RMFAO (Reading My Frigging A** Off) discussion

Non-Fiction: Non-fiction is an account or representation of a subject which is presented as fact. This presentation may be accurate or not; that is, it can give either a true or a false account of the subject in question. However, it is generally assumed that the authors of such accounts believe them to be truthful at the time of their composition. Note that reporting the beliefs of others in a nonfiction format is not necessarily an endorsement of the ultimate veracity of those beliefs, it is simply saying that it is true that people believe that (for such topics as mythology, religion). Non-fiction can also be written about fiction, giving information about these other works.

Here's a quick summary of the levels:

Level 1: Casual Reader: 1 book (easy)
Level 2: Frequent Reader: 2 books (moderate)
Level 3: Bookworm: 3 books (mildly strenuous)
Level 4: Bibliophile: 4 books (strenuous)
Level 5: Bookiopath: 5 books or more (challenging)

Please mention what type of books you'd be reading:

PB: Paperbacks
EB: E-Books
AB: Audio Books

Please feel free to announce your to-read books along with the level you are targeting for below.

PLEASE READ (for new members):
1. You can read any number of books for the respective genre each month in one particular month. 
2. Take your time and go through your entire TBR-list before deciding the books to read.
3. You can join the challenge at any stage (in any month.)
4. You can drop out of the challenge any time you like.
5. You can select different levels every month.
6. Use this discussion board to share your reads with other members of the group.
7. Please be active and don't hesitate to ask questions or recommend books. 

Happy reading!  

Great choices, Joanne!

I will have to wait and see how many books I will read for this challenge. One I've had on my tbr pile is The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt, so I'll give that a try.

1.) The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
3 stars. I learned alot about Venice and its history. I liked getting to know the people who live there, too. My review can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Joanne wrote: "Have decided to scratch these two off my list.

Farewell to the East End: The Last Days of the East End Midwives. Just too sad 😔 ."

Joanne,
I know what you mean. I had to stop watching Call the Midwife on tv because I cried while watching each episode. So much sadder when you know these things actually happened.

Joanne wrote: "And just not in the mood atm 😕😕. The month is early I might get back to it ."

I find it best not to force myself to read something just for a challenge. It can feel like a chore if you do. Sometimes it helps to read something completely different - like a mystery or a thriller - and then give the non-fiction a try. But don't feel bad if you decide not to participate in this month's challenge. Reading is supposed to be fun!

1. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Stephen Brusatte. Rated 4 stars. To think my beloved African Grey Parrot evolved from Velociraptors and Tyrannosaurus. He does stomp around like a little T Rex when he is in a mood!
2. The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery. Rated 3.5 stars. A bit disappointed in this one. I wanted more science and less memoir.

2.) Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash by Elizabth Royte

3 stars. Everything you ever wanted to know about garbage and what happens to it after it's picked up at your curb. Alot of info about recycling various materials, too. Interesting stuff.

3.) Visiting Hours: A Memoir of Friendship and Murder by Amy Butcher
3 stars.

Dagny wrote: "You're racking 'em up, Cheryl! I had high hopes of easing my bookshelves some this month by reading some of the books that caught my eye but never make it to the top of the TBR pile."

I've been lucky in finding books at the library. Non-fiction is probably one of my least read genres, normally.

#1) I Feel Bad about My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - 3/5 stars. Meh. I don't think Nora Ephron and I are interested in the same things.

4.) The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones by Anthony Bourdain
3 stars

5.) Murder, Interrupted by James Patterson
3 stars. Two true crime stories. The second story features a situation between a mother and daughter similar to that in the book Everything, Everything. Let's just say the daughter didn't react quite like Maddy did when she found out the truth.

Cheryl wrote: "The second story features a situation between a mother and daughter similar to that in the book Everything, Everything. Let's just say the daughter didn't react quite like Maddy did when she found out the truth."

Haha... I'm going to check this one out. Sounds a lot real, at least more than Everything, Everything's ending.

Adelaide wrote: "#1) I Feel Bad about My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - 3/5 stars. Meh. I don't think Nora Ephron and I are interested in the same things."

Lol.

I'm going to start reading for this month now :)

1) How Bad Writing Destroyed the World: Ayn Rand and the Literary Origins of the Financial Crisis - 2/5 - It was NOT what I was expecting at all. It was more academic than anything else.

2) Stephen King and Philosophy - 3/5
A good book for King fans though I had to skip some of the parts because of not having read some books on which the parts were based on. But I really enjoyed the writing and did enjoy the various discussions.

#2) Reporter: A Memoir by Seymour Hersh 4/5 stars. This was really interesting, but I found the anecdotes regarding people to be more enjoyable than the details of the stories he covered. Those were good too, just not as gripping.

Dagny wrote: "At least you have managed to get started, Heena, and finished two. I started the Haggard Diary earlier but haven't read a single entry since the World Cup started."

Haha... I know what you mean. Vishal's been ignoring (and even cancelling) most of his events since the cup started. Lol.
I'm a selective watcher (not sure if that's a word) but I watch the matches only when the countries I'm rooting for play (Germany, Argentina, Iceland, Sweden and Portugal.) So, thankfully, that leaves me enough time to read :)

I cheer for Iceland too!! And also Sweden :)

Hello all,

Here's the link to next month's thread: July - Apocalyptic/Dystopian Fiction: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

#3) How to See: Looking, Talking, and Thinking about Art by David Salle. 4/5 stars. David Salle’s art has never really been my jam, but there are some nice essays here. (This book feels like it is more useful to artists than viewers, fyi.)

The only book I was able to finish this month for the nonfiction challenge was Mankiller: A Chief and Her People. This month was just really busy, and we were out of town for a while. I give the book 4/5 stars. Wilma Mankiller was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Tribe from 1985 to 1995. My husband, mother-in-law and I had the opportunity to hear Chief Mankiller speak and to meet her briefly in Southern California in the early 1990s when she came out to meet with California Cherokees and talk about tribal concerns (my husband is part Cherokee). She was an intelligent and compelling speaker, and it was a great honor to be able to meet her. It was inspiring to read about all the physical problems she overcame, including polycystic kidney disease, myasthenia gravis, renal failure and a kidney transplant, as well as a near-fatal car accident, before going on to become Principal Chief. She noted that what had sustained her and helped her to heal and persevere was to fall back on her Cherokee ways and maintain a Cherokee approach to life, that of "being of good mind." She said this means that, "one has to think positively, to take what is handed out and turn it into a better path."

6.)Murder Beyond the Grave by James Patterson
True crime. 2 stars.