I really love reading nonfiction. Not that you would know that. I never seem to talk much about nonfiction books, except the odd, occasional essay (and lately very few of those even). Quite often when I am binge buying at the bookstore, I will come away with a couple nonfiction reads--everything sounds so interesting. Then they sit at home in their own very special TBR pile. They are never interspersed with my novels. Maybe that is the problem. If I have ten books started and sitting on the nightstand only one of them will ever be a nonfiction book. I know that I can't handle more than one, since I read them....very....s-l-o-w-l-y. What is it with nonfiction? Am I the stereotypical female reader (so the experts say) that only reads novels? I need to read more nonfiction. And in that spirit, I thought I would show you my lovely (those at the top anyway) nonfiction TBR pile!
First I should mention that I didn't grab my current NF read (sorry, I forgot). I am vastly enjoying Lewis Buzbee's Yellow-Lighted Bookshop! As it is a library book, I did a quick switch (only temporary mind you) and set aside (not that it hasn't long been set aside too long already...) Claire Tomalin's The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft. See this is my problem. Nonfiction takes me much longer to read than fiction. Also, if I am grabbing a book on a whim, I tend to always grab a novel. So then a book will languish on my nightstand, I will buy something new, or get on some new kick and decide I want to read something different. And those half read books are then relegated to a different shelf...because I swear to myself I am going to get back to them. Currently residing on this shelf are; Vanilla Beans and Brodo by Isabella Dusi, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi, and Alexandra Fuller's Don't Let's Go to the Dog's Tonight. Maybe if I allowed myself to set aside NF books more easily I would read more of them? I am pretty strict about "finishing the book before I start a new one" when it comes to NF. Or maybe I need to have two on the go at once (yes, there I go again rationalizing why I need to start yet another book).
And there are so many I want to read (so would not be at a loss for choices)......Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, The Great Influenza by John M. Barry, Spice: The History of Temptation by Jack Turner, Library: An Unquiet History by Matthew Battles, A Woman in Berlin by Anonymous (possibly what I would pick up if I was going to start a new NF now...not that I am going to or anything...), Augusta Gone by Martha Tod Dudman, A Reading Diary by Alberto Manguel, Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading by Maureen Corrigan. Did I really grab so many? On the other side are a few travel narratives, as I love armchair travel. Annie Hawes's books have been waiting for me...Journey South and Ripe for the Picking, and there is Carol Drinkwater's The Olive Harvest, Tracks by Robyn Davidson (read this one before, but am in the mood for a reread), Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, The Great Mortality by John Kelly (because you can never know too much about the plague!), and my two bee books...bacause I love bee lore...Robbing the Bees by Holley Bishop, and Sweetness and Light by Hattie Ellis. See. Don't these all sound wonderful? Well, I think so anyway. Maybe for every three novels I need to try and read a NF. Or just read NF on Fridays (all day all NF). Any ideas? How do you squeeze yet more books into an already full reading life?