Another Attempt at the TBR Pile Reading Challenge

For more years than I care to remember I’ve signed up for Roof Beam Reader’s TBR Pile Challenge hoping to read most, if not all of the 12 books and two alternates on my list. I’m embarrassed to say year after year I’ve failed miserably. No matter how hard I try, at best I manage to make it through a mere handful of my intended books. Frustrated by my history of poor performance I opted to sit this year out, despite 2023 marking the challenge’s 10th anniversary.

Over the weekend however I had second thoughts and decided to give the challenge another try. After a bit of wailing and gnashing of teeth I selected 12 books and two alternates I’d like to read over the course of the year.

• A World Without Islam by Graham E. Fuller (2010)
• The Evolution of God by Robert Wright (2009)
• The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor David S. Landes (1998)
• America: What Went Wrong? by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele (1992)
• Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (2017)
• The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos (1989)
• Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow (1959)
• Volcano and Miracle: A Selection from The Journal Written at Night by Gustaw Herling  (1996)
• Destination: Morgue!: L.A. Tales by James Ellroy (2004)
• The Snowman by Jo Nesbø (2011)
• The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson (2009)
• What’s the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America by Thomas Frank (2004)
• Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before by Tony Horwitz (2002) – Alternate
• God’s Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215 by David Levering Lewis (2008) – Alternate

In accordance with the rules of the reading challenge I’ll be updating my reading progress on a dedicated page on my blog. Maybe this year I’ll finally finish a good chunk of my selected books. Wish me luck.

2023 Reading Challenges

This year, just like in past years I will be participating in a number of reading challenges. I’ve found this is a great way to connect with other book bloggers as well as discover books that have been off my radar. Some of these, like Rose City Reader’s European Reading Challenge I’ve been doing for years. Others, like Carolina Book Nook’s What’s in a Name are relatively new to me.

• European Reading Challenge – Rose City Reader
• Nonfiction Reader Challenge – Book’d Out
• Library Love Challenge – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures
• Books in Translation Reading Challenge – Introverted Reader
• Backlist Reader Challenge – Bookwyrn’s Hoard
• What’s in a Name Reading Challenge– Carolina Book Nook
• Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge (COYER) – Because Reading is Better than Real Life
• Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge – Carol’s Notebook
• Mt. TBR Reading Challenge – My Reader’s Block
• TBR 23 in ’23 Challenge – Rose City Reader
• Historical Fiction Reading Challenge – The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader
• The Virtual Mount TBR Reading Challenge– My Reader’s Block

If any of these challenges look intriguing, feel free to click on the provided links for additional information. I’d also encourage you to visit the 2023 Reading Challenges tab at the top of my blog.

2022 In Review: My Favorite Nonfiction

As 2022 finally draws to a close it’s time to announce my favorite nonfiction books of the year. This year, just like in past years I read some outstanding nonfiction. For the last two years I was able to limit my year-end list to just 10 books but this year I’ve included a dozen. In no particular order of preference here’s a collection of books I have no problems recommending.

1. City of Nets: A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940s by Otto Friedrich 
2. Adriatic: A Concert of Civilizations at the End of the Modern Age by Robert D. Kaplan 
3. Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us by Brian Klaas 
4. Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 by Tony Judt
5. Grand Hotel Abyss: The Lives of the Frankfurt School by Stuart Jeffries
6. The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, its Regions and their Peoples by David Gilmour 
7. Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History by Lea Ypi
8. Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917 – A World on the Edge by Helen Rappaport
9. Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II, 1937–1945 by Rana Mitter
10. The Last Kings of Shanghai: The Rival Jewish Dynasties That Helped Create Modern China by Jonathan Kaufman
11. King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild
12. First Principles: What America’s Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country by Thomas E. Ricks 

 I’d also like to add four honorable mentions to this esteemed line-up. 

1. Spain in Our Hearts: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939 by Adam Hochschild
2. Dancing Fish and Ammonites by Penelope Lively
3. Afropean: Notes from Black Europe by Johny Pitts
4. A Dream Called Home by Reyna Grande

As for my favorite book of the year, it was hard to choose but I’ll have to go with Tony Judt’s Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945. 

Sunday Salon

Last week, for the first time I took part in The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance at Readerbuzz. This week I’m back with another post. 

