2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #4

 

Welcome to the Monthly Spotlight for the

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge!

Each month I highlight some of the reviews shared for the challenge in the linky

Don’t forget to link each book you read as you read during the year!

I encourage you to support all participants who have shared what they are reading for the challenge. Give them a like, leave them a comment, share their posts on Facebook, twitter, or instagram #ReadNonFicChal

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IN APRIL…

 

[MEMOIR]

“This was definitely a book that I could relate to! Shannon’s stories and memories often had me nodding along or laughing out loud. Her different perspectives, as both a reader and a teacher of literature, were always intriguing.… I very much enjoyed this hilarious, informative, and comforting journey through books and reading.”

Learn more at Book by Book

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[HEALTH]

“Each chapter focuses on the particular body part using the stories of medical personnel, specific women, and historical figures to give background and information about the organ’s function, development and physical description. Although the narrative often includes detailed biological and technical data, Gross makes it as interesting as a novel. I found myself unable to put the book down at times, wanting to know more about the continuing “story.”

Learn more at Stranger Than Fiction

***

 

[BIOGRAPHY]

“Sister Viv is a gripping account of a woman who endured great suffering but went on to live a full and productive life in spite of her awful wartime experiences. Grantlee Kieza has written a biography worthy of this truly remarkable Australian.”

Learn more at Denise Newton Writes

***

 

[HISTORY]

“This is a narrative history, and a resource which will sit on my bookshelf for reference. I enjoyed the way the facts were presented and particularly reading the history up until I became politically aware at the beginning of the 1970s.”

Learn more at Tasmanian Bibliophile at Large

***

 

[TRUE CRIME]

“If you are into true crime, history, and women’s stories this might be a book you want to take a look at. The illustrations are wonderful and add a nice touch to the stories. I also liked how the author wrote with compassion and occasionally humor to get her point across. This is a well put together historical look at poisons and the women who used them.”

Learn more at Confessions of a Serial Reader

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What will you be reading in MAY?

If you need some help choosing a book..check out these posts 

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #3

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #2

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #1

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #History #Memoir/Biography

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #TrueCrime #Science

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #Health #Food

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #Culture #Transportation

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #TheFuture #Pets

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #Architecture #Publishedin2024

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #3

 

Welcome to the Monthly Spotlight for the

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge!

Each month I highlight some of the reviews shared for the challenge in the linky

Don’t forget to link each book you read as you read during the year!

I encourage you to support all participants who have shared what they are reading for the challenge. Give them a like, leave them a comment, share their posts on Facebook, twitter, or instagram #ReadNonFicChal

—————

IN MARCH…

 

[MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY]

When I first read the synopsis, I worried this might be a sort of “white savior” type of story, but that’s not it at all. It’s a story about the power of kindness and connection to heal all kinds of trauma…. It’s a beautiful story of the bonds between two very different but damaged women, and the joyful little girls they both love.

Learn more at Book by Book

***

 

[TRUE CRIME]

If you are into art and especially art history this is probably a book you might want to take a look at. True crime fans might also be interested, but it a bit on the dry side from other true crime books I have read. This was not a bad read, it was interesting and I learned some things from it, but I did find it a little dry and long winded at times.

Learn more at Confessions of a Serial Reader

***

 

[PUBLISHED IN 2024]

Griswold reports …in a dispassionate, objective way, without giving much sign of her opinion about it all. Readers can try to make up their own mind about what is going on. Indeed, although to me the behavior of the pastor and congregation member leading the campaign seemed not only ineffective but unethical, to some they are heroes. Exacerbated by pandemic stress and everything else conspiring to unhinge us these days, the whole situation seems to demonstrate how hard it is to come together and listen to each other, even for those with the best of intentions.

Learn more at Entering the Enchanted Castle

***

 

[TRANSPORTATION]

The writing is articulate and animated, and Goodwin relates his experience in a personable, confiding tone. His descriptions, especially of the people he encounters, are vivid and memorable. Told with humour, pathos and candour, I found Servo to be a highly entertaining read.

Learn more at Book’d Out

***

[MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY]

This is a beautiful book. A commemoration of the lives and music of Australian musicians and partners in life Archie Roach (1956-2022) and Ruby Hunter (1955-2010). The book includes photographs, songs, stories, and tributes. The lyrics to many of their songs are included, together with stories about how some of the songs were composed.

Learn more at Tasmanian Bibliophile 

***

What will you be reading in APRIL?

If you need some help choosing a book..check out these posts 

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #2

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #1

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #History #Memoir/Biography

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #TrueCrime #Science

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #Health #Food

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #Culture #Transportation

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #TheFuture #Pets

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #Architecture #Publishedin2024

Review: The Satanic Mechanic by Sally Andrew

 

Title: The Satanic Mechanic {A Tannie Maria Mystery #2}

Author: Sally Andrew

Published: 7th July 2016, Text Publishing

Status: Read February 2024

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My Thoughts:

Though it was way back in 2015 that I read the first book of Sally Andrew’s debut cozy mystery series featuring Tannie Maria, an agony aunt for a rural South African newspaper, who dispenses advice and recipes, when the Crossing Continents Reading Challenge called for a book set in Africa, the series immediately came to mind.

The Satanic Mechanic picks up not too long after the end of Recipes for Love and Murder. Maria has grown more comfortable with her role as the Love Advice and Recipe Column for the Klein Karoo Gazette, a position which she takes very seriously, dispensing common sense and comfort to those who write in, always coupled with a recipe that reinforces her support. If you are a foodie, the dozen or so recipes Andrews includes in Satanic Mechanic including West African Chicken Mafe, Venus Cake and Mosbolletjie Bread, will surely delight.

Maria’s romantic relationship with Detective Henk Kannemeyer has also progressed, however Maria, who experienced terrible domestic violence at the hands of her late husband, is finding intimacy difficult due to PTSD. Recognising her need for help, Maria joins a somewhat unconventional support group run by a man nicknamed the Satanic Mechanic, who has an interesting backstory. Andrews writes sensitively of Maria’s issues, and her struggle to resolve them.

The PTSD support group is the setting for one of the murders, which is preceded by the poisoning of a Bushmen representative involved in a legal stoush with corporate interests at a local fair. Finding herself at the scene of both events, Tannie Marie can not help but get involved, much to the chagrin of a worried Henk. To be honest I felt the mystery plot didn’t have the impact it probably should have, but it still held my interest.

One of the main elements I really appreciate in this series is how well the story’s are grounded in their setting. Not only with regards to descriptions of Tannie Maria’s physical environment, but also how smoothly Andrews interjects snippets of Afrikaans into the narrative. In Satanic Mechanic Andrews also touches on some of the cultural and political issues that affect the country, particularly with regards to tension surrounding the rights of Bushmen (or San peoples).

I enjoyed revisiting this series, and though I don’t feel immediately compelled to move on to the last two published books featuring Tannie Maria, I would like to read them eventually.

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Available from Text Publishing

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Review: Seven Summers by Paige Toon

 

Title: Seven Summers

Author: Paige Toon

Published: 28th March 2024, Random House UK

Status: Read March 2024 courtesy Penguin UK/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

Seven Summers is a heart wrenching contemporary romance from Paige Toon about love, loss, family, and fate.

The summer Liv meets Finn, tragedy binds them, and then tears them apart. Liv’s life is in Cornwall where she tends bar, creates sculptures, and watches over her brother. Finn’s life is in LA where his career as a singer/songwriter is taking flight. Forced to part as the season turns, the lovers make a solemn vow, if they are both single when Finn returns a year from now, they will renew their romance, setting the scene for a love story seven years in the making.

Moving between the present day and the tumultuous events of the six previous summers, Seven Summers is an emotional journey that charts the course of Liv and Finn’s relationship. Toon elicits smiles as the couple make the most of the time they are together, and tears each time they part. Their romance is passionate, sweet, and all-consuming, and I was wholly invested in it. But eventually something has to change and when Liv meets Tom, she is forced to make a choice. To Toon’s credit, Liv and Tom’s relationship is equally as compelling, and ultimately as heartrending. It’s a unique twist on a love triangle trope that makes a statement about soul mates and second chances.

