I'm guilty of sometimes buying a book because I like the cover. I'm not proud of this at all, but there you have it. Who isn't susceptible to some artistic influence from time to time? I also choose my edition on Goodreads based on the cover, even if I actually read a different one. So... Continue Reading →
Walking England: To the River and Under the Rock
Writers on walking stretches of England, weaving memoir with nature and various musings, has become a popular little sub-genre. I'm intrigued but not totally sold on it yet. Let's explore two of them. "When it hurts," wrote the Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz, "we return to the banks of certain rivers," and I take comfort in... Continue Reading →
Holy the Firm, The Boys of My Youth, and the 2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge
Essay mini reviews today, plus exciting news from the wonderful Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out: the Nonfiction Reader Challenge is back! Annie Dillard's 1977 Holy the Firm is a brief book, more like an extended essay. From 1975, Dillard lived in a one-room cabin on an island at Puget Sound for two years. It seemed like... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Wrap-Up
To end Nonfiction November this year, Julie, Katie and I recorded an episode of Leann's Shelf Aware podcast. We talked Nonfiction November history, reading preferences, and a bunch of other stuff. It was so much fun to get to chat about books with my fellow hosts and I hope it's fun to listen to! I... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Week 4: New to My TBR
Yet again, Nonfiction November flies by and here we are in the last week already. It's been such a bright spot for me this year, and I hope for everyone who participated too! Our host this week is Katie @ Doing Dewey, and here's the prompt: New to My TBR : It’s been a month... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Week 1: Year in Nonfiction
Happy first (second? what is time?) day of Nonfiction November! I'm even more excited than usual to celebrate nonfiction right now, mainly because 2020 hasn't been a spectacular reading year for me (in addition to every other reason it's been the worst, obviously). My attention has been spread unusually thin and my reading is basically... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction Reading Resources for Anti-Racism, Empathy, and #BlackLivesMatter
It feels reductive even to say it, but I'm devastated by George Floyd's heinous murder by a police officer while his colleagues watched, Breonna Taylor's murder in her own home during an illegal raid at the wrong house, and all the stories that follow a similar narrative of police profiling Black Americans and abusing power... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Week 5: New to My TBR
This is it: already the final week of Nonfiction November! Did you find lots of new recommendations for your reading list? Tell me about them! Week 5: (Nov. 25 to 30) – New to My TBR - Rennie (that's me!) @ What’s Nonfiction (that's here!): It’s been a month full of amazing nonfiction books! Which ones... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November Week 1: Year in Nonfiction
Nonfiction November, that time of year to celebrate stories filled with facts and footnotes, truth being stranger than fiction, and very, very long subtitles begins today! This week, a look at your year in nonfiction: Week 1: (Oct. 28 to Nov. 1) – Your Year in Nonfiction (Julie @ Julz Reads): Take a look back at your year of... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November is Coming!
Fall is upon us, which means it's Nonfiction November time! I'm thrilled to again co-host this month-long dedication to nonfiction, alongside Katie (Doing Dewey), Sarah (Sarah's Book Shelves), Leann (Shelf Aware), and Julie (JulzReads). Each Monday, a link-up for the week's topic will be posted at the host's blog for you to link your posts... Continue Reading →
12 Mid-Year Favorites from 2019’s New Nonfiction
What's the best nonfiction you've read so far this year? Any standouts yet? Looking back from the halfway point, I think it's already been a pretty good year for nonfiction. In no particular order, here are my favorites from the new nonfiction published in the first half of 2019. Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction November – New to My TBR
And just like that, Nonfiction November is already drawing to a close! Thanks to everyone who participated. I hope you had a great reading month and got lots of new ideas for your next nonfiction reads! Speaking of which, that brings us to our last topic: Week 5: (Nov. 26 to 30) – New to My... Continue Reading →