If you want to read more in 2023, but the latest Grisham or Koontz novels leave you cold. Consider the genre of Nonfiction.
One of the most popular nonfiction genres is famous people writing their autobiographies. Consider the recent releases:
- All In by Billie Jean King
- The Beauty of Living Twice by Sharon Stone
- Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- Hard Choices by Hillary Clinton
I must ask the question, are our lives so tiny that we have to know every detail of a famous person’s life? This genre isn’t for me. I’d rather stick a pencil into my eye than read about a former president’s wife or a famous actress. Give me someone who’s made a lasting impact on the world. Someone like Benjamin Franklin or Mother Teresa.
There’s been a lot of buzz about Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare. Although I haven’t read it (and I won’t ever), I’ve watched some snippets from his television interviews. Perhaps he should consider the following sayings: ‘Silence is golden’ and ‘If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.’
You may disagree with me, and that’s okay. Can we agree to disagree?
7 types of nonfiction
As for books that are not self-aggrandizement, there are 7 main types of nonfiction, and you should be able to find one that will grab your interest:
- History nonfiction writing involves recounting a historical event or specific time period
- Biographies And Autobiographies (cue the eye roll)
- Memoirs (again, eye roll)
- Travel Writing
- Philosophy
- Religion And Spirituality
- Self-Help
- Science
Within each genre there may be subgenres as well. And some crossover. For instance, my book about caring for my elderly parents, The Caregiving Season, is part memoir, part self-help, and part religion and spirituality.
Women vs. Men
Here’s an anecdotal tidbit I’ve noticed – most men prefer nonfiction while women mostly read fiction. Why is that? Do we females enjoy exploring new places, feelings, and people through stories? Perhaps we like the escape that novels bring. Do I dare suggest that men are more logical, and thus prefer reading things that are true; facts, figures, places that exist in reality rather than in imagination.
What do you think? If you want to read more in 2023, what kind of book do you prefer?
What I’m reading (nonfiction):
This is a great book about how to live – Story 1 or Story 2 – and how it affects every area of my life. Allen Arnold is a friend and fellow creative who wants everyone to live life to the fullest.
The Eden Option is a beacon that calls us back to God-reality. It reveals his original de- sign for our lives, how we lost it, and why it matters more than we imagine.
You can follow my blog by visiting my website: www.JaneSDaly.com
and also my monthly newsletter Rigsby on the Road.