I am once again going to participate in the Nonfiction Challenge this year. I have been doing this challenge since 2023 and really enjoying it. Nonfiction is not my usual go to for reading, but this challenge does make me pick it up a bit more often than I used to. It also makes me look at different categories of nonfiction than I used to.
This Challenge is hosted by Shellyrae at Bookedout. She is an Australian blogger that reviews great books, many from Aussie authors. She is also great at recommending nonfiction books. You should give her blog a look
The nonfiction challenge is pretty easy with different levels of participation. Last year I chose the Nonfiction Nibbler Level, read and review ten nonfiction books. I managed to read 13 books this year so I decided to go up a level and try my hand at becoming a Nonfiction Nosher, 12 books read and reviewed one from each category. There are categories to go along with the challenge and a couple of them might be kindof hard, but I am going to give it a go. The categories are:
History
Memoir/Biography
True Crime
Science
Health
Food
South East Asia
Humour (Humor)
Lost or found
Television
Subculture
Published in 2026
My current nonfiction TBR list on Goodreads currently stands at 58 books. Here are four books off that list that I am thinking of reading. I might change my mind as the year goes on, but I’m pretty sure these will be read at some point.
Believe: The Untold story Behind Ted Lasso The Show That Kicked Its Way Into Our Hearts By Jeremy Egner
I came late to the Ted Lasso show, but it was really good and I could see why so many people loved it. With the World Cup coming to the US and Seattle this year, I figured this would be a good time to read this one.
A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, A Creature Awakens, And The Sun Goes Out by Nicholas Day
This is a middle grade nonfiction text about the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. Apparently the fallout from that eruption wrecked havoc not only in Indonesia, but globally. The author somehow also links this eruption with Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein. So should be interesting.
Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Frasier
You may not know this, but during the 70’s and 80’s the Pacific Northwest and southern California, were fertile grounds for serial killers. This author links industrial pollution and unhealthy conditions of the area, to the rise in serial killers in the area . Sounds like a very interesting premise.
Wildfire Days: A Woman, Hotshot Crew, and the Burning of the American West by Kelly Ramsey
After the devastating wildfires last year in California, I became interested in what it took for the people who fought them to put themselves out into such highly dangerous situations. Few of these elite firefighting crews include women, mostly because of the intense physical demands of the job, but also perhaps a bit of sexism in the firefighting ranks. This is mostly a memoir, but also a look at how these fires are fought.
Well that is it for my nonfiction reads for now. I am looking forward to this challenge again and finding books to fit the prompts. If you want to add more nonfiction to your reading, you should consider doing this challenge. It certainly helped me appreciate nonfiction. Until next time….
Confessions of a Serial Reader 