Nonfiction November has kicked off once again to brighten the dreary autumn days! Well, they’re dreary here in the Pacific Northwest anyway.
Heather @ Based on a True Story is hosting the first week’s topic:
Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
In the past twelve months I’ve read 21 nonfiction books. A little of shy of last year’s tally. Here’s the breakdown by category:
| Environment, climate & nature | 13 |
| Personal development, health & wellness, psychology | 2 |
| Memoir | 2 |
| Science & mathematics | 1 |
| Politics | 1 |
| Art, creativity | 1 |
| Law | 1 |
No surprises here: my focus has been on climate change, the environment and nature for several years now.
Let me highlight just three favorites. (Links point to my reviews.)
First, in the environment, climate and nature category, Hannah Ritchie’s Not the End of the World gets the nod. Ritchie is Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher at Our World in Data, a fantastic online resource for research and information about the world’s biggest problems. Not the End of the World is a powerful, data-driven antidote to climate doomism. Ritchie shows how our situation today, awful as it is, is still far better than the past. And she points to solutions that could make the future even better.
In the memoir category, I loved All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley. It’s a heartfelt memoir of the ten years Bringley spent working as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was a job that gave him time and space to contemplate the beauty and meaning of art and to grieve for the death of his elder brother, Tom, from cancer. It’s a wonderful book, both sad and joyful.
My third favorite of the past year is The Creative Act: A Way of Being by legendary music producer Rick Rubin. It’s a collection of short reflections, most of them only two or three pages long, that offer insight into being an artist or creator and give inspiration for doing artistic, creative work. The key to unlocking your own creativity, Rubin says, is to practice being open and receptive to the creative energy of the Universe. The Creative Act is spiritual, even mystical in places. Very different from the books I typically read.
I hope to discover some great books to read in the coming year, and to connect with fellow nonfiction bloggers.
Thanks for reading.
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Some great titles here. I absolutely loved Patrick Bringley’s book too. And a hopeful book about the planet must be in a class of its own. Thanks so much for taking part in the challenge.
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I think you I first learned about All the Beauty in the World from your blog. So thanks for the recommendation!
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You’re welcome. Thanks for being persuaded by my recommendation:)
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I’m happy to see you highlight All the Beauty in the World… it’s waiting in my audible library. Not the End of the World sounds really interesting, too.
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I hope you enjoy them!
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Not the End of the World sounds like a book I’d appreciate – and it’s nice to know it isn’t all doom and gloom. Thanks for the recommendation!
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I hope you get the chance to read it. It helped me see that we really are making progress even if we haven’t yet turned the corner.
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Three good ones there! I enjoyed Not the End of the World, too. I’ve found some new nonfiction blogs to follow already and we’re only a week in! I’m reading some nonfiction “novellas” and then two hefty ones for the Wolfson History Prize so it’s nonfiction all the way for me this month!
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I wonder if Not the End of the World would be a good choice for my naturalist book club.
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Well, my climate change book club has selected it. And I do think it’s an important book, so … 🙂
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I’ve gotten behind on blog reading, but I am intentionally making sure I read all your posts. I always come away with new book suggestions here. Not the End of the World is probably my #1 climate read this year as well. I now also follow Our World in Data as a result, and find their research so fascinating. I remember adding “The Creative Act” to my to-read list when you first reviewed it, but I still haven’t gotten to it. I’ll move it higher on my list.
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Glad you like Our World in Data. It’s such an amazing resource. Hope you get the chance to read The Creative Act too.
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I find myself nearly always terrified about the environment but I love what you said about Not the End of the World so I added that to my TBR. I want to know more but cannot handle the doom. Great find!
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I hope you enjoy it!
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Not the End of the World sounds like it could be a relief to read… the goal of course would be to maintain a sense of urgency when it comes to climate action, without having that anxiety carry over in one’s personal life. It feels like a tricky balance, sometimes!
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That’s true! We have enough cause for anxiety already! 🙂
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