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USE THIS POST TO DISCUSS WHICH BOOK YOU'LL PICK THIS MONTH, ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CATEGORY, ETC


I’m glad we are having this conversation. It’s time (to read some non-fiction!). This month, pick up a non-fiction book that you can learn something from.


**Category guidelines**
It's not any non-fiction. It's supposed to be non-fiction you can learn something from, whether it's about a social issue, politics, history, a science, a different country, the environment, art, etc. It has to be educational.

So, for example, a book of humourous essays by David Sedaris wouldn't count, even if it is non-fiction.

Some memoirs/autobiographies count, such as Malala Yousafzai's, Yeonmi Park's, Loung Ung's, because they are about historically significant events and human rights issues. But, for example, Amy Schumer's autobiography (or any other "funny" memoir) does NOT count. Neither does something like Eat Pray Love.

True crime also does not fit this month's category as a rule, unless a SIGNIFICANT part of the book is dedicated to history (like the Devil in the White City), or forensic science, or law. If you REALLY want to read a true crime book this month, you must make a strong case for it being educational.

is the ONTD post with suggestions for this month!

Some more examples:

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America - Erik Larson
King Leopold's Ghost - Adam Hochschild
The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus - Richard Preston
Citizen: An American Lyric - Claudia Rankine
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom- Yeonmi Park
Cosmos - Carl Sagan
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer- Siddhartha Mukherjee
The Universe in a Nutshell- Stephen Hawking
Racism: A Short History- George Fredrickson
We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Night - Elie Wiesel
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement - Angela Y. Davis
Every Twelve Seconds: Industrialized Slaughter and the Politics of Sight - Timothy Pachirat
Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America - John Chasteen
Dogland: A Journey to the Heart of America's Dog Problem- Jacki Skole
The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence- Gavin de Becker

Posting this early for the people who need to get library reservations in place, etc.

Please remember that the books above are JUST suggestions!

I think I'll probably read a nonfic book I already own. I'm thinking about:

The Humane Economy: How Innovators and Enlightened Consumers Are Transforming the Lives of Animals by Wayne Pacelle

Meatonomics: How the Rigged Economics of Meat and Dairy Make You Consume Too Much and How to Eat Better, Live Longer, and Spend Smarter by David Robinson Simon

Mmmm i need to check which one of these books are in spanish first

I want to read almost all of these! How on earth will I choose?

Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia

and/or

White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America


both of these were recommended on ONTD. I'm excited to read them (or listen on audiobook, heh)!

I would add

Between the World and Me

and anything by Slavenka Drakulic, if you want to have some sort of understanding of daily life in post-Communist Eastern Europe. Her books are short and sweet, and she's straight up entertaining!

Café Europa

How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed

Rozalina, those books about post-communist eastern europe sound amazing!! thank you so much for the rec!

Lea wrote: "Rozalina, those books about post-communist eastern europe sound amazing!! thank you so much for the rec!"


They were fun reads, I hope you like them :)

I'm going to read Museum of the Missing: A History of Art Theft. I'm sure it'll be informative lol

Tabitha that book actually sounds really interesting!!
I've always wondered what kind of people bother buying these high profile black market items.

Leyla wrote: "Tabitha that book actually sounds really interesting!!
I've always wondered what kind of people bother buying these high profile black market items."

Selfish folks with too much money tbh! Though I like to think there a few good eggs who just want to save masterpieces from some museums because, having been behind the scenes of a few museums, not all of them do what they should or can to protect their collections.

But I think it's mostly just monied fools lol

Reading Devil in the White City right now, its a really fantastic book! I will pick something new for Feb

I have a whole bunch of Mary Roach books that I've yet to read so they're perfect for Feb! I'll probably do Packing for Mars...

I'm torn between Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking or The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence. Luckily, I have both of these so it's just a matter of making a decision.

Nicole, I've read them both, and (if you're interested in my opinion) to me there is no contest between those two.

There's nothing in Quiet that you can't get from the author's TED Talk, but the Gift of Fear is one of the only books I've read in my life that I can honestly call empowering. There are SO many practical, potentially life-saving safety lessons in that book. It is a VERY important read for women.

