Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Nonfiction November 2020: Book Pairings

This is the second week of Nonfiction November, an event that celebrates reading nonfiction. The subject this week is book pairings, specifically pairing a nonfiction book with a fiction book, and this topic is hosted by Julz of Julz Reads.


My first fiction / nonfiction pairing is:



Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express is a fictional ride on the Trans-Siberian Express. It is part of a series by Stuart Kaminsky, set in Russia under Communist rule (to begin with) and later in Russia, following the breakup of the USSR. The books were written between 1981 and 2009. 

This is the 14th book in the series and the series protagonist, Chief Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov, works in the Office of Special Investigation, reporting to its director, Igor Yaklovev, the Yak. He has a group of detectives who work under him, and they usually work on multiple cases in each book. In this one, the Yak sends Rostnikov to recover a treasured historic document on the Trans-Siberian Express.


In The Big Red Train Ride by Eric Newby, the author describes his trip across the USSR on the Trans-Siberian Railway, accompanied by his wife, an official guide, and a photographer. From the book cover: "From Moscow to the Pacific on the Trans-Siberian Railway is the big train ride. It is a journey of nearly 6,000 miles, stretching over seven time zones and consuming nearly eight 24-hour days." This is not considered one of Newby's best travel books, but I think I would enjoy the book just based on the subject matter.

I have not read either of these books yet but I hope that they will be a perfect pairing. However I am open to suggestions for other reads in this area, fiction or nonfiction.


My second pairing is:




Young Bess is the first book in a historical fiction trilogy about Elizabeth I of England, written by Margaret Irwin and first published in 1944.  It covers her life from the time she was 12 until she was about 20, including Henry VIII's death, his son Edward VI's years as king (from age 9 to 15), and Elizabeth's relationships with her brother Edward and Princess Mary, her sister. A large part of the story is about her living with her stepmother Catherine Parr and Tom Seymour, who married Catherine after Henry VIII's death.

The story was beautifully written, vividly describing details of life at that time. I learned a lot, I was entertained, and I enjoyed reading the book. I plan to continue reading the trilogy. The next two books are Elizabeth, Captive Princess and Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain.





Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey covers Elizabeth from her early years up through her ascent to the throne and it was described as very readable. 

I picked the book by David Starkey because it sounded good, but if anyone has a suggestion for a better nonfiction book about Elizabeth I, I am interested. I won't be reading any nonfiction in that area until I finish the other two books in the Elizabeth I trilogy by Margaret Irwin.




19 comments:

Monika @ Lovely Bookshelf said...

I like that you did historical fiction pairings with your nonfiction choices!

TracyK said...

Thanks, Monika. I have found that reading fiction about earlier times is a good introduction, then I want to find some related nonfiction.

NancyElin said...

Tracy, I just cannont pair books well....but love your choices!
I discovered a NEW literary award for historcal fiction down under in Australia:
ARA inaugural historical fiction award (see: Google). Perhaps you can find some new books there! Life goes on in my covid-19 "bubble". Celebrated a low-key birthday yesterday and in general it was fun! Zoom, emails from friends in NL and USA ....and even a surpirse package on my doorstep! Keep safe...


Athira said...

The Big Red Train Ride sounds fascinating - I like the idea of books with a journey/travel as its backdrop. So much to observe, learn, and experience!

Margot Kinberg said...

Oh, these are great pairings, Tracy. There's something about a train trip, isn't there? And Queen Elizabeth I is a fascinating historical figure. I really like your choices!

Jan said...

Hello, I haven’t commented before, but really enjoy your blog!
The Queen’s Bed: An Intimate History of Elizabeth’s Court, by Anna Whitelock was a very interesting, and informative read. Many topics not handled in other non-fiction works that I’ve read.

TracyK said...

Happy birthday, Nancy! It sounds like yours was pretty good considering the circumstances. My birthday was last week, shortly after the election when it still had not been called, and so the whole week was anxiety filled. We actually celebrated my birthday in our usual way on the weekend before the election so I would be a bit less stressed.

I will look into Australian historical fiction. That genre is becoming a favorite of mine.

TracyK said...

Athira, My husband enjoys travel books and he has several that are about train journeys. I hope to try several others too.

TracyK said...

Margot, for years I did not read historical fiction set before the 20th century. Now I am really getting into the Tudor period and even earlier times. All very interesting.

TracyK said...

Thanks, Jan. For commenting and for the suggestion. The Queen’s Bed sounds like it would be very good, and different.

Rick Robinson said...

Wonderful. I didn't realize you were so interested in Elizabeth. After re-watching Ken Burns film, I'm again interested in reading more on the Civil War, and may do a fiction/non-fiction pairing myself. Though in truth I'm more than knee deep into short stories, as may be suggested by todays blog post.

Rick Robinson said...

Belated Happy Birthday!

TracyK said...

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Rick.

I wasn't that interested in Elizabeth until I read the first two books in the Thomas Cromwell Trilogy by Hilary Mantel (WOLF HALL and BRING UP THE BODIES). Which was also about Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn.

The Civil War is a great topic for fiction and nonfiction. I haven't read much about that event. I am enjoying nonfiction more lately because you can dip into it and then take a break and not lose the thread of what is going on. Short stories work well for that kind of reading also.

Judith said...

I loved reading Young Bess and Captive Princess when I was a teen. A very strong recollection. I've read other books about her reign, but can't recall them. Alas. I so enjoyed another well-researched nonfiction book entitled Divorced, Beheaded, Survived: The Wives of King Henry VIII by Karen Lindsey. So good!!

TracyK said...

Judith, Good to hear from you. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived sounds good, I will make a list of recommendations and look into this one. I am interested in more about Henry VIII wives.

Clothes in Books said...

How clever to do pairings, and yours are excellent!

TracyK said...

I did like the topic of fiction / nonfiction pairings, Moira. I could also have paired Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall series with a book on Thomas Cromwell, but I ran out of steam. I will save it for next year.

col2910 said...

What an interesting idea. When you do read them, I wonder which you will enjoy more.

TracyK said...

Probably the fiction selections will appeal to me more, Col, but I do enjoy nonfiction when the writing is good and / or the subject engages me.