- What was your first experience reading non-fiction? It would have to be sitting cross-legged on the floor as a kid with the encyclopedias - the two-shelf, 25-book set of Encyclopedia Britannica that was in my family home, and any books on geology that we had around. I also remember the School Project Resource Material booklets we'd get at the newsagent to aid research and to cut up and rearrange for doing projects in primary school (primary school here is what you call elementary school). I always liked historical fiction which constantly indicated how full of holes our history-telling was. - Has reading a work of non-fiction ever brought you to tears? Yes. Particularly surrounding the Stolen Generation here in Australia. - Are there any people that have played a significant role in your non-fiction journey? Nobody comes to mind. - Do you enjoy documentaries? Do you have a favorite? Is there a subject you'd like to see discussed on film? I loved Secrets of Our Living Planet by naturalist Chris Packham, about relationships between different creatures within ecosystems. I always loved Time Team, the archeology series. Back in early 2007 when I was in a long-distance relationship, my partner was calling me from a freezing phone booth on the street in Belfast and I had to say "Can you call me back in 20 minutes? Time Team is on" LOL. Such a nerd. It was the ONLY tv show I devotedly watched, on the tiny box tv at 6pm on Tuesdays (no pay tv, streaming or internet). We didn't have a history channel when I was a kid or teen or even in my 20's. Just 5 free-to-air channels. But I made a beeline for those history channels on long haul flights. Speaking of Pawn Stars, I do have a big brain-crush on Rebecca Romney who was a resident book expert on Pawn Stars, and I highly recommend the video Mythbusting Book Collecting: Rebecca Romney, on the youtube channel Case Western Reserve University. - Have you read a biography about (or memoir of) a person with whom you identify? Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton is also one of my answers. I read that last year and loved it. When I was a kid, my mum gave me the book Nobody Nowhere by Donna Williams, an autobiography of an autistic woman. I'm sure she wanted to see if it resonated with me. But as she didn't ask me directly, I didn't say anything. I wasn't diagnosed until my mid 30's. Special mentions too for To The River by Olivia Laing which I read in 2022, Lab Girl (Hope Jahren), Understory (Inga Simpson), and with a touch less relatability but deep appreciation for Rememberings (Sinead O'Connor), and Why be Happy when you could be Normal (Jeanette Winterson - and instead of memoir/autobiography she describes it as "an experiment with experience"). I'm currently reading Some of Us Just Fall (Polly Atkin) about the relationship between disability and nature (my biggest struggle and deepest passion, respectively). One of my favourite non-fiction books I read last year was Women Writing Wild by Kathryn Alto (described as part travel essay, literary biography, and cultural history), which is about women nature writers through history, often over-shadowed by a male-dominated field, at least for those who had any notoriety. Following that I recently read The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd which was absolutely wonderful. Oh and yes, I read Anne Frank's diary when I was young, I'm not sure what age. - Read aloud a short passage you love from a work of non-fiction I might have to get back to you on that. - Do any works of nonfiction intimidate you? Which ones and why? Perhaps Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom (my mum's from South Africa) because it's such a chunky beast, and I Am Malala, because of preparing myself to be angry. - What tips would you give to people hesitant to read nonfiction? That the tone and delivery is not always "dry" or "boring" as some people might think. Depending on the source or the writer, it can be so accessible and immersive. Some texts will include diaries or letters which helps give a personal touch to events and breaks up the format. If you enjoy a novelist who writes historical fiction well, and you know they've written non-fiction works as well, start there. Go with your special interests. Get recommendations from peers. Pair a subject of written non-fiction with a documentary, where they complement one another with deeper context and visual representation. Go to a book event or watch a video where you get to see the writer give a talk, be interviewed, or engage in a panel discussion. - What are your favorite works of nonfiction? That might need some thought as well. I'd love some other recommendations around historical memory. It's particularly relevant here in Australia too, because of actual and cultural genocide of Australian Aboriginal/Indigenous/First Nations people, and the very white-centric teachings and minimising of intergenerational trauma and systemic issues.
Loved reading your answers, Jensha! There are a few academic theoretical books on historical memory and I suppose the framework that's used by historians when they're examining a time period / event / etc. I have them bookmarked somewhere - I'll have to get back to you those.
