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Beiträge, die mit NONFICTION getaggt sind
#PolymathReadingChallenge 2025
Read 12 #NONFICTION books
Rules:
- you can read them in any order
- (auto)biographies count
- write a review of each (here or on Bookwyrm)
- use the # when posting about the challenge
Categories: See next toot in this thread.
Everyone gets their 12th category randomly through WikiRoulette. If you want to take part, respond to this thread and I'll give you one.
Feel free to use # for recommendations
#bookstodon #reading #ReadingChallenge
It is a yearly 12-book nonfiction reading challenge. You read books of your choice for 12 categories, and post your reviews of them. I have had immense fun finding books for topics I otherwise wouldn't read.
Would people want to join in if I also ran it on Mastodon?
#PolymathReadingChallenge #Reading #books #bookstodon #ReadingChallenge #nonfiction
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-faith-talia-lavin/1144796270?ean=9780306829192
@bookstodon
#book #Books #bookreview #bookreviews #nonfiction #journalism #culture #religion #politics #UnitedStates #Evangelical_Christianity
Funniest book: It's a tie between The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff and Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland. The first is hella feminist and is set in contemporary north India. The latter is hella queer and is set in a fantasy version of the Caribbean (gay pirates!)
Best scifi adventure: Echo of Worlds by M. R. Carey
Best thought-provoking scifi: Julia by Sandra Newman
(Scifi is my main genre so I have to divide it up)
Best non-fiction: The Balfour Declaration by Jonathan Schneer. It has the best writing imo. Closely followed by Late Victorian Holocausts by Mike Davis.
All of these books are good; if I don't like a book then I usually don't finish it and am even less likely to review it.
My bookwyrm handle is just @SallyStrange@bookwyrm.social! I will probably be posting about even more books in 2025, as I've now really gotten into the habit of using Bookwyrm.
http://bookwyrm.social/user/SallyStrange/2024-in-the-books?key=c51bab9e5ea146ae94fdf18b29939a55
#books #scifi #SFF #nonfiction
@bookstodon
In today's list, we've compiled our 10 most-read editors' picks of 2024, including stories about a warthog, cruise ships, an adult autism diagnosis, and more.
https://longreads.com/2024/12/17/the-most-popular-editors-picks-of-the-year/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
#Longreads #Writing #Journalism #Nonfiction #Reporting
Best of 2024: The Most Popular Editors’ Picks of the Year
Our readership has spoken! This list compiles the most-viewed stories we recommended in 2024.Longreads
-Reclaiming soil—and one family’s story
-A club of country collectors
-The rise of Big Headlight
-How saints are made
-An alphabetical ode to felines
https://longreads.com/2024/12/06/the-top-5-longreads-of-the-week-542/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
#Longreads #Essay #Journalism #Nonfiction #Reading
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories by Christina Cooke, Tim Neville, Nate Rogers, Linda Kinstler, and Sandra Beasley.Longreads
https://medium.com/the-book-cafe/the-hope-and-the-glory-and-other-stories-from-herman-wouk-that-raised-the-roof-in-an-antisemitic-43dd7d9187c8
#HermanWouk #Nonfiction #Fiction #BookReview #BookRecommendations #Israel #History #writerscommunity
The incredible and inspiring story of Elzbieta Zawacka, the World War II female resistance fighter known as Agent Zo.
@bookstodon
#books
#nonfiction
#biography
#women
#Poland
#Britain
#WWII
#resistance
A gripping memoir of life in Jerusalem from one of Australia's most experienced Middle East correspondents. Leading Australian journalist John Lyons will take readers on a fascinating personal journey through the wonders and dangers of the Middle East.
@bookstodon
#books
#nonfiction
#memoir
#MiddleEast
#Jerusalem
#Israel
#Palestine
I'd have posted it on @medium before #Medium greatly discouraged it with a post saying that even if you spend days on a thoughtful piece, you could get denied a boost for something trivial like profanity. It just made no sense, so hello, Substack.
#books #culture #literature #nonfiction #journalism
https://jansplaining.substack.com/p/100-books-i-like-part-2-nonfiction?r=i4bz
100 Books I Like: Part 2 (Nonfiction)
An A-to-Z guide to 50 great nonfiction books I've read as a critic, each in 100 words or fewerJan Harayda (Jansplaining)
An indispensable guide to understanding the Israel–Palestine conflict, and how we might yet still find a way out of it.