After a rough start I finally made decent progress with Stuart Jeffries’s Grand Hotel Abyss: The Lives of the Frankfurt School.  However, since my library loan expired and there’s several people ahead of me wanting to read it I’ll be putting the book on pause for a while. Siobhan Fallon’s debut novel The Confusion of Languages was a surprisingly good read. Inspired by Claire’s recent Library Loot posting I started Helen Rappaport’s 2017 Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917 – A World on the Edge. With two thirds of the way into it I can easily say Caught in the Revolution will make my year-end list of Favorite Nonfiction. Lastly, I’m going to take a chance on Kitty Veldis’s 2018 historical novel Not Our Kind. The year is 1947 and the place is New York City. A chance meeting between a young Jewish woman and a WASPy Park Avenue matron sets in motion a process that will profoundly change both their lives. With this book I have a feeling I will either love it or hate it.

 

Listening. Last week I talked about three podcasts I’d been listening to and this time around I’m going to spotlight three more. The good people at Canada’s CBC produce some top-notch stuff. The recent episode, “The Rise and Fall and Rise of Richard Wright” on the podcast Ideas is must listening for anyone interested in modern American literature. Also from the CBC, I can’t get enough of the series Recall: How to Start a Revolution. When someone says the word terrorism, we automatically think of Islamic fundamentalism or hard-right white nationalism. But in the 60s and 70s Canada was plagued by an almost endless series of bombings and kidnappings as part of the FLQ’s struggle to carve out an independent Quebec nation. Lastly, former conservative talk show host turned Never Trumper Charlie Sykes’s podcast The Bulwark never ceases to amaze me. His recent interview with Peter Wehner “Christianity’s Generational Catastrophe” on the current state of American evangelical Christianity is a MUST listen. 

Watching. Last week I mentioned I live on a farm nestled in small valley in the middle of nowhere. Therefore, I get zero TV reception. But fortunately, I’m able to stream online services like Netflix and Tubi. In addition I’m also able to supplement my viewing fare with DVDs borrowed from my area’s public libraries. Recently through my library I was able to sign up with the free, commercial-less streaming streaming service Kanopy. With a deep catalog at my disposal last night I watched the 1990 political thriller Hidden Agenda. Set mostly in Belfast, after an American human rights lawyer is assassinated the quest to find his killers points to a larger, more dangerous conspiracy involving elite elements of British society. Last week I watched the first episode of Mr. Robot and after watching two additional  episodes I remain 100 per cent hooked. I’m also watching the incredibly funny and twisted Canadian sitcom Letterkenny. Set in rural Canada, the characters are quirky as hell and the hilarious dialog is lightening fast. 

Everything else. Yesterday, I once again spent a little time relaxing in one of my favorite area taphouse drinking beer and reading. But earlier in the day I slapped together my reading list for the  20 Books of Summer hosted by Cathy on her blog 746 Books. We’ll see if I even come close to reading all these books. Oh, in case you’re wondering the noisy birds under the eaves of cabin have finally quieted down. 

20 Books of Summer

Summer is around the corner and that means Cathy of 746 Books will once again be hosting 20 Books of Summer. With surprisingly little thought involved I slapped together a list of 20 books plus five alternates this morning I’d like to pursue over the next three months. 

1. Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before by Tony Horwitz (2002)
2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (2008)
3. A World Without Islam by Graham E. Fuller (2010)
4. Introduction to Contemporary History by Geoffrey Barraclough (1967)
5. Mullahs, Merchants, and Militants: The Economic Collapse of the Arab World by Stephen Glain (2004)
6. Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff (2014)
7. God’s Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215 by David Levering Lewis (2008)
8. Descartes: The Life and Times of a Genius by A.C. Grayling (2005)
9. The Attack by Yasmina Khadra (2006)
10. Early Modern Europe: From About 1450 to About 1720 by Sir George Clark (1962)
11. Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel C. Dennett (2006)
12. 5 Ideas That Changed the World by Barbara Ward (1959)
13. The Evolution of God by Robert Wright (2009)
14. The Third Horseman: Climate Change and the Great Famine of the 14th Century by Willam Rosen (2014)
15. The Promised City: New York’s Jews, 1870–1914 by Moses Rischin (1977) 
16. Growing Up Jewish edited by Jay David (1969)
17. The Goodly Fellowship of the Prophets; Studies, Historical, Religious, and Expository of the Hebrew Prophets by John Paterson (1948)
18. The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor by David S. Landes (1999)
19. Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King (2012) – Kindle
20. Not Our Kind by Kitty Zeldis (2018) – Kindle 

And five alternates

1. Innocence; or, Murder on Steep Street by Heda Margolius Kovály (2015) – Kindle
2. The Son and Heir by Alexander Münninghoff (2020) – Kindle
3. Last Train to Istanbul by Ayşe Kulin (2013) – Kindle 
4. Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris (2019)
5. World Prehistory: A New Outline by Grahame Clark (1969)

In past years I began each summer with high hopes of making it through all my books only to come up short. On top of that, I constantly deviated from my original list of books, usually just reading whatever the heck I wanted to. Fortunately, Cathy is a kind and flexible host. To her, all we need to do is read as many books as we’d like and substitute freely along the way.

