Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Time for nonfiction reads planning for 2023.

Guidelines for NONFICTION titles:
-- Biographies: The person(s) focused on should have passed away at least 50 years ago, although the title may have been written more recently.
-- History / Events: The history / event should have occurred at least 50 years ago, although the title may have been written more recently.
-- General subject matter: The title should have been written at least 50 years ago.

(For those bad at math, 50 years ago would be 1973. Any questions, feel free to ask in a comment or message me.)

The goal next year is to do a mixture of titles again, but we will work with whatever suggestions members propose and vote on.

Suggestions (votes are marked with Xs before the title & author):

The Expedition of the Donner Party and Its Tragic Fate by Eliza Poor Donner Houghton (a member of the Donner family who survived the ordeal)

OR

History of the Donner Party: A Tragedy of the Sierra by Charles Fayette McGlashan

XXX Six Months in the Sandwich Islands: Among Hawaii's Palm Groves, Coral Reefs and Volcanoes by Isabella Lucy Bird

XX Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston

XX My Several Worlds by Pearl S. Buck

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History by Brian Kilmeade

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

Coffin Corner Boys: One Bomber, Ten Men, and Their Harrowing Escape from Nazi-Occupied France by Carole Engle Avriett

XX The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer

X Pandemic 1918: The Story of the Deadliest Influenza in History by Catharine Arnold

X Shakespeare: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd

XX Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

X A Son of the Middle Border by Hamlin Garland

OR

X A Daughter of the Middle Border by Hamlin Garland

X Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

The Van Gogh Sisters by Willem-Jan Verlinden

They Called Me Number One: Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School by Bev Sellars

Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep

Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

Junius and Albert's Adventures in the Confederacy: A Civil War Odyssey by Peter Carlson

X In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

A few ideas:

Six Months in the Sandwich Islands: Among Hawaii's Palm Groves, Coral Reefs and Volcanoes by Isabella Lucy Bird

Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston

Kathy wrote: "A few ideas:

Six Months in the Sandwich Islands: Among Hawaii's Palm Groves, Coral Reefs and Volcanoes by Isabella Lucy Bird

Dust Tracks on a Road by [..."

I'll be happy to read Dust Tracks on a Road, and the Harlem Renaissance aspects will tie in well with one of our non-fiction books this year - A Long Way From Home

I didn't read that one, John, but I'll add it to my list to get to yet this year. Sounds interesting. Glad you're interested in Dust Tracks on a Road.

I suggest Thomas Mann’s biography The Magician by Colm Toibin.

Sandy wrote: "I do enjoy the work of Isabella Bird and would gladly join in for Six Months in the Sandwich Islands.

Incidentally, when she left the Sandwich Islands (the Hawaiin Islands, I believe?), she spent ..."

I read A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains twice, once in 1988 and then in 2017. I was thinking we read it as a group but can't find it in the Archives. It's a great read!

Nidhi wrote: "I suggest Thomas Mann’s biography The Magician by Colm Toibin."

I've looked at this one a few times Nidhi, but have been put off by the fact that its not a biography, its a biographical novel. So, probably classed as fiction rather than non-fiction?

But, based on the great reviews it gets, I should probably give it a try, so if we decided to read it under any thread next year, I'll definitely join in.

I suggest My Several Worlds by Pearl S. Buck

We can read The Magician under German Authors category John.

I wanted to read Lust for Life, fictional biography of Van Gogh by Irving Stone but that is also a fiction, so not sure where to suggest it.

These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
The Right Stuff
Coffin Corner Boys: One Bomber, Ten Men, and Their Harrowing Escape from Nazi-Occupied France
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
Pandemic 1918: The Story of the Deadliest Influenza in History
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Sandy and Nidhi - the genre of fiction you are thinking of is biographical fiction, which it's a fictional account of a real person's life or experience. We do want to stick to nonfiction biographies, which considering biographies here.

If y'all are interested in a book about Van Gogh, I read Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman earlier this year. It has won some YA NF awards, but it is over 450 pages long.

I'll get this organized over the next week. Love the enthusiasm for suggesting titles. Please also keep vouching for others' suggestions!

I second Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston

and Pear S Buck.

I would like to know if somebody will be interested in reading Peter Ackroyd , works on famous biographies , like The Lambs of London or Shakespeare: The Biography ?

Nidhi wrote: "I would like to know if somebody will be interested in reading Peter Ackroyd , works on famous biographies , like The Lambs of London or [book:Shakespeare: The Biography..."

I second both of these please.

Audrey wrote: "These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History
[book:Longitude..."

I'd like to second "Pandemic 1918" please.

I’d like to suggest Silent Spring.

John wrote: "Nidhi wrote: "I would like to know if somebody will be interested in reading Peter Ackroyd , works on famous biographies , like The Lambs of London or [book:Shakespeare:..."

Nidhi, I've just noticed that Lambs of London is also "historical Fiction". But I still second his Shakespeare biography.

Cosmic wrote: "I suggest My Several Worlds by Pearl S. Buck"

I support My Several Worlds.

Those look good, Sandy. I'd join in on both.

I support Silent Spring.

I would like to read any of these:
- Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
- The Van Gogh Sisters by Willem-Jan Verlinden
-They Called Me Number One: Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School by Bev Sellars
-Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon
-Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep
-Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
-Junius and Albert's Adventures in the Confederacy: A Civil War Odyssey by Peter Carlson
-In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

Thank you for all the great suggestions! I have updated the first post in this thread with suggestions and votes thus far. Please add votes for existing suggestions. I love how enthusiastic our group is for NF reads! (Thank you all for your patience.)

Note: These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 was not included due to it being a fictional account.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass was read by the group in Jan/Feb 2021. Please check the NF archives.

Goodbye to All That was read by the group in May/June 2021. Please check the NF archives.

Archived threads can still have active discussion. Feel free to review discussions for any archived threads or group reads that you like and comment as you wish. You never know who may respond!

I support The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer.

Nidhi wrote: "I support The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer."

I was interested in that one also, Nidhi - but the length is daunting. I think I'd need at least 4 months for that one!

I vote for Silent Spring

I would like to support:
Six Months in the Sandwich Islands: Among Hawaii's Palm Groves, Coral Reefs and Volcanoes by Isabella Lucy Bird

I cast a vote for In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin.

Votes are updated thus far. Please continue voting. Votes are open to everyone. (We have plenty suggestions.)

Since I suggested Six Months in the Sandwich Islands: Among Hawaii's Palm Groves, Coral Reefs and Volcanoes and Dust Tracks on a Road, I'm assuming I don't need to vote for them. ??Correct?

You are correct, Kathy. You do not need to vote for titles you suggested. That suggestion technically counts as you voting for it. Without suggestions we'd have no titles to vote on. :D

Samantha wrote: "You are correct, Kathy. You do not need to vote for titles you suggested. That suggestion technically counts as you voting for it. Without suggestions we'd have no titles to vote on. :D"

Thanks, Samantha!

I would like to support:
Killers of the Flower Moon
Six Months in the Sandwich Islands