I rarely read non-fiction. I had to read a lot of it in college, and let's just say that it was less than page-turning reading for me. Fiction has always been my thing, though if a subject is of great interest to me, that's when I might check out a non-fiction book about it.
For instance, I read Paul Murray Kendall's biography of Richard III after reading Sharon Kay Penman's outstanding historical fiction novel, The Sunne in Splendour, in which the last Plantagenet king is portrayed in a much more heroic light than in Shakespeare's play. Kendall's biography is the perfect companion to Penman's novel, and if you're going to read Sunne, trust me, you'll want to find a copy of Kendall's book, too.
I love Jane Austen, and I've read two biographies about her: Claire Tomalin's Jane Austen: A Life and Jon Spence's Becoming Jane Austen. I thought both of them relied heavily on discussing members of her family for whom there is more biographical information available than it did about Austen herself. I think the best bet for possibly gaining some insight into her life is by reading the collection of her letters.
I'm not sure if this counts as non-fiction or not, but I also loved reading Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey. It's an amazing behind-the-scenes look at the making of all eight films, complete with gorgeous photographs of everything from the actors to the sets to the props as well as concept art illustrations. I had to own this as soon as I heard about it, and it was worth every penny. And if books about the making of movie/television adaptations of books count as non-fiction, then I'll also put in a good word for The Making of Pride and Prejudice (as in the one with Colin Firth as Darcy) and The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay and Diaries: Bringing Jane Austen's Novel to Film. The P & P book is on the short side, at a little over 100 pages, but come on—it has photos of Colin Firth in it! The "diaries" in the title of the S & S book refer to the diaries of Emma Thompson (Elinor Dashwood), and she's an excellent, and often witty, writer.
I really don't have any non-fiction recommendations for someone new to the genre. Most of my non-fiction reads I pick up because I want to learn more about a particular topic. Do you read any non-fiction? Are there any subjects that you really enjoy reading about?
Biographies and memoirs seem to be a great way to introduce yourself to non-fiction, especially if they're focused on a person you're really interested in. I posted a few suggestions on my page, since I think non-fiction is really starting to change and get more literary. You might be surprised by how much some can read like novels!
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting to hear. Non-fiction that reads more like fiction would definitely encourage me to read more of it. Heading off to check out your recommendations!
DeleteYes I am not a big non fiction reader and like you read to find out whatever I want to find out.
ReplyDeleteKathryn
My Genre
That's been my general attitude toward non-fiction for a long time now. I need to already have an interest in a topic to want to read about it further.
DeleteI'm a giant fan of nonfiction :) Shannon had a great point, biographies and memoirs are a great way to start reading nonfic. So many of the good nonfiction books are narrative and read like the best of fiction :)
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to have to start paying more attention to the non-fiction bestseller list from now on. It sounds like I'm missing out on a lot of good reads!
DeleteI love non-fiction but don't really read biographies. I've seen a lot of good recommendations today though. Might have to get them more of a chance!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that, too. I can't wait to check out some recs now!
DeleteI'm with you, non-fiction feels like school assigned reads.
ReplyDeleteNone of the non-fiction I had to read for college piqued my interest, and I think I got it in my head that it wasn't a genre I wanted to explore anymore once I was finished with school.
DeleteI love nonfiction! Travel books, historic books, and memoirs are some of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you love the genre! Before reading everyone's comments today, I'd forgotten how broad non-fiction can be, and that there's probably an area of interest for everyone.
DeleteJust added Jane Austen's books you suggested to my TBR pile!! I read Jane & Cassandra, an excellent book based on the letters Jane wrote her sister. Quite fascinating and she is one of my all time favorite authors:D
ReplyDeleteMe too! I'll have to check out Jane & Cassandra- hadn't heard of it before, and it definitely sounds like a book I'd want to read. Thanks for the recommendation!
DeleteI love pairing non-fiction with historical fiction, like Six Wives with fiction set in Henry the VII's time. It's so fun to find out what really happened! I would also second the recommendations that you start out with narrative non-fiction, if you want to get into the genre more :)
ReplyDeleteReading historical non-fiction with historical fiction is a great idea! It worked really well for me with the Richard III bio and The Sunne in Splendour.
DeleteI read non-fiction books on the topic of creativity, like The Creative Habit or How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci. Also, hospitality type books like The Widow Clicquot or The History of the Restaurant.
ReplyDeleteHow to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci sounds intriguing. I've always found his genius astounding.
DeleteI haven't read many non-fiction books that I can get into other than self help books because I am always looking to get better at what I do. I have a ton of art and drawing books. I think the Harry Potter book you mentioned would be very interesting though! I love catching behind the scenes type things so I bet I would really enjoy it. Jaclyn @ JC's Book Haven.
ReplyDeleteI have quite a few Photoshop books, both for photo retouching techniques and the more creative aspects of it. I do enjoy reading those because I love working with the program so much. And you should definitely check out the HP book! It's a beautifully compiled work.
DeleteI don't read a lot of nonfiction either! I need to read more!
ReplyDeleteSo do I! It's going to be hard for me to find the time to take a break from all that YA fiction I usually read, though, lol.
DeleteI totally had my fill of non-fiction in college too, it sort of burned me out on the whole genre. I do enjoy the occasional biography from time to time, especially when it's about an especially compelling person! That Harry Potter page to screen guide is one to add to my wishlist though for sure!! Thanks for the rec Lee :)
ReplyDeleteI know you're a big HP fan, so I think you'll love it! It's on the pricey side; I got my copy around the holidays maybe two years ago, when Amazon discounted it at 50% off. It's so worth it, though! It's one of those books that's just beautiful to look at.
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