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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

In Which I Read Non-Fiction For The First Time And Find Out That It Can Actually Be Really Good

In a Top Ten Tuesday post almost a year ago, I explored topics that make me NOT want to pick up a book. Among them was non-fiction. I freely admitted that non-fiction was a genre that was way outside my comfort zone and one that I assumed I would find tedious. Well, a few commenters convinced me that maybe I ought to give the genre a try and see if anything catches my interest. And lo and behold, I found myself reading/listening to the following non-fiction reads and actually ENJOYING them. Who knew?


Bossypants
by Tina Fey

I listened to the audio of Bossypants as narrated by Tina Fey herself and as you can imagine, it was quite simply HILARIOUS. It was not only the stories as written by Tina Fey, but also the stories narrated in her OWN voice that sealed the deal. In Bossypants, she recounts various tales of her life, from theatre geek to SNL writer to 30 Rock creator. We all know that Tina Fey is one funny lady, but she is also an awesomely talented writer and actress with great comedic timing. And thus a book written and narrated by her is just made of awesome.



Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
by Mindy Kaling

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) was another one that I listened to via audiobook and was narrated by Mindy Kaling herself (and was all the better for it!). Similar in style to Bossypants, Mindy Kaling recounts through a series of essays various events of her life and again, it was really freaking funny. If you are a non-fiction noob like I was, I would definitely recommend starting off with the audio for Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling's books because you are SURE to enjoy them.



Steve Jobs
by Walter Isaacson

I wouldn't consider myself a tech person by any means, nor would I have ever thought a biography could capture my interest, but boy, was this Steve Jobs biography ever fascinating! I am a fairly recent Apple convert and so was not aware of the backstory and history of the company, nor what Steve Jobs was like, so this book was enlightening indeed. This is the biography of the man who revolutionized the computer, the music industry, cell phones, and Pixar. He was quite the jerk-face personality-wise, but you can't argue with the fact that the man was a genius. I could go on and on recounting all the interesting tidbits that I learned in this biography and how this book actually changed the way I think about technology, design, and business, but instead I'll end it here and tell you to read Steve Jobs for yourself. I listened to the audiobook, which made the length considerably less daunting, and I recommend it.



Some Nerve
by Patty Chang Anker

Katie from Doing Dewey generously sent me this one when I mentioned in my comment of her review that I felt like I could probably really relate to the premise. Some Nerve: Lessons Learned While Becoming Brave is Patty Chang Anker's story of her quest to conquer her fears. After thirty-nine years of being afraid to try new things, she decided she wanted to be a better role model to her two young daughters and show them that it's okay to fail. I really love that Some Nerve never came across as a self-help book, which is one avenue of non-fiction that I'm still not keen on. By going outside her comfort zone and facing her fears head on she was finally able to live her life to the fullest.



So there you go, I can now say that not only is non-fiction a genre that I have read, but it's a genre that I can ENJOY - be it humorous or thought-provoking or enlightening. I now pronounce this sojourn outside my comfort zone a resounding success!!

So now I turn it over to you: have you read any non-fiction books that you would recommend to me? I would love to hear of them! As you may have gathered from my picks from above, I'm much more likely to get to your non-fiction recommendation quickly if I can get it in audio as I have many more openings for audiobooks at the moment than I have for physical books, but I'm still keen on any recs that you can give me!

28 comments :

  1. I've never been too keen on non-fiction either so if I ever decide that I'm in the mood for a non-fiction novel, I'll be sure to check out your recommendations, Aylee. I know I'd pretty much start off with Bossypants first though because Tina Fey is hilarious. Steve Jobs sounds like an interesting read if it made you change the way you think about technology.

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  2. I have been meaning to read the Tina Fey book for sometime but I think that, like you, i'll give it a shot in audiobook.

    Some Nerve also sounds like it would be right in my wheelhouse :) I'll have to look it up

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  3. Look at you broadening your reading scope like a champ! As usual we're kind of synced up though cause I *just* started reading a contemporary *gasp* Anyhoo, I'm glad you found so many non-fiction titles that pleased you!! I'd love to check out Bossypants and that Steve Jobs biography as well - I'm no big techie either but for some reason I'm curious about the guy. The Tina Fey one I think I'd do audio too just to get Tina Fey's humour right at the right points throughout the read. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me sounds like it could be really great too, and I'd want to do the audio with that one as well! Some Nerve is a new one for me but like you I can completely see relating to the premise!! Thanks for bringing it to my attention Aylee and YAY for reading outside your comfort zone ^^ xxxx

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    1. Gasp is right! Can't wait to hear what you think of your foray into contemporary!

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  4. I love that you're stretching your reading horizons, Aylee! I've discovered nonfiction through the years, as well, and I've found that memoirs work great for me! If you feel so inclined, do try THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls. It's one of the most powerful books I've ever read! Great little reviews, girl!

