Wishing you all a VERY bookish, awesome, peaceful new year! And now, on to the faves. Because there can never be too many faves, right?
While I decided not to go with 10 non-fiction picks, it was really hard to narrow down.
My Life in France by Julia Child gave me a new respect for this iconic figure.
Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain reinforced the fact that Bourdain has still got it! Snark and smarts in spades.
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls was one of the most power memoirs I've ever read, and it makes me thankful that my family is not crazy.
The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel is not just a portrait of the space program and the women behind it, but also a portrait of the era.
Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr. boggles the mind. So many riches but so much pain.
Relish by Lucy Knisley cements her place as one of my favorite comics artists and memoirists The recipes and the stories are just lovely.
Which non-fiction books are you recommending from your reading this year?
Empty Mansions was SO good. I'm such an Anthonhy Bourdain fan, I'm starting to think I might have to pick up one of his books, too!
ReplyDeleteIt was great, wasn't it? Just fascinating. Bourdain is really amazing. He has a wonderful "voice" in his writing. Kitchen Confidential is his most famous, but I prefer A Cook's Tour for its reverence to world cultures.
DeleteI really enjoyed Glass Castle too. Hope you have good reading in 2014
ReplyDeleteWishing you wonderful reading in 2014, too!
DeleteI just checked out My Life in Paris yesterday because of you! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited! I hope you love it just as much as I did!
DeleteI've been seeing Relish on several lists. I'm going to have to add it to the very long list of nonfiction I want to read!
ReplyDeleteLisa, prioritize it! It's really a quick, gorgeous read.
DeleteThe Astronaut Wives Club and Empty Mansions both look excellent. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThey were really good and left a lasting impression. I hope you get around to them and love them!
DeleteI really enjoyed the Astronaut's Wives Club too. There are quite a few on my list to read in 2014- Walden on Wheels, Five Days at Memorial and hopefully a Mary Roach book. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to read more Mary Roach and Five Days at Memorial. I'll have to look into Walden on Wheels!
DeleteI really need to read more non-fiction in 2014. I have Empty Mansions and The Astronaut's Wives Club on my TBR. We will take it from there.
ReplyDeleteIt really was a slump buster for me this year. Whenever my reading slowed down, I could count on non-fiction to keep me going. I hope you enjoy Astronaut Wives and Empty Mansions!
DeleteI bought The Astronaut Wives Club, and it's still on shelf. I live near Kennedy Space Center so I thought it would be interesting. Great list.
ReplyDeleteOh cool! You'll get a lot out of it, I'm sure. It's a really great book, nicely written.
DeleteThe Glass Castle is one of my go-to non-fiction recommendations. So glad you loved it too! And Relish is definitely one I've been wanting to read. I should see if my library has a copy.
ReplyDeleteYes, it will be for me, too. I hope you love Relish! I'm 99% sure you will!
DeleteYa, Bourdain's NF books are awesome. His detective stories? Not so much.
ReplyDeleteLOL, good to know, Ti!
DeleteRelish made my list of favorites for the year too. It's been years since I read The Glass Castle but I loved it when I did.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad!! They were both awesome books.
DeleteHappy New Year, girl! I've seen Relish pop up on several lists this year. Here's to a great new year in reading!
ReplyDeleteHappy new year, sassypants! Relish is fabulous. I bought a digital copy but I know I'm going to buy a physical one, too. Cheers!
DeleteLove good nonfiction!
ReplyDeleteMe too! It's such a great slump buster for me.
DeleteWhat a cute graphic!! Hope you're enjoying the new year! (I've recently started watching Parts Unknown. Really like Bourdain's perspective on culture. The part on Detroit was especially interesting.)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I craft them over at picmonkey.com. Love it! And it's free! I COULD NOT remember the name of that series to save my life! I was telling someone the other day that he has a series on CNN and they looked at me like I had three heads. Arrgh!
DeleteRelish was so good!
ReplyDeleteRealish was a fun read. I'm so curious what she'll come up with next. I definitely would like to read more non-fiction this year too. Ah so many plans! :)
ReplyDeleteYou’re “Ridiculously Good Reading” graphic is so good I thought it was a book :)
ReplyDeleteWow, getting it down to just five is impressive! Picking favorite books is just so hard :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not really a nonfiction reader, but that is a pretty good list :)
ReplyDeleteI really want to read: EMPTY MANSIONS.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post...thanks for sharing.
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My Spread The Love Post
Love The Glass Castle and My Life in France. I've also loved the earlier books by Bourdain and Knisley, so obviously I'm adding these all to my TBR!
ReplyDeleteI have to say, that although it was a tough read, Five Days at Memorial was probably one of the best nonfiction novels I have ever read. It's intense and it's a BOOK book, but it was fabulous.
ReplyDelete