Tag Archives: Sarah Laing

Non-Fiction November 2019 TBR Books!

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Nonfiction November 2019 runs from 28th October to 30th November 2019.  This year’s hosts are Katie of DoingDewey, Rennie of What’s Nonfiction, Julz of JulzReads, Sarah of Sarah’s Bookshelves and Leann of Shelf Aware.

They’ll be posting a discussion question and link-up on the Monday of each week.  Check out this post for the schedule and prompts.

 

I love joining in with Non-Fiction November each year. I do read a reasonable amount of non-fiction throughout the year anyway but it’s great to have a month where I focus on reading more non-fiction than fiction. I’ve really struggled to pick my TBR this year as I have so many books on my TBR that I want to read so I’ve tried to pick a wide range and hope that I’m in the right mood to read most of them during the month! Ultimately I’ll just be happy to read more non-fiction than fiction throughout November.

 

So without further ado here is my TBR!

 

Firstly I have a few non-fiction books that I’ve been sent for review so I’m putting those on my list:

 

Bowie’s Bookshelf: The Hundred Books that Changed David Bowie’s Life by John O’Connell

I was thrilled to get approved to read this book from NetGalley as I’ve been a huge David Bowie fan since I was a young child and think learning more about his favourite books will be so interesting.

Constellations by Sinead Gleason

I’ve wanted to read this book ever since I read a very moving article in the newspaper about Sinead and one of the stories in her book. I’ve had this book on my NetGalley for a little while now and really do want to make it a priority in November.

The Undying: A Meditation on Modern Illness by Anne Boyer

I got this book on Read Now on NetGalley a few weeks ago. It might be a book that is too much for me to read but this is a subject that I generally want to read more about so I’m hoping I can read this one.

 

Chase the Rainbow by Poorna Bell

I’ve shamefully had this book on my review pile for over a year so I really want to make it a priority this month. The subject matter is around mental health and suicide so it won’t be an easy read but I think it’s an important book.

How to be Human: The Manual by Ruby Wax

This is another book that I’ve had on my review pile for a while now and I’m still really interested to read it.

 

Then I went through my non-fiction audio books and spotted a handful that I’m really keen to listen to:

 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I got this book on audio as Michelle Obama reads it herself and I’ve been wanting to listen to it ever since it was first published. I think this will be a fab listen so I’m really looking forward to this one.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

I’ve heard so many great things about this book so it’s high on my priority list for the month ahead. I think it really focuses on the women and their lives rather than how they died so I’m fascinated to listen to this one.

 

 

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

This is another book that I’ve been so keen to get to and I keep hearing such good things about it so I really hope I can get to this one this month.

The Death of a President: November 1963 by William Manchester

I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time but it’s really hard to find second-hand at a reasonable price. I think it was out of print when I looked for it so when I spotted it on Audible I immediately spent my credit for that month. It’s a really long book so I’m not sure I’ll get to listen to all of this in November along with all my other reading but I hope to at least start it.

 

Next there are the non-fiction ebooks that I’d like to get to:

 

Deceit and Self-Deception:  Fooling Yourself the Better to Fool Others by Robert Trivers

This book has been on my TBR for around three years and my interest in it has never waned. I do feel intimidated by it for some reason so I keep putting off reading it. I really want to make this a priority this month to at least get a chunk of it read as it does sound so fascinating.

A Mind of Its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives by Cordelia Fine

Ever since I’ve had my medical condition I’ve been fascinated by how the brain works and how it can distort things, and also how we can over-ride this. So this book caught my eye in a kindle sale recently and I’ve been so keen to read it.

The Dark Side of the Mind: True Stories from My Life as a Forensic Psychologist by Kerry Daynes

I couldn’t resist buying this book when it was recommended to me as I’m fascinated by psychology and this looks like my kind of book! I’m really keen to read this one so it might even be the book I pick up first for Non-Fiction November!

Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It’s Doing to Us by Will Storr

I’ve had this book on my TBR since it was first published and I’m still really intrigued to read it so hopefully I’ll finally get to read it this month!

Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith

I’ve added this book to my TBR as I think it will be good to have a book os essays to dip in and out of throughout the month. I love Zadie Smith’s fiction but have never read any of her non-fiction so I’m really keen to read this one.

