Book Challenge: Non-fiction Edition

As I happily decided to write this non-fiction edition of my book challenge post from months before, I have to admit I’ve learned something about myself this go: I read a vast amount of non-fiction, I mean in my head there is a treasure trove of information that I regularly tap into, but I have not read a lot of non-fiction books.

I tend to read a lot of excerpts from books, a lot of history in the form of contextual essays in fiction anthologies, articles, and the like. I did not know this about myself! And it’s something I must now endeavor to change!

Here is my list of three non-fiction books I think everyone should read at least once:

Sex with Kings, by Eleanor Herman. This is the first book that paints a wide picture of the royal bedroom without the salacious angle one would expect while looking at the cover. I was ready for a slightly sarcastic, raunchy, king degrading read when I bought it on a whim. Instead, what I got was an in-depth look at why many of the world’s Kings were adulterous from a very human outlook without relying on the “I’m the King so I can do what I want” angle. This book pointed out a lot about political marriages and how it dehumanized both the men and women involved.

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones. If you ever want to write in the fantasy genre, I feel you owe it to yourself to give this book a read. Even if you’re not a writer, it is worth your time! My only warning: you’ll never be able to enjoy hackneyed works again. This is easily the most fun reference book I’ve ever read and, what’s more, you learn a lot about the genre and its tropes while you chuckle. I don’t think learning gets much better than that.

Negotiating with the Dead, Margaret Atwood. I quote it so often now that it would be unforgivable to leave it off my non-fiction list. While it’s heavy on the academic writing, it’s very accessible. The voice isn’t academic, but Atwood does have the expectation that her readers know at least the bare minimum about the evolution of English as a discipline since its inception, and about the major eras of English literature. Beyond that, I find the book an important read for female writers because it puts our work in a context that many male writers who write about writing don’t touch on.

What non-fiction books do you consider must reads? Obviously I want to augment my list ASAP!

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