Nonfiction November 2021

Well, with the R.I.P. reading season behind me, I am turning my attention to nonfiction, as I do every year for Nonfiction November! 

This year, I also have my YouTube channel, so you can check out my Nonfiction November video, where I talk a bit about each of the books in my want-to-read stack (above) for this month.

You can see in the photo that I pulled a LOT of nonfiction books off my shelves for this month! As usual, it's more than I can possibly finish in one month, but I have plenty of great choices here to choose from, including a mix of memoir, true crime, personal essays, history, and more.

 

If YOU want to join in the fun, the details of Nonfiction November are here in the What's Nonfiction? blog. There, they have a different topic for each week for bloggers, plus a calendar of Instagram prompts for each day of the month, so check it out.

I don't always have time for the weekly topics, but as long as I am kicking off the month with this post, I will include the Week 1 Topics, which are about a look back at my year of nonfiction. You can check out my 2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge on my Challenges page to see that I have only read 6 nonfiction books so far this year!

What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year?

All six books have been good, but I think my favorite was The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert. I read it for one of my book groups, and it was fascinating and informative but also an engrossing read. I was really blown away by the scientific information she presented, and the book is also like a travelogue of her trips all over the world and the species and experts she encountered while researching the book. Highly recommended!

Do you have a particular topic you've read more this year?

No. I've read a mix of science, self-help, memoir, and even a graphic nonfiction book, and all were on different topics. I like a lot of variety in my reading!

What nonfiction book have you recommended the most?

Generally, I often recommend Erik Larson's books, even for people who don't normally read nonfiction or for those who don't even read much at all. Each of his books is about a fascinating topic, and he writes narrative nonfiction that reads like a gripping thriller. I often give his books as gifts.

Of the nonfiction books I've read so far this year, I have probably most recommended Nature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy, as a practical guide to planting more native plants in our yards and why that is not just important but essential to the ecosystems around us. In fact, the basis for this book comes right from the discussions in The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert.

What are you hoping to get out of Nonfiction November? 

To read lots of nonfiction! As you can see, I don't normally choose much nonfiction on my own (4 of my 6 nonfiction books so far this year were read for book groups), so I enjoy the extra motivation in November to enjoy more of it. And to clear off those shelves! ha ha (it's a losing battle). 

So, that's my Nonfiction November! 

Tell me about YOUR nonfiction reading habits! What kinds of nonfiction do you enjoy? What have been your favorites?