I loved it and now when I watch the movie I feel like I know so much VIP info! I also loved Home, by Julie Andrews, because I'm obviously obsessed with her/her movies!

I've read Eat, Pray, Love...and I honestly LOVED it!

Jamie wrote: "I've read Eat, Pray, Love...and I honestly LOVED it! " Me too!

Katie wrote: "I really enjoy Erik Larson. They're non-fiction, but read more like novels.

Some of my other favorites:
-Animal, Vegetable, Miracle A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kings..."

I didn't think "Little Heathens" was very well written (especially since she was an English professor), but there was so much interesting information in it. They way the cooked was unbelievable!

Allison! I now MUST have the book you recommended..."Forever Liesl". I thought she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, and I wanted to be just like her! I think I know every word to every song in the Sound of Music. I'll definitely be buying this book. Thanks!

Bill Bryson and Ruth Reichl are two of my favorite authors. Bryson wrote stuff like A Walk in the Woods and Ruth Reichl is the editor of Gourmet magazine , she writes memoirs of her life (including recipes).

I particularly enjoyed Garlic and Sapphires and Tender at the Bone by Reichl. She has a great voice. I've started reading Chelsea Handler's book My Horizontal Life which is ridiculously funny.

You know it would depend if a certain type of topic would interest you more. I love history...the Great War, WWII, British History, and the Protesting era of the 1960s & 70s. So I find books on events during that time. I really like the books that talk about the women in military and secret agents in the war eras. I have several listed in my history & to be read piles.

Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs The Unknown
Story of the Men and Women of World War II's
OSS

The Women Who Lived for Danger The Agents of the Special Operations Executive

those were two of my favorites!

Mandy Sue wrote: "I've been enjoying memoirs and non-fiction lately too.

A few of my faves...
The Glass Castle A Memoir
Go Ask Alice
[book:My Story "A Child Called It", "The Lost Boy", ..."


Marley and Me is a great book, I really loved it! Made me love my dogs even more. :)

I'm halfway through eat, pray, love. I really enjoyed the Italy part but India was a bit dull. I loved Not buying it by Judith Levine.

Brandie wrote: "For some reason, all I've been reading lately are memoirs, too.

Marley & Me
All of Jen Lancaster's memoirs
Crazy Love
All really good.

I'm working on Glass Castle now, and just picked up ..."

I highly recommend Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. While she's a little spacey sometimes (and her discussion about her depression is sometimes a little uncomfortable), it's a really great read. It made me desperately want to visit Italy, Bali, and and India. And it's very uplifting - I love stories and tales about women getting away from crappy men and rediscovering themselves, even if they have to spend a year abroad to do it!

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Roots by Alex Haley
Marley and Me (See the movie too - it's actually better than the book! And that's the only time you'll here me say that!)

Also, I'm currently reading The Know-It-All by AJ Jacobs and I'd definitely recommend it. It's about AJ's quest to read the entire Britannica Encyclopedia (all 65,000 pages) and it has so far been cracking me up! I was laying in bed last night reading it while my honeyman was playing a video game and I kept giggling and had to stop and tell him about the just-too-funny bits. If you like funny, this might be the perfect memoir for you!

I agree with so many of these.

Eat, Pray, Love is a must. I would also recommend "In Cold Blood," anything by Jon Krakauer (who wrote Under the Banner of Heaven and Into the Wild) and anything by Bill Bryson, especially "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" in which he talks about moving back to America after years living abroad.

Marley and Me is great for anyone who has ever had a pet, as is Dewey, the book about the library cat.

Mandy Sue,

Summer at Tiffany is a fun read and I think you'll enjoy it!

My favorites:

Salt A World History
Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
The Devil in the White City Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
Me Talk Pretty One Day

One I would not recommend is:Julie and Julia 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen

Kat wrote: "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy -- has to be one of the best that I have read in the past year"

I agree it is really good but also very hard to take. I had to put it down and walk away several times before getting all the way through it.

-- Robin The Crown Conspiracy | Avempartha | Nyphron Rising (Oct 2009)

Julie ~ Thanks! I'm going to pick it up next time I'm at the store. =)

Here's one I read about on NPR.org that I really want to read: A Hope in the Unseen An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League.

The thread has been focusing on memoirs, but here's a science one that I really loved about genetic history: The Seven Daughters of Eve The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry.

And my favorite memoir, and one of my favorite books: Waiting for Snow in Havana Confessions of a Cuban Boy.

I really want to get my hands on One Nation Under Dog Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics, and Organic Pet Food. Has anyone here read it?

I agree Robin........... there were some parts in it that I had a hard time reading.... I guess that it why I loved the book so much.........anything that can make that kind of an impression on me I love.

I just finished "A Mistress's Daughter" by A.M. Homes. Very insightful about the author searching for her biological parents. Beautifully written.

Has anyone else read Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything? I had a love/hate relationship with that one. One thing is for sure. It was interesting.

I read Freakonomics a couple years ago and really liked it. Of course that was before I took an economics class, so I should probably re-read it and see if I have any new gripes with it.

Kat wrote: "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

has to be one of the best that I have read in the past year"

This is extremely powerful.

Maria wrote: "Kat wrote: "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

has to be one of the best that I have read in the past year"

This is extremely powerful." I agree I never really understood what these young children went through.

Andrea wrote: "Maria wrote: "Kat wrote: "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

has to be one of the best that I have read in the past year"

This is extremely powerful." I agree I never re..."

I was horrified when I read this; I had to actually take breaks. And I see you're from Manasquan! Yea for the shore!

If you like topical subjects, I recommend Columbine, by Dave Cullen, covering the school shootings in Colorado. The book reveals that many of the things we think we know about the subject are actually myths; for example, the shooters had not been bullied. It also delves into whether the police might have been able to prevent the tragedy. It is a heartbreaking read, but is a book I felt I had to read.

Maria wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Maria wrote: "Kat wrote: "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

has to be one of the best that I have read in the past year"

This is extremely powerful." I a..." Maria finally some nice weather today so we can finally enjoy the beach!

Andrea wrote: "Maria wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Maria wrote: "Kat wrote: "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

has to be one of the best that I have read in the past year"

This is extremely ..."

Let's grab this elusive sunshine while we can!

Joanne, that's one I really want to read. I was basically the same age as the shooters and it changed the way I and a lot of young people felt about going to school and about the people around us.

I loved Eat, Pray, Love One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia. It made me want to meditate in a cave.

I have two all time favorite non fictions, Common Sense by Tom Paine and Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed The Story of the Village of Le Chambon and How Goodness Happened There by Philip Hallie. I will periodically pick up these books, open to any page and just start reading.