02/05/06 07:38 PM
I’m currently about 5/7ths of the way through my current book, and with any luck I should be able to finish it up this week some time. I have another book in the queue after that, and possibly one more arriving soon from an online purchase that I may or may not want to push to the top of the pile.
I’m one of those people who likes to plan my reading in advance (just so I can get excited about what’s coming next), so I want to ask for book idea suggestions from people. Because this is The Year Of Non-Fiction (a choice I made before beginning 2006), I ask you to please recommend titles in that genre only.
Basically, I just want to read about real experiences this year, whether they be personal essays or something more learning-based. Please, recommend away!
February 5th, 2006 at 9:09 pm
If you’re interested in learning about different cultures and in particular, what happens when cultures collide, you might want to check out, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman.
The cover says it all: “A Hmong child, her American doctors and the collision of two cultures.”
-M
February 6th, 2006 at 9:59 am
I am tempted to not recommend any books to you since you didn’t like my beloved Dylan Thomas’ ‘Adventures in the Skin Trade.’
You should read ‘Bury me Standing’ by Isabel Fonseca. The author went and lived with different groups of gypsies/roma people in Europe and writes about it.
Another book I liked a lot was ‘The Great Railway Bazaar’ by Paul Theroux. It’s a travel book about taking a train through Vietnam, India, etc. etc. Theroux is a funny writer, you might like him.
February 6th, 2006 at 11:16 am
There’s this book called “A Million Little Pieces” by James Frey….
Oh yeah, you said NON-fiction.
Anyway, I liked this:
How Soccer Explains the World : An Unlikely Theory of Globalization – Franlin Foer.
The author is an editor at The New Republic. The book examines soccer’s role in various locales around the world and what it means to those people. And what it says about that locales social, economic, political, and racial composition.
February 7th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
Speaking of fiction versus non-fiction, how is your trek through the Bible coming along?
February 7th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
ANY memoirs or essays by David Sedaris.
“The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century” by Thomas L. Friedman
“My Misspent Youth: Essays by Meghan Daum” (not all the essays are spot-on, but then again a few are great)
“Harpo Speaks!” Harpo Marx’ autobiography. I loved it.
February 8th, 2006 at 8:14 am
I’ve heard a lot of good about that Friedman book, and I want to check out some more general “history of (united states/world)” books because I feel like I’m somewhat lacking in that department many times.
I’ve read some Sedaris (“Me Talk Pretty…” and “Barrel Fever”) and honestly I didn’t care for him a whole lot. Just personal taste, I guess.
The Foer and Theroux books sound like stuff I’d be interested in for sure. I’m currently in the middle (towards the end, actually) of David Foster Wallace’s new book of essays and articles, then I’m going to be reading Joan Didion’s recent book and then (I think) a book on the history of hip-hop music by Jeff Chang. Keepin’ it eclectic!