I loved Eat, Pray, Love One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia. It made me want to meditate in a cave.

I have two all time favorite non fictions, Common Sense by Tom Paine and Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed The Story of the Village of Le Chambon and How Goodness Happened There by Philip Hallie. I will periodically pick up these books, open to any page and just start reading.

I have been on a memoir kick lately myself and I must say Bringing Home the Birkin My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbagis a really good book. It's light but I'm hooked. I'm not sure if it was listed but if you liked Crazy Love you might enjoy:

Love Junkie A Memoir , In Her Own Sweet Time Unexpected Adventures in Finding Love, Commitment, and Motherhood, Happens Every day, Pretty is What Changes, I, California, I Love a Man in Uniform, Up for Renewal, I'm Sorry You Feel That Way, Thin is the New Happy, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, It Sucked, I Cried, Free Gift With Purchase, If I am Missing or Dead, The Year of Yes, The Late Bloomer's Revolution, Tabloid Love, Sin in the Second City, Candy Girl, I Was Told There Would be Cake, Straight Up and Dirty, Love is A Mix Tape, Smashed, Pldeged.

Now don't get me wrong. I didn't LOVE all of them but I definitely read them. :-)

I found a list at a local independent book store, and I'm slowly reading through it. I figured I could share:

Naked by David Sedaris (**HILARIOUS**)
Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield (For the music lover... heartbreaking at times)
A Paper Life by Tatum O'Neal
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
Perfect from Now On by John Sellers (Another music based book)
Chuck Klosterman IV by Chuck Klosterman
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Into the Wild by John Krakauer (Very based in Transcendentalism)
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by ? Fudiman
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Helping Me Help Myself by Beth Lisick
Moose by Stephanie Klein

I heard Into Thin Air A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster is better than Under the Banner of Heaven.

I cannot recommend 'The Mitford Girls' by Mary S Lovell highly enough - Absolutely wonderful family of 6 extraordinary girls from around 1910 onwards - authors, political activists (..on both sides of the fascist/communist divide), friends in high places (Hitler & Churchill), scandal, prison, affairs, politics, love, life...everything!

Also - if historical memoirs/bio is your thing - you could try 'Madame Du Pompodour' by Nancy Mitford - wonderful.

Ally

Maria wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Maria wrote: "Kat wrote: "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

has to be one of the best that I have read in the past year"

This is extremely powerful." I a..."

I finally had to put this one down and walk away. I have sons close in age to these boys, and I just couldn't keep going. I still have it, though, and plan to get back to it when I can.

I just finished reading EDWARD VII: Image of an era by Dana Bentley-Cranch. I'd dipped into a biography of his mother Queen Victoria and read a book about his youngest sister and decided that I absolutely despised that woman. So I wanted to see Edward from his point of view and not his mother's.

It was interesting how different he was when viewed by someone who approved of him.

Well after seeing the Julie Julia book, I of course have to read My Life in France - Julia Child's memoir. I really have no desire to read Julie's book though. And since I'm on a cooking bent, I also want to read A Thousand Days in Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure as I've read excerpts and the language is extraordinary.

Allhug wrote: "I cannot recommend 'The Mitford Girls' by Mary S Lovell highly enough - Absolutely wonderful family of 6 extraordinary girls from around 1910 onwards - authors, political activists (..on both sides..."

I'm interested in the Mitford girls for obvious reasons, but somehow never got around to them. Maybe your comments will nudge me closer. Thanks.

Has anyone read The Sound of Hope A True Story of an Adoptee's Quest for her Origins by Anne Bauer? Sounds interesting is it good?

Teri, I want to read the Tuscany book too. I think after I finish this group of books I have I will read the two books you just mentioned. I was even thinking of taking out the Julia Child cookbook and whipping up some new recipes when the weather cools off in the spring.

Into Thin Air A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
Under the Banner of Heaven
Into the Wild
Better A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
Her Last Death

I think I discovered a theme about myself. I hate books about man against nature. I mark the books I see highligted for my book shelves rating. Today I marked In thin air and Into the Wild as one star. I would have marked thme as zero but couldnt. LOL to me that says I should just not read that type of book no matter how good someone says it is because its not my cuppa

Recently, I read The Year of Living Biblically One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to see how Jacobs managed. He has another book that I plan on reading soon about reading the encyclopedia.