@bookstodon
@palestine
#books
#nonfiction
#history
#Palestine
#Israel
#IlanPappe
12. Farkasvölgy
(The last category in the challenge is always randomly selected for everyone)
I read a collection of primary sources about the history of Budapest's XII. district. It started at the Ottoman Wars, and went all the way to the Communist Era, with court records, newspaper articles, personal diaries, letters, and other interesting contemporary sources. Great local history publication.
https://www.antikvarium.hu/konyv/hegyvideki-olvasokonyv-655153-0
#books #bookstodon #Hungarian #nonfiction
Szatucsek Zoltán: Hegyvidéki olvasókönyv (Budapest Főváros XII. Kerületi Önkormányzata, 2000) - antikvarium.hu
Tisztelt Olvasó! Tisztelt hegyvidéki polgár! Egy évezred küszöbéhez érkeztünk. Különleges, egyedi, megismételhetetlen az évforduló, _ amely arra kötelez...Antikvarium.hu
Sultan of Zanzibar: The Bizarre World and Spectacular Hoaxes of Horace de Vere Cole (Martyn Downer)
Known mostly for the infamus Dreadnaught Hoax (feat. Virginia Woolf) Horace Cole was a fascinating figure in the early 20th century. A real life trickster as well as a tragic figure whose world changed drastically due to historic events. Downer does a great job with this biography, giving a realistic picture of him.
https://www.amazon.com/Sultan-Zanzibar-Bizarre-Spectacular-Hoaxes/dp/0948238461
#books #bookstodon #nonfiction
Repülős Gizi, a tolvajok királynője (Bodnár Gizella)
[Flying Gizi, Queen of Thieves]
The autobiography of the famous Hungarian thief Bodnár Gizella (Flying Gizi). An honest and fascinating read about addiction, living through the entire 20th century as a woman, struggles, poverty, and life in prison. Being a talented thief is the least memorable thing about this woman's story.
https://www.libri.hu/konyv/Repulos-Gizi-A-tolvajok-kiralynoje-16.html
#nonfiction #books #bookstodon #Hungarian #crime #biography
Repülős Gizi - A tolvajok királynője (Bodnár Gizella)
Temérdek cifra dolgot láttam, hallottam, amit mások észre sem vesznek, vagy ha igen, nem tudják végiggondolni, micsoda mit jelent. Mennyi a súlya.Libri Könyvkereskedelmi Kft.
The search for Omm Sety (Jonathan Cott)
The fascinating biography of a woman who was declared dead at age 3, and came back to life remembering her previous life in Ancient Egypt. She dedicated her entire life to studying Egypt, moved there, helped archaeologists, and remembered a lot of things that later were discovered to be true...
https://www.amazon.com/Search-Omm-Sety-Jonathan-Cott/dp/0446390402
#nonfiction #books #bookstodon #history #Egypt #women
Medical Muses: Hysteria in Nineteenth-Century Paris (Asti Hustvedt)
The book explores the heyday of the study of "hysteria", through the lives of three women who were exhibitied in Paris as model hysterics. Sometimes very dark and sometimes amusing, the author goes beyond trying to diagnose them, focusing on the cultural context of "hysteria".
https://www.amazon.com/Medical-Muses-Hysteria-Nineteenth-Century-Paris/dp/0393025608
#nonfiction #books #bookstodon #MentalHealth #history
Are You Not Entertained?: Mapping the Gladiator Across Visual Media (Lindsay Steenberg)
Really fun read with all the gladiator stuff coming out this year. The author explores the gladiator as an archetype, and the arena fight as a trope, across various movies and TV shows (even outside historical movies, e.g. Hunger Games, Gamer, Fight Club etc). Lots of good insight into gender, nostalgia etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Are-You-Not-Entertained-Gladiator/dp/1350120073
#nonfiction #books #bookstodon #gladiator
The Divorce Colony: How Women Revolutionized Marriage and Found Freedom on the American Frontier (April White)
In the late 19th century, traveling to Sioux Falls was the easiest way to get a divorce - after only 90 days of residency. So the city's largest hotel turned into a "divorce colony" of women (and some men) waiting for their freedom. The book is an awesome read, full of personal stories.
https://www.amazon.com/Divorce-Colony-Revolutionized-Marriage-American/dp/0306827662
#books #bookstodon #nonfiction #divorce #AmReading
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession (Allison Hoover Bartlett)
The story of a man who used credit card scams to buy extremely expensive rare books and hoard them. The author explores the world of rare book collecting, buyers and sellers and scammers alike. 📚
https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Loved-Books-Much/dp/1594484813
#bookstodon #books #nonfiction #AmReading
The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them (Elif Batuman)
Shorter essays about people who engage with Russian literature, including the author herself. Stories like organizing a Russian literature conference in California, or her summer study in Uzbekistan, or the history of the Ice Palace. Interesting read, although I didn't always like the author's personal attitude.
https://www.amazon.com/Possessed-Adventures-Russian-Books-People/dp/0374532184
#books #bookstodon #nonfiction #Russia #literature
Sparks: China's Underground Historians and their Battle for the Future (Ian Johnson)
Highly recommended read. The author traces the work of underground historians, archivists, and documentary filmmakers in China who try to keep records of history that has been erased or changed by the party. They often literally risk their life and freedom to do it.
https://www.amazon.com/Sparks-Chinas-Underground-Historians-Battle/dp/0197575501
#history #China #nonfiction #bookstodon #books
The Invention of Clouds: How an Amateur Meteorologist Forged the Language of the Skies (Richard Hamblyn)
The story of how cloud types were named by Luke Howard at the turn of the 19th century. The book gives great historical context starting from the 1600s, about the birth of meteorology and the difficulties of cloud classification. I finally learned how the categories work.
