Nonfiction November discussion

What books did you finish for NFN 2023?

Eruption (Eddie Van Halen Biography), Thicker than water (Kerry Washington Memoir), Wild, so far... let's see what Libby has on my shelves next...

I finished Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures for web.

Finished two so far! The New Jim Crow (capital) and Amusing Ourselves to Death (web). They were both excellent. Starting Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets today.

Milena wrote: "I finished Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures for web."

I loved that book, and Merlin Sheldrake is the perfect name for the author.

I finished Making It So by Patrick Stewart for display.

Hugh wrote: "Milena wrote: "I finished Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures for web."

I loved that book, and Merlin Sheldrake is the perfect name for ..."

Such a great name.

Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels

Disability Visibility (Adapted for Young Adults): 17 First-Person Stories for Today

You Are What You Watch

*****

I devoured the teaching book in 2 days. Absolutely loved it.

Reading The YA version of Disability Visibility got me curious and interested in the adult version.

As for What You Watch, this one I am technically reading still, but I count it because the book is not what I expected. It reads like a textbook. It has charts/graphs, research studies. Everything you would expect. It's a good read, sometimes dry, but it is hard to get through if you're not into textbook material. I certainly do love those kinds of books though which is why I do not have a problem with it.

Finished my first non fiction book Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati. It was a lovely and enjoyable diary of a bookselling poet who opens a litte Bookshop in her tiny hometown in Italy.

I finished both Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Killers of the Flower Moon.

I finished "A Warrior of the People: How Susan La Flesche overcame racial and gender inequality to become America's first Indian doctor" by Joe Starita.

Ashley wrote: "I finished both Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Killers of the Flower Moon."
You are rocking this Nonfiction November!

Ashley wrote: "I finished both Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Killers of the Flower Moon."

Cool. What did you think of Killers of the Flower Moon?

I've read it a couple of times plus the Young Reader's edition. I always get more intrigued with each time I read it.

So far I have finished two
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine and The Escape of Alexei, Son of Tsar Nicholas II: What Happened the Night the Romanov Family Was Executed

One was invaluable. The other definitely not so.

Finished Dare to Lead by Brene Brown. Not a fan of the author but read it for work. Had some good points but still not a fan.

I read Into the Dark: What Darkness Is and Why It Matters by Jacqueline Yallop. It would work for the web prompt, considering its necessity for the web of life and relationships. I loved the book (gave it 5 stars)--my review is here:
https://shariburke.blogspot.com/2023/...

Finished 3 Libby books.

Eat Less Cottage Cheese And More Ice Cream Thoughts On Life From Erma Bombeck

Top Gun: An American Story

Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear

Currently Reading

Three Weeks With My Brother

After That

Counting the Cost

I am trying to balance NFN with two fiction books. The objective is to keep reading.

Coda by Simon Gray. On audio. Read by the author.

Just finished The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Enjoyed it very much.

Finished Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? Graphic novel and it was truly graphic.

For Fraud:

Finished The Far Land: 200 Years of Murder, Mania, and Mutiny in the South Pacific 4 stars

My review is here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished There She Was: The Secret Life of Miss America for Capital. I competed in the Miss America system back in the early 2000s, earning scholarship money and growing confidence. This book brought back so many memories, some joyful, others painful and just plan bizarre. 👸🏾

I've finished 6 books so far, including 3 for the prompts. For Fraud I read Swindled: From Poison Sweets to Counterfeit Coffee—The Dark History of the Food Cheats by Bee Wilson. For Display I read Shop Girl by Mary Portas by Mary Portas. And for Web I've read Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch. I've also finished And Away... by Bob Mortimer, The Woman in Me by Britney Spears and I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki by Baek Se-hee

Just finished Free Lunch, a memoir by Rex Ogle. So, so good! 😊

Another nonfic finished. I thought Dostoevsky in Love: An Intimate Life was more than satisfactory :)

Just finished Homicide by David Simon. Even after more than 30 years, it stands up extremely well.

