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| Non-Fiction anyone? http://arwen-undomiel.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=21552 |
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| Author: | Banana_Republic [ July 10th, 2011, 11:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Non-Fiction anyone? |
Sorry if there's another thread like this I didn't see it, if there is. Anyways, is anyone else interested in reading non-fiction books? I'm an avid lover of history, in particular Ancient and Early Medieval Europe. I used to read my history text-books when I was in school  . I'm always scouring Barnes and Noble looking for a good history book to read. So...am I alone or is there anyone else here who loves to read non-fiction too:)? |
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| Author: | Tinker Bell [ July 10th, 2011, 11:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
It depends on what it is. I'll read some history stuff, although its been quite a while since I did. I like reading books about nature and wildlife, and I like Alan Alda's books. But yeah, it just depends. So you're not alone, I especially like history about the American wild west days and the Middle Ages in Europe. |
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| Author: | Cara [ July 11th, 2011, 8:36 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
I usually read ancient history and mythology non-fiction books. But I also love travel and explore books by Polish travelers Martyna Wojciechowska (director of National Geographic Poland) and Beata Pawlikowska (I even talked to her once ^^). |
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| Author: | lembas [ July 11th, 2011, 9:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
I read more non-fiction than fiction mainly due to studying history at university, but some for my own interest (which usually ends up being referenced somewhere in a Uni essay!). I have and have read quite a large selection, Most of it's C20th history on Britain, Germany or America, because that's what I like best atm. Ian Kershaw, Gen. Gordan Corrigan, Garry Sheffeild, Dan Todman and Mark White are among my favourite historians atm, and luckily I've had the chance to be taught by three of them  .I also like analytical books on Literature and media- Like Planet Narnia- which explores the symbology of TCoN and it's relation to the 7 medieval planets (I really recommend this for Narnia fans ). I also found a rather cool series of published essays on Philosophy in Harry Potter, which explores stuff like the theme and meaning of Love in HP, What an animagus actually is and whether philosophically it is correct for JK to say Dumbledore is gay is cannon, with little reference to that fact in the books, and after all 7 books have been published.I also like current political literature, especially if it revolves around current figures (I'm a personality-cult *beep*), and I like some Feminist literature, just because I like seeing different ways in how people interpret the society we live in |
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| Author: | Banana_Republic [ July 11th, 2011, 5:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
Awesome . I always felt that a lot of people don't give non-fiction a chance because it can be pretty dry depending on who the author is. I went a little over-board the last couple of days buying books. I got Winston Churchill's Birth of Britain part 1, a book on Queen Emma and the vikings, a book on the two Princes who disappeared during Richard III's reign, and a book on Stone Age Civilization. Books-a-Million has a great history section. |
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| Author: | Johnny's Fan [ July 11th, 2011, 11:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
I read a lot of non-fiction as well. History books are mainly centred around the American Civil War and US presidents although pretty much if I can find a decent book about America, I will read it. Currently reading "Brothers" about Jack and Bobby Kennedy. But I also love my film books. And my book about musicals/Broadway. I have a lot of "making of" books and guides to films (Breakfast At Tiffany's etc) and I have a lot of books about movies and actors. I like to read older actors autobiographies like Maureen O'Hara and Eli Wallach. |
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| Author: | Banana_Republic [ July 12th, 2011, 12:27 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
Johnny's Fan wrote: I read a lot of non-fiction as well. History books are mainly centred around the American Civil War and US presidents although pretty much if I can find a decent book about America, I will read it. . That's cool . I used to work for a Civil War National Park. I wasn't too interested in American history before working there, but now I love reading books on the Civil War or the American Revolution.