I’m hoping to use this as an opportunity to also tackle a chunk of my to be read pile (TBR) while at the same time also participating in other reading challenges like the TBR 22 in ’22 Challenge, What’s in a Name Challenge, Mount TBR Reading Challenge, and Books in Translation Reading Challenge. With a number of these books published prior to 1980 this is also a great chance to spotlight my Old Books Reading Project.

Sunday Salon

Last week, for the first time I participated in Rose City Reader’s Book Beginnings on Friday and this week, also for the first time I’ll be taking part in The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance at Readerbuzz. Please bear with me as I use Helen’s post as a template and stumble through trying not to make too many rookie mistakes.

I quickly whipped through Penelope Lively’s Dancing Fish and Ammonites for Rose City Reader’s European Reading Challenge. If everything goes according to plan I should have my review up and posted in the next few days. I’m slowly working my way through Stuart Jeffries’s Grand Hotel Abyss: The Lives of the Frankfurt School which has been a bit of a slog. As of this morning I’m two thirds of the way into Siobhan Fallon’s debut novel The Confusion of Languages. To be honest,  going in I expected there’d be more intrigue of the international flavor and less of the the spousal variety but I can’t complain because Fallon’s clever thriller pulsates away at a slow burn. So far it’s looking like I’ve found myself yet another pleasant surprise.  Inspired by Claire’s recent Library Loot posting my next book up will probably be Helen Rappaport’s Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917 – A World on the Edge. 

 

Listening. As some of you might know, I didn’t become a regular listener of podcasts until just a few years ago. Political and news podcasts dominate my feed and I’ve written about it several times. However, there’s three podcasts over the last week or so I’ve been listening to quite actively and I’d like to mention them. For decades NPR’s Fresh Air has featured great interviews with fascinating guests. The episodes of late have been top-notch. In the last couple of weeks host Terry Gross and with her back-up Dave Davies have interviewed New York Times journalist Ruth Graham on the growing right wing political influence within the white evangelical church, author Hugh Ryan on the hidden history of LGBTQ life in New York City and New York Times journalist Nicholas Confessore on Tucker Carlson’s promotion of White Nationalist propaganda. A friend recommended I check out the BBC’s history podcast You’re Dead to Me and now I can’t get enough of its humorous yet informative take on everything from the Harlem Renaissance to Ivan the Terrible. Lastly, I’ve been doing a deep dive into MindShift. Dr. Clint Heacock is an American expat living in the UK and former evangelical christian pastor with a PhD in Theology who, after leaving the faith now hosts a podcast aimed at those who have left organized religion or are in the process of doing so. 

Watching. Because I live on a farm in a small valley in the middle of nowhere I get zero TV reception. Fortunately, I’m able to stream online services like Netflix, Tubi and the like. In addition, my area public libraries have a surprisingly good supply of DVDs I can borrow, providing me with a great supply of watching material. Recently, I finished up season 2 of Russian Doll. While maybe not as good as season one, after a slow start it picked up nicely and ended on a high note. Last week I watched the first episode of Mr. Robot and I’m 100 per cent hooked. After discovering Stranger Things only a few months ago I burned through every available episode and can’t wait for season 4 to drop May 27. 

Everything else. Late last week I picked up my new prescription glasses and I’m hoping it will make reading and blogging easier. Spring has come to the farm and currently there’s a nest of baby birds under the eaves of my cabin. As cool as this might be my goodness they’re noisy! Fortunately, they quiet down quickly in the evening. Throughout the day I see the momma bird flying back and forth bringing them their meals. (Providing no shortage of entertainment to my cat Orion.) Lastly, yesterday I spent a relaxing Saturday afternoon sitting in one of my favorite adult watering holes drinking beer and reading. Later a friend of mine happened to be in the area and was able to join me for a pint. 

