Week 1 of Nonfiction November is here. Thank you so much to this year's hosts for taking up the challenge. Heather of Based on a True Story is the host for week 1. She lives in Ohio with her husband, surrounded by lots and lots of critters! Sounds wonderful.
Week 1 (10/30-11/3) Your Year in Nonfiction: Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November? (Heather)
What books have you read?
Lisbon, War in the Shadows of the City of Light, 1939-45 by Neill Lochery
Kärlek och kärnfamilj i folkhemmet by Jonas & Orvar Löfgren
Det omaka paret, Tjeckernas och slovakernas historia by Ingmar Karlsson
Seven Kinds of People You Find In a Bookshop by Shaun Bythell
Aldrig mer trött (Never again tired, my transl.) by Pia Norup
Aktier, 3 steg till ekonomiskt oberoende (Shares, 3 steps to ekonomic independence) by Ola Lauritzson
Tusen år i Uppåkra (Thousand years in Uppåkra) by Dick Harrison
Christensen, Inga - Vikingarna i det frankiska riket (A more academic book about the vikings in the Frankish empire) by Inga Christensen
Casanova in Venice by Michel Delon & Michèle Sajous D'Ori
Messages From a Lost World, Europe on the Brink by Stefan Zweig
Tio lektioner i svensk historia (Ten lessons in Swedish history) by Ola Larsmo
Kärlek i hatets tid (Liebe in Zeiten des Hasses/Love in a Time of Hate) by Florian Illies
Sanningen är alltid oförskämd, Biography of August Strindberg by Göran Hägg
Van Gogh's Ear by Bernadette Murphy
Axel von Fersen och drottning Marie-Antoinette, 1700-talets stora kärleksäventyr by Margareta Beckman
Ett hemligt liv, Verner von Heidenstam och Kate Bang by Martin Kylhamma
Napoleon - A Concise Biography by David A. Bell
Världens största konspirationer by editor Andreas Nyberg
Marie Antoinette by Stefan Zweig
A Fortune Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzano
That is 20 books out of the 101 books I have read so far.
What were your favorites?
As usual my favourite nonfiction is within History. The best book, even including fiction, this year is Florian Illies' Love in the Time of Hate, Art and Passion in the Shadow of War, 1929-39. It is such a different take on the sad history of Europe during this time. Making it more real by looking into the loves and lives of creative people. Can highly recommend it.
Other favourites are: The love story between Axel von Fersen and Marie Antoinette, with an insight into their relationship and correspondence. Ett hemligt liv, "A Secret Life" about the love story between Verner von Heidenstam, a Swedish national poet and his long time partner Danish Kate Bang which took place in the beginning of the 20th century. Napoleon - A Concise Biography was very interesting and makes for more reading about this unusual man. Looking forward to the upcoming film by Ridley Scott which premieres in Sweden on 22 November. I guess where you are it is already in the cinemas. Most of the books are about history which is a big interest of mine. Biographies are also interesting I find. Bernadette Murphy's quest to find out what happened when Van Gogh cut off is ear, is a thrilling detective story.
Several of the nonfiction books I have read in connection with our travels. Always interesting to read up on local history, customs and traditions.
Is there a topic you want to read about more?
I am interested in the Evolution and have a couple of books on that subject. Travels, Culture and Traditions are other subjects.
What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
To be inspired by other people's reading of nonfiction. I so often just stay with history and biographies, but would like to be inspired by other areas as well. Considering the dire circumstances in the world today, I don't read so much of contemporary nonfiction. For the time being I am happy to sink into another world with my nonfiction reading.
What am I reading?
Having just come back from two months travelling with a camper van through Montenegro, Albania and, mostly, Greece, I am letting myself sink into the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds with The Classical World, An Epic History of Greece and Rome by Robin Lane Fox. It promises to be a very interesting read, and I can go back to remember the ancient places we visited in Greece.