Non-fiction Recommendations + TBR

Hi guys, in case you didn’t know this month is Non-fiction November. In honour of that I thought I would do a post all about non fiction books. Now I am sad to say I don’t read a lot of non fiction. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy them. I have quite a few on my shelves but they just get pushed aside for other books. So I am hoping this will give me a push to at least start some of those books. I am going to start by sharing some recommendations and then talk about the non fictions books I want to read. I have five recommendations and 8 books on my TBR. Quick honourable mention of Beyond The Pale by Emily Urquhart, which I highly recommend.

The Penguin Book of Classical Myth / Jennifer R. March

This does what it says on the tin – it is all about Greek and Roman mythology. I am very interested in this, so I loved this book. It is written in an accessible way so you don’t need prior knowledge to read and enjoy this book. This is a great book to read if you are interested in mythology. It is a big book, but don’t be intimidated by the size. It is an easy read and is the type of book that you can dip in and out of.

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick and In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park

These two books focus on North Korea as there topic. I first read In Order to Live and after reading it I became fascinated in this country. To me it seems impossible that such a state can exist in this day and age, but it does. Both of these books are incredible and are well worth a read. I think it is so important to keep up to date with what is happening in the world. I am also currently reading The Girl with the Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee (currently about halfway through) and would recommend it as well.

Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

This is a fantastic book that is accessibly written, and a little depressing at times. I think this book should be read by everyone as it really opens your eyes to the struggles woman still go through on a daily basis. This is a great starting place for someone new to this topic, but it is also just a great read for anyone. I highly recommend this book.

Persian Fire and Rubicon / both by Tom Holland

I have enjoyed both of these books and I have another book by this author on my tbr. These both focus on Ancient history. I am fascinated by history of any time, but I find ancient history to be particularly interesting. I never got a chance to study it at school. These books are well written and so interesting, but they are also quite dense. I have to take my time with them to take sure I am understanding everything. I highly recommend them.

Another Day In The Death Of America / Gary Younge

Now I haven’t actually finished this book, but I’ve read enough to know it is an important read – I was lucky enough to receive a digital copy from Netgalley. This book is all about gun violence in America. I know I haven’t finished this yet, but I still wanted to put it in this list. It is such an important topic and I highly recommend this book.

 

I think I am going to leave the recommendations now and move onto my tbr. I have a mix to share with you guys – some of these I own, but there is also a couple that I do not own (marked with an *). Hopefully this will give me a push to read more of these books :).

• The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth

• The Impossible State North Korea Past and Future by Victor Cha

• In the Shadow of the Sword by Tom Holland

• SPQR by Mary Beard

• Mythology by Edith Hamilton

• The Mongol Empire by John Man

• The Skeleton Cupboard by Tanya Byron

• If This Is A Woman by Sarah Helm *

I hope to read more non fiction books in the future, as I think it is a great way to expand your mind and learn new things. Hopefully this will give me a push :). Let me know if you have any non fiction recommendations for me. I hope you are all having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

 

Pippa