Back in October, our topic for the Bloggers’ Alliance of Nonfiction Devotees was nonfiction anthologies. Ash (English Major’s Narrative), the topic author, is an avid essay reader and wanted us to write about our favorite collections of nonfiction writing. At the time, I admitted that I have a lot of nonfiction essay collections, but I’m terrible about reading them:

I have always wanted to be the sort of person that gets into essay collections. I can’t tell you the number I’ve bought over the years, vowing to start reading them right away, that then take a neglected place near the bottom of my unread books shelf. I’m addicted to buying nonfiction anthologies, but can’t seem to actually read them.

At the time, I also mused about trying to finally read my collections as part of a plan to read an essay every day for 365 days. When Ash said she might be interested in doing something similar, I knew I’d found the awesome partner I’d need to stay accountable. A few e-mails later, our informal Essay A Day project was born.

[continue reading…]

BAND — Bloggers’ Alliance of Nonfiction Devotees — is a group organized to promote the joy of reading nonfiction. We are “advocates for nonfiction as a non-chore,” and we want you to join us. Each month, a member of BAND hosts a discussion on their blog related to nonfiction. 

The host for December’s BAND discussion is Erin (Erin Reads) who is another new host for our discussion group. In her post, Erin writes about she is primarily a fiction reader, in part because with fiction she knows that she doesn’t have to assess validity as she reads. Erin writes:

I like learning new things, so what’s the problem with nonfiction? I believe the answer lies, at least partially, in the question of truth. When faced with a “true” book, I struggle to decide how much to believe and how to figure out whether a particular work of nonfiction can be trusted — basically, how to know how true that book is. Which brings me to the question I’d like to ask this month:

How you determine truth in nonfiction? Is the “true-ness” of a book important to you? If you’re a nonfiction veteran, do you have any pointers to offer nonfiction newbies?

In general, I think I’m a pretty trusting reader. I’m willing to give nonfiction writers the benefit of the doubt, or, in fact, the benefit of not doubting too much, as I read books. I don’t even really mind when authors, particularly narrative nonfiction writers, take some liberties with the timeline of stories or characters for the sake of narrative.

However, I do expect that author’s disclose the artistic decisions they’ve made in the course of writing the book. I hate getting to the end of a book and coming across an author’s note that admits the author changed something fundamentally in service of the story. I feel like the rug has been pulled out from underneath me and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Or even worse, I hate learning after the fact from a source outside the book that there is a reason to question the veracity of a story.

[continue reading…]

Lately, I haven’t joined any reading challenges. I used to sign up for quite a few, but I never managed to complete any. It seemed that once I put together a book list for a challenge, the books on the list took on some sort of virus that made them entirely uninteresting. I wish I had a name for the phenomenon… suggestions?

But this year I decided to join one challenge. I blame Jill (Fizzy Thoughts) and her post about Adam’s (Roof Beam Reader) 2012 TBR Challenge for breaking my challenge fast. The goal of the TBR Challenge is to read 12 books that have been your “To Be Read” pile for at least an entire year. And you’re allowed to put 14 books on the list, in case two of them end up not working out.

I blame Jill for me signing up for this challenge because on her sign-up post she put all her challenge books on a “Shelf of Doom,” and I love the idea of having a Shelf of Doom in my house. Unfortunately there aren’t any open shelves to turn into the Shelf of Doom right now (currently the pile is sitting on top of another bookshelf), but I’m hoping Santa will be remedying that problem with a new bookshelf for Christmas!

[continue reading…]

Title: Here Is a Human Being: At the Dawn of Personal Genomics
Author: Misha Angrist
Genre: Nonfiction
Year: 2010 (Paperback 2011)
Acquired: From the publisher for review consideration
Rating:

Review: In 2007, Misha Angrist agreed to make his innermost secrets public for the world to see. As participant number four in the Personal Genome Project, Angrist agreed to let his entire genome be sequenced and then made available to researchers looking for samples to test in genetics research. While most medical research tries to work with anonymous samples, the Personal Genome Project required participants to be public because research into our genes works best when researchers can compare whats in our DNA to how that blueprint is expressed. In a very real way, Angrist and the other participants agreed to bare it all in the name of science.

In Here Is a Human Being, Angrist chronicles his experience being a part of this groundbreaking project. As a participant and observer, Angrist comes at the entire world of personal genomics with a unique and engaging perspective. And if there’s one thing the book makes absolutely clear, it’s that our genome can tell an awful lot about us while simultaneously telling us nothing useful at all.

[continue reading…]