Aw, Pawn Stars is one of my favorite History Channel shows, especially when they blow up stuff! 🤣🤣🤣 Just kidding - I'm more of an Antiques Roadshow kind of girl. 😁 I agree, the History Channel has strayed from being, well, historical. Ken Burns' Civil War documentary has been on my bucket list for a long time. I believe it was on Netflix several years ago and I kick myself for not watching more of it. I've heard Ken Burns say in an interview though that he regrets romanticizing the South as much as he does in his documentary. And you've convinced me, Lillian, to pick up and read David Blight's Race and Reunion - putting it on my TBR right now. Love the bloopers! 😆
If we're talking shows blowing things up, I really miss the Mythbusters show! I can't remember if they used to play that on the History Channel or just on Discovery 🤔 Oooohhh, excited to hear what you think of Blight! There's also a fantastic recording of his introductory Civil War class that he teaches at Yale on Yale Open Courses / UA-cam (where I think they've been uploaded). He's got a great voice to listen to, and I've loved putting on some of his lectures for long cart trips. I felt like I needed to include a blooper real because of all the snaffoos I had happen while filming 😂
Best wishes with what you choose to read. The only problem with watching other book tube channels is that it only increases the tbr! Happy reading to you.
Great subject for this video. I mostly read non-fiction. The very first actual adult book ( book not geared for younger readers) I ever read was A Night to Remember, the classic account of the sinking of the Titanic by Walter Lord. Although it was many years ago I recall it fondly. Thanks.
Oh, this is a great tag theme! I was excited to see you mention the Dear America diary series - I loved those books when I was a kiddo too. Hear My Sorrow and A Coal Miner's Bride were my favorites. Adding Necessary Trouble to my TBR. Love the little bloopers reel at the end! ☺️
I remember reading both of those from my library's Dear America collection!! Such powerful and eye -opening stories - very grateful to have come cross the series when I was a kiddo ☺ M, I feel like you and I have so many book overlaps from our growing up - Dear America, Vampire Hunter D, Reading Lolita in Tehran, Tamora Pierce 🤯 Would love to see you try this tag if you have any interest in it!
- What was your first experience reading non-fiction?
It would have to be sitting cross-legged on the floor as a kid with the encyclopedias - the two-shelf, 25-book set of Encyclopedia Britannica that was in my family home, and any books on geology that we had around. I also remember the School Project Resource Material booklets we'd get at the newsagent to aid research and to cut up and rearrange for doing projects in primary school (primary school here is what you call elementary school).
I always liked historical fiction which constantly indicated how full of holes our history-telling was.
- Has reading a work of non-fiction ever brought you to tears?
Yes. Particularly surrounding the Stolen Generation here in Australia.
- Are there any people that have played a significant role in your non-fiction journey?
Nobody comes to mind.
- Do you enjoy documentaries? Do you have a favorite? Is there a subject you'd like to see discussed on film?
I loved Secrets of Our Living Planet by naturalist Chris Packham, about relationships between different creatures within ecosystems. I always loved Time Team, the archeology series. Back in early 2007 when I was in a long-distance relationship, my partner was calling me from a freezing phone booth on the street in Belfast and I had to say "Can you call me back in 20 minutes? Time Team is on" LOL. Such a nerd. It was the ONLY tv show I devotedly watched, on the tiny box tv at 6pm on Tuesdays (no pay tv, streaming or internet). We didn't have a history channel when I was a kid or teen or even in my 20's. Just 5 free-to-air channels. But I made a beeline for those history channels on long haul flights. Speaking of Pawn Stars, I do have a big brain-crush on Rebecca Romney who was a resident book expert on Pawn Stars, and I highly recommend the video Mythbusting Book Collecting: Rebecca Romney, on the youtube channel Case Western Reserve University.
- Have you read a biography about (or memoir of) a person with whom you identify?
Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton is also one of my answers. I read that last year and loved it. When I was a kid, my mum gave me the book Nobody Nowhere by Donna Williams, an autobiography of an autistic woman. I'm sure she wanted to see if it resonated with me. But as she didn't ask me directly, I didn't say anything. I wasn't diagnosed until my mid 30's.
Special mentions too for To The River by Olivia Laing which I read in 2022, Lab Girl (Hope Jahren), Understory (Inga Simpson), and with a touch less relatability but deep appreciation for Rememberings (Sinead O'Connor), and Why be Happy when you could be Normal (Jeanette Winterson - and instead of memoir/autobiography she describes it as "an experiment with experience").
I'm currently reading Some of Us Just Fall (Polly Atkin) about the relationship between disability and nature (my biggest struggle and deepest passion, respectively).
One of my favourite non-fiction books I read last year was Women Writing Wild by Kathryn Alto (described as part travel essay, literary biography, and cultural history), which is about women nature writers through history, often over-shadowed by a male-dominated field, at least for those who had any notoriety. Following that I recently read The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd which was absolutely wonderful.