Swimming in a Sea of Podcasts: The War in Ukraine Edition

I’ve been thinking about doing a follow-up to last year’s post on podcasts for about a month. Inspired by Paula’s recent piece on her outstanding blog Book Jotter I finally decided to do so – but with a twist. As Russia’s military onslaught attempts to crush Ukraine and forcibly reincorporate it one form or another into some later-day Russian Empire it’s imperative we keep abreast of the latest developments. But we also can’t hoodwinked by Russian propaganda, be it repeated on the political left or right. Therefore, with that in mind here’s a number of podcasts I’ve found helpful in providing valuable and trusted insight into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Angry Planet – After stumbling across this podcast last summer I’ve become a huge fan. Formally called War College, here you can listen to “conversations about conflict on an angry planet.” The interviews they’ve been doing of late pertaining to the Russian invasion have been top-notch. 

SpyTalk – Proudly advertising itself a podcast “devoted to the intersection of foreign policy, intelligence, and military operations” co-hots Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve have done a great job of late interviewing knowledgeable experts in the run-up to and wake of Russia’s invasion. 

Popular Front – The Popular Front podcast focuses on “the niche details of modern warfare and under-reported conflicts.” Originating in the UK, with host Jake Hanrahan and his Midlands accent it’s like listening to a cool and intelligent soccer hooligan interview journalists and military experts over pints in a pub. 

Deep State Radio – Author and commentator David Rothkopf hosts a lively and smart roundtable discussion covering important issues foreign and domestic. The coverage of Ukraine over the last month or so has been quite good. 

The President’s Inbox  – Produced by the Council on Foreign Relations, each week host Senior Vice President and Director of Studies James M. Lindsay  interviews notable authors and officials in the fields of international relations and foreign politics.

The Bulwark –  Host Charlie Sykes is among a handful of conservatives like David Frum and the men and women of the Lincoln Project like Rick Wilson and Reed Galen I enjoy listening to and valuing their opinions. Like much of what he does, his coverage of the Russian invasion has been a thoughtful and intelligent breath of fresh air. 

The Lawfare Podcast – This  weekly law and government-focused podcast in cooperation with the Brookings Institution features “interviews with policymakers, scholars, journalists, and analysts” as well as lectures and panel discussions. Since the start of the year there’s been some great episodes on Russia, Ukraine and other related topics.

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer– “The United States will no longer play global policeman, and no one else wants the job. This is not a G-7 or a G-20 world. Welcome to the GZERO, a world made volatile by an intensifying international battle for power and influence.” The podcast version of Ian Bremmer’s weekly PBS TV show in which he interviews world leaders and thought leaders on a wide range of important issues. 

The Daily– From The New York Times, five days a week host Michael Barbaro interviews Times journalist to get their perspective on the day’s big stories. (There’s also a longform piece read by a professional narrator that drops every Sunday.) Great source for news about the Russian invasion.

 

Recent Discoveries – Just in the last week or so I’ve discovered a number of promising podcasts. Even though I’ve yet to give them a listen, I’m guessing they’ll be great sources of information and insight. 

Ukraine Daily Brief: A Deep State Radio Podcast – A spin-off of the above-mentioned Deep State Radio Podcast.

Foreign Office–  After hearing host Michael Weiss of the Free Russia Foundation interviewed on a podcast I was so impressed I immediately subscribed to Foreign Office, his own podcast. “Dedicated to those ever-relevant subjects of Russian intelligence operations and active measures. Featured guests include prominent historians and scholars, journalists, diplomats, and ex-spies.” My kind of content! 

The Week Ahead in Russia – I have high hopes for this one, since it’s produced by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 

Pod Save the World – “A weekly podcast that breaks down international news and foreign policy developments, but doesn’t feel like homework.” Sounds good to me. 

Talk Eastern Europe – Looks like a deep dive into the politics of Eastern Europe. 

The Journal – Even though I detest its editorial policy, feature writing The Wall Street Journal is outstanding. Advertised as “a podcast about money, business and power” over the last week it’s produced some great episodes on the Russian invasion.

That’s enough podcasts for now. Give them a try if you feel inclined.  And please, don’t fall for any Russian propaganda. 

2022 Reading Challenges

This year, just like in past years I’ll be taking part in a number of reading challenges. For as long as I’ve been book blogging I’ve enjoyed participating in various reading challenges since it’s a great way to connect with other bloggers as well as discover great books.

Here is a brief run-down on my reading challenges for 2022.

