Posted in Bluesocks' Picks, Books, Connie's Picks, Memoir, Nonfiction, Sense of place on June 18, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Connie from our Bluesocks reading group brings us this entry:
Anyone who is a Rick Bragg fan will want to read this third installment of his family history. Simply put, his first book, “All over But the Shoutin’,” was a tribute to his mother. His second book, “Ava’s Man,” was about his mother’s father’s life. This [...]
Posted in Books, Charlotte's Picks, Memoir, Nonfiction on April 30, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Rosina Harrison, born in Yorkshire at the turn of the last century, served for decades as lady’s maid to Nancy, Lady Astor. From 1929 to 1964, through her lady’s service in Parliament to the air raids on Plymouth in World War II, Rose was the woman behind the scenes, in charge of the furs, the [...]
Posted in Books, Characters, Coming of Age, Graphic novel, Jessica's Picks, Language Focus, Memoir, Nonfiction, Women's Nonfiction on April 11, 2008 | No Comments »
To wrap up this week’s theme of Women’s Nonfiction, permit me to introduce you to one of the most intellectually challenging books I’ve ever read. Don’t be deceived by the illustrations: yes, it’s a graphic novel, but it nonetheless had me racing for the dictionary, the encyclopedia, and, on three separate occasions, a volume of [...]
Posted in Books, Characters, Coming of Age, Historical Nonfiction, Jessica's Picks, Memoir, Nonfiction, Quirky characters, Sense of place, Setting, Women's Nonfiction on April 8, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Here in the oldies-but-goodies category we have Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady. You can tell it was published in 1985. Just look at that cover. That particular shade of pink has been extinct for well over twenty years now.
The story itself, fortunately, has aged far better than the garish cover art. This is the [...]
Posted in Books, Fast-paced, Graphic novel, Historical Nonfiction, Islam, Jessica's Picks, Memoir, Nonfiction, Quick read, Setting, Women's Nonfiction, Young Adult on April 7, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Common knowledge suggests that men tend to read nonfiction and that women tend to read fiction. Is this really true? Beats me– but I know this much for sure: There are a lot of women who like to read nonfiction. Some nonfiction titles have appeal that transcends sex or gender (think John Grisham’s book The [...]
Posted in Barry's Picks, Books, Characters, Language Focus, Memoir, Nonfiction, Sense of place, Short Stories, Southern fiction on December 28, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Truman Capote is probably recalled by most people today for his flamboyance, his odd speaking voice, and his dissolute lifestyle in the 1960s and 70s. Others may think of him as one of the founders of the narrative nonfiction movement with the success of In Cold Blood, published in serial form in the New Yorker [...]
Posted in Autobiography, Books, Memoir, Nature writing, Nonfiction, Setting, Todd's Picks on November 8, 2007 | No Comments »
Pete Fromm spent a winter alone in the Bitterroot Mountains guarding salmon eggs. This is his account of his Walden-esque experience.
After a friend drops out of the job just before the training starts Pete says I can do that and works out his college class schedule (independent writing) and heads to the woods to provide [...]
Posted in Autobiography, Barry's Picks, Books, Language Focus, Memoir, Microhistories, Nonfiction, Quick read on October 25, 2007 | No Comments »
Although Nick Hornby may be best known for his clever and witty fiction (try High Fidelity, Hornby’s look at a record store owner, his quirky staff, and his dysfunctional social life), he writes equally well about music in the nonfiction realm.
In Songbook, Hornby writes with insight and passion about 31 of his favorite songs from [...]
Posted in Barry's Picks, Biography, Books, Memoir, Nonfiction on October 23, 2007 | No Comments »
When NPR journalist Adams turned 51, he decided to surprise his wife by learning her favorite piano piece; first, he had to learn to play the piano. The story of the next year, spent purchasing a grand piano and taking lessons is quietly moving, often funny, and a delightful chronicle of his efforts.
Adams writes [...]
Posted in Books, Memoir, Neil's Picks, Nonfiction on August 14, 2007 | No Comments »
If you have a taste for good food or an appetite for the best in memoir writing, you must try Ruth Reichl, former restaurant critic for the New York Times and editor of Gourmet.
Her delectable works began with Tender at the Bone, an exploration of how each of the people she encountered in her early [...]
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