“I don’t read nonfiction.” For years, that was a sentence that I said a lot. And for the most part, it was true, because all the nonfiction books that I read were heavy on information, hard to engage with, and to be completely honest, were not fun to read. In my four years in university, I have had to read numerous nonfiction books and stories. Some I enjoyed, some I did not. That being said, there was one particular book that changed my mind. Let’s be completely honest, saying that you hate nonfiction books is like saying you hate books in general. There are so many different sub-genres of nonfiction that I refuse to believe that you could hate all of them. Of course, I still have a resistance to non-fiction sometimes, mostly because I have the attention span of a goldfish and can only focus on one book for so long... Meaning that even though the book can be informative and on a subject I am passionate about, I will lose interest after a while because I like to get through books quickly. What works best for me are nonfiction books that grab your attention, that you never really can quite put down because you’re so invested in them. Most times, those books are the ones that are written like fiction, so much so that my brain is convinced that what I’m reading isn’t just informative, but also telling a story. This is why I thought that it would be good to give you some recommendations of nonfiction books that read like fiction, and that hopefully will make you want to read more nonfiction. For the Reader – Dear Reader by Cathy Rentzenbrink Dear Reader is a memoir, written by Cathy Rentzenbrink, in which she talks about books. She talks about how reading has been an essential part of her life and still is today. She talks about how it has helped her get through difficult times, how it has helped her connect with her father, who never learned how to read, and how it is something that she shares with her children now. It is a very beautiful and emotional book. It also does not feel like a typical memoir. It is almost as if you are reading fiction, letting the main character guide you through a story. As a reader, I felt a strong connection to her throughout the book, and a part of me almost yearns to have a life filled with wonderful and meaningful books. Another detail that I love in this is the fact that after each chapter, Cathy Rentzenbrink lists a number of books that she recommends and that she herself read at certain points of her life. A wonderful book! For the Feminist – My Body by Emily Ratajkowski My Body was written by Emily Ratajkowski, a model and actress, whose fame started when she starred in a Robin Thicke music video. This book is a collection of personal essays about femininity, sexuality, the male gaze, and the way women are treated in the industry. The way she speaks about her body and its commodification is so poignant and real that as a woman I couldn’t help but empathise with her. Just like the other books on this list, these essays are really engaging, and Emily Ratajkowski’s storytelling ability really shines through. I promise you that you will not be able to put this book down. For the Writer – On Writing by Stephen King On Writing by Stephen King was probably one of the first non-fiction books I actually enjoyed. This book works both as a memoir and a guide for aspiring writers. Stephen King is known for his writing style, so it will not surprise anyone that it is a very well written and well-paced book. The memoir part of the book was very interesting and showed how Stephen King uses aspects of his life to write his novels. The second part, which is a guide with advice on how to write efficiently and share your stories, was a bit less interesting for me. While there is some very good advice in there - such as stop using so many adverbs, something I am still guilty of - I also thought that he was being very condescending and sometimes downright rude. I will admit that even though the book was really dense and had a lot of information to take in, I really enjoyed reading it, and it did not feel like a chore the way most memoirs do. I think that because I want to be a writer, and that even though I might not agree with everything he says, he is still an incredible writer, meaning that it was good to see what he had to say about the craft. And after reading it, I had the sudden burst of inspiration to wake up at 6AM every day to write (I did not do that though). For the LGBTQIA+ and the Allies – The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson Out of every book in this list, The Argonauts is the only one that I have discovered through university. I never usually enjoy university books, mostly due to the fact that I hate being told what to do and what to read. However, the first time I picked this one up, I knew that it would become one of my favourites. Using ideas from many intellectuals such as Roland Barthes and Susan Sontag, Maggie Nelson’s memoir is an incredibly unique piece of work. Disclaimer: it is not the easiest book to read, mainly because of the many theorists she involves in the story. However, once you get used to her writing style, you find a beautifully written memoir. Nelson reflects on her life and her pregnancy, as well as her relationship with Harry, who is gender fluid, and who goes through transformative surgery while her own body also changes with her pregnancy. The memoir shows them navigating through changes and questions of queer parenthood and relationships.
If you already like nonfiction, I hope that you may find your next favourite book in this list. And if you’re still unsure about the genre, I hope that I managed to convince you to give these books a try. You never know, you could always change your mind! Juliette @a_spoonful_of_juliette
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