Mt. TBR Reading Challenge. Bev from My Reader’s Block is hosting this challenge to encourage us to read those books you own yet haven’t read. Last year I signed up for the “Mount Vancouver” level of 36 books – and for the five year in a row failed miserably! This year I’m going try again and maybe with a lot of hard work and perseverance I’ll finally climb that elusive Mt. Vancouver!

The Virtual Mount TBR Reading Challenge. Also hosted by Bev, the goal of this challenge is to read all those books that have been on your list but as library books. I’m opting for the “Mount Crumpit” level of 24 books.

Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge (COYER). I did this challenge for the fist time last year and enjoyed it. Before last year,  the purpose was to read the free or low-cost e-books squirreled away on your e-reader of choice. This time around that’s still the case, but the hosts Berls and Michelle at Because Reading is Better than Real Life have modified things a bit. As the seasons progress participants are granted more flexibility, thus allowing physical books, as well as more expensive e-books to count.

Books in Translation Reading Challenge. Years ago, when I first started blogging I took part in a books in translation reading challenge and loved it. Once again, Jennifer at Introverted Reader is hosting this challenge and I’m excited to join. Feeling ambitious, I’ve set my sights on the “Linguist” level and hope to read at least 10 translated books.

European Reading Challenge. When I first read about this challenge, I thought it applied solely to fiction. However, I soon learned it included everything from memoirs to travel and even cooking.  That’s why I signed up for the European Reading Challenge, hosted by Gillion on her blog Rose City Reader. Just like in past years I’ll be going for the “deluxe entourage” level, meaning I’ll read at least five qualifying books. By the way, the other reason that I’m taking part in this challenge is Gillion the hosts lives in my former hometown of Portland, Oregon!

TBR 22 in ’22 Challenge.  Also hosted by Rose City Reader, the challenge encourages us to read 22 books before the end of the year that have been on your shelf prior to January 1, 2022. Shelf includes your ebook reader and audiobooks you own, but it doesn’t include library books.” Even though my blog focuses on library books, I have a pretty big personal library and I’m looking for any excuse to get me reading more of my own books.

What’s in a Name Reading Challenge. Even though it’s in its 15th year, nevertheless I discovered it only last year. Hosted by Andrea at Carolina Book Nook, the goal is to read six books that have titles that contain the following:

Compound word (ex. Fangirl or Penpal)
Speed (ex. Talking as Fast as I Can or A Swiftly Tilting Planet)
Person & their description (ex. The Silent Patient or The Lost Man)
Mythical being (ex. Interview with the Vampire or The Lady and the Unicorn)
Season (ex. Winter Garden or A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Color: (ex. Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine or Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning)

Library Love Challenge. As you probably all know, a huge percentage of the books featured on my blog are borrowed from the public library or downloaded from Overdrive. Therefore, I’ve always been a fan of library challenges. Hosted by Angel’s Guilty Pleasures the mission is to read as many library books as possible. Once again I’m hoping to read a minimum of 48 books which would put me at the “library addict” level.

Backlist Reader Challenge. I love a challenge that rewards me for reading older books. Heck, I’ve been doing that for years! For the Backlist Reader Challenge hosted by the Bookwyrn’s Hoard readers must read books published before 2022 and be on one’s to be read list (TBR).

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. Formerly hosted by Passages to the Past, and now The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader is a great reading challenge for me because I don’t read a lot of fiction, but when I do it’s usually historical fiction. One again I’m aiming for the “Renaissance Reader” level of 10 books.

Nonfiction Reader Challenge. Since I’m a huge nonfiction fan I’d be a fool not to participate in this one hosted by Book’d Out. I’ve selected the “Nonfiction Nibbler” level and will be reading six books from any of the 12 nonfiction categories.

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge. Over the last several years along with reading more historical fiction I’ve found myself reading more international crime, spy thrillers and the like. Carol’s Notebook is hosting a reading challenge devoted solely to mystery/suspense/thriller/crime genres. Put me down for the “Amateur Sleuth” level of 5 to 15 books.

TBR Pile Challenge List. After taking a few years off from this challenge I’m back to give it another try. Hosted by Adam at Roof Beam Reader, the purpose it to make it through a stack of 12 TBR books over the course of the year. All 12 (plus two alternates) must have been on your bookshelf or “To Be Read” list for at least one full year.