Oh and yes, I read Anne Frank's diary when I was young, I'm not sure what age.
- Read aloud a short passage you love from a work of non-fiction
I might have to get back to you on that.
- Do any works of nonfiction intimidate you? Which ones and why?
Perhaps Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom (my mum's from South Africa) because it's such a chunky beast, and I Am Malala, because of preparing myself to be angry.
- What tips would you give to people hesitant to read nonfiction?
That the tone and delivery is not always "dry" or "boring" as some people might think. Depending on the source or the writer, it can be so accessible and immersive. Some texts will include diaries or letters which helps give a personal touch to events and breaks up the format. If you enjoy a novelist who writes historical fiction well, and you know they've written non-fiction works as well, start there. Go with your special interests. Get recommendations from peers. Pair a subject of written non-fiction with a documentary, where they complement one another with deeper context and visual representation. Go to a book event or watch a video where you get to see the writer give a talk, be interviewed, or engage in a panel discussion.
- What are your favorite works of nonfiction?
That might need some thought as well.
I'd love some other recommendations around historical memory. It's particularly relevant here in Australia too, because of actual and cultural genocide of Australian Aboriginal/Indigenous/First Nations people, and the very white-centric teachings and minimising of intergenerational trauma and systemic issues.
Loved reading your answers, Jensha!
There are a few academic theoretical books on historical memory and I suppose the framework that's used by historians when they're examining a time period / event / etc. I have them bookmarked somewhere - I'll have to get back to you those.
Aw, Pawn Stars is one of my favorite History Channel shows, especially when they blow up stuff! 🤣🤣🤣 Just kidding - I'm more of an Antiques Roadshow kind of girl. 😁 I agree, the History Channel has strayed from being, well, historical.
Ken Burns' Civil War documentary has been on my bucket list for a long time. I believe it was on Netflix several years ago and I kick myself for not watching more of it. I've heard Ken Burns say in an interview though that he regrets romanticizing the South as much as he does in his documentary. And you've convinced me, Lillian, to pick up and read David Blight's Race and Reunion - putting it on my TBR right now.
Love the bloopers! 😆
If we're talking shows blowing things up, I really miss the Mythbusters show! I can't remember if they used to play that on the History Channel or just on Discovery 🤔
Oooohhh, excited to hear what you think of Blight! There's also a fantastic recording of his introductory Civil War class that he teaches at Yale on Yale Open Courses / UA-cam (where I think they've been uploaded). He's got a great voice to listen to, and I've loved putting on some of his lectures for long cart trips.
I felt like I needed to include a blooper real because of all the snaffoos I had happen while filming 😂
Best wishes with what you choose to read. The only problem with watching other book tube channels is that it only increases the tbr! Happy reading to you.
Haha, thank you - you as well!!
Great subject for this video. I mostly read non-fiction. The very first actual adult book ( book not geared for younger readers) I ever read was A Night to Remember, the classic account of the sinking of the Titanic by Walter Lord. Although it was many years ago I recall it fondly. Thanks.
Glad that you enjoyed the video, thanks Peter! ☺
Oh, this is a great tag theme! I was excited to see you mention the Dear America diary series - I loved those books when I was a kiddo too. Hear My Sorrow and A Coal Miner's Bride were my favorites. Adding Necessary Trouble to my TBR. Love the little bloopers reel at the end! ☺️
I remember reading both of those from my library's Dear America collection!! Such powerful and eye -opening stories - very grateful to have come cross the series when I was a kiddo ☺
M, I feel like you and I have so many book overlaps from our growing up - Dear America, Vampire Hunter D, Reading Lolita in Tehran, Tamora Pierce 🤯
Would love to see you try this tag if you have any interest in it!
So many great books here 😊 I definitely want and need to read more about reconstruction
Hey, Grace!! Foner's book is a great overview of the timeline of Reconstruction - I think that I'm definitely due for a reread of it ☺
I loved this video and will be looking for most of the books you mentioned.
Oooh, lovely! I hope you enjoy them :)
I think you'd like False Cause by Adam Domby. It's a history of the development of the lost cause in North Carolina. It's smartly done.
Oooh, thanks for the recommendation!! I'll definitely be checking that one out ☺
Great books! You reminded me that I have In the Garden of Beasts on my Kindle and I should get to it!
Ahhh, thank you!! Hope you enjoy it, I found it to be really eye opening :)