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Smiling Shelves

Nonfiction November - My Year in Nonfiction

11/5/2015

14 Comments

 
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I've never participated in a Nonfiction November before. I don't think I read tons of nonfiction, but I do read some throughout the year. I prefer it sprinkled amongst the fiction to give my brain a break. But when I looked at the books I still need to read to finish my 2015 reading challenges, I realized I'm going to be doing quite a bit of nonfiction reading in November. So I might as well do it with everybody else!

Here's my stack:​
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Your Year in Nonfiction: Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions – What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year? What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven’t read enough of yet? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
My favorite nonfiction read of the year is definitely Walk the Lines: The London Underground, Overground by Mark Mason. I am an Anglophile, I love walking around foreign cities, and I love random trivia. This book contained all of those things in spades. It was awesome!

As you can probably tell, travel narratives are my favorite type of nonfiction to read. I can never get enough of that. But I also love nonfiction books about books. And European history, especially the U.K., France, and Italy.

The community is the best part of book blogging. So I'm hoping to find some new blogs and bloggers to connect with, as well as some amazing book recommendations!
14 Comments
Kate @ Mom's Radius link
11/5/2015 09:09:09 am

Good luck! I don't read much non-fiction either. My favorite this year was You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), Felicia Day's memoir. Then followed by The Boys in the Boat.

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
11/5/2015 08:14:22 pm

I read The Boys in the Boat last year. I never knew boats could be so fascinating or so nail-biting!

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Carrie link
11/5/2015 09:27:50 am

Yay, The Hidden White House! I really hope you enjoy it. You said you like random trivia, and that book is full of it!

And I just re-read The Reading Promise a couple weeks ago.

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
11/5/2015 08:16:20 pm

Yup, The Hidden White House was the winner - right up my alley! Thanks for the suggestion!

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Debbie link
11/5/2015 12:14:33 pm

This is my first time participating in November Nonfiction too---and I was ashamed to see how little I had read this year. Loved you comment about 'community'! Have a good day.

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
11/5/2015 08:17:51 pm

Anything is made better by doing it together - especially reading! :)

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Katie @ Doing Dewey link
11/5/2015 05:47:56 pm

I'm excited you'll be joining us for Nonfiction November this year! It looks like you've got some interesting books on your pile. I'm excited to hear all about them :)

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
11/5/2015 08:18:21 pm

I'm excited to dive into my pile as well! Bring on the nonfiction! :)

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Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness) link
11/5/2015 09:41:10 pm

I have a book about the London Underground on my TBR as well, although now that I'm sitting at my computer I can't think of the title. Walk the Lines sounds great too!

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
11/7/2015 02:50:04 pm

I love pretty much anything to do with London. It's such a great city! :)

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Brona link
11/7/2015 01:15:57 am

I love the sound of the Underground Overground book too. I've spent a lot of time walking the streets of London - it would be a great trip down memory lane.

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
11/7/2015 02:50:37 pm

I've been to London a couple of times, and it was really fun to recognize places I had been in this book!

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Erin @ Quixotic Magpie link
11/7/2015 06:40:01 pm

I am not a huge non-fiction reader. I try but I'm not usually that successful. If reading it, I tend to stick to things like travel memoirs too, or sometimes something historical. One of the best non-fiction books I have read is The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin. It was sad but so good. It helps that I connected the event with Laura Ingalls Wilder's Long Winter. Good luck and have fun!

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
11/9/2015 08:43:13 pm

One of these years, I really need to read all of the Little House books. And now I have some nonfiction to connect to it! I'll have to check out The Children's Blizzard!

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    My name is Julie, and I own a lot of books. As in, they are stacked on the floor because I've run out of room on the shelves. And those shelves? There are so many books on them that they smile -- not sag; smile. This blog will cover book reviews and all manner of other bookish things.

    You can contact me at julie@smilingshelves.com.

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