The Next Best Book Club discussion

Katie, thanks for coming up with this idea! I think it will be a great topic of discussion and obsession!!!

I'm having fun reading people's lists, so I sure hope so!! Maybe we'll bring out some of the quieter folks too!!

Ok, so I'll go first!

KT's Top 10 Non-Fiction Reads
1. Eleven Seconds by Travis Roy
2. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
3. Crashing the Net: The U.S. Women's Ice Hockey Team and the Road to Gold by Mary Turco
4. Night by Elie Wiesel
5. My Sergei by Ekaterina Gordeeva
6. Without a Map by Meredith Hall (Meredith was one of my instructors in college and my writing mentor. I'm SO proud of her for writing this book!)
7. Marley Me by John Grogan
8. On Writing by Stephen King
9. Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery and My Return to the NFL by Tedi Bruschi
10. It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong

Katie,I've heard such good things about Night and have added it to my TR shelf.

Okay, I love nonfiction. Histories, Biographies, Philosophies, Travel Writing- you name it and I love it. Books that inspire some sort of change in your own life are beautiful things, and most of the books below have done quite a bit in shaping the person that I am today. The following are my top ten:

10) Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach- so what happens after you die and donate your body to science? Some of the weirdest things that your body will ever go through. Fantastic read that I couldn't put down.

09) The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewllyn- a very powerful book that helped tons of my friends move away from the school system and adopt the autodidact lifestyle.

08) A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn- an American history from the point of view of the disenfranchised minorities and working class upon who's backs all achievements were made. The chapter with a fantastic history of labor organizing at the turn of the 20th century which makes the entire book worth reading.

07) Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted by John Geiger- A biography of the most influential man that you've never heard of, Brion Gysin. An artist, author, traveler, club owner, and muse of William S. Burroughs, Gysin was involved in nearly every artistic movement from the Dadaists to the Beats and the Rolling Stones. With Burroughs he helped create the method of the cut-up, which came to be known as Burroughs signature style. This man accomplished so much, and inspired so much greatness in others, yet no one knows of him today- a fate which led to much consternation on Gysin's part. How would it feel to be the eternal second fiddle? Gysin lets you know.

06) The Chomsky Trilogy: What Uncle Same Really Wants; The Prosperous Few & the Restless Many; Secrets, Lies, Democracy by Noam Chomsky- Chomsky has many more books, better written, than these short interview collections with David Barsamian. However, these stand out because they were the first that I read that exposed the underside of American foreign policy, especially in regard to Latin America. So many atrocities. They may seem dated now that we've moved on from contras to terrorists, but the lessons imparted still feature heavily in world affairs today.

05) TAZ: Temporary Autonomous Zones by Hakim Bey- I don't even know how to describe this book. Very short, very interesting. I love the concept of the TAZ, a location where people come together for a short time to live outside of traditional law and to create a transcendent utopian community. Events like the Rainbow Gathering, or the way raves were before they became a billion-dollar industry. Great book.

04) The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan- Best book that I've read all year and one that actually spurred change in my eating habits. I've been a vegetarian since I was 13, but I had never really given much thought toward the local v. supermarket issue before. Because of this book we ended up joining a CSA and eating far more locally than before, as well as eating far more healthily.

03) Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean Paul Sartre- this slim book's size belies the weighty ideas inside. One of the most important books for my personal growth that I have ever read and one that I love rereading on a regular basis.

02) Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice by Martin Prechtel- an autobiography of an ethnobotanist and his travels throughout the rain forests in search of traditional healing remedies that he could take back for analysis to look for new pharmaceuticals. A fantastic read about a scientist who has managed to find a balance between helping sustain traditional indigenous ways of life and the treasure trove of knowledge these tribes possess with the homogenizing influence of civilized living.

01) Culture of Make Believe by Dereck Jensen- a really scathing indictment of "civilization" and the way in which humans view and interact with the world. Not an uplifting book, but one that I love having read.

1. Imperial Presidency Schlesinger
2. Home Grown Democrat Keillor
3. Profiles in Courage Kennedy
4. Silent Spring Carson
5. Our Endangered Values Carter
6. White Man's Burden Wm. Easterly
7. Three Cups of Tea by Mortenson
8. Any of the books about the conspiracy theory
for JFK's assassination
9. Year of Living Biblically Jacobs
10. From Baghdad With Love by Kopelman

I really liked From Baghdad With Love, Kathy, really opened my eyes.

Kathy -- It's been a long time since I've read Kennedy stuff, but I'm hooked on that stuff too!

I don't really have a list of non-fiction books because I usually shy away from them, but I'm reading a book right now called Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza. It is the most powerful book I have ever read, and I think it should be on reading lists everywhere. Has anyone else ever read it?

If your a vegetarian or vegan, I recommend Diet For a New America. And Fat land was really good as well.

Emma, have you ever read any of Michael Pollan's books? Omnivore's Dilemma is still, despite all of the good lit I've read this year, my favorite read of 2008. I have In Defense of Food on my wishlist but haven't gotten to it yet.