Finished Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet by Claire Evans (for Web). Fascinating. She covers several somewhat distinct eras of computer, internet and web development, so you get that mini-history along with the stories of the women involved.

I have finished reading the following books:
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

I finished Redemption Song by Mike Marqusee.

I finished both of these today before I had to return them to the library.

Hot Toddy: The True Story of Hollywood’s Most Sensational Murder
and
Sex Ed: Film, Video, and the Framework of Desire

Death in Persia by Annemarie Schwarzenbach

Friends, Lovers, And the Big Terrible Thing

I finished In Light of All Darkness for fraud. This is a true crime book.

I finished and quite enjoyed History Smashers: Pearl Harbor by Kate Messner. I look forward to recommending it to young patrons.

I finished three nonfiction books so far. I've been in a bit of a slum, however, I'm pleased with the number, since I normally read one nonfiction a month. This is such a great opportunity to read more.
I enjoyed all my picks, which were: 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' by John Berendt (fraud), 'Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language' by Gretchen McCullouch (web) and 'Divine Might: Godesses in Greek Myth' by Natalie Haynes (display).
I enjoyed all of them, though my favourite so far is the first one.

I finished Redbone:The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler. Four stars, fascinating nonfiction graphic novel discussing the history of an all-Native American rock group that I knew nothing about. It was interesting to learn more about AIM and the groups work with their civil rights movement. I did have some trouble following the the order of speech, or who was speaking, but I'm really glad that I read this. And I'll be finishing Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen today. I really enjoyed learning more about asexuality and its history and this has aided in my own journey.

Finished A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France yesterday - 4 stars.

Finished The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II this morning - 5 stars.

That's Capital and Web off my list! I think I'll get at least one more before the end of the month, and the final one will carry into December if I've got time for it.

I've just finished A Haunting place for capital - the title and author are in all caps.

Just finished The Madman's Gallery: The Strangest Paintings, Sculptures and Other Curiosities from the History of Art for "display". There could not be a more fitting book!

I've finished four so far:

After the Miracle: The Political Crusades of Helen Keller by Max Wallace (using for Display because it was on display at the library, it "displays" a different side of HK, and she was "on display" as a speaker and activist)

Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers by Taisia Kitaiskaia (maybe for Web?)

The Witching Year: A Memoir of Earnest Fumbling Through Modern Witchcraft by Diana Helmuth (maybe for Fraud because the focus is that she often feels she's not practicing authentically)

Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing by Abigail Thomas

I finished the prompts.
1. Fraud: Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks
2. Web: Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
3. Capital: Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive
4. Display: An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us
My current read is 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works. Not for any prompt. This will be my last non fiction book for the month. I met all my goals.

Finished When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World's Most Powerful Consulting Firm

So far:
Banned Books (a DK book)
Dr. Disaster's Guide to Surviving Everything
Of Time and Turtles
Romaine Wasn't Built in a Day

Currently reading: City on Mars

Finished Almost American Girl by Robin Ha.

I have finished two books for Nonfiction November.

-I gave it four stars.
-I gave it three stars.

I feel like I'm falling behind with my NFN books. I've only read 5.

3 of them I've actually finished. 2 others are in the process of being read, but because one is more of a textbook that takes forever. And the book on UFO's that I'm reading is over 400 pages and I take forever on those because of page length and annotating. I do add these to my book count because I'm halfway through them, but still.

Still, there's more I want to add to my reading list.

Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America by Heather Cox Richardson (Capital)

The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos (Web)

Nancy wrote: "Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America by Heather Cox Richardson (Capital)

The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos (Web)"

How is "Democracy Awakening"?

Audrey wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America by Heather Cox Richardson (Capital)

The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos (Web)"

H..."Like HCR's daily letters, it is a series of essays relating to the current state of democracy with historical references. I recommend the book.