Brainstorm: Detective Stories From the World of Neurology by Suzanne O’Sullivan

I really enjoyed Suzanne O’Sullivan’s previous book It’s All In Your Head (which I read while in hospital recovering from neurosurgery!) so when I spotted she had a new book out I had to buy it. As I said about Cordelia Fine’s book earlier in this post I’m fascinated by the mind and what it can do so I think I’m going to love this book too.

Misogynies by Joan Smith

I bought this book on a whim very recently and am really looking forward to reading it. I think it’s a slightly older book on this subject but it still sounds so fascinating and I’m keen to get to this one.

Turning the Tide on Plastic: How Humanity (And You) Can Make Our Globe Clean Again by Lucy Siegle

This is a book that I really want to read soon as I’m working really hard on reducing my plastic in my home but I feel like I now need more guidance on how to reduce it further. There are some things that feel impossible to change but I know there will be ideas out there. I’m hoping this book is the one I need.

Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari

I read another of Johann Hari’s other books a year or two ago and found it really interesting so this one really stood out to me. I think there has been some controversy over this book but also some good reviews so I’m keen to see what I think.

How Music Got Free: The End of an Industry, the Turn of the Century, and the Patient Zero of Piracy by Stephen Witt

I recently watched a documentary and the author of this book was on it and I thought that I’d look the book up. When I went to buy it it turned out I already owned it! So I decided that was a sign that I should read it soon!

 

And finally the print books:

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Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman

This is a book that I’m desperate to read but haven’t managed to purely because the type is so small I haven’t managed it. I’ve got yet more new glasses for reading recently so am hoping I can finally read it this month. I want to read this one because I LOVE Roger Waters’ album Amused to Death and this book apparently inspired the title and some of the themes on that album.

Mansfield and Me: A Graphic Memoir by Sarah Laing

I bought this book a year or so ago and am so keen to read it. It seems perfect to put on this TBR as it will be a different format of non-fiction for this month.

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox

This is another book that I’ve been so looking forward to and it looks like it might be both interesting and fun. It’s a bit of a doorstop though so I might struggle to read all of it this month but I will do my best to get to it.

 

 

Are you taking part in Non-Fiction November this time? What’s on your TBR for the month? Have you got any good non-fiction recommendations for me based on my TBR?

 

This Week in Books (21 Nov 2018)! What are you reading at the moment? #TWiB

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

 

I’ve had a brilliant week of reading so I’m hoping the week ahead will bring more of the same!

Now

The Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan

This is my latest festive read and I’m really enjoying it.

Fukushima Dreams by Zelda Rhiando

I started reading this last night and it’s such a beautifully written book. It’s set in the aftermath of the horrendous tsunami in Japan a few years ago and follows a man and woman who have become separated from each other. It’s very dream-like and so good.

Twenty-Six Seconds by Alexandra Zapruder

This is another one of my picks for non-fiction November and I’m so glad I was able to pick it up this week. I started reading this yesterday and I’m three chapters in. It’s such a fascinating read, I had no idea what it was like for the Zapruder family living with the burden of the footage taken of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

The Upstarts by Brad Stone

This is also on my non-fiction November TBR as my audio book choice. It’s an interesting book to listen to and I’m enjoying finding out more about how Air BnB and Uber came to be.

 

Then 

Christmas Camp by Karen Schaler

This is a gorgeous festive read and I really enjoyed it. I do love when a Christmas book is full of the joys of the season so this was a lovely read. I’ll be reviewing it soon.

Bouncing Back with a Bang by Geraldine Ward

This is a powerful and moving poetry collection that I very much enjoyed. I reviewed it yesterday so you can read more of my thoughts on it here if you’d like to.

The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983 – 1992 by Tina Brown

This was a non-fiction November pick and I’m really glad to have got it read this month as it’d been on my TBR for almost a year. It was enjoyable in places but particularly in the early part of the diary there were so many people that I had no idea about that it was a bit over my head. I’m in the middle of writing a review so my full thoughts will be posted soon.

No Such Thing as Society: A History of Britain in the 1980s by Andy McSmith

This is a non-fiction book about the 80s and I very much enjoyed it. A lot of things I already knew but this book helps put things into context that gave me new insight into some of the things that happened in the 80s. It’s a really accessible book and I recommend it.

The Present by DS Devlin

This is a crime fiction novel set near Christmas and while I really enjoyed the opening chapters, it did all fall a little flat for me after that. It was a fast read but it was missing something for me. I’ll be reviewing this at some point.

