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Non-Fiction November Wrap-Up! #NonFictionNovember2018

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NonFictionNovember!

I always enjoy joining in with Non-Fiction November but the month always goes by so fast! This year I had quite a lot of fiction to read and review so couldn’t focus entirely on non-fiction but I still read more of it than I thought I would… sixteen non-fiction books in total!

Of my planned non-fiction TBR I managed to read:

Waco by David Thibodeau

This is a memoir of a man who survived the Waco siege. It’s a really interesting read and I recommend it.

The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983-1992 by Tina Brown

I enjoyed reading this book and have actually already reviewed it so you can read what I thought here if you’d like to.

The Upstarts by Brad Stone

I listened to the audiobook of this and I have to be honest and say that I found it a little disappointing. It just wasn’t as engaging as I’d hoped it was going to be, although it was still interesting to read how companies like AirBnB and Uber got started.

Mercury and Me by Jim Hutton

Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White

Even though I am now finally winning the battle with clutter (ever since I did the KonMari method earlier this year my house is staying clutter-free) I still can’t resist reading books about it. There were some useful ideas in this book and I definitely recommend it.

Three Things You Need to Know about Rockets by Jessica Fox

I’d had this book on my TBR for years as I was saving it for the right time. Unfortunately though I just didn’t enjoy it all that much. It wasn’t what it felt like it was going to be and was lacking in something for me. It has had lots of good reviews though so it may well be that it just wasn’t for me.

 

I then completely deviated from my planned non-fiction reads and picked up these books too:

The Diary of Two Nobodies by Mary Killen and Giles Wood

I love watching Giles and Mary on Gogglebox so was really looking forward to reading this book by them and I’m so happy to say that I enjoyed it. They’re just how they are on TV and it was a joy to read this.

I Will Find You: A Reporter Investigates the Life of the Man Who Raped Her by Joanna Connors

This was a fascinating read about a woman who looks into the life of her rapist. She had buried her emotions for many years and then goes on a journey to know more about the man who attacked her. It wasn’t as emotional read as I was expecting but it was still very interesting and gripping.

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

I listened to the audio book of this and it was such a fun, nostalgic read. I recommend it to all Friends fans!

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

This is another book that I’ve had on my TBR for such a long time but I’m so glad I picked it up because it was such a good read. It was really accessible non-fiction but it helps puts some things in context from the 80s with regards politics and what was happening at the time.

The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale

I’d forgotten I owned this audio book so when I spotted it in my Audible app during November I immediately started listening. I love Kate Summerscale’s writing and this book lived up to my expectations, it was so interesting.

How Not to be a Boy by Robert Webb

I got this book for Christmas last year and have been so badly wanting to read it so I’m glad to have read it in November. I really, really enjoyed this, it was even better than I thought it was going to be.

Life to the Limit: My Autobiography by Jenson Button

I was a huge F1 fan for many years and followed Jenson Button’s career in the sport. I’ve been wanting to read this book for ages so when it was in a recent sale on Audible I snapped it up. I very much enjoyed this book. It’s a really open and honest look at his career, and also a love letter to his late father.

Under the Wig: A Lawyer’s Stories of Murder, Guilt and Innocence by William Clegg QC

I downloaded this from NetGalley on a whim recently and I’m so glad I did as it was such a good read. I actually managed to review this straight away so you can read more of my thoughts here if you’d like to.

My Life in Football: The Autobiography by Kevin Keegan

I’ve been umming and ahhing about whether I wanted to read this book at the moment. I’m a Newcastle United supporter and the way the club treated Kevin Keegan, and the way the current owner is running the club makes it not fun at all. Anyway, I saw the audio book in a recent sale and decided to give it a go. It was such a good read, I’m glad I read it but it did make me so angry all over again at how he was treated. I definitely recommend the book though.

