I originally started writing this post because I thought November 6th was National Nonfiction Day. Upon trying to find more information, not only did I not find an actual date for it, but it's also something mostly acknowledged in the UK.
However...Nonfiction November still has a fun alliteration thing happening, so I'm sticking with it!
As a kid, I was a HUGE nonfiction reader. It’s hard not to be at that age. I grew up with DK Eyewitness, the golden-covered and coveted Egyptology book, and the Guinness Book of World Records. Nonfiction was a blast!
But as an adult, I know it can seem like the nonfiction we have to choose from can be dry and boring (or even disheartening and depressing!), but I think it's all about perspective and who you are as a person.
Now, working as a librarian, I read so many different kinds of nonfiction books. It’s the way that I learn new things as an adult outside of college! I had to start somewhere, so why not start with the kinds of books that got me interested in nonfiction as a kid? The things that drew my attention were often the weird, the gross, and the unbelievable. So I started there, then kept expanding. It also helps to read things you are already somewhat interested in and familiar with.
I know our journeys aren’t going to be the same, so if you read this post and try out some of these books and decide nonfiction still isn’t your forte - that’s okay! It’s not for everybody. I am simply sharing something that worked for me. So, here are a few different kinds of nonfiction books I have enjoyed reading over the years:
The Weird, the Wacky, the Sometimes Gross: I think that since I was a kid I have been drawn to things that shock me both in real life and fiction. So, it was no wonder that some of these titles caught my attention. Their contents are astonishing!
Quackery by Lydia Kang - this is a book about all the absurd things humans did to treat illnesses before modern medicine. Some of them are horrendous. Others are funny. Some are just sad. But mostly it's an incredibly digestible and informative book that takes a look at how medicine evolved over the ages to be what it is today.
Dark Banquet by Bill Schutt - takes a look at all the different organisms that survive and thrive off of the consumption of blood. It sounds gross - and I’m not saying it isn’t - but as a vampire enthusiast it was kind of interesting.
Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom - this book follows a librarian on her investigation on the history and science of books bound in human skin (there are a few out there that exist!). This one hits all the boxes from my childhood: weird, gross, and though I know it's a fact it’s still hard to believe.
Dead Mountain by Donnie Eicher - a group of Russian college students mysteriously go missing after they go hiking in the Ural Mountains. What makes it so mysterious? Their unexplained violent injuries, them fleeing their tent in freezing conditions without the proper attire, and elevated radiation levels on their clothes. Was it an accident or a conspiracy?
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty - Doughty, a female mortician, answers questions that she has been asked by little children about death. Kids come up with the most interesting things to think about.
Things That Interest Me: technically all the books above fall into this category as well, but these are the more everyday things that interest me and get me reading nonfiction books.
Sea Shanties by Karen Dolby - a book about the different types of sea shanties and their histories. I got really interested in sea shanties when The Wellerman was really popular on TikTok.
The Secret Life of Fungi by Aliya Whiteley - Since I was a kid, I have been interested in mushrooms. I think it has a lot to do with how they are connected in stories and myths to the fae. So any book that talks about mushrooms is always on my TBR list.
The Hummingbirds’ Gift by Sy Montgomery - Sy Montgomery writes about her friend Brenda Sherburn who rescues baby and injured hummingbirds, nurses them back to health, and then sends them back out into nature to thrive. I find birds fascinating and this short 96-page read has fun little facts and tidbits to share about some of the world's smallest birds.
When Women Ruled the World by Kara Cooney - Who doesn’t love a strong independent woman? Cooney takes us on a journey to ancient Egypt through six female pharaohs focusing on the lives they led and how they managed to rule during a time where men held all the power. I love Greco-Roman history, so this was a really fun nonfiction read for me.
A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings by Helen Jukes - I love a good book about bees! All kinds of bees. They are fascinating creatures that are responsible for keeping us well-fed through their pollination of our crops and plants. And how much does the average person really know about bees? For example, the honeybee (Apis mellifera) is not native to America! It was brought over by settlers roughly around the 1600s. Wild!
