Last year, Lu of Regular Rumination hosted Nonfiction November, a monthlong celebration of all things nonfiction. I had a ton of fun participating and was very glad to hear that she was bringing it back this year with three other co-hosts. This week’s co-host is Kim of Sophisticated Dorkiness, and the prompt is:
Your Year in Nonfiction: Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions – What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year? What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? What is one topic or type of nonfiction you haven’t read enough of yet? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
I’ve actually had a really great year in nonfiction. I haven’t read as much as I wanted to (this semester is killing me), but the year kicked off to a fantastic start with Sonali Daraniyagala’s award-winning memoir, Wave, in which she recounts the loss of her parents, husband, and children in the 2004 tsunami. Yet the nonfiction book I’ve recommended most this year is Ellen Forney’s graphic memoir Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me. I’ve actually read several really amazing graphic memoirs this year, and I know they’ll probably all make it to my end-of-year best-of lists.
As for the topic or type of nonfiction I haven’t read enough of yet, it’s hard to say because my nonfiction reading is typically all over the place. I read very random things. But looking at my stacks, let’s go with writing/reading/language-related nonfiction. I have several on my TBR shelves, including The Story of Ain’t, Nom de Plume, and Handling the Truth.
I’m doing Nonfiction November because it’s fun to participate and see what everyone’s reading (duh), but also because my book reviews have been pretty fiction-heavy these past few months, even though I have been reading nonfiction as well (I swear!). I’d like to take this time to catch up on nonfiction reviews. And even if school overwhelms me and I disappear off the face of the earth for another spell, at least I’ll have the Nonfiction November content going up!
Feminist Texican Reads 
I read my first graphic memoir this year and really liked it–Relish by Lucy Knisley. It introduced me to a whole new genre that I find I enjoy quite a bit!
I definitely have Marbles on my list to read. Hoping my library has a copy. I’ve heard great things about the Kephart book, as well. Good luck with your studies.
I’m seeing a lot of people mention Marbles – I’m not sure I’d heard of it before but it sounds really good. Best of luck with school too!
I’ve heard lots of good things about marbles. I really love that graphic memoirs are becoming more popular — I think they’re great. I’m so glad you’ll be participating in Nonfiction November!
I enjoyed Marbles so much. In fact, I’d like to re-read that one. I hadn’t heard of Wave. It sounds like a heartbreaker. I don’t know why but I love books like that. I’m definitely going to look into that one 😀 Thanks!
Marbles sounds like a really good story. I haven’t read graphic nonfiction books before, so I will definitely be taking note of recommendations by all of the bloggers during Nonfiction November.
I’d like to read Marbles. There are so many graphic memoirs now! That whole genre (sub-genre?) has taken me by surprise. I’ve got to keep a list of these and check them out from the library for the next time I do a read-a-thon.
I hadn’t heard of Wave. Oh goodness, sounds heart-breaking.
Yep, ‘The Story of Ain’t’ is right up my alley. I really enjoyed ‘The Professor and the Madman’ and have not heard of this one. Thank you for listing it!
I loved loved loved Marbles. I also want to read Wave, though I think it would be so hard to read.