I can’t really pick a favorite non-fiction book for Back to School Book Week today. Last year I got hooked on the memoir thing that’s been going around – you know, the “my year of doing something really interesting/noble/crazy and then writing about it” genre? And, well, I’ve been plowing through those books so quickly that they are all blurring together in my mind.
My most recently-completed of these was Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine. And although I don’t think I will be swearing off all non-essential shopping any time soon, I did enjoy the book. The conclusions she drew by the last chapter were not exactly earth-shattering to me, but they might have been eye-opening to the less “mindful-shopper” me of 3 or 4 years ago. It was more of an encouragement to keep doing what I’m doing.
If you’d like to see some of my favorite reads in this genre, I’ve collected a list of them here.
How about you? Any favorite non-fiction reads?
P.S. See Eren’s original post about Back to School Book Week here.
With the caveat that I am NOT generally a fan of that genre, I did love one that’s not on your list, that you might love, too: Beth Lisick’s Helping Me Help Myself.
You know what I like about the genre? It is reminiscent of reading a blog. It’s just in a more convenient format to take to the beach 🙂 That book you mention, btw, sounds enjoyable. I’ve added it to my library hold list.
Hm, not a fan of the “my year doing X” genre, but there’s something sort of in that direction on my current stack right now: Bold Spirit: Helga Estby’s Forgotten Walk across Victorian America by Linda Lawrence Hunt. Norwegian-born farmwife Estby (1860-1942) walked from Spokane to New York City with her daughter (and very little else), in the belief that there was prize money to be won. There wasn’t. Her family was so embarrassed by her that they destroyed most of her own writings about the walk, but a daughter-in-law secretly saved enough materials to preserve the tale.
Ok, that sounds like a very interesting book! My library network doesn’t appear to have a copy, or I’d add it to my to-read pile.
That sounds fantastic, Penny. Thanks for the suggestion!
I am hear from Rhythm of the Home. Your pumpkin bread looks great! Nicola
Thanks for dropping by! If you try the recipe sometime, I’d love to know what you think 🙂