Per Adam’s instructions I’ve selected 12 books plus two alternates:

• Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel C. Dennett (2006)
• Growing Up Jewish: An Anthology ed. by Jay David (1969)
• The Promised City: New York’s Jews, 1870–1914 by Moses Rischin (1977)
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (2008)
• Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff (2013)
• The Knowledge Web: From Electronic Agents to Stonehenge and Back — And Other Journeys Through Knowledge by James Burke (1999)
• The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor by David S. Landes (1999)
• The Evolution of God by Robert Wright (2009)
• The Coming of the French Revolution by Georges Lefebvre (1967)
• Becket by Jean Anouilh (1960)
• The Third Horseman: Climate Change and the Great Famine of the 14th Centuryby Willam Rosen (2014)
• Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II, 1937–1945 by Rana Mitter (2013) – Kindle
• Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning by Timothy Snyder (2015) – Kindle, not shown

Old Books Reading Project. This is my own private challenge and solely a creation of my own. I have a huge personal library and many of these books are over 30, 40 and 50 years old. Year after year they just sit there just waiting to be read. And what do I do about it-nothing. I keep going to the public library to get new ones or worse, buy more. This must change. Therefore, I’m hoping this challenge that I created last year will somehow force me keep reading some of the books I already own. It’s also an effective way for me to spotlight a few old and forgotten books that have still have considerable merit, despite not being a New York Times notable book or talked about on NPR.

Nonfiction November Week 4: Stranger than Fiction

Last week Veronica at The Thousand Book Project hosted Nonfiction November and this week another great blogger, Christopher at Plucked from the Stacks has agreed to host. 

This week we’re focusing on all the great nonfiction books that *almost* don’t seem real. A sports biography involving overcoming massive obstacles, a profile on a bizarre scam, a look into the natural wonders in our world—basically, if it makes your jaw drop, you can highlight it for this week’s topic.

When I first read Rennie’s post announcing Nonfiction November I thought I’d sit this week out. While I might be able to think of a book or two that might possibly fit the bill I wasn’t sure I could recommend enough books worthy of a post. Even if I could, what one considers stranger than fiction is definitely in the eye of the beholder. But the more I thought about it, the more I began remembering books that might be perfect for a post like this.   

Science and Nature

• Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature’s Most Dangerous Creatures by Carl Zimmer – This book opened up an entirely new world to me. Parasites are fascinating!
• 10 Questions Science Can’t Answer (Yet): A Guide to the Scientific Wilderness by Michael Hanlon – Worth it alone just for the chapter “What Are We Going to Do With the Stupid ?” 
• My Lobotomy by Howard Dully – True story of a kid who was railroaded into getting a lobotomy at age 12 and the life he endured years later as an adult. 
• Medical Mysteries: From the Bizarre to the Deadly . . . The Cases That Have Baffled Doctors by Ann Reynolds and Kenneth Wapner – Filled with a ton of strange cases, like a young New Yorker who experiences horrific seizures whenever she hears the song “Temperature” by Sean Paul. 
• The Family That Couldn’t Sleep: A Medical Mystery by D.T. Max- Imagine inheriting a disorder that keeps you from sleeping and in the end drives you completely insane. 
• The Radioactive Boy Scout: The True Story of a Boy and His Backyard Nuclear Reactor by Ken Silverstein – One has to admire a high school kid who was able to build a nuclear reactor using mail order materials and other stuff he was able to get on the open market.
• Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker – Sad, fascinating and probably the best book I’ve read on schizophrenia. 
• Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans de Waal – Think you know what separates humans from animals? Think again.
• Mutants: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi – Genetically speaking, human life is imperfect and unpredictable. 
• The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean – Science made fun.

True Tales of Survival

• Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff – Best WWII rescue mission you’ve never heard of. 
• The Mapmaker’s Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon by Robert Whitaker – Try escaping through the Amazon.  Alone. In 1735.
• Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng – Nien was an innocent pawn in a high level power struggle within Mao’s inner circle during the chaotic Cultural Revolution. Wrongly imprisoned, she spent a decade in solidarity confinement. 
• The Nazi Officer’s Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust by Edith Hahn Beer – Sometimes hiding in plain sight is the safest thing to do when you’re a Jew  trying to secretly pass as a gentile in Nazi Germany. 

True Crime 

• The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter by Mark Seal – After arriving in America a teenager, the German expat would later spend years conning an endless parade of people. 
• The Devil in the White City : Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson – Perhaps America’s first serial killer. 
• A Burglar’s Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh – An entertaining and intelligent look inside the most gifted. and creative of criminal minds. 