Pirate Women by Laura Sook Duncombe - I love pirates. It probably stems from growing up with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in which Keira Knightly plays the courageous Elizabeth Swann - a lady turned pirate for love. It gets you thinking about how we don’t often hear about female pirates. They did exist, though stories about them are few and far between. But Duncombe does a wonderful job collecting and telling the stories of these swashbuckling ladies - both the real people and the legends.
So these are some of the kinds of nonfiction stories that I have fun with! There are so many areas of nonfiction to explore though. Some of the more popular areas I have seen are our True Crime (364s), Politics (320-329s), Biographies, and anything about WWI (940.3) and WWII (940.5). A lot of people like adventure stories that focus on expeditions and travel too. There’s a whole world of reading material out there to explore!
Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang
"What won't we try in our quest for perfect health, beauty, and the fountain of youth? Well, just imagine a time when doctors prescribed morphine for crying infants. When liquefied gold was touted as immortality in a glass. And when strychnine--yes, that strychnine, the one used in rat poison--was dosed like Viagra. Looking back with fascination, horror, and not a little dash of dark, knowing humor, Quackery recounts the lively, at times unbelievable, history of medical misfires and malpractices. Ranging from the merely weird to the outright dangerous, here are dozens of outlandish, morbidly hilarious "treatments"--conceived by doctors and scientists, by spiritualists and snake oil salesmen (yes, they literally tried to sell snake oil)--that were predicated on a range of cluelessness, trial and error, and straight-up scams. With vintage illustrations, photographs, and advertisements throughout, Quackery seamlessly combines macabre humor with science and storytelling to reveal an important and disturbing side of the ever-evolving field of medicine"
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions From Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty
"Best-selling author and licensed mortician Caitlin Doughty answers real questions from kids about death, dead bodies, and decomposition. Every day, funeral director Caitlin Doughty receives dozens of questions about death. What would happen to an astronaut's body if it were pushed out of a space shuttle? Do people poop when they die? Can Grandma have a Viking funeral? In the tradition of Randall Munroe's What If?, Doughty's new book, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?, blends her scientific understanding of the body and the intriguing history behind common misconceptions about corpses to offer factual, hilarious, and candid answers to thirty-five urgent questions posed by her youngest fans. Readers will learn what happens if you die on an airplane, the best soil for mummifying your dog, and whether or not you can preserve your friend's skull as a keepsake. Featuring illustrations from Dianne Ruz, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? will delight anyone interested in the fascinating truth about what will happen (to our bodies) after we die"
Sea Shanties: the Lyrics and History of Sailor Songs by Karen Dolby
Pull up anchor, set sail, and hit the open water with this wonderful collection of sea shanties and their fascinating history.
Over four centuries since the first folk song was sung, sea shanties still fascinate and entertain. Composed and performed by sailors on sailing ships to ensure the rhythmic operation of the hauling and heaving that was a mainstay of a lot of their work aboard these huge merchant vessels, they were also about camaraderie , positivity and motivation . Life as sea was harsh and relentless, and these songs injected some much-needed humour into maritime life.
This gorgeous books brings together 50 of the best-loved ballads and their fascinating history , alongside stunning black and white illustrations. This is the perfect gift for anyone wanting to delve into the magical maritime world of 'Wellerman' and beyond. - Goodreads
When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt by Kara Cooney
"Female rulers are a rare phenomenon--but thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt, women reigned supreme. Regularly, repeatedly, and with impunity, queens like Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra controlled the totalitarian state as power-brokers and rulers. But throughout human history, women in positions of power were more often used as political pawns in a male-dominated society. What was so special about ancient Egypt that provided women this kind of access to the highest political office? What was it about these women that allowed them to transcend patriarchal obstacles? What did Egypt gain from its liberal reliance on female leadership, and could today's world learn from its example? Celebrated Egyptologist Kara Cooney delivers a fascinating tale of female power, exploring the reasons why it has seldom been allowed through the ages, and why we should care."