Earlier this year, I ran Book Riot’s first ever Instagram photo challenge. We dubbed it #RiotGrams, and after a successful event in February, I ran it again in June and October. The challenge involved creating a prompt for each day of the month and encouraging readers to take photos of their books relating to their interpretation of the theme (or not!), and then having them tag those images. It was a way to build community, as well as a way to get a whole boatload of amazing book recommendations from die-hard readers.
Despite having created a challenge myself, I’ve never participated in one all the way through. So when I saw the information about this year’s #nonficnov challenge, I decided it would be the one I did. As someone who is continually talking about nonfiction, continually advocating for seeing more of it (particularly in the youth lit world), and writing it, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to have fun, to stretch myself, and to grow my to-read list. I only wish I’d spent more time going through the other posts from participants to be more engaged. But the beauty of a hashtag challenge like this is that those posts will be there for the long haul, so I can peruse and use them from here on out.
And I even managed to remember to take photos in advance to post when I was out of town for a week. It would have been easy to fall behind, but I’m glad I stayed on top of it. I also love how you can tell which cat spends a lot of time in my office.
Here’s a round-up of all my posts from the month, which I hope provides a lot of interesting book recommendations for you all. Many are aimed at adults but are perfectly fine for teen readers. But there are also a lot of YA nonfiction titles scattered throughout, too.
Since I love and I write nonfiction, I'm going to try to take part in the #nonficnov challenge. Today is TBR and this is but a small glimpse of it. I am so looking forward to each one. #bookstagram #nonfiction
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 1, 2017 at 6:14am PDT
A recent favorite nonfiction title is Sady Doyle's TRAINWRECK which delves into why we find such joy in watching famous women fall apart. Such an angering but necessary read and should be required for feminists. #nonficnov #nonfiction #feminism #bookstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 2, 2017 at 7:08am PDT
It's all about journals and planners for today's #nonficnov. I am a user of them for everything. Here we have my bullet journal for daily planning, my notebook for general list keeping (right now, a room by room cleaning list), my journal which I write in regularly, and my notebook full of ideas for a novel in progress. #notebook #journaling
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 3, 2017 at 6:39am PDT
Today's prompt for #nonficnov is creative nonfiction/essays. Repping the YA essay collection angle today, both of which I had some part in. There is a lack of books like these for teen readers and I'm honored to be adding to them and hope we continue to see more. YA readers deserve thoughtful creative collections on big issues. #nonfiction #bookstagram #feminism
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 4, 2017 at 5:23am PDT
When you do your challenge photos at 5am, you can mess up your days too easily. I did today's prompt for #nonficnov yesterday so I'll do yesterday's today. It's creativity and here are two of the titles I find enjoyable on the topic. I know we are all programmed to hate Liz Gilbert but man I loved BIG MAGIC so much that I bought it after borrowing it from the library. #creativity #nonfiction #bookstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 5, 2017 at 8:29am PST
Today's theme for #nonficnov is music and at first I didn't think I had any. But then I realized I do! I loved this biography about the early years of Mama Cass of The Mamas and The Papas and while I haven't yet read Carrie Brownstein's memoir, I know I'll love it when I do. #nonfiction #bookstagram #music
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 6, 2017 at 5:58am PST
Two funny ladies for today's #nonficnov prompt of funny. Both memoirs are so worth reading. #nonfiction #bookstagram #memoir
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 7, 2017 at 6:29am PST
Psychology is the theme of #nonficnov today. My educational background is in adolescent psychology so it's no surprise a lot of my nonfiction reading follows that interest. #bookstagram #nonfiction #psychology #mentalhealth
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 8, 2017 at 6:50am PST
Poetry time for #nonficnov. I just purged a huge pile of books, including a lot of poetry. This is the bulk of what I kept. Poetry is an old part of my life but I can't get rid of it completely because I still enjoy it a lot. #bookstagram #poetry #nonfiction
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 9, 2017 at 6:28am PST
I do not own a single nonfiction book about animals or pets. Instead, you get my favorite nonfiction book cover with an animal on it ever and you get one of my cats, who just saw a bird outside. #nonficnov #bookstagram #animals #catstagram #catsofinstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 10, 2017 at 6:46am PST
I've got VERY complicated feelings on spirituality and mindfulness (especially relating to how they are commodified) but I adore these two books for they get close to where I stand. Be a strong person and do good. Love yourself first, then use that to be a light for others. And the four keys/four locks part of Patanjali's sutras is a life changing guide to dealing with people. #nonficnov #nonfictionnovember #nonfiction #bookstagram #patanjali