Melissa Rochelle wrote: "Recently, I read The Year of Living Biblically One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to see how Jacobs managed..."

Michelle, I read the encyclopedia one! I think it's called "The Know-It-All" and it really cracked me up. I've been wanting to read the one about the Bible, so I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it!

I really liked reading Don't Bet Against Me by Deanna Favre, I thought it was a really good book. Of course I am a huge Brett Favre fan and since his wife wrote the book I just had to read it and I enjoyed it.

Sharon A. wrote: "Maria wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Maria wrote: "Kat wrote: "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

has to be one of the best that I have read in the past year"

This is extremely powe..."

Understandable.

One of the best things I have ever read--Dave Cullen's Columbine.

It is not a light read, by any means, and can be disturbing at times--most of the time. It is amazing to me what the media kept secret about the tragedy...as a teacher, I could not help but be sick and sad about what I was reading. Nor could I stop reading it.

84, Charing Cross Road byHelene Hanff was a lovely read in letters from a NY writer to a London bookshop over 20 years. It was amazing.

I keep hearing about Columbine and want to read it, but will wait for the paperback or library. Although I don't do so well with the latter during the school year. Grrr. I finally started "Galileo's Daughter" which has been around for a while. Not sure what the draw is. Guess I just want to know the history.

If you love To Kill a Mockingbird...read Harper Lee's biography "Mockingbird" by Charles Shields. There is a YA version entitled "I am Scout" by the same author.

Rose wrote: "84, Charing Cross Road byHelene Hanff was a lovely read in letters from a NY writer to a London bookshop over 20 years. It was amazing."

I just bought this book. Can't wait to read it now!

This is a great thread- I have also found myself getting into non-fiction so I'm glad to find some recommendations here!

I don't think I saw this anywhere- I just read Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time and found it to be a very powerful read. Made me want to go donate a lot of money toward building schools in the Middle East. If only I hadn't just spent more than I care to admit on supplies for my own classroom!

I would like to make a suggestion, which we are doing in another one of my groups: The development of a Chicks on Lit Best of Nonfiction List. Each member gets to add one book to the list (copy the list into each post so it just gets longer, but then it can be copied by interested readers).

What do you think?

I'll start:

1. The Five Love Languages How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate

Someone want to add number 2?

Chicks on Lit Best of Nonfiction List (see post #74 for instructions)


1. The Five Love Languages How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate

2. The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes

Woo-hoo! Please add to the list so we can update our TBRs! This is great!

I've seen this book mentioned a few times, but I just wanted to chime in as well! I really enjoyed Into the Wild! I highly recommend watching the movie as well! Beautifully done! I would like to read more books by Jon Krakauer, he is fascinating!

Chicks on Lit Best of Nonfiction List (copy this entire list into your comment, then add your contribution!)


1. The Five Love Languages How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate

2. The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes

3. Into the Wild

4. Deep Ancestry by Spencer Wells

Chicks on Lit Best of Nonfiction List (copy this entire list into your comment, then add your contribution!)

1. The Five Love Languages How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate

2. The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes

3. Into the Wild

4. Deep Ancestry by Spencer Wells

5. Angela's Ashes

1. The Five Love Languages How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate
2. The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes
3. Into the Wild by John Krakauer
4. Deep Ancestry by Spencer Wells
5. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
6. Three Cups Of Tea by Greg Mortenson
7. Night by Elie Wiesel

Lydia wrote: "I would like to make a suggestion, which we are doing in another one of my groups: The development of a Chicks on Lit Best of Nonfiction List. Each member gets to add one book to the list (copy the..."

What a beautiful name you have!

Maria wrote: "Lydia wrote: "I would like to make a suggestion, which we are doing in another one of my groups: The development of a Chicks on Lit Best of Nonfiction List. Each member gets to add one book to the ..."

Thank you.

To add to the list:

The Happiness Project Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun