Narrative Nonfiction: American Author Challenge

**This is part of our American Author Challenge 2018. This topic will be read in November. The general discussion thread can be found right here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/279501

I LOVE narrative nonfiction and I truly feel we are living in a golden age of this format, despite there being a sprinkling of genuine classics over the decades. Many of my favorites books read, these past few years, have included a few NNF titles.

I do not think anyone should have a problem with finding a title to read. I recommend the 5 up there in post # 2, but there is a glut of fine writers out there, who excel at NNF: Eric Larsen, Hampton Sides, Sebastion Junger, David Grann, Dave Eggers and of course, Candice Millard to name just a few.

To help others along, could some of you, pick a pair of favorites and I will list them in this post. Make sure you mention what you might be reading, as well. I have at least 2 or 3 in mind, but I will start the month with The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which I have been meaning to get to for years.

I love Erik Larson books and have read several. Another book that I think fits this genre is one I read earlier this year: Daniel James Brown's The Boys in the Boat. That was one excellent and well-written book. I also read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down and loved it. I know I can come up with probably many more if I put my mind to it. I'll see what's on my shelf.... This is a genre I love.

As it happens, I am currently reading a book, a memoir, that I think fits the narrative non-fiction definition. It's written by a guy named Salman Rushdie, and it describes his life as impacted by the fatwa issued against him by Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini following the publication of The Satanic Verses. The memoir is Joseph Anton, the fake name Rushdie used as a security measure. I'm getting close to the 200th page...of a 633 page book. I started it in response to the October topic of chatterbox's Non-Fiction Challenge. It'll be a twofer.

I have planned for months to read Erik Larson's Dead Wake for this November's AAC. Right now, it is circling and scuffling on the "on-deck" shelf with Citizens of London by Lynne Olson, which I acquired recently. I now thing I'll be reading both of them.

So, three non-fictions. I'm good to g...ah, read.

I'll be reading The Zookeeper's Wife.

I have a couple of Erik Larson's books here that I have not read, as well as at least on of David McCullough's. I know I can't go wrong with any of those. I have Philbrick's Mayflower, which has been calling to me forever...and lots of memoirs which would probably fit. Maybe I'll just read nothing BUT NNF in November?

I did think of 3 more, but, unfortunately for me, I've already read all three. They are memoirs of sorts, by Reeve Lindbergh, youngest daughter of Charles and Anne Morrow. The first is called Under a Wing, followed by No More Words and then Forward From Here. She talks about her own upbringing, and her discomfort when she learned of her father's political leanings (quite different from her own), and caring for her mother in Anne's declining years. Her writing is beautiful, truly.

Diane Ackerman's One Hundred Names for Love was another I couldn't put down.

Hmm, I need to find some I *haven't* read yet!

I am thinking confederates in the attic, as I have a copy I keep meaning to read

I looked at a list of narrative non-fiction and came up with Tribe which is on my shelves.

I saw Evicted on a list of NNF and while I think people use the term a bit loosely for anything non-fiction that reads easily, I'm reading this for this month's theme in Suz's NF challenge, so I guess I'm also participating, by default, over here!

I haven't decided yet what I'm going to read. I think I have a recent narrative nonfiction purchase from McKays, but I can't remember what it is at the moment. I probably ought to read that one!

>2 msf59: I love the inclusion of Destiny of the Republic in the toppers, Mark. I can confidently say that it is one of my favorite historical reads. Even Candice Millard has not been able to top this one in my books. And, you know I love them all.

>3 msf59: Simon Winschester is a name that could be added to the list.

Needless to say, this challenge has my attention. *heads off to look into Hampton Sides*

Never mind - sorry - I totally posted that in the wrong thread. Ignore me! :)

>9 banjo123: Confederates in the Attic was very good.

>13 brodiew2: Hampton Sides has a new book out (or maybe just coming this month?) about the Korean War. Not an easy read, I'm sure, but he is an excellent choice. I read his book about the King assassination.

I have We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time by Jose Andres home from the library, and I think it would be a pretty great fit for the AAC this month. Looking forward to seeing what everyone is reading, and what folks recommend.

Karen O.

I am reading Accidental Billionaires for Suz’s challenge (Politics, Business, and Economics) so I will read that one for this challenge as well.

This book is Narrative Non-Fiction for sure as the author says in the introduction that he created dialogue in order to make the book read easier. He also messed around with some recollections to make them fit with the factual timeline rather than as the people being interviewed stated when things happened.

Currently listening to The Perfectionists by Simon Winchester, about the history of precision in engineering. Very fascinating, even if some of the detailed descriptions are flying way over my head.

I think The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston qualifies. I just finished the audiobook of that one.

I'm toying with the idea of reading The Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier: Jakob Walter edited by Marc Raeff.

edited to add: Or On Writing by Stephen King....

Sigh.

^I know The Spirit Catches You has been popular with many of my LT pals, over the years, and despite having a copy on shelf forever, I never got around to it. Well, this month's AAC is bailing me out and I will start it today. The only Fadiman that I have read, was Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader, which was quite a few years ago.

>19 thornton37814: The Lost City of the Monkey God is a fantastic read, Lori and a perfect choice.

Another narrative nonfiction work that is very popular right now is Killers of the Flower Moon by David Gann. I suppose that many of the people on this thread have already read it - but if not, go to the library and get this book! It is the kind of nonfiction that you will read in a big hurry. And love every minute of doing so.

#21
Like you Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down had been on my TBR list for many years. It was required reading for the students in the Masters of Education program here at UA and even though I knew that I didn't read the book. I finally got around to doing so in September and once I started reading it - I couldn't put it down. There is all kinds of food for thought in that book, and the narrative is just outstanding. I am glad that you are finally getting around to reading this one. I think it would make an excellent book to listen to as well, so if you are planning to be in the car over Thanksgiving this might be a title that you could take with you.

I'm going for Packing for Mars which is off my shelves. I got it from SantaThing last year and haven't managed to read it yet. After that, I've got plenty of David McCullough to work through.

"A harrowing and thorough account of the massacre that upended Norway, and the trial that helped put the country back together

On July 22, 2011, Anders Behring Breivik detonated a bomb outside government buildings in central Oslo, killing eight people. He then proceeded to a youth camp on the island of Utøya, where he killed sixty-nine more, most of them teenage members of Norway’s governing Labour Party."

^Yep, I sure like reading heart-warming, uplifting books, don't I? Actually, I have wanted to read One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway, since it was published in 2015 and remember glowing reviews. I started it today on audio, a couple of hours in and it is very good, painstakingly detailed, with a horrifying opening chapter.

And yes, teamed up with The Spirit Catches You, I am reading a pair of NNF titles. That doesn't happen often.

>25 nittnut: I loved Packing for Mars, Jenn. My favorite Roach. Great choice.

I completely forgot I was listening to West Like Lightning on Audible. I suppose that is narrative non-fiction too. I might get two in. I am working in my sewing room today so there is listening time. :)

I finished The Zookeeper's Wife last night. I'm a little late to the party. I thought it lived up to the hype.

>28 nittnut: West Like Lightning sounds really good. On the audio list it goes!

I decided to read On Writing by Stephen King. I read it in two days, partly because it was so interesting and fun and partly because I had a Large Print edition. Signs of aging..... Anyway, I loved it. Here's my review: karenmarie's review of On Writing.

^2 of my very favorite NNF authors: Candice Millard & Hampton Sides, at the Miami Fair. David Grann was there too. Sadly, I was not in attendance.

I am currently reading my fourth NNF title of the month, not counting a terrific memoir, so I am one Happy Camper.

How is everyone else doing?

I am reading Confederates in the Attic, and finding it slow-going, but worthwhile. I find it difficult to read all of the appallingly racist statements by Confederate supporters, and the writing is not as breezy as Blue Latitudes, which was my Horwitz introduction.

However, it's incredibly topical! Hopefully I will finish by the end of the month.

I finished reading Golden Spruce by John Vaillant. This is a fine example of narrative non-fiction. It starts out slowly and seems to be a long way from the tragedy of the Golden Spruce and more of a history of the Queen Charlotte Islands, and the old growth forests of the coastal Pacific Northwest. Gradually it turns back to the subject and becomes a book about environmental terrorism and a discussion of why people who are passionate about certain things turn to violence or destruction in order to find an audience for their beliefs.

This book is about a mutant Sitka Spruce that was located on one of the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of British Columbia. It was 250 feet tall and 300 years old when it was chopped down in one night by an environmental activist who wanted to bring attention to the desperate plight of the old growth Coastal temperate rain forests.

We Americans like to think that the Canadian government and Canadians are more enlightened than we are. This book will disabuse American readers about that in a hurry and make the reader want to go out and join Greenpeace.

This was great holiday reading. I enjoyed this book and learned much from it. This is must reading for anybody interested in the ecology of forests.

>35 benitastrnad: I read that several years ago and it was very good!

I finished We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico One Meal at a Time by Jose Andres, my read for this month's AAC. What a great book! If I could give stars for quality of character and heroic acts, I would give Andres 5 of 'em, for sure. Involving read. The author makes a case for being prepared PRIOR TO the disaster, and convincingly argues that these disasters will be happening more and more frequently due to climate change.

Karen O.

>37 klobrien2: I'm glad to see a real-live review on that one. It's one under consideration for the library. I think it would resonate with a lot of our faculty and students.

I really enjoyed the read--there's history, politics, a lot of community feeling and involvement. Andres is a remarkable person, but he's the first one to share the kudos, and to work to fix the problems. I saw the author on "The Daily Show" when he was promoting the book. And all of author profits go to Puerto Rico (I like that).

Your library should buy this book! :)

Karen O.

I was not sure what would be considered narrative nonfiction but Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging came up in one of my lists and was written by someone from the US. Besides, it was a slim book, so fit well with my reading plans. It was and interesting and thought provoking look at how we are doing ourselves a disservice by denying our instinct to congregate in small groups or tribes. Junger's theory is that this has dire psychological consequences.

>35 benitastrnad: If you are looking for info on that area it is now mostly referred to as Haida Gwaii.

I am reading---and thoroughly enjoying---JR Moehringer's The Tender Bar, but I won't have it finished by the end of the day/month.

>42 laytonwoman3rd: I LOVED The Tender Bar, Linda and have a copy on my "Keeper" shelf. Excellent pick.

#41
That is true today. The author says in the book that the Haida people had forced the Canadian government, through the courts, to name the southern part of the biggest island Haida Gwaii, and that is the name of the Natonal Preserve located in that area. There was also a movement to change the name o the island in the story, but at the time of the books publication (2005) that had not been done yet.

West Like Lighting was a pretty good book, as long as you didn't expect to actually learn a ton about the Pony Express. It's engaging and what could be sourced, was. I can't really recommend the audio, I don't think the format of the book is the best for audio. It jumps around in time too much, changes topics a little abruptly, and there were entire sections where I lost track of what the book was supposed to be about. It probably wouldn't have been as much of a problem if I were reading.