Non fiction reads

[Onwayto50]

I used to be a huge fiction reader but am really enjoying non fiction now. Love anything political but also eclectic! I loved The Idiot Brain and I’m looking forward to The Shipping Forecast. Any recs for some
great non fiction reads?

I expect you have read the Salt Path? Also Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape by Cal Flyn was different and interesting - how plants naturally rewild abandoned human habitation. I also enjoyed Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind by Sue Black about forensic anthropology but it's pretty dark and not for everyone.

I have read The Saltpath which I loved but not the other two!! Oh the Sue Black one sounds fascinating - I loved the Christmas Lectures on forensic anthropology a few years back so I think that’ll be right up my street! I’ll give them both a go.

One of my most favourite books is the Running Hare by John Stempel Lewis. He's a farmer near the Welsh border, one year he left one of his meadows untreated by chemicals, and it's the story of the plants and animals that reappeared, throughout the farming year. Full of little anecdotes about all sorts, and beautiful lyrical writing. It was read on Radio 4 by the lovely Bernard Hill.

David Mitchell's Unruly is great if you like history. And I'm currently reading (well, listening to) Francis Pryor's 'A Fenland Garden' about how he and his wife created new gardens in Lincolnshire. It's very restful listening, I have to say, very therapeutic, and makes me want to go and design a garden.

Minnie Drivers Autobiography is excellent.

The Lost Pianos of Siberia by Sophy Richards/Roberts (can't remember which)

East West Street by Philippe Sands

That sounds like such a beautiful read!! I’ll definitely add it to my tbr!

Ooh I’ve read Unruly but not A Fenland Garden and I live in Lincs so perfect as a read! Thanks for the recs!

I do love an autobiography and would never have thought of hers! Perfect thanks so much

I don’t know anything about either of those - wonderful to find new books!! I shall and add them to the list!

I'm reading Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad at the moment and really enjoying it. I never really knew much about Japan before reading this book and it covers so much of the details of everyday life. He also has a YouTube channel which is really interesting to watch

My favourite NF book is Susan Hill's "Howard's End is on the Landing" . . . it's a wonderful 'book about books' and I wanted to house sit for her after reading it! It led me to so many other books . . . .

The World I Fell Out Of - Melanie Reid
House of Glass - Hadley Freeman
War Doctor - David Nott
Hungry - Grace Dent
Empire of Pain - Patrick Radeon Keefe

All five star reads for me

Anything by Bill Bryson.

Oh I read Abroad in Japan in January and absolutely loved it!! And I love the sound of the Howard’s End one! Definitely adding that to my list!!

I have just ordered: Whistle in the Wind: Life, death, detriment and dismissal in the NHS. A whistleblower's story by Peter Duffy.

https://read.amazon.co.uk/sample/B07VMDP6YD?f=1&l=en_GB&r=5da79820&rid=X25C6FA08A7QBEVB0B9G&sid=257-0909305-6533748&ref_=litb_m

I think it will be an eye opener based on the sample pages and the reviews. 😮

All of @yoshiblue ‘s recommendations are excellent.
Recent ones I’ve enjoyed:

A Village in the Third Reich: How Ordinary Lives Were Transformed By the Rise of Fascism - Julia Boyd

A woman of No Importance -Sonia Purnell

Tunnel 29 - Helena Merriman

Politics on the Edge - Rory Stewart

When The Dust Settles - Lucy Easthope

I would recommend Burying the Typewriter by Carmen Bugan. It's about life growing up in Romania where her father was an opponent of Ceausescu's regime.

The Hare with Amber Eyes - amazing book about a family's collection of tiny Japanese carvings and how they survived through twists and turns including the Nazis
Pale Rider - very readable book about the Spanish Flu.

The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir.
It's a non fiction account of the last days of Anne Boleyn, looking at the charges laid against her, the court case and the effect it had on her and those around her.
It's really well researched, well written and an engrossing read.

Elizabeth Gilbert - Eat Pray Love. Excellent creative non-fiction 😉

I have just listened to The Lost Continent, Notes from a Big Island, Notes from a Small Country and Neither Here nor There which are all free on Audible at the moment. They are a little dated now but I still thoroughly enjoyed them.

I'm a big fan of memoirs. Some of the best I have read in the last couple of years have been:

My Name is Why - Lemn Sissay
Behind The Seams - Esme Young
East of Croydon - Sue Perkins
I Love The Bones of You - Christopher Eccleston
Lady in Waiting - Anne Glenconner

I've got Tunnel 29 waiting on Kindle and that has reminded me, The House by The Lake by Thomas Harding is excellent, the story of the last 120 years or so of his family's former holiday home on the border between the former East and West Germany.

Everything by David Grann, especially Killers of the Flower Moon ( much better than the movie).

The Indifferent Stars Above, harrowing story of the Donner Party by Daniel James Brown. It's a gripping read and definitely is harrowing.

I've recently read and enjoyed:

The stranger in the woods (Finkel)

And

The Golden Mole (Rundell)