Nonfiction November is an annual reading event hosted jointly by Liz at Adventures in Reading, Frances at Volatile Rune, Heather at Based on a True Story and Deb at Readerbuzz. Its aim is to celebrate all things nonfiction.
The prompt for week one is provided by Heather who poses the following questions:
What nonfiction have you read in the past year?
What were your favorites?
Did you find yourself reading a particular category of nonfiction most often?
I’m not a great reader of nonfiction, evidenced by the fact I’ve only read five nonfiction books since last year’s event. These are:
- Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT and the Race That Will Change the World by Parmy Olson – Recounting the contest between giant technology corporations such as Microsoft and Google to develop and monetize AI tools
- The Draw of the Sea by Wyl Menmuir – The author’s very personal book about the fishermen, surfers, swimmers, beachcombers, conservationists, sailors and boatbuilders who make their living on the coast of Cornwall
- Relative Failures: The Lives of Willie Wilde, Mabel Beardsley and Howard Sturgis by Matthew Sturgis – A look at the lives of the siblings of more famous individuals
- Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work by Sarah Wynn-Williams – The author’s exposé of her time working for Facebook
- V is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemical of Death by Kathryn Harkup – Exploring some of the poisons used by Agatha Christie to kill off characters in her crime novels, everything from arrow poison to snake venom
My favourite book was The Draw of the Sea, not only because it is a wonderful book but because I met the author when we were both members of the judging panel for the Winston Graham Historical Prize 2026. At the time Wyl was engaged in restoring a boat at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth. He has since completed the project and sailed it to the Scilly Isles.
Looking at my list you might assume technology is a favourite topic but both were book club picks and to be honest I found the two of them hard going.
I’m hoping Nonfiction November will encourage me to read some of the nonfiction books in my TBR pile. I already know I’ll be reading The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet because, conveniently, this is my book club’s pick for November.