Mother of a Suicide: The Battle for the Truth Behind a Mental Health Cover-up by Joanna Lane

This book often pops up on recommendations for me in Goodreads so I finally picked it up just the other day. I don’t know what to say about this one. I feel for Joanna, and I admire her determination to find answers and her fight to get the medical profession to listen but the book felt like it needed editing. I also wish it’d had more of a sense of her emotion rather than just the facts of what was happening.

 

 

Did you take part in Non-Fiction November? Or have you read any good non-fiction recently? I’d love to know if you’ve read any of the books in my post, or if you have any non-fiction you can recommend to me. I’m always on the look out for new books. 🙂

 

 

 

This Week in Books (14 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.

 

Now

I’ll Be There For You by Kelsey Miller

I spotted this on my audio book subscription yesterday and couldn’t resist downloading it. I’ve been re-watching Friends since it’s been on Channel 5 and it’s made me nostalgic so this book is a fun look back at the series. I’m really enjoying it so far.

The Present by D.S. Devlin

I’ve got a lot of festive reads for this year but it still seems a little early to fully get into reading them so I’m starting with the crime novels set at Christmas. This one is really good so far, it hooked me straight away and I’m keen to get back to it asap!

The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983 – 1992 by Tina Brown

This is one of my non-fiction November picks and also an ARC that I’ve had for absolutely ages so I wanted to make sure I got to it this month. I’m only a little way in but it’s an interesting read so far and I’m looking forward to reading more. I plan on dipping in and out of this book so it may be a little while before I finish it.

The List That Changed My Life by Olivia Beirne

This book is utterly wonderful! I knew I was going to enjoy but it’s even better than I was expecting. I’m so glad I picked it up and I already highly recommend it.

 

Then 

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

I bought this book when it was published and have held off reading it because I was saving it (I don’t know why I do this…) but it was calling to me this week so I picked it up. I devoured this novel, I utterly adored it and I already want to go back and read it all again.

I Will Find You by Joanna Connors

This is a non-fiction book about a woman who was raped and many years later she decides to find out what happened to her rapist. It’s a really interesting and honest memoir.

Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets by Jessica Fox

This was also on my non-fiction November TBR and I was so looking forward to it as I’d owned it for a long time and had such high hopes. Unfortunately, I found it a real let down. It just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be and so much of it got on my nerves. I see on Goodreads that a lot of people loved it so maybe it just wasn’t for me.

The Diary of Two Nobodies by Mary Killen and Giles Wood

This book was adorable! I love Giles and Mary on Gogglebox and their personalities just shine off the page in this book. I recommend this to all Gogglebox fans, it’s fab!

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

This has also been on my TBR since it was published but I finally picked it up late last week. I part read it and part listened to the audio book and I absolutely loved it. It was a joy to read and I got so engrossed in it. I’m so happy that I finally read it and even though it’s enormous I think this may well be a book I re-read at some point!

Good Samaritans by Will Carver

This book was brilliant! I wasn’t sure what to expect going in to it but it’s gripping from the opening pages and is so dark and twisty but utterly compelling. I loved it. I’ll be reviewing it for the blog tour next week so keep an eye out for that if you want to know more!

 

Next

The Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan

This coming week feels right for me to start reading my Christmas books so I’m beginning with this one. It looks like such a gorgeous festive novel and I’m really looking forward to it.

Twenty-Six Seconds by Alexandra Zapruder

I’m continuing with my non-fiction November picks too and next up I think will be this one as I’ve been keen to read it for ages. It looks like a fascinating read about the man who filmed the Kennedy assassination and what happened to his family as a result of owning that piece of film.

Snowglobe by Amy Wilson

This looks like a beautiful, magical winter read and feels like a perfect book for this time of year so I’m excited to get lost in this one. I think it’s a middle grade book and I haven’t read anything like this for such a long time so I think it’ll be a wonderful escape.

How to be Human by Ruby Wax

This is another pick for non-fiction November and I really do want to get to this soon. It’s a review book and one that I’ve put off until I knew I was in the right head space to read it. I think I’ll aim to at least start it in the coming days.

 

 

 

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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NonFictionNovember!

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. 🙂