While Seven Summers is a romance at its core, it’s also much more than just that. In some ways it’s a coming of age story, as Liv is only just in her twenties when the story begins, and as a consequence of her loss, she gives up on her plans and becomes sort of stuck. With the immediacy of the first person perspective, the narrative is quite intimate so that the reader shares in Liv’s journey as she navigates her grief, guilt and yearning.

Poignant, wistful and hopeful, Seven Summers is another heartfelt novel that will give you all the feels.

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Available from Penguin Books UK

Or help support* Book’d Out

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

 

Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

 

Title: Listen For the Lie

Author: Amy Tintera

Published: 14th March 2024, Bantam UK

Status: Read March 2024 courtesy Bantam/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

Lucy Chase murdered her best friend, at least that’s what everyone thinks, including the voice in Lucy’s head, even though she remembers nothing, and the police can’t prove it.

Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera is a darkly hilarious mystery in which Lucy reluctantly returns to her hometown for her grandmothers birthday at the same time as a popular true crime podcaster, Ben Owens, decides to open an investigation in an effort to solve the five year old case.

Lucy is a fantastic character, and carries the book effortlessly with her first person narrative. I delighted in her acerbic wit and bold attitude. Not surprisingly, Lucy always has her guard up, except around her grandmother, who is equally outspoken. Their bond is a delight, and Beverley nearly steals every scene they share. It’s Beverley who convinces Lucy to cooperate with Ben.

Transcripts from the podcast are used to provide details about the crime, and the interviews reveal new pieces of the puzzle. The residents of Plumpton have plenty of secrets and I enjoyed how the mystery played out. It’s not a complex plot but there is plenty of drama and intrigue, and separating gossip from truth to determine what really happened the night Savannah was murdered is a challenge.

Despite all the humour Tintera does touch on serious issues including domestic violence, PTSD, and obsession. The tension develops well as Lucy and Ben grow closer to learning the truth, and there is an exciting and satisfying climax. Short chapters and snappy dialogue support the fast pace of the novel.

A fun, quirky and compulsive mystery, I found Listen For the Lie to be a delightful read.

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Available from Penguin Books UK

Or help support* Book’d Out

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

 

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #2

 

Welcome to the first Monthly Spotlight for the

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge!

Each month I highlight some of the reviews shared for the challenge in the linky

Don’t forget to link each book you read as you read during the year!

I encourage you to support all participants who have shared what they are reading for the challenge. Give them a like, leave them a comment, share their posts on social media Use #ReadNonFicChal

—————

FEBRUARY …

 

[HISTORY]

“Pockets – An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close by Hannah Carlson is recommended for readers with an interest in micro history, fashion and gender politics. This 3 star rating is largely reflective of my interest level in the topic and not representative of the author’s knowledge of the subject, which is deep.”

Learn more at Carpe Librum

***

[HEALTH]

“Reading Wade’s poems and essays is like having an older sister or aunt gently give suggestions on parts of your life you may be struggling with. I recommend this book for those who are looking for comforting, uplifting, and thought provoking reading.”

Learn more at Shoe’s Seeds and Stories

***

[ARCHITECTURE]

“The Plaza was a fascinating look at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, its history, its owners, and some of the people who lived here over its history. The book is well-researched and I enjoyed it. I do think it might have been a bit tedious in print for me, but mostly because I cared more about the anecdotes and less about the dates and dollars.”

Learn more at Carol’s Notebook

***

[MEMOIR]

 

“This lyrical and touching memoir has compelling appropriation of love, loss, and human spirit perseverance. I enjoyed this immensely, and I highly recommend it!”

Learn more at JodyJoy

***

[SCIENCE]

“I really enjoyed finding out about part of Britain’s landscape that I knew nothing about before. Guy Shrubsole writes clearly and his writing is accompanied by some gorgeous photographs that really illustrate what he is talking about.”