Incredible Lives 

• Pilgrimage from Darkness: Nuremberg to Jerusalem by David E. Feldman – A former Luftwaffe pilot turned religious seeker would travel the world, convert to Judaism, change his name, marry a Holocaust survivor and find employment as travel guide in Israel.
• The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster by Sarah Krasnostein – Overcoming abuse and neglect as an adopted but unloved child, undergoing gender-reassignment surgery at a time when considered highly abnormal, working as a prostitute in a quasi-legal brothel (and narrowly escape getting murdered) and in the end starting a highly successful trauma cleaning service. One of these accomplishments alone would make for great reading. 
• The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism by Deborah Baker – In the early 1960s a Jewish American woman converted to Islam, moved to Pakistan and became a protegé of an influential Islamist. Then things got really weird. 
• Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell – Why are some people wildly successful despite the odds? 
• The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss – Alexandre Dumas might have created larger than life characters in his time. But none could compare to real life father Thomas-Alexandre Dumas. 
• Humboldt’s Cosmos: Alexander von Humboldt and the Latin American Journey that Changed the Way We See the World by Gerard Helferich – Most amazing scientist you’ve never heard of. 
• A Chance in the World: An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious Past, and How He Found a Place Called Home by Steve Pemberton – Highly underrated memoir of man who overcame childhood abuse and is now a successful high level executive. 
• Limonov: The Outrageous Adventures of the Radical Soviet Poet Who Became a Bum in New York, a Sensation in France, and a Political Antihero in Russia by Emmanuel Carrère -The long subtitle says it all. 
• House of Prayer No. 2: A Writer’s Journey Home by Mark Richard – Drunken, self-destructive, reckless and hedonistic, Richard’s life as recounted in his memoir reads like the gonzo reporting of Hunter S. Thompson. 
• The Rabbi of 84th Street: The Extraordinary Life of Haskel Besser by Warren Kozak – A great biography about a man whose admirable qualities and amazing adventures transcend all boundaries. One of those rare books about a religious figure readers of any faith, or no faith can enjoy.

Incredible Iranian Lives 

• A Time to Betray: The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent Inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran by Reza Kahlili – Disillusioned with Iran’s theocratic regime, Kahlili put his life on the line to become an American agent. 
• A Mirror Garden by Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian – Like a real life Forest Gump, over the course of her rich and adventurous life Farmanfarmaian rubbed shoulders with long parade of celebrities. From Andy Warhol to Warren Beaty to Prince Charles the tales of her charmed life make for great reading. She even played Twister with the Shah of Iran and his royal entourage. 
• Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat – Moments before she was about to be executed for opposing Iran’s revolutionary regime, Nemat agreed to marry one of her prison guards and convert to Islam. She was just 16 years old. 

History

• Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World’s Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb – If you love spy stories and covert operations then this is one must reading. 
• The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt – A 15th-century  book hunter uncovers a long lost copy of Lucretius’s On the Nature of Things and helps jump start the modern age. 
• The Book Smugglers: Partisans, Poets, and the Race to Save Jewish Treasures from the Nazis by David E. Fishman – Sad, inspiring and fascinating all at the same time. 
• Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford – A young, impoverished Steppe dweller running for his life with nothing but the shirt on his back goes on to conquer Eurasia. 
• Where the Jews Aren’t: The Sad and Absurd Story of Birobidzhan, Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Region by Masha Gessen – During the early days of the USSR the Communists established a Soviet-run Jewish homeland on the Chinese border. 
• How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill – Ireland’s role in preserving and promoting rare classical knowledge is one of history’s sadly lesser known stories. 

Cults and Leaving Religion 

• Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright – If nothing else, Scientology *is* stranger than fiction. Highly recommended. 
• Waiting for the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Faith and Family by Veronica Chater – Not all Christian extremists are Protestant fundamentalists. Chater was raised in a strict, zealous Catholic sect that refused to recognize the Church reforms of the Second Vatican Council. 
• Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman- One of the best memoirs out there when it comes to leaving a repressive religious community. 
• Educated by Tara Westover – Superbly written and inspiring, the true story of a woman who broke away from her insular cultish family to pursue one heck of a higher education. 
• I’m Perfect, You’re Doomed: Tales from a Jehovah’s Witness Upbringing by Kyria Abrahams – Raised in the Jehovah’s Witness faith, Abrahams left it all behind and became a slam poet. 
• Banished: Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church by Lauren Drain and Lisa Pulitzer – Great inside look into the freak show that is the Westboro Baptist Church. 

 

And to think I was worried I couldn’t come up with enough books for this post. Happy reading and enjoy Nonfiction November! 

