Nonfiction November Week 2 - Book Pairings

Week Two of Nonfiction November, this time hosted at Regular Rumination. The topic is book pairings i.e. pairing together a fiction and a nonfiction book or two nonfiction books that go together somehow.

Since good things come in threes, however, I have put together three groups of three books. Sorry for the rebellious attitude, but I just couldn't resist the opportunity to push more books! I'm sure all of you reading this understand.


Pairing the First: All the Hemingway a Person Could Want

Fictional Account of Ernest
Hemingway

Nonfiction Account BY Ernest Hemingway

Nonfiction Account by a BETTER Hemingway (or Gellhorn to be accurate)

I really liked Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood and appreciated its attempt to bring life to the women in Hemingway's life. For a real account, look to his memoir A Moveable Feast. Then, to find out more about Martha Gellhorn, his third (and coolest) wife, who worked as a journalist in World War Two, try her memoir Travels with Myself and Another, which includes a trip to China with Hemingway.

Pairing the Second: Badass Lady Scientists and Mathematicians

Adventures of Badass Ada
Lovelace!

Interesting Accounts of
Brilliant Scientist who
Faced Pervasive Sexism

How Women Scientists Still
Face Sexism Today

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage made me really wish that Ada Lovelace had gotten a chance to do more work. But, if you liked those fictional adventures, look to Headstrong to read more about actual female scientists who did important and vital work. And then look at The Only Woman in the Room for an important reminder that although we have come far, there is still important work to do so that women get the chances they deserve to succeed in the sciences.


Pairing the Third (and Final): Some RFK, anyone?

Personal Account of the Cuban
Missile Crisis

  

Important Context about RFK's
Presidential Campaign

     

A Thorough, Though Relatively
Laudatory Biography

I have a bit of a Kennedy obsession ... with Bobby Kennedy anyway! He lacks some of the glamour of big brother John, but in my mind is much more interesting for his complexity and evolution after JFK's death into a presidential candidate in his own right. His evolution on Civil Rights is especially interesting.

Thirteen Days is his memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which reveals fascinating historical details about that tense time and which was made into one of my favorite movies, also called Thirteen Days (Yes, Kevin Costner's Boston accent is horrible, but just go with it, and Steven Culp as RFK is very good, I think). The Last Campaign provides historical context for RFK's presidential campaign, situating it in the Civil Rights challenges, victories and tragedies of the late 1960s. And, Robert Kennedy and His Times, with its 1000+ pages is a very thorough account of his life, including his time in JFK's administration. 

Hope some of you find some new books from these selections. And, if anyone else is a lady scientist/mathematician or RFK fan, I'm always looking for recommendations!

Next up: Week Three and my opinions on nontraditional nonfiction formats. An exciting essay on audiobooks! A rambling discourse on nonfiction graphic novels!! Do I like ebooks? Stay tuned ...

Nonfiction November Week 1 - The Year in Nonfiction

So, I've decided to participate in Nonfiction November this year (my first year of blogging). Unlike for many participants, this project is not so much a challenge for me or an attempt to get me reading more nonfiction, as nonfiction is my go-to genre category for comfort reading. Instead, I am giving myself a relaxing month of reading as a counterpoint to some stressful work projects.

The topic for this week's posts is: Your Year in Nonfiction.

Your Year in Nonfiction: Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions – What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year? What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven’t read enough of yet? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?


I've read a good amount of nonfiction so far this year, although perhaps less than in years past as I've been doing a couple of fiction projects. Out of 85 books read, 43.5 were nonfiction, including 7.5 of my top 10 favorites this year (the .5 is The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, which is fiction with factual footnotes). That's about 51% and while I don't have hard data for other years, it feels a bit lower than usual.







What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year?  
That would have to be The Last Empire: The Final Days of the Soviet Union by Serhii Plokhy, which not only sparked a desire to read more of Plokhy's work, but which also had me buying 5+ other Russian history books. It's rare to find a nonfiction book that can be described as a page-turner, especially when the historical outcome is in no doubt, but the sense of menace and uncertainty flows through the book.

What nonfiction book have you recommended the most?

This is a little cliche since everyone is recommending this book this fall (and deservedly so) but Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Just such an important book, especially at this moment in our country's evolution.

What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven't read enough of yet?

I read a lot of Science, Mathematics and History, as well as Memoirs. I can never get enough of any of these! However, I should read more Travel, Philosophy and Feminist Theory. In the History arena, I would like to read more ancient history. I have a copy of Herodotus' Histories that I will hopefully get to this month. Also, all of those Russian history books!

What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

A chance to relax and read some comfort books. I want to take a break from worrying about whether I am keeping up with the current "it-books" and instead focus on reading whatever catches my fancy. 

With that in mind, I am currently reading Take Your Eye Off the Puck: How to Watch Hockey By Knowing Where to Look by Greg Wyshynski. 

It mixes his blogger/podcast style (all the jokes) with insights about how to view the game as more than just "who has the puck." It's fun and I'm liking that his voice translated well into book form.

I am about to start This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress, edited by John Brockman, which is a series of essays from leading scientists about the scientific concept or idea they feel is most holding up advancement in their field. 

What about everyone else? What is the one nonfiction book you are looking forward to the most this month?