Guest Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 How many people on this board read non fiction? I mainly read fiction but I do like to mix in the odd true story, at the moment i'm reading a book (The eneny within) about the 1984/85 Coal miners strike here in Britian during the Margaret Thatcher years of goverment, facinating read so far and much more informative than what we got to see and hear in the media. Sometimes non fiction can be just as entertaining as fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Moved to the non-fiction section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I'll occasionally read an autobiographt, but only if I'm already interested in the person in question. I also have a collection of books on various Pagan / Witchcraft subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 As a non-fiction writer, a good proportion of what I read is also non-fiction, admittedly less so than it used to be, since it is 2 years next month since the last edition of my own book was published. When I was writing it I had to read an awful lot of other people's stuff - mostly alternative history, archaeology and religion - but also a lot of more general mind, body and spirit - I was and am particularly influenced by Eckhart Tolle and Neale Donald Walsch, among others, and A Course in Miracles. I also have a sizeable collection of books on writing and publishing, which I dip into now and again, and Icelandic sagas - which are historical records of the settlement period of Iceland. I have always been fascinated by that country, and hope to go back next year, if I can afford to. Agree though that properly written, non fiction can be just as entertaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 (edited) I like non-fiction although I don't tend to read masses of it. From my blog, in 2007 I only read one (George Orwell) but in 2008 I read 8 out of a total of 40 books in that year. I have lots of hardbacked factual non-fiction books that I dip in and out of like What the Victorians Did For Us, all of the Who Do You Think You Are? series, The 1900s House, Stephen Fry in America... Edited April 13, 2009 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Probably in terms of the amount of time I spend reading, it's probably equal between fiction and non-fiction; I do, though, find fiction easier - plot and narrative drive make it much easier to obsessively read an entire book quickly. So I read lots more novels than non-fiction books. My current non-fiction read is Molecular Gastronomy by Herve This. Most of the non-fiction I read is travel writing, or area-specific history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seiichi Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I have a varied taste when it comes to non-fiction books, but I prefer to set aside time specifically for reading them, mainly because I tend to read about science and mathematics. At the moment I'm trying to clear my TBR pile of fiction books before attempting Cultural Amnesia, Clive James' autobiography. My current non-fiction read is Molecular Gastronomy by Herve This.I'd love to read this book. I remember putting it on my wish list when the first series of Heston Blumenthal's In Search of Perfection was broadcast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopyloo100 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I read non fiction sometimes (5 last year) and the latest read was Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado about a group of Rugby players that were trapped in the Andes after a plane crash. It was a well written and gripping Account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kala_way Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I got so sick of reading only non-fiction in college that for the last few years I haven't read much at all. It's definitely a very different feel than fiction so I have to prepare my mind for it I just mooched Blank Slate by Steven Pinker, but it's well down on my list I read the occasional autobiography but I prefer the pace and style of fiction personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I like reading non-fiction books, but for some reason I don't read them nearly as often as I do fiction books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlette Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I can't think of a single non-fiction book I've read... I guess I haven't. This surprises me, because I'm a bit of a history-freak, so I should (logic tells me) have at least a few non-fiction books together with my already owned historical fiction novels. Would anyone like to recommend good non-fiction with a WWII theme? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 re Herve This... I'd love to read this book. I remember putting it on my wish list when the first series of Heston Blumenthal's In Search of Perfection was broadcast. I'm only about 50 pages in, but it's fascinating stuff if you're a foodie and interested in the science of it. So far it's very much focussed on individual dishes and how received law might be wrong or right, but explaining why. The other great science-of-food book is Harold McGee's On Food And Cooking, which explains in much more detail the science of food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDR124 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Currently I have been reading Wikinomics and Alfabeti, two non-fiction books on very different topics: web 2.0 the first one, books and literature the other. I do read a lot of non-fiction usually about String theory or neuroscience, additional dimentions and economics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 (edited) I read quite a bit of non fiction, especially relating to places I have an interest in. One I hope to get a chance to read soon is Home Run by Nichol and Rennell relating to the networks that existed across Europe during WW2 to get downed pilots home, and children away from danger. Edited April 14, 2009 by Chrissy Because I am a moron! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I like to read non fiction every now and then. The books are mainly biographies about people I have an interest in and they're usually music related people. Most recently I've read about Ian Curtis from Joy Division, Kurt Cobain from Nirvana and Lester Bangs who was a gonzo journalist back in the day. A few weeks ago I read a book which was intended to help with one of my assignments for uni and ended up loving it! It's called 'Celebration USA by Douglas Frantz'. The author and his wife moved to Celebration (the town that was built by the Walt Disney company) in Florida as an experiment and the book is a documentation of their time there. It's really freaky and the rules put in place by the company are unbelievable but it really made me think about the future of towns and cities and what role corporations could possibly play in their creation. I'd definitely recommend it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I do occasionally read non-fiction, mostly science, mathematics or travel. In recent years, a couple of books I've really enjoyed are: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (synopsis from amazon.co.uk)Intuition is not some magical property that arises unbidden from the depths of our mind. It is a product of long hours and intelligent design, of meaningful work environments and particular rules and principles. This book shows us how we can hone our instinctive ability to know in an instant, helping us to bring out the best in our thinking and become better decision-makers in our homes, offices and in everyday life. Just as he did with his revolutionary theory of the tipping point, Gladwell reveals how the power of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaraPepparkaka Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Sometimes I read non-fiction. When I do, I have a taste for economics and history. The latest nonfiction books I've read have all been history ones, almost all of them about Finland in the Middle Ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busy91 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I have to force myself to read more ficiton I read so much non-fiction. I like memoirs/autobiographies the most. I also read a lot of nutrition and writing books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 The only non-fiction I read are the occasional autobiography and Psychology textbooks. Otherwise, I usually prefer fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahsilet Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I am not a non-fiction reader. The non-fiction I do read is autobiographies by glamour models and video vixens such as Katie Price, Jodie Marsh, and Karrine Steffans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 I don't read much non-fiction. The last non-fiction for pleasure I read was a book about Greek Myth (Probably in 2007) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie2008 Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 The only non-fiction books I read are autobiographies or text books that I need for university. Occasionally I read crime books that are accounts of real events (such as Jack the Ripper) but most of my books are fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Most of the books I read are fiction, but I do try to work in a couple of non-fiction books each year. I'm currently reading Future Perfect: How Star Trek Conquered Planet Earth, by Jeff Greenwald, it's an interesting read - provided you like Star Trek! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I don't read much non-fiction. The last non-fiction for pleasure I read was a book about Greek Myth (Probably in 2007) Actually it isn't. I read The lonely Planet Story (Once while Travelling) a couple of months ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingwoodTree Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I read a lot of Non-F and would recommend "Devil's Teeth" by Susan Casey. Casey is an American journalist who became fascinated by Great White Sharks after seeing a BBC documentary about them. She managed to wangle a rare visit to the Farallon Islands off the west coast of America. Once ther, she hoped to watch scientists tag the big Great Whites...the REALLY big ones, the females! Reading about everything she went through and what did and didn't happen is quite the thrill ride. Hope you enjoy it, but best not to read it too late at night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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