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.