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 11, 2017 at 5:30am PST
A rainbow of nonfiction reads. #nonficnov #nonfiction #bookstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 12, 2017 at 6:50am PST
Today's #nonficnov prompt is travel. I love Bryson's travelogues dearly. I'm one of those people who generally doesn't read a lot of travel BUT I buy books set where *I* travel and loved finding this book about West Texas when I spent a week out in Marfo last fall. #bookstagram #nonfiction #nonfictionnovember
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 13, 2017 at 6:31am PST
I own a few books about writing but have yet to crack one open. Someday! #nonficnov #nonfiction #nonfictionnovember #bookstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 14, 2017 at 6:09am PST
No amount of reading self help can get me to read a calendar of prompts correctly. That said, some I have enjoyed. I am super picky about self help but have really come to see the value of reading them: you take what you like and leave the rest when it comes to ideas and advice, which is a lesson in itself. #nonficnov #nonfiction #bookstagram #selfhelp
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 15, 2017 at 6:27am PST
As I read this book — written in the 80s — I kept nodding and taking notes of how true the observations were. Essential reading for both feminists and writers, critics and savvy consumers of the written word. I wouldn't say this is my favorite HOW TO but it is a FAVORITE how to. #nonficnov #bookstagram #nonfiction #feminism #nonfictionnovember
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 16, 2017 at 5:32am PST
Today's #nonficnov is books about books. I have very few books still from when I went to school but I kept these two from my rare books course. Both super interesting and useful references for book and history nerds. #nonfiction #bookstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 17, 2017 at 5:45am PST
Black and white in black and white. #nonficnov #nonfictionnovember #nonfiction #bookstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 18, 2017 at 5:06am PST
The most important business/productivity book I own is the one on the far left, which changed how I internet forever. #nonficnov #nonfiction #nonfictionnovember #bookstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 19, 2017 at 5:19am PST
I kept my pile small for today's #nonficnov topic of "women". So many great choices. #nonfiction #nonfictionnovember #bookstagram #feminism
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 20, 2017 at 6:04am PST
Inspiration is the theme of today's #nonficnov and I guess my biggest inspiration is in list making and thinking about dreams. #nonfiction #nonfictionnovember #bookstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 21, 2017 at 5:26am PST
All still unread but I'm eager to dig into these history titles. Social history and women's history are among my favorite kinds of nonfiction. #nonficnov #nonfictionnovember #nonfiction #bookstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 22, 2017 at 6:51am PST
Today's theme for #nonficnov is food, so a few cookbooks and eating related titles to share. I'm spending Thanksgiving solo — my family is doing something on the weekend — so my meal tonight will be for me and me alone. The recipe is a favorite and not from one of these titles. #nonfictionnovember #nonfiction #bookstagram #food.
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 23, 2017 at 7:31am PST
Gratitude is the #nonficnov prompt today and well…I'm so grateful for the love and support I've seen this year for HERE WE ARE. I met so many wonderful people throughout the entire process of this book and am happy every time someone tells me they're reading or sharing it. Thank you ❤️❤️ #nonfictionnovember #nonfiction #bookstagram #feminism
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 24, 2017 at 5:33am PST
All of the family books I have are graphic memoirs. Here are two about grandparents and one about sisters. #nonfictionnovember #nonficnov #bookstagram #nonfiction #graphicmemoir
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 25, 2017 at 5:53am PST
Organization is a hard one for me, in part because I like to live with chaos. It's one of the things I learned in my grad school program: sometimes the most effective schematics are the ones least logical. Alas, I own life changing magic but really have issues with the minimalist movement, since it really extols a sort of privilege accessible only to a few. There are places one can be minimal, but when it becomes the sign of success and elitism, it's a problem. #nonficnov #nonfiction #bookstagram #nonfictionnovember
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 26, 2017 at 6:43am PST
It's memoir o'clock for #nonficnov, which is one of my favorite kinds of reads. All four here are excellent reads. #nonfiction #bookstagram #nonfictionnovember
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 27, 2017 at 7:15am PST
The latest in the nonfiction TBR: two YA reads. One is about Queen Victoria (which I'm eager to read but am really disliking the trim size for) and one is about a violent incident in the Bay Area. The 57 BUS has had a lot of rave reviews so I'm super curious. #nonfictionnovember #nonfiction #nonficnov #bookstagram
A post shared by kelly jensen (@veronikellymars) on Nov 28, 2017 at 5:58am PST
When I think of relaxing and nonfiction, I think of the piles of books in my bathroom. My husband is a huge bath reader and loves Uncle Johns. This is a pile of relaxing reads from just the bathroom and it is a mere fraction of the massive Uncle Johns collection we have 
