2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #4

May 11, 2024May 11, 2024 ~ shelleyrae @ Book'd Out ~ 2 Comments

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

***

[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

April 6, 2024 ~ shelleyrae @ Book'd Out ~ 3 Comments

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!

—————

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

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge Monthly Spotlight #2

March 3, 2024March 3, 2024 ~ shelleyrae @ Book'd Out ~ 8 Comments

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

February 28, 2024March 2, 2024 ~ shelleyrae @ Book'd Out ~ 8 Comments

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.

++++++++

Available from Hachette 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.

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

February 18, 2024February 16, 2024 ~ shelleyrae @ Book'd Out ~ 5 Comments

*
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

February 15, 2024February 17, 2024 ~ shelleyrae @ Book'd Out ~ 7 Comments

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

++++++++

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.

++++++++

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

Review: The Teacher’s Pet by Hedley Thomas

February 6, 2024February 9, 2024 ~ shelleyrae @ Book'd Out ~ 2 Comments

Title: The Teacher’s Pet

Author: Hedley Thomas

Published: 10th October 2023, Macmillan Australia

Status: Read January 2024 courtesy PanMacmillan Australia

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My Thoughts:

The Teacher’s Pet by Hedley Thomas is a comprehensive examination of the events leading to the conviction of Chris Dawson for the 1982 murder of his wife Lynette (Dawson) Simms, forty years after she disappeared, expanding on The Australian Walkley award-winning journalist’s hit 2018 true crime podcast of the same name.

Teenage sweethearts, Lyn and Chris married in 1970, by January 1982 they were living in Sydney’s Northern Beaches raising their two young children. According to those who knew the couple, Lyn was a dedicated nurse, a devoted mother and a loving wife. Chris, who had retired from the star rugby league career he shared with his twin brother Paul, was a well-liked high school physical education teacher. When Lyn vanished in early January Chris, who failed to report her missing for six weeks, claimed she had simply left, intimating she had joined a cult. Investigators seemed to accept Chris at his word, despite a number of red flags, chief among them his intimate relationship with the family’s live-in sixteen year old babysitter, a student of Chris’s, whom he married two years later.

Drawing from newspaper accounts, police and court records, supplemented by extensive interviews of family, friends, and others connected to the case, Thomas’s 16-part podcast captured the attention of the public, and the police. If you are familiar with the popular series, little of the sensational circumstances of the crime revealed in The Teacher’s Pet will be a surprise, but Thomas reveals additional background and details, expands on the process and findings of his investigation which began in 2001, much of which was not included in the podcast, and shares the personal challenges his pursuit of the case caused.

At 500+ pages A Teacher’s Pet is not a quick read but the narrative is engaging, if a touch repetitive at times. It’s supplemented with photographs, a convenient timeline, and a resource list, as well as an epilogue covering the trial of Dawson contributed by a colleague as Hedley, who was subpoenaed to give evidence, could not attend the hearing.

Hedley deserves credit for his contribution to getting justice for Lynette and her family. A must read for fans of the podcast, and the true crime genre, A Teacher’s Pet is an absorbing piece of investigative journalism.

++++++++

Available from Pan Macmillan

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 #1

February 3, 2024February 2, 2024 ~ shelleyrae @ Book'd Out ~ 6 Comments

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

—————

JANUARY…

[TRANSPORTATION]

“[Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton] is a cracking tale, with interesting characters being tested in the most inhospitable place on earth. If you’ve any interest in polar exploration, nonfiction survival books or just Antarctic books, you’ll love this.”

Learn more at Book Shelf Discovery

***

[HISTORY]

“…the information presented [in Lady Sapiens by Thomas Cirotteau, Jennifer Kerner, and Éric Pincas] is extremely thorough and the descriptions are clear and detailed. Much of the book reads like a novel, and the scientific evidence is presented in an understandable way. It assumes the reader has some background knowledge of prehistoric life, but is not too academic…. The conclusion includes the claim that prehistoric females were “essential to their clan’s survival,” which I never doubted. For readers who have not known this or would like to know more, this is definitely a book to read.”

Learn more at Stranger Than Fiction

***

[CULTURE]

“Magic Words – What to Say to Get Your Way by Jonah Berger was an interesting audiobook….Readers fresh to the topic of language, the art of communication and social sciences will love this!”

Learn more at Carpe Librum

***

[MEMOIR/BIOGRAPHY]

“I read [The Other Pandemic by Lynn Curlee] so quickly, absorbed in Curlee’s story and that of his friends from page one. He mixes in cultural, political, medical, and social history smoothly, educating his readers as he exposes them to a horrible time in our nation’s history…. I highly recommend this book. If you lived through this era, it will dredge up memories, and if you are younger, I hope it helps you understand.”

Learn more at Helen’s Book Blog

***

[TRUE CRIME]

“[The Amish Wife by Gregg Olsen] was an interesting story, but as the author never made any new discoveries in the case and the murderer is deceased, it was really just him revisiting a cold case with no hope of a solution.”

***

What will you be reading in FEBRUARY?

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

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

January 27, 2024January 27, 2024 ~ shelleyrae @ Book'd Out ~ 11 Comments

I’m delighted to welcome you to the 2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge.

The challenge asks participants to read up to 12 books over the year, each from a different category (or can opt to just read whatever you want)

This years categories are:

History
Memoir/Biography
True Crime
Science
Health
Food
Culture
Transportation
The Future
Pets
Architecture
Published in 2024

Click here to learn more about the 2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge, sign up and join in the fun.

For the next few weeks I will post some titles for each category that might inspire your own selections. Use your best judgement as to whether a book fits a particular category or not, this is supposed to be a challenge, not a chore, and you only really need suit yourself.

Please feel free to comment with your own recommendations or suggestions . You can find more inspiration via past challenge inspiration posts (scroll through the Nonfiction Reader Challenge category), other participating bloggers, and lists such as Goodreads Listopia, Library Booklists.

Click the covers to learn more about each title at Goodreads

ARCHITECTURE

Architecture is the art of designing structures and buildings, I realise the subject is a little niche so feel free to stretch the definition a little.