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| Author: | Johnny's Fan [ July 12th, 2011, 2:08 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
Ah, you are so lucky! I would love to visit some of the battlefields and famous Civil War places. It would be awesome to be at Gettysburg for the 150th anniversary of the battle. |
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| Author: | Banana_Republic [ July 12th, 2011, 6:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
Johnny's Fan wrote: Ah, you are so lucky! I would love to visit some of the battlefields and famous Civil War places. It would be awesome to be at Gettysburg for the 150th anniversary of the battle. Gettysburg is really amazing! I've been there twice and I got to stay at the hotel where the Confederate army had their headquarters before the battle. I've also been to Antietam, which was pretty cool as well. |
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| Author: | Shadowcat [ July 14th, 2011, 12:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
Haha, Gettysburg. I tripped over a fence when I was there and cut up my leg pretty bad. I do like nonfiction, but I don't read nearly enough of it. I think I'm too particular when I'm choosing books. Just read a book not too long ago about cholera in London, though, and I loved it, couldn't put it down. I can't stand biographies though. They bore me to tears every time. |
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| Author: | MontanaBohemian [ July 14th, 2011, 1:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
It really depends on what is about. Or who it's about. But I definately don't read enough non-fiction. I'd like to ... I just never get around to it. Biographies are reaaaaally hit or miss, in my opinion. I've read "Becoming Jane Austen" By Jon Spence, which was actually quite interesting. It was a great look into her life. But the best non-fiction book I've ever read to date, was "Seabiscuit." I honestly could not put it down. I read it in two days and afterwards, wished there had been much more. Which, to be said for a nonfiction historical book, is really impressive. It was so well written, and just so interesting. I've always been interested in history, and have wanted to read books about certain eras ... I just never seem to find the time or find a good one. For quite a while, I've been wanting to read "Undaunted Courage" by Stephen Ambrose, about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It's supposed to be incredibly good. It seems so many people think it's absurd that I haven't already read it, but when you're from Montana and you spend the majority of your grade school years learning about Lewis and Clark, another book about them just doesn't really seem that ... exciting. Ha ha ha! But, I really miss learning history, so I think that's what accounts for my recent intrigue in nonfiction. Annnnnnd, I have this sneaking feeling that I'm going to be going on some sort of colonial America/Revolutionary America history reading spree. 
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| Author: | Johnny's Fan [ July 14th, 2011, 6:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
MontanaBohemian wrote: Annnnnnd, I have this sneaking feeling that I'm going to be going on some sort of colonial America/Revolutionary America history reading spree. :whistle: *becomes a Jiminy Cricket* Reeeead about the Civil waaaaaaar....... OOh, I would trade your cut leg for visiting Gettysburg Skitteh.
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| Author: | MontanaBohemian [ July 15th, 2011, 10:15 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
Johnny's Fan wrote: MontanaBohemian wrote: Annnnnnd, I have this sneaking feeling that I'm going to be going on some sort of colonial America/Revolutionary America history reading spree. :whistle: *becomes a Jiminy Cricket* Reeeead about the Civil waaaaaaar....... HAHAHAHA!  You know, as interesting as the Civil War is to read about, I've found that in general I like to bypass that time and basically jump from the Revolution/Lewis & Clark, straight to the Oregon Trail (which, suuuure, started before the Civil War but whatever) and the gold rushes and move westward. I think it's because I find the Civil War just so damn depressing. But I would like to see some of the Civil War history. Like Gettysburg. Reading about it ... I don't know, gives me too much to think about how awful it was. But seeing it ... yeah. SO GET YOUR BUTT OVER TO AMERICA MISS JFISHNESS! RIGHT NOW! 
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| Author: | Ashwise [ August 27th, 2011, 1:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
I like nonfiction as well. My two favorites are history and politics. |
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| Author: | Gandolorin [ May 2nd, 2017, 3:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Non-Fiction anyone? |
As a rough guess, our non-fiction books outnumber our fiction books by at least 5 to 1. After a not-so-quick count, we have more than 1500 books. Quite a bit of my buying started in the early 2000s, again a rough guess would be that at least a third, more likely almost half of our books stem from that time. And without exaggeration, I can say the non-fictions span from Archaeology to Zoology, except for mathematics. Music theory and art are more in my wife’s line, so I’m not entirely current of what we have there. And both in fiction (though more rarely) and in non-fiction, when I find an author (female authors are a bit thin on the sciences side, even in social sciences) that catches my interest, I get into a “completist” mood (JRRT is just the most extreme example). Naturally, we also have very many books in German (my wife can read English with a bit of difficulty, she had some bad luck with teachers of the subject in school, which can foul up any perhaps budding interest in a subject – don’t I know about this, too!), so many authors would not necessarily ring a bell with Anglophones. 22, 17, 12 books are the totals I own by single non-fiction authors (come to think of it, even Christopher Tolkien has only reached 18 pre "Beren and Lúthien" so far). A German journalist whose first-hand experience of the Muslim world (but it is not limited to that) probably exceeds that of any non-Muslim in his time (and in its width probably that of many Muslims); a Swiss Catholic theologian who is without a doubt the most widely read Catholic (and probably Christian) theologian since about the Second Vatican Council, and whose opinion of the Roman curia probably only varies marginally from that of Martin Luther 500 years ago; and an English evolutionary biologist with a distinctly gene’s-eye view to life. The last two have had a go at each other about ten years ago, and no matter how brilliantly the theologian is able to write about his subject, on that matter he was Joe Frazier against George Foreman – knocked out cold. |
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