One of the resolutions I made during Yom Kippur was to read more non-fiction – to make it 15% of all my reading, as a matter of fact. Here is my completed book list so far this year.
I was at 33% non-fiction last quarter, and my first book of this quarter was non-fiction as well. I am known to be an over-achiever once I set my mind to something.
Before actually reviewing the list, I thought my non-fiction selections had a much more sustainability focus, but they are actually quite broad: gardening, climate, the intersection of the women’s and black rights, and a book on hoarding. The variety made me happy, since the underlying intent of the resolution was simply to ensure I keep learning new things.
My latest book I inhaled over the weekend. I was inspired in my selection by my latest new venture in the garden, potatoes.
They are so healthy and thriving. Having been a history major, I knew about the Irish potato famine, but I didn’t know much about the specifics. In came Black Potatoes by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.
I read it over the weekend, which sounds impressive until I disclose that it is only 200 pages long and meant for junior high students. It is an incredibly compelling story, well told and engaging. It gives some specifics about how quickly crops could be destroyed, within less than an hour, which I had never realized. Of course it was more about the politics of Ireland at the time than potato blight, which is still right up my ally.
I’m always on the lookout for more books to expand my TBR pile. Please feel free to make suggestions, particularly of non-fiction works.
Grown Up, Now What? 