Welcome to Week 2 of Nonfiction November! This week's post is hosted by Rachel @ Hibernator's Library. On to today's topic:
Choosing Nonfiction: What are you looking for when you pick up a nonfiction book? Do you have a particular topic you’re attracted to? Do you have a particular writing style that works best? When you look at a nonfiction book, does the title or cover influence you?
The number one factor I tend to look for in a great nonfiction Book is the writing style. I love narrative nonfiction books that really capture the reader's attention and read like novels such as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, In Cold Blood, and Unbroken.
I'm not so much attracted to particular topics as much as I am writing styles or ways the author organizes his or her information. For instance, Mary Roach can make pretty much any subject interesting, be it swallowing, the military, or cadavers. Roach's style is irreverent, witty, and always full of interesting stories about the topic.
Candice Millard is another example of picking writing style over subject. I recently read Destiny of the Republic about the assassination of President Garfield. I previously knew almost nothing about the subject - and frankly wasn't interested in learning about it - but had been hearing that I should read this book for years and finally gave in. I'm now a blind follower of ANYTHING Millard writes. She's that good, folks.
Witty titles and clean, bright covers tend to get my attention, but the number one factor that attracts me to books isn't looks but reviews. I always read the reviews from Library Journal, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist before I start a book. Life's too short to read bad books!