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    1. Just read up on The Glass Castle... wow! I'm very intrigued to say the least! Thanks so much for the rec!

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    2. The Glass Castle is AMAZING! Read it! haha

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  5. Woot for trying something new and liking it. I usually avoid NF too.

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  6. Some Nerve does sound like something I could relate too. That's great you're starting to find you can enjoy non-fiction. I've read random memoirs, etc. since high school and there are some great ones!

    I don't know if it's an audiobook or not...a physical copy is cool because it has pictures, but I'd recommend I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse? I just read it recently and will have a review up next month.

    I own Bossypants and need to read it soon. Love Tina Fey.

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    1. Excellent, thanks for the rec, Lauren! Really curious to read your review to learn more because it has such an intriguing title and premise.

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  7. I'm so proud of you. I love Mindy's audio.
    I've really become a fab of memoirs. Especially ones peppered with humor. Try Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends next.

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    1. I meant "fan" of memoirs. Silly autocorrect.

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    2. Ahh, excellent that does seem like the next logical step after Tina and Mindy's books! And thank you!!

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  8. I just finished listening to Bossypants last week and loved it! And I have Mindy Kaling's book and have read it and loooove it. I agree with you, I used to just turn my head away from non-fiction, but I've actually really grown to love it. It's cool to hear about people's real life experiences. I've been listening to audio books in my car and I've been trying to pick up more non-fiction because it's actually really great. I will have to check out your other recommendations :)

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  9. Non-fiction can definitely be okay if you find stuff that interests you, and these ones sound pretty good. I may just have to give them a shot. I should really read my Russel Brand non-fiction books first though since I already have them. :P

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  10. I just can't do non fiction any more. It's probably because of the thousands of memoirs I had to read for school- the majority about conflicts in the Middle East- and they weren't happy stories. I think I will take a break from the genre for the time being. However, I am interested in Some Nerve. That sounds interesting.

    I am impressed that you jumped into the genre with both feet, and read not one but four! You certainly gave it a good go.

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  11. Awesome! I'm so happy you tried non-fiction and even happier that you ended up liking it. I enjoyed Bossypants too, so I should probably give Kaling's book a try too. Another funny, author-narrated memoir I really loved is Caitlin Moran's How To Be a Woman. I also really enjoyed MWF Looking for BFF and The Happiness Project, both of which are similar to Some Nerve. They could have turned into self-help books, but they're really just people telling a story about how they tried to improve their own lives and you can take from them what you like. If you're looking for something a little different, I also really loved The Monuments Men and The Black Count, which are both narrative non-fiction.

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    1. Katie, YOU ARE THE BEST! I know I can trust your choices in non-fiction so I can't wait to get to all the new nf that you recommended here. YAY, THANK YOU!!

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  12. I'm not a big non-fiction reader, but I can get behind funny non-fiction. It's the only sort that works for at the moment, haha. ;) I loved Bossypants too and I'm DEFINITELY curious about Mindy Kaling's book now. I think she's completely brilliant. I'll probably never enjoy non-fiction as much as I do fiction, but it can be interesting to step out of the comfort zone every now and again!

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  13. That's so awesome that you were able to challenge some of your preconceived notions for non-fiction and actually find some books that you enjoyed! I still have a very similar view with regard to non-fiction that you used to have, so I should try doing something similar to you. The audiobook route sounds like a pretty good idea, though I admit I'm not really a fan of Fey or Kaling. I'll have to look into some of the recommendations you've got as well!

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  14. I have to say I was never that big of a fan of non-fiction in the past, but I now have liked and enjoyed some non-fiction reads. I think you should read some David Sedaris. His stuff is hilarious, and his books are collections of essays recounting parts of his life, like Fey and Kaling. Also, Mary Roach writes some fascinating stuff. Her book Stiff offers some really dark humor though it might make you uncomfortable. If you think so, don't read it. haha

    I want to read all of these, especially Bossypants since I love Tina Fey. So I'm glad you enjoyed these! I also want to read chelsea Handler too so maybe you'd like something by her? Great post, Aylee! :D

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    1. Adding some David Sedaris and Mary Roach to me tbr now, thanks so much for the recs! I'm definitely intrigued with what you've had to say here.

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  15. Oh no! The darkest of all darksides, non-fiction - ew! I'm glad it was a good experience for you. I'm not sure if I could get into non-fiction. It feels like I'd be reading for school again?

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    1. Well, that's what I was worried about! That it would be like reading a textbook. But surprisingly, I found these reads to be SIGNIFICANTLY more interesting and entertaining than a school textbook.

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  16. I just read Mindy Kaling's book as well and absolutely loved it! I liked Bossypants as well but it kind of felt like reading 30 Rock, whereas Mindy's book felt more relateable (to me anyway)

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    1. I can see what you're saying. My favourite parts of Tina's book were the parts pre-30 Rock that she talked about.

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