Nonfiction November 2023 Week 1

Published on by Margaret

Week 1 (10/30-11/3) Your Year in Nonfiction: Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more?  What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

I love reading nonfiction but it takes me much longer to read than fiction because of the detail involved. It’s only been 13% of my total reading so far this year. These are the books I read:

The links are to my reviews, where they exist.

  1. The Dancing Bear by Francis Faviell
  2. Elizabeth Macarthur: A life at the edge of the world by Michelle Scott Tucker
  3. The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson
  4. The Hairy Bikers Blood, Sweat & Tyres: The Autobiography by Si King and Dave Myers
  5. The Bone Chests by Cat Jarman
  6. Ultra Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
  7. Agatha Christie by Lucy Worsley – review to follow
  8. Virginia Woolf vol 1 by Quentin Bell – review to follow

I enjoyed them all, but the outstanding book for me is Ultra Processed People by Chris van Tulleken, subtitled ‘Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … And Why Can’t We Stop?’ I kept hearing about ultra processed food, but had little idea what exactly it is, so when I saw this book I thought it would be ideal – and it’s by Chris van Tulleken, who has impressed me on numerous TV programmes on nutrition. It is absolutely fascinating and a real eye opener!

By participating in Nonfiction November I’m hoping this will encourage me to read more nonfiction rather than picking up the next novel to read and I’m looking forward to seeing what others recommend.

13 thoughts on “Nonfiction November 2023 Week 1”

  1. Lucy Worsley is so knowledgeable, Margarer; I’m glad to see her represented here. And I love the Bill Bryson books I’ve read. I think his work is accessible, and it has solid wit. The rest look interestinh, too.

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  2. I just finished an interesting nonfiction book, a blend of memoir and travelogue Soundings, Journeys in the Company of Whales by Doreen Cunningham shortly after reading another by Irish writer Kerri Ni Dochartaigh’s Cacophony of Bone.
    One of if my favourites this year is Italian author Natalia Ginzburg’s Family Lexicon and French author Romain Gary’s memoir Promise at Dawn. And I also recommend Victoria Bennett’s All My Wild Mothers a memoir of motherhood, loss and an Apothecary Garden.

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  3. I watched the TV series Lucy Worsley did based on her book about Agatha Christie and thought it was excellent. I have two books by her on my Kindle, the Queen Victoria one and the Jane Austen one. I must look up Ultra-Processed People as it sounds interesting.

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  8. Ultra Processed People…this goes directly on my TBR!
    It’s a lot of bad news but I’d rather know about what I’m eating and understand this stuff
    before it is too late. I think this should be required reading for everybody! Thanks for bringing this book to my attention.

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  9. I always participate in Nonfiction November but rarely have time for the extra weekly posts … but I’m going to try this year! (even though I’m already late for week 1 :) )

    Looks like some interesting nonfiction for you so far this year. Like you, I don’t read my NF 0- the books I read this month will double or triple my yearly NF count!

    I also wanted to let you know that I chose your blog as my Blog of the Month in my own blog’s monthly newsletter which went out today (let me know if you want me to forward it to you). I hopoe you get some new visitors from the shout-out!

    Sue
    Book By Book

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  12. I’ve never read a Bill Bryson book, but I’ve always meant to. I’m adding Ultra-Processed People to my Kindle samples now. Maybe it will encourage me to cut out some of the junk food I eat.

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  13. Pingback: Nonfiction November: New to My TBR – Silver Button Books

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