Before The Challenge

[Bonnie]

How many non-fiction books did you read in 2023?

Which title(s) were your favorite?

[Theresa]

I have read 8 so far but one carried over from last year. My favorite of the year is a graphic Bio., The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television. Second fav. was The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit.

All Things Bright and Beautiful was the partial one I read and really have been liking that series also. All 5 stars.😊

[Ron]

Oh tough question.

I'm mainly a nonfiction reader in general. I've read 76 books total, but of those 56 have been nonfiction. I honestly wish that number was higher. Thankfully come NFN, I'll hit between 80 and 84 books so my nonfiction will be between 60 and 63. In all though I've read a total of 81% nonfiction, again another number I wish were higher.

*****

In terms of favorite book, that's kind of tricky. Every month this year I've made it a point to mark my top 3 books of that month. Out of the 56 though, my favorite would definitely have to be this one:

Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

I had wanted to read this when it came out last year, but didn't get around to it. Then a couple months ago I was diagnosed with autism as an adult so when I read this book, everything about my life made total sense for a change. I annotated the heck out of it.

*****

By the end of the year I plan on doing a list of my top 10 favorites all the way until my least, however my nonfictions turn out. Talk about a crazy, fun task! I look forward to seeing which NF's are in those top 10 though.

[Lana]

I've read 11 nonfiction books so far. My favourites are 'The Poisoner's Handbook' by Deborah Blum and 'Mad about Shakespeare' by Jonathan Bate.

[Joanne]

I have read 29 non-fiction thus far. Two of my favorites: The World Beneath Their Feet: Mountaineering, Madness, and the Deadly Race to Summit the Himalayas and The Perfect Horse: the Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis

[Bonnie]

I am currently reading non-fiction book # 35. My total is 67 books for 2023.

Here are my favorites.

A Simple Act of Gratitude Stationery Set (Thank You Notes, Correspondence Cards) by John Kralik

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution

The Watchmakers: A Story of Brotherhood, Survival, and Hope Amid the Holocaust

[Matt]

I have read 10 non-fiction books so far this year my favourites have been
East West Street by Philippe Sands
The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

[Andrea]

I've read six NF books so far this year:
Ukraine: Voices of Resistance and Solidarity
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics
Like, Literally, Dude
October by China Mieville
Fascism and Big Business by Daniel Guerin
Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano

I have to say my favorite right at the moment is the book on Ukraine because it is so pertinent right now.

I'm in the middle of Volume II of Annette Rubinstein's From Shakespeare to Shaw: The Great Tradition in English Literature. I will probably finish that in November for the Display prompt. It is an awesome display of the breadth and depth of her power as a feminist and Marxist literary critic!

[Kallie]

I've read 79 NF books so far this year, and my favorites have been The Rise and Reign of Mammals, Empire of Pain, Braiding Sweetgrass, Just Mercy, and the Wager.

[Sherri]

I have read 19 NF so far in 2023.

[Ron]

I like how there's such a variety of NF out there. I know people say it's boring or that they don't get anything out of it, but I think that's one of the many reasons why NFN is such a great thing to do. There's so much to the point where we might actually learn from each other and get inspired towards our own NF collection.

[Donna]

I read a lot of nonfiction. I prefer history and historical biography. So far this year I’ve read 28 nonfiction books. A few favorites: The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World
Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots
Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction

[Bonnie]

I finished the 1st book on my NFN list. It was very boring. I’m 20 pages into the 2nd book. 📚🤓

[Alenka]

of the 125 books I have read this year 33 were nonfiction (our of which two were graphic novels).

I think my top ones would be
The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells
The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire
A Village in the Third Reich
and
Femina

[Melissa]

22 nonfiction books so far this year, out of 60. Very pleased with the number of 4 and 5 star reads. My current read is nonfiction (After the Miracle: The Political Crusades of Helen Keller by Max Wallace) and of course, more will be read during Nonfiction November.

Emily Dickinson Face to Face by Martha Dickinson Bianchi (4 stars)
Reading the Stars: Astrology for Book Lovers by Book Riot (2.5 stars)
Profiles in Ignorance: How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber by Andy Borowitz (3.5 stars)
How to Read Now by Elaine Castillo (3.5 stars)
The Best American Essays 2022 edited by Alexander Chee (3.5 stars)
A Living Remedy: A Memoir by Nicole Chung (4 stars)
Talking to My Angels by Melissa Etheridge (4 stars)
Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation by Camonghne Felix (4 stars)
Inciting Joy: Essays by Ross Gay (4 stars)
Off With Her Head: Three Thousand Years of Demonizing Women in Power by Eleanor Herman (3 stars)
Bury Me in My Jersey: A Memoir of My Father, Football, and Philly by Tom McAllister (4.5 stars)
Tasha: A Son's Memoir by Brian Morton (5 stars)
Your Writing Matters: 34 Quick Essays to Get Unstuck and Stay Inspired by Keiko O'Leary (3.5 stars)
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett (4 stars)
Life B: Overcoming Double Depression by Bethanne Patrick (3 stars)
The Hatching: Experiments in Motherhood and Technology by Jenni Quilter (5 stars)
You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir by Maggie Smith (5 stars)
Safekeeping: Some True Stories from a Life by Abigail Thomas (5 stars)
Thinking About Memoir by Abigail Thomas (3 stars)
A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas (5 stars)
What Comes Next and How to Like It by Abigail Thomas (5 stars)
Spare by Prince Harry (4.5 stars)

[Ron]

Bonnie wrote: "I finished the 1st book on my NFN list. It was very boring. I’m 20 pages into the 2nd book. 📚🤓"

Hopefully you'll be able to find one you like should you decide to continue reading NF. It can be a challenge sometimes, especially if you're not really a NF reader.

[Bonnie]

Ron,

I’ve been a NF reader for a long time. I have no intention of stopping.

This weekend I added a TBR list to my reading tracker spreadsheet. I’ll try the idea for NFN. I feel confident in my skills.

[Ron]

Ah, okay Bonnie. That's cool. Wish you luck on your TBR this time around.

I've been a NF reader for a long time too. Even though only 80% of what I read is NF, I still have a hard time with F. Just not my thing really. I am aiming to read more though. I want to at least hit 85% NF by the end of the year.

[Floor]

I read 7 so far this year and my favourite were: Signs and Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings and Je mag wel bang zijn, maar niet laf

[Denise]

I’ve read 11 nonfiction books so far this year. The majority of the books are memoirs. Looking forward to reading more this month!

[Kristin]

I’ve read 22 NF books out of 116 books so far. I usually read about 20% NF throughout the year. I am comfortable with that because it takes me much longer to read NF.