Nonfiction November kicks off today with My Year in Nonfiction, hosted by Heather at Based on a True Story.
Strictly speaking, I should call it Memoir November (Memvember?!) – doesn’t have quite the same ring but it is more accurate in my case, given that the majority of my nonfiction reading is memoir. Specifically, I’ve read 23 memoirs, and ten other nonfiction titles this year.
What books have you read?
Most of the nonfiction books I’ve read are listed under my annual Memoir and Nonfiction Reader reading challenges.
What were your favorites?
Most of my nonfiction favourites so far this year have been memoir – grief, as described by Sloane Crosley in Grief is for People, by Lidia Yuknavitch in The Chronology of Water, and by Freya Bromley in The Tidal Year. I also loved the stunningly beautiful Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent, and was gobsmacked by Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams.
Have you had a favorite topic?
I read a lot of grief memoirs, but this year grief has combined with my other favourite topic – swimming (Bromley and Yuknavitch). I also enjoyed Bonnie Tsui’s Why We Swim.
Is there a topic you want to read about more?
I had a vague plan at the beginning of the year to tackle the stack of grief texts I have (of the academic variety, not memoir). I have only read one (Finding Meaning by David Kessler).
What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
As always, the ‘book pairings’ posts are my absolute favourite, and usually the happy cause of a growing TBR stack in November. I’ll also be on the look out for memoir recommendations.
I’m confused. Doesn’t it start next week?
Nonfiction November crosses into October so that they could squeeze in five weeks/themes. All the dates are here – https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/09/30/nonfiction-november-is-back-for-2025/
Yikes! I had my month mapped out thinking it started the first week of November. I’m going to have to reschedule it all. That’ll teach me not to read things carefully.
Here’s mine: https://anzlitlovers.com/2025/10/27/2025-nonfiction-november-my-year-in-nonfiction/
I’m disappointed that I didn’t read as many LitBios as I planned to…
Thanks for sharing your year of nonfiction, and your recommendations
Happy Nonfiction November
It’s the NFR challenge that has had me branching out from memoir 🙂
I’m glad 🙂
To the extent I read non fiction it’s mostly literary memoirs, notably Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s Birth of a Dream Weaver. But I try and learn about Indigenous issues too, most recently Tanya Talaga’s The Knowing about Canada’s wicked residential schools system.
I, too, seemed to read a lot of memoirs this past year. I need to check out the titles your added as your favorites. Thanks for sharing.
https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2025/10/nonfiction-november-week-one.html
I read a fair amount of memoirs, too, and a few made it into my top 18 for the year! I am pleased “my” week, Pairings, is your favourite!
Memoirs are always interesting. I find myself reading more biographies though. I have a feeling, probably wrong, that a biography will be more honest than a memoir. What do you think?
Have a great nonficltion reading month.
Yes, you’re probably right there, although a subject might still control what materials a biographer has available to them!
I might do a post with the non-fiction books I read this year but I will see how much time I’ll have. But I enjoyed reading your post. I haven’t read any of your books.
Good luck with Nonfiction November! I love memoirs too. I need to read more of them.
I can reommend Annie Ernaux’s memoirs. Also reading Arundati Roy’s memoir atm which I suspect will feature in my most memorable books of 2025 list.
I’ve heard a lot about Careless People. It’s a book I’d like to read.
I agree! I read almost all memoirs when it comes to Nonfiction, and I have Sloane Crosley’s book in my stacks for this month’s challenge. The Tidal Year sounds intriguing, as does Always Home, Always Homesick. I read a lot of books about grief, too. Some aren’t quite as obvious as others. Neil Peart wrote a fabulous book called Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road. I read it shortly after a devastating loss and it validated a lot of my emotions. Glad I discovered your blog. I’ll be back!