BAND May 2012: Nonfiction I Hate to Admit I Enjoy
B.A.N.D., Bloggers’ Alliance of Nonfiction Devotees, launched in July and is being run by a small group of bloggers as a way to promote the love of nonfiction amount bloggers. Each month a discussion question will be put forward giving everyone and anyone the chance to respond. If you are interested in hosting a month do check out the tumblr site and let us know!
- Kim of Sophisticated Dorkiness hosted the first discussion, asking What’s your favorite type of nonfiction? in July.
- In August I led the discussion, asking How did you get into nonfiction?
- In September Cass wanted to know about nonfiction audiobooks, asking if we had listened and enjoyed.
- In October Ash asked what our favorite nonfiction anthologies were.
- In November Amanda asked if we read nonfiction to help support a cause.
- In December Erin guest hosts from Erin Reads and asked how we determine truth in the nonfiction that we read.
- In January Joy asked what books we’ve used to support reading goals or resolutions.
- In February Kim hosted again and asked what nonfiction we don’t like.
- In March we took a month off.
- In April Care asked what our favorite quirky nonfiction titles and authors were.
- This month Sheila asks:
This is a difficult one for me, as I tend to talk about everything here. The easiest way to answer might be to discuss the nonfiction that I sometimes have a hard time talking about in real life with people who don’t know me over the blog. Explaining to a co-worker why you are reading a book on polio in northern Nigeria, for example, can often prove to be an interesting conversation. That said, explaining why I am reading books on gender studies or racism or other social justice issues brings up whole other conversations in which I get to try to explain the importance of knowing more about the world in which we live.
I think the topic I’m most loath to admit is the fact that I am interested in all these books, and I own a huge number, but then they sit on my shelf. I’m not so much ashamed to admit that I love them, but ashamed to admit that I’ve still not read so many that I’m excited about, if that makes sense. A topic will come up and I’m ashamed to admit interest because the couple of books I picked up on the topic are still sitting unread on my shelf…
What about you, what type of nonfiction are you ashamed to admit you enjoy?
The last two books I’ve posted about on my blog have been nonfiction – travel memoir and a book on storytelling and why we love to read fiction. Other books I’ve reviewed include at least three memoirs about Afghanistan and Cambodia. I enjoyed them all.
Glad to hear it Harvee, I love hearing that more people are reading nonfiction! They sound interesting as well.
I think this is a good answer to a tough question. I am usually very excited about the nonfiction that I read, and tell others about it freely. Granted, I don’t usually read odd and strange titles that I would be embarrassed to admit to reading, but sometimes nonfiction really gets me taking about less known subjects in an attempt to entice reluctant readers!
That’s awesome zibilee, I find that I’m the same. It requires extra explanation sometimes, but always fun to share!
Great response. I have books like that too… I want to know more about many non fiction topics and as usual get in over my head on purchasing them and then let them sit way too long on the shelves.
Thanks for letting me play in the BAND. I would love to do it again some time
Darn those shelves holding our books hostage… that’s the issue right Sheila? It’s all the shelves fault that we can’t read more
I wish more book bloggers reviewed non-fiction books like you do (and me, for that matter).
A part of me wonders what new non-fiction treasure I’ll discover on your blog.
Thanks Howard, always new topics here, that’s for sure! And I have to admit always being excited to find new bloggers who do nonfiction
Certainly a difficult answer but loved your response.
Thanks Geosi.
I guess I would say celebrity biographies but I’m not really ashamed about it!
Great answer Marie, and why should you be ashamed, right?