Wednesday, January 27, 2021

2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge

I am joining the Nonfiction Reader Challenge for 2021. The challenge is hosted by Shelleyrae at Book'd Out. The aim of the Nonfiction Reader Challenge is to encourage you to make nonfiction part of your reading experience during the year. It runs for the entire year.


Guidelines:

Select, read and review a book from the categories listed below during the year for a total of up to 12 books. A book may be in print, electronic or audio format. 

The goal levels are:

  • Nonfiction Nipper : Read 3 books, from any category
  • Nonfiction Nibbler : Read 6 books, from any category
  • Nonfiction Know-It-All : Read 12 books, one for each category

Since there are specific categories to read from, I will aim at 6 books, Nonfiction Nibbler. I have added possible books for some topics. Over the year I do plan to read at least 12 nonfiction books and preferably more but all of them will not fit the categories for this challenge. 

CATEGORIES 

1. Biography -- The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family by Mary S. Lovell

2. Travel -- The Big Red Train Ride by Eric Newby

3. Self-help -- Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up by Marie Kondō

4. Essay Collection -- Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman

5. Disease -- Influenza: The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic by Jeremy Brown

6. Oceanography

7. Hobbies

8. Indigenous Cultures

9. Food

10. Wartime Experiences -- D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II by Sarah Rose

11. Inventions

12. Published in 2021


The sign-up post is HERE; it includes further explanation of rules for the challenge.


16 comments:

Cath said...

Good luck! It looks like a fun one. That Mitford sisters book by Mary Lovell is superb, have a feeling it was my book of the year several years back. Think I might have read that Anne Fadiman too. Must look up D-Day Girls... I often think your blog posts ought to come with this proviso: 'Warning! Tracy's posts might encourage you to buy books'. I've just started Tales of the Black Widowers for instance. I rest my case.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I like this challenge. Will be interested in reading your reviews.

Margot Kinberg said...

I really like the idea of making nonfiction a steady part of the reading diet, Tracy. I'll look forward to seeing what you post as you go along.

TracyK said...

Cath, I am looking forward to reading the Mitford sisters book, but it is one of those big fat books that is intimidating.

I am envious that you have a copy of Tales of the Black Widowers. I haven't found a copy online that is at a price I want to pay.

TracyK said...

Patti, this is the challenge that will be hardest for me. But I do want read more nonfiction, more regularly.

TracyK said...

That is the trick, Margot. Keeping at it regularly.

Rick Robinson said...

Ex Libris is good, I think you'll enjoy it. The Kondo: NO! You haven't enough pandemic already without The Hundred Year Hunt?????? D-Day Girls sounds interesting.

TracyK said...

Your comment cheered me up, Rick.

I am looking forward to Ex Libris. I do know what you mean about Marie Kondo. When I read the first book she made me mad. Now I just pick and choose from what she has to say.

Yes I have had enough pandemic. But reading about the 1918 pandemic is interesting because they did not have the same communications we have now, and I like to read about the efforts to find a cure.

Mary R. said...

I thought about doing this challenge, because reading at least 10 non-fiction titles this year is one of my goals, but I decided the categories didn't suit me. Ex Libris is on my TBR list. I look forward to hearing about what you end up reading. Good luck!

TracyK said...

Mary, I thought I would have more matches to the categories, but I wanted to stick to books I have access to. I also have some graphic nonfiction I want to read. I have a few nonfiction books I am reading now but only off and on, so may take a while.

CLM said...

My book group likes Anne Fadiman because she went to our college. I am always amused that we have also read a book by her father (although looking at his works, I can't recall which one) and last year I had us read The Game by her husband which I would recommend if you had a Sport & Society category.

For hobbies, I suggest The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less (if your library has curbside pickup it shouldn't be hard to get a copy). Before I went to law school, one of my hobbies was entering sweepstakes. I once won $5,000! The price of postage and going to school four nights a week ended that although I used to say some spend more on wine and beer than I ever spent on stamps.

bookertalk said...

Interesting categories which give you plenty of scope. I'd fail completely on oceanography - I dont think I've ever read a non fiction book in that category

TracyK said...

Constance, I am looking forward to Anne Fadiman's book.

I read The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio maybe 15 years ago. And liked it. For hobbies, I could read something about crocheting or knitting, but don't know if I will or not.

TracyK said...

BookerTalk, I think Oceanography would be a hard one ... to find one I wanted to read. I did think about Atlantic by Simon Winchester, but not sure if that really fits.

col2910 said...

Good luck Trayc. I hope to read a bit more non-fiction this year, we will see how that goes!

TracyK said...

I am doing pretty well reading nonfiction so far this year, Col, although not these specific titles yet. One problem I have is starting nonfiction and having too many books going at the same time.