https://www.amazon.com/Invention-Clouds-Amateur-Meteorologist-Language/dp/0312420013
#cloud #language #linguistics #nonfiction #history #books #bookstodon
The Land Where Lemons Grow (Helena Attlee)
The author travels across Italy, exploring the history of various citrus fruits. I never knew citrus could be such a fascinating topic, but the book was an amazing read. From the connections of lemons to the Sicilian mafia, through the orange-throwing carnival of Ivrea, all the way to Renaissance hybrid citrus collections. 🍋 🍊
(Sorry for the Amazon links)
https://www.amazon.com/Land-Where-Lemons-Grow-Citrus/dp/0241952573
#nonfiction #books #bookstodon #AmReading #food #Italy
It was exciting as usual, and led me to some great #nonfiction books. So, I'm going to share my reading list. No one asked, but here it is.
Thread. 📚
#AmReading #Books #bookstodon #ReadingChallenge #science #history
Willy Clarkson
Bunny Roger
Ynés Mexia
Dr. Anandabai Joshee, Dr. Kei Okami & Dr. Tabat M. Islambooly
#books #biography #history #nonfiction
The Divorce Colony: How Women Revolutionized Marriage and Found Freedom on the American Frontier - by April White
This book needs to be a high budget HBO show.
At the end of the 19th century, Sioux Falls was known for its lax divorce laws: if someone resided there for 90 days, they could file for divorce. The town's main hotel fast became a "divorce colony" of desperate women (and some men) and their own private dramas.
#nonfiction #books #bookstodon
Dorothy Parker: What fresh hell is this? - by Marion Meade
I really enjoyed the collection of Dorothy Parker's short stories, so I decided to read her biography. It was fascinating and often amusing, although in a slightly different way than I'd expected.
Dear Dorothy was a hot mess. In all the best and worst ways possible.
#WomensHistoryMonth #books #bookstodon #nonfiction
The fossil hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World - by Shelley Emling
This is a biography of pioneering paleontologist and fossil hunter Mary Anning, who is credited with discovering the first complete ichthyosaur and plesiosaur skeletons. Her discoveries contributed a lot to the science of paleontology - and her life was fascinating in all kinds of ways.
#WomensHistoryMonth #nonfiction #books #bookstodon
Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands - by Mary Seacole
Mary Seacole was a Jamaican woman, trained in medicine by her doctor mother. She wanted to join Florence Nightingale in nursing soldiers during the Crimean War, but she was not accepted. So instead, she traveled to the front on her own and put up an inn where she made food and sold drinks, and regularly walked to the trenches to tend to the wounded.
#WomensHistoryMonth #books #bookstodon #nonfiction
The lady and the octopus: How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology - by Dana Staaf
A colorful, fascinating book about the French scientist (1794–1871) who invented aquariums. We learn about her experiments in Italy, her inventions to make observations easier, and ther theories about the age-old mystery of the paper nautilus and its self-grown shell.
#WomensHistoryMonth #nonfiction #books #bookstodon
The Memoirs of Madame Vigée Lebrun
Le Brun (1755–1842) was a painter whose works still hang in galleries around the world, including the British National Gallery & the Louvre. She was the portrait painter of Marie Antoinette before she fled to Italy and then to Russia from the Revolution, leaving an abusive husband behind.
Her memoirs are entertaining and witty, showing a glimpse at the life of a remarkable woman.
#WomensHistoryMonth #nonfiction #books #bookstodon
The lady and the sharks - by Eugenie Clark
A fun memoir by the famous ichthyologist Eugenie Clark, best known for her work with sharks. I loved reading her memories of establishing a research center, designing experiments to test shark intelligence, and diving in all kinds of places (including sink holes). Also, the details of raising children as a marine scientist.
#WomensHistoryMonth #books #bookstodon #nonfiction
Ada Blackjack: A true story of survival in the Arctic - by Jennifer Niven
Ada was an Iñupiaq woman who joined an arctic expedition in the 1920s. The expedition got stranded on Wrangel Island, and slowly all the (somewhat foolishy unprepared) explorers died or disappeared, leaving Ada to fend for herself for almost two years. She survived, and the book uses her diary among other sources to tell her story.
#WomensHistoryMonth #Indigenous #books #bookstodon #nonfiction
#TBR #books #bookstodon
You can do your own version of this challenge if you like nonfiction :) Have fun!
#nonfiction #ReadingChallenge #books #bookstodon
One of my favorite literary genres is the travel journal or travel memoir. I love reading 19th and early 20th century travel writing. I would also love to subscribe to receive parts of this in the mail; one letter a week (?) from various eras and places in history, recounting travel adventures.
(I mean excerpts from real sources, not fiction.)
Bonus for including sources from a diverse range of travelers.
#Travel #TravelWriting #histodons #history #nonfiction
🧵 4/6