The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah

I had an ARC of this on my TBR but spotted the audio book on my audio subscription service so I half read and half listened to this. It’s the first Poirot novel that I’ve read by Sophie Hannah and I enjoyed it so I’ll definitely be looking out for the previous ones by her. I hope to get my review of this posted soon too.

I’ll Be There For You: The One About Friends by Kelsey Miller

I was looking for something light to listen to this week and this book caught my eye. I loved Friends back in the day and I’m now enjoying watching the repeats on Channel 5. This was a fun listen and I found out some things I didn’t know, and it was nice to think back over favourite episodes. I recommend this if you’re a Friends fan.

The List That Changed My life by Olivia Beirne

I loved this book. It was heart-warming and life-affirming and it was just a gorgeous book. I’ll be reviewing this for the blog tour next week so look out for that on Tuesday.

 

Next

Snowday by B R Maycock

I’m so looking forward to reading this winter read. It sounds like a gorgeous book to curl up with on a cold snowy afternoon so this is the week for this one!

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

I was so excited when a proof copy of this arrived recently and I can’t wait any longer to start reading it! It feels like another perfect book for curling up in the chair with on a cold wintery day.

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough

I’ve had this on my TBR since it was published earlier this year and I’m just in the mood to read it so hopefully I’ll get to this one in the coming week.

Mansfield and Me by Sarah Laing

This book is on my non-fiction November TBR and I’d really like to read it soon. It’s been a while since I read a graphic novel so this should be a lovely change.

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

It’s Non-Fiction November 2018 time! Here’s my TBR…

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It’s Non-Fiction November time again and I’ve decided to take the opportunity to try and read some of the non-fiction that has been languishing on my TBR for a while. I do read a fair bit of non-fiction anyway but it’s always nice to focus on it a bit more. I do have some fiction books that I need to read for blog tours this month so it won’t be a month entirely filled with non-fiction but the factual books will be my main focus other than review books.

Non-Fiction November is run by Olive at abookolive and Gemma at Non Fic Books.

So without further ado, here are the books I’m going to be choosing from:

Waco by David Thibedeau

As we’re already a couple of days into November I’ve already started reading this book and have been riveted by it. I’ve always had a fascination with cults but Waco is one that I’ve discovered that I didn’t know anywhere near as much about as I thought I did. I’ll be reviewing this one when I’ve finished it and have got my thoughts together.

James Baldwin and the 1980s by Joseph Vogel

This is an ARC that I’ve had for a while and have been putting it off because I feel a bit intimidated by it. It’s years since I’ve read anything by James Baldwin but I’m still keen to know more about him. I think this will be such an interesting read and am going to use Non-Fiction November to push myself to finally pick it up.

The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown

Shamefully this ARC has been on my TBR for around a year and I still haven’t got to it so this is high on my list to get to this month. I think it will be an easier read and something I can dip in and out of so I’m looking forward to getting to it.

Histories by Sam Guglani

This is a book I was sent for review fairly recently but I’m so keen to read this book so wanted to add it to this TBR. I think a book of stories about the NHS will make for a moving and interesting read so I’m keen to read this asap!

Mansfield and Me by Sarah Laing

This is a graphic memoir of Katherine Mansfield which I treated myself to recently and I’m so looking forward to curling up with a blanket and devouring this book in an afternoon.

How to be Human by Ruby Wax

This book was sent to me for review in the summer and I really want to read it soon. Books about mental health always draw me to them so I feel sure this one will be my kind of book.

Truth or Dare by Justine Picardie

So this book has been on my TBR for years and years. I bought it in hardback when it came out as I’d loved a couple of Justine Picardie’s earlier books but for some reason I’ve never picked it up. I spotted it among my books when having a sort out in the summer and have kept it out to read so hopefully I’ll get to it this month.

The Little Big Things by Henry Fraser

This is another recent addition to my TBR and I’ve been so keen to read it. I have an incomplete spinal cord injury (amongst other things) and have been seeking out books about people who have SCI. This sounds like such an inspiring memoir and I can’t wait to read it.

Women and Power by Mary Beard

My husband bought me this for Christmas last year and it’s such a small book I feel sure I can squeeze it in at some point this month.

The Upstarts by Brad Stone

This is an audio book that I’ve had for a while and am quite keen to listen to it. It’s nice to have an audio option and this one seems like it will be an engaging and interesting read.