Learn more at Wicked Witch’s Blog

***

What will you be reading in MARCH?

If you need some help choosing a book..check out these posts 

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #1

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #History #Memoir/Biography

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #TrueCrime #Science

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #Health #Food

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #Culture #Transportation

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #TheFuture #Pets

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Inspiration #Architecture #Publishedin2024

Review: Servo by David Goodwin

 

Title: Servo: Tales from the Graveyard Shift

Author: David Goodwin

Published: 28th February 2024, Hachette

Status: Read February 2024 courtesy Hachette Australia

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My Thoughts:

I worked part time in a servo (gas station for US readers) during my last year or so of high school. I got the job because I spent hours there after school and on the weekend hanging out with my boyfriend (now husband) who worked there part time while he was at university. It was the very early 90’s, and it was still an actual service station in that we were supposed to offer to fill the tank, check the oil, and clean the windscreen of our customers when there was two of us on shift. In practice we only did this for patrons of a certain age and/or socioeconomic bracket, or those that insisted. We were busy, being on a main road, but we were also one of several a few hundred meters apart in a fairly affluent suburb, and though we had an on-site mechanic and a car wash, our shop was small offering little more than the basics – cold drinks, ice creams, cigarettes, newspapers and snacks. That’s not to say we didn’t attract drama. As in any retail job, customers ranged from the indifferent, to the weird, to the hostile. There was a popular pub and drive thru across the road and we had more than one drunk stumble in, especially on the weekends when we were open until midnight. The occasional brawl broke out on the forecourt, a handful of drive-offs, and there was at least one attempted hold up (not on my shift thankfully). Most memorably for me, during a petrol shortage with cars queuing down the street, anger and desperation resulted in a man becoming pinned between two cars at the bowser, that was a hell of a day.

All this is to say that David Goodwin’s memoir, Servo, sent me wandering down memory lane. My experience wasn’t near as fraught as his own, it certainly didn’t trigger an existential crisis, a drawn out drug binge, or stomach ulcers, but there was a lot about his job I could personally relate to. Anyone with retail experience however will likely be familiar with many of the situations David finds himself in.

I found myself nodding in recognition as Goodwin described the mundane routines of his job, and I often laughed out loud at the idiosyncrasies of his colleagues and customers. The sheer lunacy of the ‘gumbleton’s’ David regularly encounters is quite something, but I believed every word. People are strange, especially those that wander into servo’s in the small hours.

Servo is also in part the story of David’s coming-of-age from a shy, sheltered young adult to someone more confident and streetwise. The job took its toll both physically and mentally on him however, and he confesses the ways in which he tried to cope with its stresses.

The writing is articulate and animated, and Goodwin relates his experience in a personable, confiding tone. His descriptions, especially of the people he encounters, are vivid and memorable.

Told with humour, pathos and candour, I found Servo to be a highly entertaining read. Remember to offer the console operator a friendly smile next time you pay for your petrol.

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Available from Hachette Australia

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*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

 

Review: The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

 

Title: The Book of Doors

Author: Gareth Brown

Published: 13th February 2024, Bantam

Status: Read February 2024 courtesy Penguin Books Australia

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My Thoughts:

When Cassie Andrews goes to rouse regular bookstore patron Mr Webber so she can lock up, she’s saddened to discover he has passed away. On his lap is his beloved copy of The Count of Monte Christo, and next to him is an unfamiliar leather volume. On the very first page is an inscription, “This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door.”, and a note bequeathing the book, which looks like a journal, to Cassie.

I think it’s best I don’t go into too much detail so that the narrative keeps its surprises. Suffice to say The Book of Doors holds an extraordinary power, and for Cassie the magic is life-changing. Unfortunately the joy of it is tainted when Cassie learns The Book of Doors is unique but not the only one of its kind, and she becomes the target of some ruthless collectors.

Though Cassie is the main character, the narrative of The Book of Doors moves between multiple perspectives of both her allies and enemies. Brown’s portrayal of several of these characters is a little clumsy and simplistic at times, but they generally make for an interesting support cast and include Cassie’s roommate Izzy; an enigmatic Scot named Drummond Fox (aka The Librarian); a sadistic and distasteful book hunter, Hugo Barbary;  and the even more terrifying collector, ‘The Woman’.

