2 Nonfiction Mini-Reviews: Pinball and The Reading Life

Since I am still writing November reviews at the end of December, I decided to combine some into mini reviews in a single post. Here are short reviews of my last two books read/listened to for Nonfiction November. I enjoyed both of them.

I read a graphic nonfiction book, Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball by Jon Chad. Believe it or not, pinball's history begins in the 17th century, in the court of King Louis XIV! There, a game called bagatelle was played by the wealthy French and later carried to the New World. Pinball was hugely popular in the early 20th century, among immigrants and as a distraction during the Depression. Most surprising of all to me was that pinball was illegal in both NYC and LA from the 1940's through to the early 1970's! The history here was fascinating, but this book also details how pinball works, technological advancements over the years, different components of a pinball game, and pinball designers. All of it is illustrated in vibrant colors and dynamic pictures that capture the movement and excitement of a pinball game. I learned a lot and was entertained by this unique, lively book.

208 pages, First Second

This book fits in the following 2022 Reading Challenges:

Mount TBR Challenge

Nonfiction Reader Challenge 

Fall Into Reading Challenge - orange on cover 

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local:

Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball

 

 

With just a few days left in November, I squeezed in one last nonfiction audio book, The Reading Life: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others Eyes by C.S. Lewis. This short book is a collection of excerpts from Lewis' essays, articles, and even personal letters, all about books and reading. It includes his thoughts on science fiction and fairy tales, the value of continuing to read older books as well as new, his reviews of J.R.R. Tolkien's works, Huck Finn, and Jane Austen, and a wide variety of interesting musings about books and reading. My favorite parts were his writings about why children's books are not just for children, and in particular, his commentary on The Wind in the Willows, an old favorite of mine, too. The audio book was only two hours long and provided a thoughtful and entertaining discussion on my favorite topic.

192 pages, HarperOne

HarperAudio

This book fits in the following 2022 Reading Challenges:

 

Nonfiction Reader Challenge

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local:

 

 The Reading Life: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others Eyes

 

Disclosure: I received these books from the publishers in return for honest reviews. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

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