Deceit and Self-Deception by Robert Trivers

I’ve had this book on my TBR for quite a while and I have started reading it before but found it too much so put it down again. I do still want to read it though so I’m thinking I might read a chapter here and there over the month rather than trying to read it in one go.

Rock Stars Stole My Life by Mark Ellen

This is yet another book that I’ve had since it was first published and my husband (who’s slowly discovering a love of reading) read it over the summer and has been recommending it to me ever since. It looks like a really fun, easy read so I’m expecting that I’ll get to this one.

Mercury and Me by Jim Hutton

I went to see Bohemian Rhapsody last week (I loved it) and it made me want to read more about Freddie Mercury. It seems I’ve read all the biographies I own on him already apart from this one so I’m sure I’ll pick this up very soon.

Three Things You Need To Know About Rockets by Jessica Fox

I believe this is a book about a woman who worked at NASA and gives it all up to move to Scotland to work in a book shop. It sounds like a perfect read to me and I’m really looking forward to it.

When We Rise by Cleve Jones

I saw an interview with Cleve Jones earlier this year and found him to be such a fascinating man that I immediately bought his book. I still haven’t made time to read it though and I really want to get to it soon. Hopefully this month!

Twenty-Six Seconds by Alexandra Zapruder

This is a book about the famous Zapruder film of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It came up on a recommendation from Amazon a while ago and I couldn’t resist buying it!

Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you’ll know that I can’t resist a book about decluttering and this is my latest purchase. I like to keep myself inspired to keep my house organised so I reckon I’ll be reading this one before the month is over!

The Body Keeps Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk

This is another book that I’ve had for a while and I’ve put off reading it while getting my health on a bit more of an even keel. It sounds like such a fascinating read about how the body and mind affect each other and how emotional issues can manifest physically, and how the body feels pain. I think this will be a brilliant read and I want to make time to properly read this so I may not get to it this month if it’s very in-depth but I would like to read it soon.

 

 

Obviously this is a long list so I know I’m very unlikely to read all of these books but I wanted to give myself options to choose from and will aim to read as many as I can.

Are you taking part in Non-Fiction November this time? What non-fiction do you plan on reading this month? I’d love to know. 🙂

This Week in Books (18 July 2018) #TWiB

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

 

Now

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

I pre-ordered this book months ago (as I loved his first novel Final girls) and I’ve been eagerly anticipating it ever since so I was thrilled when I spotted it on my kindle the other day. I started reading this yesterday and am gripped!

Do No Harm by Lucy V. Hay

I enjoyed Lucy’s previous novel last year so am excited to be reading her new book now. It’s a great mystery thriller that is keeping me guessing. I’ll be reviewing this for the blog tour next week so look out for my thoughts then.

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

I’m finding this book fascinating and unsettling, it’s such an important book and I recommend it to everyone.

 

Then

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

I picked this up on Monday afternoon and I devoured it all in one sitting. It was such a brilliant read and I loved it.

The Possible World by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz

I read this on pigeonhole and really enjoyed reading just a few chapters each day over the last week. This novel is so beautifully written; it was very moving and is a book that I know will stay with me. I’m definitely going to be buying a physical copy to have on my bookcase.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

This novel was good but it left me feeling really grubby. I’d recommend it if you like Flynn’s writing but it’s not my favourite of her novels. I’m keen to start watching the new TV adaptation though to see how it translates on screen.

F*** You Very Much by Danny Wallace

I finally finished reading this book a few days ago and to be honest I’m just relieved to be done with it. There were some really interesting ideas in the book and I enjoyed those elements but there was too much of the hotdog story, which spoilt the book for me. It was all a bit of a muddle – not serious enough and not funny enough – it just felt a bit of a mess and neither nowt nor summat as us Yorkshire folk say. I’m not sure I’ll pick up anymore books by Danny Wallace but I’d still recommend this if you’re a big fan of his.

 

Next

Old Baggage by Lissa Evans

I think I had this on my TBR for the previous week but I just didn’t manage to get to it so I’m adding it to this week’s plans. I am very much looking forward to reading this.

Mansfield and Me by Sarah Laing

I treated myself to this graphic non-fiction book last week from an indie publisher and I’ve been keen to read it right away so I’m going to make time to sit and read this over the coming days.

You Were Made For This by Michelle Sacks

This is a netgalley book that I’ve been keen to read ever since I was approved for it so I’m planning to read it over the next week.

 

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

Stacking the Shelves with a new #bookhaul (14 July 2018)!