Often whimsical, especially as Cassie travels the world through the doors she opens, the story has more darker moments than I was expecting. The Book of Doors, in fact all of the magic Books are both a source of wonder and, in the wrong hands, a source of horror. There are several scenes of fast paced action and high tension as Cassie, and her friends, are faced with those who wield the books with the intention of doing harm.

I found the pacing of The Book of Doors to be a little uneven but largely by necessity due to the narrative shifting back and forth in time. I’m not generally a fan of time travel as a rule, but I think Brown handles the logistics of it well.

An imaginative novel offering adventure, mystery and a hint of romance, The Book of Doors to an enchanting read, which should particular appeal to those who believe in the magic of books.

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Available from Penguin Books Australia

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*Purchase from Booktopia*

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The Inaugural Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction 2024 #ReadNonFicChal

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The longlist for the inaugural Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction has been announced. It is a major new annual book prize that celebrates exceptional narrative non-fiction by women. The Prize promotes excellence in writing, robust research, original narrative voices and accessibility, showcasing women’s expertise across a range of fields.

The Prize will be awarded annually and is open to all women writers from across the globe who are published in the UK and writing in English. The shortlist will be announced 27th March and the winner on 13th June.

{linked to Goodreads}

Intervals by Marianne Brooker

All That She Carried by Tiya Miles

Wifedom by Anna Funder

Shadows at Noon by Joya Chatterji

Code Dependent by Madhumita Murgia

Eve by Cat Bohannon

A Flat Place by Noreen Masud

Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista

Thunderclap by Laura Cumming

The Dictionary People by Sarah Ogilvie

Vulture Capitalism by Grace Blakley

Young Queens by Leah Redmond Chang

The Britannias by Alice Albinia

Matrescence by Lucy Jones

Doppelgänger by Naomi Klein

How To Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair

*

Will you be adding any of these to your #ReadNonFicChal TBR? 

Click here to learn more about the Women’s Prize

Review: A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith

 

Title: A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?

Author: Kelly and Zach Weinersmith

Published: 2nd November 2023, Particular Books

Status: Read January 2024

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My Thoughts:

Though we’ve known since the early 20th century that Mars is essentially a lifeless wasteland, humans have been reluctant to relinquish the dream of one day living there. In A City On Mars, self-described space geeks, Kelly and Zach Weinersmith explore the feasibility of life among the stars.

As technology advances providing continued innovation in space travel the dream may seem closer than ever but it’s only a single practical challenge among many. Drawing from several years of original research including interviews with a myriad of experts, the Weinersmith’s explore topics with regards to the the ability of both the human body and mind to withstand life in space for long periods, and the obstacles to creating safe, self sustaining biomes at scale among hostile environments. It’s surprising to realise just how much we don’t know about living in space, and I found these sections to be the most engaging.

A large section of the book is also devoted to examining legal and ethical concerns regarding space settlement, and though I found myself skimming a fair bit of the detail that covered the former, the issues raised were interesting to consider. The analogy with company towns is a clever comparison, I look at the mess Musk’s ego has made of Twitter, and know I could never trust him to act in my (or society’s) best interests.

The Weinersmith’s interject some humour into their work, which enhances its readability and their enthusiasm for the topic comes across well. Zach’s illustrations are a lighthearted, if superfluous, addition. I do think readers will require at least a casual interest in the subject to stay engaged with the narrative. The length of the book works against it slightly, though I appreciate the authors’ thoroughness.

A City on Mars is a pretty pessimistic view of the viability of space colonisation, there are still many questions to be answered and I agree with the Weinersmith’s conclusion that just because we can, doesn’t mean we should. Life in space is no guarantee of utopia, in fact we’d just be taking all the same problems with us, and likely creating many more.

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Available from Penguin Australia

Or help support* Book’d Out

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

#ReadNonFicChal -The Future