ETA: Oprah is a big fan of this book. Here are a couple of segments from her show where the author speaks:

Lea wrote: "Nicole, I've read them both, and (if you're interested in my opinion) to me there is no contest between those two.

There's nothing in Quiet that you can't get from the author's TED Talk, but the ..."

Oh, wow! Then I'm definitely reading The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence. You're the second person to tell me that this book is very important for women. Thank you so much, Lea :)

I'm debating between The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America - Erik Larson or Dogland: A Journey to the Heart of America's Dog Problem- Jacki Skole.

The former because I just LOVE that sort of thing. The latter because I just got a shelter dog this summer and I love dogs, I've always loved dogs.

Would The Hate Race meet the requirements? I've been meaning to read it for awhile but IDK if memoir is non-fiction or not.

i'll have to read any of the following (cos i already own them): To the River: A Journey Beneath the Surface, Four Futures: Life after Capitalism, The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine, The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between.

Kirsten wrote: "I'm debating between The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America - Erik Larson or Dogland: A Journey to the Heart of America's Dog Problem- Jacki Skole...."

Read devil in the white city! Its sooooo good.

I just downloaded a TON of non-fiction and true crime novels that will fit this bill!! I'm torn between A Daughter's Deadly Deception: The Jennifer Pan Story, Who Killed These Girls?: The Twenty-Five-Year History of Austin's Yogurt Shop Murders, or The Black Panthers: Portraits from an Unfinished Revolution. OR MAYBE Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology? Man, there's so many good non-fiction books out there waiting for me to learn something.

Courtney wrote: "Would The Hate Race meet the requirements? I've been meaning to read it for awhile but IDK if memoir is non-fiction or not."

Yep, memoir is non-fiction. That book would fit the criteria (looks really interesting, btw)

Keri, maybe save Leah Remini's book for the category of celebrity-authored books? Unless you have another one in mind for that month ;)

I have sooooo many non-fiction advance reading books piling up at home, so I'm probably just going to dig through and pick something from the stash for February.

My shortlist at the moment is:

Defined by Design: The Surprising Power of Hidden Gender, Age, and Body Bias in Everyday Products and Places

The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen: Awesome Female Characters from Comic Book History

The Girl at the Baggage Claim: Explaining the East-West Culture Gap

I tried reading Between the World and Me early last year and I had a hard time. I was enjoying the topic, but I'm not sure Coates's writing style agrees with me. Is it one of those books where you have to push through the beginning?

I was also looking at reading White Trash or Born in Blood and Fire...although after the inauguration, I'm thinking I may want to read something a little bit lighter? Maybe Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality?

I was thinking about reading The Trouble With Women, which I've had on my to-read since last year. Would that be fine for this category?

Sraxe, that looks amazing, and yes it fits the category since it is, really, gender studies. great pick

I picked up Court-Martial: How Military Justice Has Shaped America from the Revolution to 9/11 and Beyond for myself at Christmas time because I am a giant nerd who is very interested in the effect the armed forces has on our society. Yes/No for this category? It's ultimately any non-fiction, right? :)

K., this one definitely fits the category. But just to be clear, it's not any non-fiction. It's supposed to be non-fiction you can learn something from, whether it's about a social issue, politics, history, a science, a different country, etc.

Rachel and I are still defining the finer points of this category (for example, does true crime count? does ANY memoir count?), and we'll get back to everyone on that soon. Keep the questions coming!

Excellent! I'll keep my choice and I'm glad you were able to clear that up for anyone else who may have had questions about what qualifies. Thanks! :)

Alright everyone, we've updated this month's guidelines (I edited the first post).

Keri, heads up, the two true crime books you mentioned do not fit this month's criteria.

lanie, Heads in Beds does not fit this month's criteria. (But if you're looking for a lighter read that does fit, I can look something up for you)

I am thinking about doing Seven Brief Lessons on Physics but since it is so short, I might supplement with the new one coming out this month, Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity. Both seem like good reads for someone like me (interested in science, but not an expert by any means).

I'm going to read The Ottoman Endgame: War, Revolution, and the Making of the Modern Middle East, 1908 - 1923. My Jan choice is kind of eh but I'm so looking forward to this.

