This week, Nonfiction November is hosted by Frances at Volatile Rune and it’s all about how we choose nonfiction.
It’s relatively straightforward for me – I have a few key categories that I’m always drawn to:
- Memoir (favourites this year: I Had a Father in Karratha by Annette Trevitt and Unquiet by Linn Ullmann)
- Swimming/ water related (no standouts in this category this year – the benchmark is something like Turning by Jessica Lee)
- Grief and other therapy books (favourite this year – an overlap into memoir – Love, Death & Other Scenes by Nova Weetman)
I always prefer a narrative writing style and when it comes to covers, well yes, of course I judge! The cover above (Beginners by Tom Vanderbilt, finished yesterday and review to come) is exactly my thing – yellow and water-related. Likewise, the topic was also exactly my thing – part memoir, part popular-science, part self-help. I got a lot out of it.
I’m looking forward to reading your review of Beginners. I started the harp ridiculously late in life and keep telling myself how difficult it is and how hopeless I am, which I’m sure is not condusive to learning.
Frances, the author of Beginners has a LOT to say about how adult learners expect to be ‘good’ at something, or set targets, and that ultimately that is their undoing. He talks about kids learning, who just do stuff, make mistakes, keep going if they like it, and on and on – it’s not until they’re older that kids quit things because of perceived ‘being good’ at something. To do something, like the harp, without a specific goal (other than ‘I like the harp’ or ‘I like the challenge’) is life-changing.
There’s an essay in Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby called ‘I Like It!’ – that, alongside Beginners, affirms how I approach life (needless to say, I sometimes have to remind myself of that!).
I think we all judge book covers even though we shouldn’t. Hehe 🙂
Beginners looks interesting. Given that I live about as far from a place to surf as one can get, I’m not sure that cover would draw me in. But the subtitle definitely does!
I agree on the topics you choose for your nonfiction reading. Being a pisces I am always for anything with water.
I already love the title. I have been a lifelong learner, I still learn a couple of languages and try to concentrate on as much in other subjects a s possible. I just love learning and think everyone should. But … there are too many who don’t seem to care.
I am always fascinated with books about people in therapy. I always feel like it helps me, too, somehow.
I have to check out Beginners – I love learning and the more you do as an adult the more people perceive you as “brave” which is a bit weird. Love your categories!