Nonfiction November Week 3: Be the Expert

Last week Katie at Doing Dewey hosted Nonfiction November and this week another great blogger, Veronica at The Thousand Book Project has agreed to host. Just like in past years we’ve been inspired to lend our expertise, request expertise or announce our willingness to learn more.

You can either share three or more books on a single topic that you have read and can recommend (be the expert), you can put the call out for good nonfiction on a specific topic that you have been dying to read (ask the expert), or you can create your own list of books on a topic that you’d like to read (become the expert).

In 2017 I discussed books about Iran by Iranian authors. The following year in 2018 I wrote about women leaving religion, featuring seven memoirs by, and two anthologies about women who’d left various versions of Christianity, Judaism or Islam. In 2019 it was prison memoirs. Last year, in 2020 I featured books about Italy by non-Italians.

The inspiration for this year’s topic came from a friend of mine who texted me back in September looking for book recommendations. She wanted to learn about the Middle Ages and asked if I could recommend any helpful reading material. After racking my brain for a bit I emailed her a list of 10 books I thought might do the trick. Later, I decided the list I’d concocted might make a good “Ask the Expert” post for Nonfiction November.

I revised my original list ever so slightly and added two additional titles to make it an even dozen. Remember, as with all of my so-called “expert” posts, I only included books I’ve read. Therefore, in no way is this list definitive. I trust me, I ain’t no expert.

• The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World by Catherine Nixey – Nixey argues the early Christians deliberately destroyed the remnants of classical Greek and Roman cultures and in doing so helped produce what we’ve referred to for years, either rightly or wrongly as the “Dark Ages.”
• Medieval Europe: A Short History by Charles Warren Hollister – This was an old college text book I borrowed from my sister and brother-in-law and years later it’s still one of the best books I’ve read on the subject.
• The Story of Civilization, Volume IV: A history of medieval civilization—Christian, Islamic, and Judaic—from Constantine to Dante: A.D. 325-1300 by Will Durant – Another book I read years ago that helped spark my interest in the Middle Ages.
• The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time by John Kelly – How can you NOT read about the Middle Ages without including at least one book on the Black Death?
• Rashi (Jewish Encounters Series) by Elie Wiesel – A succinct, readable account of on one of Medieval Judaism’s greatest thinkers. Best if followed up with Sherwin Nuland’s equally satisfying short biography Maimonides.
• Aristotle’s Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Middle Ages by Richard E. Rubenstein – Who would think a book about Medieval philosophy would be so enjoyable?
• The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain by MarÌa Rosa Menocal – Not just a terrific follow-up book to the above-mentioned Aristotle’s Children, but an amazing look at a forgotten world where Muslims, Jews and Christians all helped build a remarkably advanced civilization. Great if read alongside Jane S. Gerber’s The Jews of Spain: A History of the Sephardic Experience.
• Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization by Lars Brownworth – To me anyway, Byzantine history gets overlooked. Brownworth’s breezy book hits all the high points. Be sure to follow it up with Sailing from Byzantium: How a Lost Empire Shaped the World by Colin Wells.
• Mysteries of the Middle Ages: And the Beginning of the Modern World by Thomas Cahill – Cahill has the gift of making profound historical developments simple to understand. This book is no exception.
• A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara Tuchman – While Cahill made history accessible to a popular audience, Tuchman helped pave the way starting in the 1960s. Another book I read decades ago that still sticks with me.
• The Waning of the Middle Ages: A Study of the Forms of Life, Thought and Art in France and The Netherlands in the 14th and 15th Centuries by Johan Huizinga – Recommended by of all people my old neighborhood coffee barista, not an easy book to read but an insightful one full of detail. If The Darkening Age bookends the beginning of the Middle Ages this one bookends its gradual denouement.
• How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill – I could not compile a list like this without including one of my all-time favorites. This enjoyable and fresh look at history will make you wanna read Cahill’s entire body of work.

Just like the prof you had in college who always suggested supplementary texts that no one ever read, I’m going to throw out a few more books. While they might not deal directly with the Middle Ages, they help provide valuable context and/or previously overlooked or unappreciated narratives.

• The House of Wisdom: How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance by Jim Al-Khalili
• Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary
• A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Karen Armstrong
• The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

If you end up reading these books I promise you’ll know more about the Middle Ages than the person on the street (unless that person has a masters in Medieval Studies). You’ll also be totally primed if you encounter any historical novels set in those centuries like Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose or Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth.

With all that in mind, good luck and happy reading!