If anyone is looking for ideas, I recommend the following:
Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World
First Bite: How We Learn to Eat
Real Food/Fake Food: Why You Don’t Know What You’re Eating and What You Can Do about It
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra

I'd really like to read about the Stonewall Riots. Does anyone have a good rec?

Seems like Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement or March: Book One by John Lewis would be very appropriate next month. I already have a couple books on my list for Feb but I'm adding Walking with the Wind. Gonna learn all the things lol.

Kat wrote: "Seems like Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement or March: Book One by John Lewis would be very appropriate next month. I already have a couple books on my li..."

The March books are SOOO GOOD!! I actually haven't read the third one yet but the first two were so powerful. They should be taught in schools. (I think I read that they are, actually)

I got The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America at a booksale recently, so I think I'll read that for February!

Devil in the White City has been on my to-read list forever so I'll probably go with that.

I'm actually reading Lisa Chamberlain's Wicca for Beginners: A Guide to Wiccan Beliefs, Rituals, Magic, and Witchcraft (Wicca Books Book 1) and Katherine Howe's The Penguin Book of Witches, both of which are non-fiction about wicca or witches, so I think those qualify? I don't know much about either topic, so they seem a good fit.

i so rarely (perhaps never) read non fiction. i have had The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor on my hold list for a while, i think this counts as educational! going to read this in february

Melanie wrote: "I am thinking about doing Seven Brief Lessons on Physics but since it is so short, I might supplement with the new one coming out this month, Reality Is Not What It Seems: The..."

Definitely give SBLoP a shot. It is short, which I think is a good thing, because I wasn't a fan of all the lessons and wanted to skip to the next, haha, but I did think it had the occasional neat, introductory idea(s). These helped me find other books I was interested in, so it all works out.

I'm aiming to have my book be about technology, but I'm still unsure what that entails. :\ Maybe The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography? But, I have wanted to read Salt: A World History too. Ahhhh picking is the hardest part!

So, I'm thinking either 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed or The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First Century. No reason in particular.

I was also thinking about 1808, but I decided to save it if we do this next year and there's a Come to Brazil category.

LMAO honestly I'm kicking myself for not thinking of a Come to Brazil category this year, it's a sure bet for next year. But there are lots of Brazilian books to choose from!

Peter the Great: His Life and World

Yay the book I'm starting fits a category! I'm so stoked to read this, I've always heard how great Robert K. Massie is and Russia is the moooost interesting, per always.

Also might read (sort of re-read) The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin because it's totally fascinating and perhaps timely.

I was able to find a totally legal not at all suspect digital copy of The Gift of Fear since it's wait listed at all the libraries in my area so that's definitely what I'll be doing for February.

Court wrote: "Peter the Great: His Life and World

Yay the book I'm starting fits a category! I'm so stoked to read this, I've always heard how great Robert K. Massie is and Russia is the moooost i..."

I ordered Peter the Great from Book Outlet a few days ago. Either I'll read that or The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England, another book I ordered.

lanie wrote: "I tried reading Between the World and Me early last year and I had a hard time. I was enjoying the topic, but I'm not sure Coates's writing style agrees with me. Is it one of those books where you ..."

I had a somewhat similar experience, Lanie. Although Coates made really strongly points early on, towards the middle I felt that his treatment of the Black American experience was too general and prescriptive when it was based on his experience in the DMV. Some parts really resonated with me, such as when he contrasts the troubles facing white boys (a pimple, getting rejected by popular girl) and the troubles facing black boys (trying to keep their bodies safe), but others fell flat, such as when he talks about everyone knowing the leader in the hood (paraphrasing here). Anyway, I picked it up again in anticipation of this challenge, but will likely finish it sometime this month and chose another book. Someone recommended "White Trash..." and it piqued my interest.

So I decided to read In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom, but if I finish it fairly quickly I also want to read Devil in a White City.

I just ordered Angela Davis' Freedom Is a Constant Struggle so I should be expecting that soon and I had planned to read it as soon as it got here. I'm glad it fell perfectly with the month.

I definitely be reading The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra for this month's challenge! I have a strange fascination with the Romanov's, so this is right up my alley.