Monday, April 27, 2009

Musing Mondays-- Non-Fiction, Anyone?

Do you read non-fiction regularly? Do you read it in a different way or place than you read fiction?




I do read non-fiction regularly, although not as often as I did in the past. I'm not quite sure what caused the shift away from non-fiction. Lately it seems that if I do indulge, it's to find myself reading books about the pioneering history of the western United States or something in naval history.

I really don't read these books in a different way than I read fiction. I still sit with my little pad of Post-it notes to mark passages that I want to remember or to include in a review. The only difference I can think of is that I'll check out the bibliography in the back of a non-fiction book to see if any book is mentioned that I might want to read.

Normally I read one book at a time, so fiction or non-fiction, that book travels back and forth with me to work, to appointments, or any other place that I might find myself with a few minutes to read. Once in a blue moon I'll make an exception over a particularly weighty non-fiction tome. If the book is large enough to make me feel like I've signed on for the clean and jerk, I have a tendency to keep it at home and I'll choose a lighter weight paperback to stick in my purse.

What about you? Does non-fiction appeal to you at all? If it does, do you treat it differently from the fiction books you read? Inquiring minds want to know!

If you'd like to see more answers in this fun meme hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page, click on the Musing Monday graphic at the top of this post.



4 comments:

  1. I read nonfiction too. History and biography mostly. I don't really read self-help, inspirational, business, as so on.

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  2. self help...oh no!
    to be honest, most nonfiction for me is more like work than pleasure, even on subject that really interest me.

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  3. As as lover of history, I have no clue why I don't read more historical NF.

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  4. Beth--We seem to stay away from the same sorts of non-fiction!

    Caite--I think non-fiction writers are beginning to learn that if they want their books to sell, they'd better stop mixing in a pound of dry dust with every ounce of ink they use. There's some wonderful non-fiction out there that reads like the best fiction.

    Nise'--It seems to me that whenever I take a look at historical fiction being reviewed on blogs, most of the covers appear to be "bodice rippers", and that will steer me away from a book faster than almost anything else.

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