The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls): Most impactful book I've read in ten years. Heartbreaking, inspiring, loved it.
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Half-Broke Horses (Jeannette Walls): Story of Walls' grandmother, told in her voice. Frontier life in Texas, worth the read.
The Firstborn Advantage (Kevin Leman): If you are a firstborn, you may feel strange how well this book pins you.
The Birth Order Book (Kevin Leman): Same as above. Especially helpful as a parent and spouse, learning others' birth orders.
Born on a Blue Day (Daniel Tammet): Memoir of a man with Asperger's Syndrome. Eye-opening, brilliant mind.
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World (Eric Weiner): Different views of happiness in various parts of the world. Entertaining, fun to read.
Escape (Carolyn Jessop): Jessop's life in the FLDS sect, abusive, horrific, makes you want to scream. She escapes.
Safe Passage (Ida Cook): Amazing tale of two sisters who rescued Jews from Nazis. Lots of opera love. Enjoyed!
Unsweetined (Jodie Sweetin): Stephanie from Full House tv show. On drugs. Lots and lots of them. Gets better.
*I had to read this, as she was the only decent actor on that show, in my humble opinion.*
The Great Typo Hunt (Jeff Deck): Interesting trek around country to fix typos in public places. Funny. This would be fun.
What about you? Do you break out from reading fiction? What good memoirs or non-fiction have you found recently? How did they impact you? You can use more than 15 words, by the way.
I don't generally read memoirs, but the majority of my reading is non-fiction since I write historical fiction and always have vast research to do. The best book I ever stumbled upon in terms of guiding me with my research to do with the American Civil War is "Beyond the Battlefield: The Ordinary Life and Extraordinary Times of the Civil War Soldier" by David Madden. Here's what I have to say about it (in nearly 75 words--YIKES):
ReplyDeleteAuthor David Madden allows us a personal and expansive glimpse behind the scenes of the American Civil War; less about battle strategy and fighting, more about the camaraderie and events that happened between battles--in camp, on the march, with the enemy across picket lines. I challenge every writer, student, historian, or history buff to try reading this superior sketch of history as corroborated by the soldiers themselves just once. It's impossible!
Thanks for allowing me to share this wonderful resource, Christina!
Good point, Lisa! I didn't even think to list any of the wonderful resources I've found. That will have to be another post. That book sounds great. I can tell you must have used it when writing Sweet Glory. Thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading a very good book on the relevance of Genesis. It has opened my eyes and my life to our beginnings. It may not sound exciting but it is very exciting as the writer explains the accounts of creation, Noah's flood, our very roots. There is so much drama and meaning and answers. The people are interesting and I finally understand some of the "why's" I've had, such as, why there are all the different races, religions, problems. Well, I don't get all of that but some of it! It's a great journey for me so far.
ReplyDeleteThat's good! It's always good to keep learning. Sounds very interesting.
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