No I haven't, more to add to my TBR list!

These are all so different from each other but I had fun reading them all!!

If you like WWII history then these two are for you!!

1. Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure by Don Kladstrup.

2. The Freedom Line: The Brave Men and Women Who Rescued Allied Airmen from the Nazis During World War II by Peter Eisner

And of Course I love the Kenndey Conspiracy Theory books and the CIA and other spies amongst us kinds of things...

3. On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison

4. Plausible Denial: Was the CIA Involved in the JFK Assassination? by Mark Lane

5. Very Best Men by Evan Thomas

6. Ultimate Sacrifice: John and Robert Kennedy, the Plan for a Coup in Cuba, and the Murder of JFK by Lamar Waldron

now for other odd non-fiction...

7. Take It From Me : Life's a Struggle But You Can Win by Erin Brockovich

8. French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew by Peter Mayle

9. Acquired Tastes by Peter Mayle

10. Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl by Debra Ollivier

Katie, you will be very glad you put "Night" on your "shelf"! Although you must be forewarned - it's sad ;o(

Ken -- I've had Death in Belmont for quite some time now...I started it and was enthralled but can't for the life of me remember why I put it down unfinished. Your mention of it reminded me that I need to pick it back up & finish it! And the first book you listed sounds like something I just have to read!

Hey Ken, without going through your gargantuan book pile, do you have any recommendations for WWII Pacific War? I read Flags of Our Fathers last summer. The writer annoyed the piss out of me but I was captivated by the story line. I took a Holocaust class in high school and I only remember learning about the other part of WWII.

Thanks a ton!! Exactly what I was looking for. Have you read anything from the Japanese point of view? Ok, ok, I'll go look at your shelf!

Once again, many thanks. Due to my love for fiction, I will probably limit my history reading to certain periods for now. I've narrowed in on the Pacific and 'Nam thanks to Tim O'Brien.

Suzann -- I'm not sure if it's still in print, but I thought I saw it in Borders not too long ago. I got mine not long after Sergei died and I just cried and cried...it was soooo touching! I was trying to track down her other book, Letters for Daria, but I've been striking out.

My favourite non-fiction are:

Wild Swans - Jung Chang

The Good Women of China - Xinran

River Town - Peter Hessler

A Bag of Marbles - Joseph Joffo

All the Right Places - Brad Newsham

Take Me With You - Brad Newsham

Enron: Anatomy of Greed - Brian Cruver

Beyond Belief: The Moors Murderers - Emlyn Williams

Paula: My Story So Far - Paula Radcliffe

The Bookseller of Kabul - Asne Seierstad


I love travel writing, particulalry about China and the Middle East.

Boof, I'm a sucker for travel writing as well. Lately I've been stuck on travelogues from Afghanistan. I read An Unexpected Light last year, which was set in the brief period of peace before the Taliban came to power and now I have Rory Stewart's The Places In Between on my to-read shelf, he traveled through Afghanistan in early 2002 right after the fall of the Taliban, so I'm interested in seeing the contrasts between the two tales.

You should read Skeletons in the Zahara if you enjoy Middle East travel writing. It's the story of a group of sailors that shipwrecked off the coast of Mauritania in the mid-1800s and end up sold into slavery by Bedouins, based on historical documents and a journal that was kept by the first mate during their journey. The descriptions of the Sahara and the never-ending thirst were beautiful. I think I've sent three copies to various friends, I liked it that much.

One of my dreams is to read one book about each country ... someone should make a list about that, like they did with the 1001 books or the others that came after that.

Lorena, I'm with you, that list sounds mighty fine. How's about we nominate Logan ??? :)

Lep, your reading pile sounds really interesting :)

I don't read nearly as many nonfiction books as I do fiction. However, I have managed to read quite a few that have really stood out...

(in no particular order)

1. School of Dreams: Making the Grade at a Top American High School by Edward Humes (The whole time I was reading this I wanted to go to this school or send my kids to this school...fascinating)

2. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

3. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

4. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

5. Night by Elie Wiesel

6. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

7. Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress by Debra Ginsberg

8. An Idiot Girl's Christmas: True Tales from the Top of the Naughty List by Laurie Notaro

9. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

10. Save Karyn: One Shopaholic's Journey to Debt and Back by Karyn Bosnak

Lorena, there is a group somewhere on here that is trying to do that... I came across it by accident the other day, but I didn't join...

Well, what I would like is to read a fiction book that depicts the country well, you know not a "study book" per-say but more of a good story that would give me a good sense of the people and culture at the same time. Best yet if its written by a local, imagine reading all those different styles and savoring the different tones of reality ... yeah!

The only hesitation I have about such a list is that national boundaries change all the time. I mean there used to be a Persia, Prussia and Rhodesia. Not to mention Zaire is now the DRC. I like to imagine that we're moving to a postnational world, no matter how much I know that's just a daydream.

I also read a lot of Non-fiction but my choices here are likely more influenced by the content than the writing.

Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl
Intimate Worlds, Maggie Scarf
Thoughts Without a Thinker, Mark Epstein
The Evolving Self, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The Noonday Demon, Andrew Solomon
The Developing Mind, Daniel Siegel
The Family Life Cycle, Monica McGoldrich & Betty Carter
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families, Steven Covey
You Can Go Home Again, Monica McGoldrick
Frames of Mind- Howard Gardner

I come back to these books often and they are a major influence on my view of self and others.

Ken - that is true, with the US for example I particularly like to read about the Pioneering times, even small books like The Witch of Blackbird Pond can give you such a vivid image of the times, the hardship, the every day that you feel like you visited, no matter the time/space/geography constrictions.

Logan, if you look at it another way, each year we could add more books representing the new Republics or Countries, etc, an ever changing and evolving list ;o)

I don't have ten but a few I loved/liked are...
MIKAL GILMORE - SHOT IN THE HEART
DEBORAH RODRIGEZ - KABUL BEAUTY SCHOOL
JULIA FOX - JANE BOLEYN
A.J. JACOBS - THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY
LAUREN ALLISON & LISA PERRY - THE WOMAN WHO IS ALWAYS TAN AND HAS A FLAT STOMACH

I like to mix up non-fiction with fiction, but I'll need to think for a bit before I put a top 10 list together. I've been eager to read A Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin which is on my TBR. I read a lot about the Romanovs, and in particular Nicholas II and his family, so I am also looking forward to reading The Flight of the Romanovs, which I had recently purchased. Has anyone read either of these two books?

Leppaluoto, I've also read The Rasputin File, which I really enjoyed. After a few more reads in this area, I would really be interested in reading about Stalin. Do you have any recommendations in that regard?

Awesome, L! Thank you so much.

1. Endurance by Alfred Lansing
2. Lost Moon by Jim Lovell
3. Leni Riefenstahl: A Life
4. Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
5. The Chomsky Trilogy
6. Heroes by John Pilger
7. A Secret Country by John Pilger
8. Through a Window by Jane Goodall
9. Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh
10. Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

Thanks Logan you gave me some wonderful ideas in your post im a nerd i love textbooks!lol lets see the encyclopedia of serial killers,riders on the storm-John Densmore,Jimi Hendrix Bio History of religions around the world,Spys and Spymasters of the civil war cant think of others at the moment, The diary of Anne Frank and Angelas Ashes

Logan thanks for the recommendation of Skeletons in the Zahara - it does sound like the sort of thing I would enjoy. I have Unexpected Light on my shelf too waiting to be read.

I LOVE the idea of books from different countries - I like to read fiction from these places too. Kirsty, let me know if you remember the name of that group.

Boof, I thought I'd be nice and try to find the group again... so I typed in some random things and did some searching and I found it! It's here! It's not got every country on there (in fact at the moment there are only 24 countries) however it's gotta be a good place to start!

Gregory, I'm glad to see A People's History of the United States on your list. I recently added it to my TBR, so its good to have your stamp or approval. :)

Tisha, I had to read A People's History the summer before I started my AP history class my junior year of high school. I didn't read the whole book (the teacher just assigned certain chapters) but I've been meaning to read it straight through ever since. Maybe one of these days I will.

Tisha/Jessica, that book did more for bringing history to life for me than any school textbook ever could. Zinn doesn't just recite history in all its somber glory, but crafts a story that makes history understandable for those without a head for dates.

I am sooooo going to read that this fall!

Logan, my history teacher who assigned the book loved it so much that he referred to Zinn as, "The man, the myth, the legend." I also think the reason that I really enjoyed the chapters that I did read was because it wasn't, in the words of my teacher, "dead white men's history."

Jessica, it sounds like your history teacher was from the same school of thought as mine. Have you seen the Zinn documentary You Can't Stay Neutral On A Moving Train? There are some really good interviews with him in it.

Yay! That is exactly what I need to make history interesting to me! thanks for the description Logan, I think I'll pick it up soon.

My memory is HORRIBLE, so dates are no bueno for me.

Logan, no I have not seen that. And yes, my teacher was a very liberal guy who made his opinions known. Probably the best teacher I've ever had, in high school or college. He'd be thrilled to know that I'm going to reread A People's History.

I've seen that a lot of private schools are starting to assign Zinn's book as their U.S. History text as well.

Whoops, my wording on that sentence was off. I meant the same cloth as my history teacher (though there is no denying that I'm so far left I fall off the scale). He was fantastically dedicated to bringing marginalized voices into the classroom and exposing us to as many ways of thought as possible. Like yours, he was the best teacher that I've ever had and was my main motivation for not dropping out and pursuing my own education (I was hugely into educational theory and self-learning in high school). While he was personally a very conservative person, the respect he treated his students with and the breadth of topics covered were utterly unique. If I had half of the necessary patience, I would go into teaching because of him.

I dont know if I have 10 yet..favorites, at least...

Firehouse by David Halberstam (9-11)
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Diary of Anne Frank
Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

there are others mentioned here, that I own...just havent read yet.

Rose Ann, The Glass Castle is one of my favorite memoirs - nice call :)