Thanks to Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness for hosting this week! So my sister is the one who told me about 
Nonfiction November, she led our posting last year and then this year she’s informed me that she’s too busy watching Orphan Black to get in on Week 1 – to which I say, excellent life choice seestra. Maybe there’s a nonfiction book about cloning that she can pick-up though?
When I look at my year in nonfiction and compare it to some others I am woefully behind, but I’m ok with that. I feel more conscious of trying to pick up good nonfiction than I have before and I am super excited about some of the books I want to try to read this month.
What was your favorite non-fiction book of the year?
Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon. I found this book completely fascinating and I cannot recommend it enough. And it doubles as an arm work-out if you get the hardcover!
Other highlights for me were Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America and Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster. I have high hopes for Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg – I mean honestly, RBG is a total badass so this book has to be amazing. Update – it made me laugh and cry on the train this morning.
What nonfiction book have you recommended the most?
For a lighter nonfiction I’ve recommended Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science – and the World by Rachel Swaby. I have also talked a lot about Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott I think – so interesting! As an aside, my husband says Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World’s Greatest Outlaw by Mark Bowden is his top pick – an interesting one for sure!
What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
I am a lot faster at picking up new fiction titles obviously than nonfiction, partially because I read nonfiction much more slowly. But I love learning about new titles that are out or older ones that I’ve missed so I can build my reading list. I love finding new books that will teach me or finding a chance to push the topics that fascinate me onto others!
Are you having a Nonfiction November? What’s on your list?
Gun In Act One 
I’m not having a Nonfiction November, but all the books you just mentioned above make me wish I was! I do love following everyone else, though, and hearing about the books they like best. Maybe I’ll try to plan better for next year…
Have fun! I’ll be curious to see if you can top Romantic Outlaws!
I will probably read some nonfiction this month – I have two more books on the TBR Pile Challenge list and one of them is nonfiction. Plus there’s just something about this time of year that works for reading nonfiction. I’m about 30 pages away from finishing The Invention of Murder. But I’ve gone back and forth on loving it or slogging through it. Started watching Narcos on Netflix last night – maybe that will make me want to read your husband’s nonfiction pick! Or maybe that’s a Christmas gift idea waiting to happen…
Oh the TBR Challenge List. Bust. I did start making a 2016 shelf for those 🙂 I am so close, but I don’t know if I’ll get there. Damn library books keep tempting me astray.
The Invention of Murder sounds like it is full of potential!
You can totally still get there! How many do you still have on your list? I hear you though. I was thinking just this morning that I should read something from that list but there are a couple books that need to go back in a week and then another stack 2 weeks after that, and I have a book to read for book club and I need to be in the right mood and I’m really mostly scared that The Train in Winter is going to make me super sad.
I think I have 4 to go? I’m kind of at the library’s mercy for a few too. I think I feel the same way about 5 days at Memorial as you do about the Train in Winter. Do I really want to be that sad?
On Tue, Nov 3, 2015 at 4:20 PM, Gun In Act One wrote:
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Four!? That’s SO DOABLE. I believe in you.
Although being at the library’s mercy is problematic. And yeah – the sadness. I need to just bite the bullet I think!
Enjoy!
I need to read Romantic Outlaws! Ugh, I wonder if I can squeeze that chunkster on the list somehow.
Oh my gosh – I LOVED Killing Pablo…read it years ago. Have you ever watched the doc Cocaine Cowboys? Also fantastic.
Oh I haven’t. I will look for that!
Romantic Outlaws sounds like my cup of tea & will help me with my classic womens literature challenge.
As an Australian I have never heard of RBG but she sounds like my kind of woman!
Romantic Outlaws was fascinating! I hope you enjoy!
Romantic Outlaws was on my TBR list for awhile but it “expired” before I got a chance to read it. Maybe it should take a second tour there? Headstrong sounds like a great book. I love science and wish more girls/women were encouraged to pursue it as a career. Do you ever listen to the Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast? They have a feature each week about “forgotten” scientific heroes and often feature women who, due to cultural biases, didn’t get their due in their own time.
Good for your seestra re Orphan Black. One of my favorite shows – and actresses!
Definitely check out both Romantic Outlaws and Headstrong then! Headstrong is super short chapters on each but fascinating. I cannot rave enough about Romantic Outlaws. I am terrible at podcasts but that sounds interesting! I will try to check it out!
Your reading recommendations are making me happy! I also thought Ghettoside and Into Thin Air were really well done and the other books you’ve read or recommended all sound awesome too! Thanks for joining us this month 🙂
I think maybe I’ve been picking up a lot of fiction this year because I also tend to read it more slowly than fiction… that hasn’t bothered me in the past, but maybe this year. I’m glad I caught your review of Romantic Outlaws — I’m excited about that one!