Year in Nonfiction

I didn’t realize Nonfiction November was going on until late last week, thanks to Carol! While my primary focus is SciFi Month, I figured I can still join in at random. As it happens the first week’s prompt works well for my available time. Hosted by Heather, week one looks at your year in nonfiction.

Week 1 (10/28-11/1) Your Year in Nonfiction: Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more?  What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

With that, let me share about my year in nonfiction.

Year in Nonfiction

Here’s my slew of nonfiction books I’ve read so far this calendar year. The book covers start with ones I read most recently.

Bossypants by Tina FeyInvisible Labor by Rachel SomersteinI Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek SeheeA Very Punchable Face by Colin JostDear Girls by Ali WongNo Choice by Becca AndrewsThe Monuments Men by Robert M. EdselUnder the Henfluence by Tove DanovichLeslie F*cking Jones by Leslie JonesBelly Woman by Benjamin BlackThe Big Freeze by Natalie LampertThe Lion in the Living Room by Abigail TuckerWhat Have We Here? by Billy Dee WilliamsMissed Conceptions by Karen StollznowDon't Think, Dear by Alice RobbAstrophysics For People In A Hurry by Neil deGrasse TysonFinding Me by Viola Davis

Favorites in 2024

One subgenre of nonfiction I like to read is women’s health, as you can see from some of the titles above. I find this increasingly important as certain ways of thought seek to limit women’s access to certain types of healthcare. I think it’s important to become more informed about women’s healthcare in general. Much of it is infuriating to read about, though.

While I don’t generally gravitate to memoirs, I already read quite a few this year. I decided a month or so ago that I want to read memoirs of a lot of the recent Saturday Night Live comedians. So far I enjoyed all of what I read. Leslie Jones’s is both sad, but a hoot at the same time; I love her energy.

Out of the nonfiction books read so far this year, my favorites are those about women’s healthcare: INVISIBLE LABOR by Rachel Somerstein and THE BIG FREEZE by Natalie Lampert. If someone asked me my favorite outside of this subgenre, then I pick BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey. It’s a tough call, though, between that and A VERY PUNCHABLE FACE by Colin Jost. I chuckled aloud a lot at both of those books.

Future Nonfiction Reads

As I already mentioned, I want to read more SNL cast members’ memoirs. I also want to continue to read more within the women’s health subgenre. I have a whole stack of books on my bookshelf to get through. Aside from that, I want to incorporate more books about nature. Specifically, I want to focus more on animals.

What’s your favorite nonfiction book you read this year?

12 thoughts on “Year in Nonfiction

  1. I really enjoy memoirs! I wrote a post about it on my blog Lady Bookish. One I thought was fascinating was called A Spoonful of Sugar which is about the longest serving Nanny in Britain.

  2. Besides textbooks at school and the Horrible History books which I used to love picking up when I was younger I don’t think I’ve read any non fiction 🙈 I’m honestly in awe of how much you’ve read this year. It looks like such a varied mixture. I’ve got to admit The Lion In The Living Room intrigues me most simply for having a kitten on the cover 😂 I hope you find the women’s health books on your TBR fascinating and enjoy those memoirs. I have a couple of autobiographies on my TBR, I’m sure I added something called Heroic Animals and a couple of history focused books too.

    1. Oh wow, really?! But there’s so much awesome nonfiction out there! And not all of it is dry and boring! I think memoirs would be a good way for you to start, particularly if there’s a celebrity you’re fond of. The nonfiction topics are endless!

      1. I have some on my TBR but I have so many high priority fiction reads to check out that I never seem to get to them 🙈 I’ll have to make an effort to try a couple of non fiction books out sometime. And you’re definitely right about the options being endless.

  3. Sadly I don’t read non fiction but I do own a handful of memories, one of them being a book about Stephen Sondheim. Someday I’ll read it, lol. But wow, you’ve read quite a few this year!

    1. You’re such a prolific reader that I’m surprised you don’t read nonfiction! Though I guess it’s true I’ve never seen one in your reviews.

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