Week 2 (Nov 6 - 1): Choosing Nonfiction
with Frances @ Volatile Rune
It's Non-Fiction November again (see here). For the second week, our topic is "Choosing Nonfiction".
Week 2 (November 6 - 10) Choosing Nonfiction:
What are you looking for when you pick up a nonfiction book? Do you
have a particular topic you’re attracted to? Do you have a particular
writing style that works best? When you look at a nonfiction book, does
the title or cover influence you? If so, share a title or cover which
you find striking. (Frances @ Volatile Rune)
What are you looking for when you pick up a nonfiction book?
I think I mainly want a topic that interests me. History, politics, things going on around us that influence our lives
Do you
have a particular topic you’re attracted to?
Usually something about what's going on at the moment. Right now the Ukraine war, the refugee situation everywhere. But also the politics in Europe, my country and other countries that might have an influence on our lives.
Do you have a particular
writing style that works best?
For non-fiction, I think I prefer a chronological order.
When you look at a nonfiction book, does
the title or cover influence you?
I prefer pictures that show me something about the content. A picture of the place that is the main topic, in a biography the picture of the protagonist, or even a nice painting of the subject.
If so, share a title or cover which
you find striking:
Some examples from this year:
Illies, Florian "1913: The Year before the Storm" (GE: 1913: Der Sommer des Jahrhunderts) - 2012
Perry, Matthew "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing" - 2022
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For my lists on Nonfiction November check here.
I'm always attracted to a cover that features books. Fiction or non-fiction, it doesn't matter as long as books are involved!
ReplyDeleteTrue, Susan, books are always something that attracts all of us, I guess.
DeleteHi its Frances from Volatile Rune. Thank you so much for taking part in nonfiction november. It's so sad about Matthew Perry isn't it. A great photo of him on the cover there.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Frances. Sorry you can't comment under your name, some sites don't seem to want to correspond with each other. :) I usually go to Google Chrome when that happens. But this is fine, your link is above.
DeleteMy whole family is in mourning about Matthew Perry. As I wrote in my November post, we all loved him.
1913 has an interesting cover -- such color prefacing an event we can only imagine in grim shades grey, brown, and crimson.
ReplyDeleteWell put, Stephen. And it gives you the image about the book that everyone was still thinking the world is alright. Which, of course, it wasn't.
DeleteI don't think I have a specific thing I'm looking for when I pick up a nonfiction book...mostly it's just what looks interesting to me at that moment. :D
ReplyDeleteI totally agree there, Lark. There is one thing that prevents me from picking up a book most of the time: a pink cover.
DeleteHa. That's hilarious. What's wrong with pink? ;D
DeleteWell, without wanting to insult someone, they usually start with "While I was walking down the High Street in my Manolo Blahnik shoes with my Louis Vuitton bag ..." and end with "... and I am glad my ex ended up with the bitch and I found the most handsome man in the world". Honestly, as soon as I hear the name of any designer, I know the story is not for me. It's often that the girl has been left by her lover for another really beautiful one and she finds herself too fat or whatever and in the end she is the pretty one and has a great guy whereas her ex-lover is the loser. Not for me.
DeleteI don't read those kinds of nonfiction books either! Nothing about them appeals to me...not even the covers.
DeleteAh, I totally understand, Lark. There are certainly a lot of readers who enjoy those books. Not me.
DeleteSeven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops looks good! I don't read very many books about current events, though I listen to a lot of podcasts and news articles about them. I wonder why that is?
ReplyDeleteLike all his other books about his second hand bookshops, "Seven Kinds of People ..." is great.
DeleteCurrent events. I know a lot of people who say they cannot deal with what's going on around them and don't read anything at all. As long as you get your information in news articles or podcasts (which is something I cannot deal with, no audiobooks for me, either), you still try to follow current events. We all have different kind of approaches to politics, I think as long as we are interested, it doesn't matter how we get our info.
I can never pass up a book with a book on the cover. So ridiculous but it is true!
ReplyDeleteMost times, they are interesting books to read, as well, Molly, don't you think? Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI read Matthew Perry's book, it was so good (except the over use of the F-bomb). Such a tragedy that he is now gone.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a big tragedy, Cindy. But so worth reading.
DeleteYes, the cover DOES matter unless I really know the author from past books. Good points here.
ReplyDeleteThat is a point, Lisa. Often there are so many different book covers for the same book, I guess they want to make it more appealing to some readers. So, if you read a book by someone where the cover was different, that might have been a reason to pick up the previous one.
DeleteThanks for your visit.
The bookshop book draws me in too. I'd like to read Matthew Perry's book as well; I wish I'd read it already, RIP.
ReplyDeleteI think we all love books about books, and we all can recognize at least part of us in the customers, Lisa. LOL
DeleteI understand why you wish you'd read Matthew's book already. Somehow, I am glad I did but I would definitely want to read it now.
I need Seven Kinds of People on my TBR! ~Carol @ ReadingLadies
ReplyDeleteSo do I, but Oh! When I read Marianne's review and discovered that he doesn't like people who talk to him about books, I was a bit hurt. I have always thought that my booksellers like it when I tell them about the new releases that they haven't had time to read yet, but perhaps they are faking it...
DeleteThanks, Carol. Thanks, Lisa.
DeleteMaybe I didn't express myself very well there. He does moan about some customers but one can often understand why. The thing is, he sells second hand books and he knows a lot about them. But he cannot order any in, he has to take what it gets. I am sure there are a lot of booksellers that love talking about books, especially new ones. As you said, if they haven't had the time to read them, they certainly will appreciate to hear about it. I think you can tell whether someone is truly interested or just does it to sell you a book.