Nonfiction November 2021: My Year in Nonfiction

I am not a big fan of non-fiction generally, limiting myself to one book every year in November, after which I feel I have done my duty in improving my mind and expanding my reading horizon.

2021 has been different, however. I have been exploring more genres and reading more non-fiction than usual.

So, when I saw Bookertalk’s post talking about her favorite non-fiction reads this year, I wanted to join in too.

I read four books this year, and I can recommend all of them.

• At Home by Bill Bryson – I don’t actively look for Bill Bryson’s books, but when I do read them, I almost always enjoy his rambling discourses. At Home is a deep-dive into how houses evolved throughout history, and covers each room – living room, bedroom, bathroom etc. It’s slow, rambling, hilarious in places. I read this book through a particularly bad time with insomnia, and it worked wonders. That doesn’t mean this book is boring, it’s just a generally relaxing read. Great if you are not in a hurry, and like random trivia.
• The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara – I have been wanting to read something from South America ever since my trip to Peru last year. Then I watched a documentary on Cuba, and got interested in Che Guevara. This book is a compilation of his thoughts as he embarked on a motorcycle road trip from Argentina to Colombia. Part travelogue, and part coming of age, this slim volume was wonderful – funny and humanistic, and gave some insights to the personality of a young Che. One thing to note though, is that it’s not particularly well-written. It is his personal thoughts that he never intended to publish. But if you keep that in mind, I think there is a lot in this book to appreciate.
• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi – This is my first experience reading a graphic novel (especially a non-fictional one), and it was a true delight. I loved reading about Marjane’s childhood in Iran (really sweet), which contrasts with the darker turn the book takes during all the political unrest in the later half.
• Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari – While I enjoyed this book, I am a little on the fence wrt to the bibliography (scanty) and the conclusions he leaps to (not enough justification). Still, it was enjoyable, and informative, and I always like different takes on history, so this book worked for me.

So, what to read next for non-fiction November this year?

I am not sure, November is a festive month in India, and I don’t think I am up to anything taxing.

One book I have in mind is The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl. I have been a big fan of his right from his Nirvana days. He doesn’t seem like too much of an ass-hat, and he’s led a pretty exciting life and probably has a lot of tales to share.

So, if I can get my hands on this book, that’s the one I am going to read.

Also, Rennie over at What’s non-fiction has tons of medical non-fiction recommendations up on her blog if that interests you.

However, I am pretty open to other books as well. Any recommendations you’d like to share with me? Nothing too heavy or depressing, please.