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Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality, which is all about sharing the books that you’ve acquired in the past week!

 

I didn’t manage to post a Stacking the Shelves last week so this book haul is from the last fortnight. I’ve had a tough couple of weeks with various things happening so I did treat myself to quite a few new books…

 

The first four in my post today are books that I’d had on my wish list for ages and decided to treat myself to them last week. They all arrived together and I’m really looking forward to reading them soon.

 

I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around by Ann Garvin

The Good Goodbye by Carla Buckley

Hugo and Rose by Bridget Foley

Wrecked by Maria Padian

A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay

I was sent an ARC of this book last week and I read the whole novel in one sitting earlier this week. Once I picked it up I literally couldn’t put it down, I simply had to know what was going on! I’m part way through writing a review so hopefully I’ll get that posted in the next week.

The Great Unexpected by Dan Mooney

This book arrived this week and was a total surprise. It says on the blurb that it will appeal to people who loved The Easy Way Out (you can read my review of this here if you’d like to) which I did really love so I’m definitely adding this one to my TBR.

How to Remember by J. M. Monroe

I was offered the chance to receive an ARC of this book and I immediately said yes as I am always drawn to books that explore grief and complicated family relationships. I’m really looking forward to getting to this book.

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Mansfield and Me by Sarah Laing

I treated myself to this graphic memoir from @eyeandlightning books over the weekend. I hadn’t heard of this indie publisher before but they had a great offer on at the weekend and I saw this memoir and I knew I had to get my hands on it. It arrived yesterday and it’s beautiful, I can’t wait to read it.

My husband took me out for coffee this week and I spotted a bookshop so we had to go in! I’m working on my standing again at the moment and I managed to stand up with my crutch to look at the books in one section of the shop. I felt like deserved a reward to I treated myself to these three books…

Blame by Jeff Abbott

This book was a (sort of) cover buy as I’d never heard of it before but the cover is so striking that I noticed it immediately. Once I read the blurb I knew I had to get it. I’m really enjoying twisty thrillers at the moment so I expect I’ll be reading this one soon.

The Lost by Mari Hannah

I love Mari Hannah’s writing so I’ve been meaning to grab a copy of this book for a while now. It seemed the perfect time to buy it this week so I’m keen to read it as soon as possible.

The Day She Disappeared by Christobel Kent

This has also been on my wish list ever since it first came out so I was thrilled when I spotted it on the shelves.

 

No Further Questions by Gillian McAllister

This was a kindle pre-order from a while ago and it appeared on my kindle last week and I’m so keen to read it soon. I might pick it up as soon as I’ve read the couple of review books that I have on the go at the moment.

Into the Black by Rowland White

I’ve always been obsessed with space travel so when I spotted this book about the space shuttle Columbia in the kindle sale I snapped it up. It’s quite a long book so I might start it soon and dip in and out of it.

The Accusation by Zosia Wand

I love Zosia Wand’s previous novel Trust Me (you can read my review of Trust Me here if you’d like to) so when I saw she had a new book out I couldn’t one-click fast enough! I don’t think this will be on my TBR for very long!

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I’ve yet to read anything by Celeste Ng (although I do have her previous book on my TBR) but I feel sure she’s an author I’ll love. I grabbed this book in a kindle deal earlier this week and I’m so keen to read this. I think I might make this the first book I read by this author.

Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin

This book passed me by when it was on the Man Booker International long list but I’ve recently seen a review of it that made me really want to read it so I decided to treat myself.

The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood by Susan Elliot Wright

I requested this on NetGalley as I was really intrigued by the blurb so I was thrilled when I was approved to read it. The novel’s not due out until next year so I might try and hold off reading it for a little while yet. I am really keen to read it though!

 

Bookworm by Lucy Mangan

I treated myself to the audio book of this as I was having a really bad day and wanted a book that would pick me up a bit. This book was perfect and I utterly adored it. I think the author is a similar age to me as she read so many of the same books as me in childhood so it was a real trip down memory lane.

Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags by Tim Marshall

I bought this on a whim when it was an Audible deal of the day last week. I’ve read other books by Tim Marshall and found him really informative but easy to follow so I was keen to read more by him. This one sounds fascinating and I’m hoping to listen to it soon.

 

 

Have you got any new books recently? I’d love to know. Have you read any of the books in my book haul? Are there any that you recommend me getting to sooner rather than later? Feel free to leave a link to your own Stacking the Shelves post in the comments! 🙂