As a avid book lover, I’ve always got a book or some sort of reading material about my person. And despite being a huge fiction fanatic, I’ve found myself branching more and more into non-fiction literature. Whether it be self-help books, scientific theory, conspiracy novels or just autobiographies, I find it to be a welcome read when the world of fiction overwhelms me.
So inspired by Carrie Hope Fletcher’s recent ‘Books that have Changed my Life’ , I’ve decided to jot down my favourite non-fiction books.
1: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.
A timeless book that deserves a reread throughout the years. Sensitively written, very descriptive and one of those books that just stays with you. Anne Frank is one of my personal heroes, and her story is not only timeless, but translateable across any age, gender and background. A story about survival, love, loss and growing up during Nazi Germany.
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2: Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie.
This biography of the last Tsar of Russia and his family is easy to read, full of digestible information and good enough for any budding Russian historians, or modern history fans. Despite having a collection of over 100 books on the Romanovs, I always credit this book as being my favourite, and thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
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3: Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
As one of my favourite authors, George Orwell’s way of writing will always hit a very personal vibe with me. His writing about experiencing the Spanish Civil War show the brutality of the war, along with the bravery of local people. A must read if you’re interested in war, politics, Stalinism or literature.
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4: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.
Known as the first ‘faction’/’non-fiction novel’, this story is Capote’s account of murder in a small town community, and the shockwaves it sends through the community. Highly researched and depicted through films like Capote and Infamous, this novel is very addictive, fairly sensitive and features backstories on the murderers unlike you’ve ever read before.
A brilliant, brilliant book.
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5: Hungry by Crystal Renn.
This is a must-have book for anyone who’s interested in the beauty/fashion industry, along with the very social media tag #effyourbeautystandards. Crystal Renn was cited as an up-and-coming supermodel, but told to lose weight. Due to the pressure of the job, Crystal soon developed a series of eating disorders.
This book is fascinating for any one who is struggling with their weight and being accepted into society. Despite Crystal no longer being the size 16 plus-size model she once was famed to be, I find it still very relevant as a memoir.
Disclaimer – all opinions, favourites and views are my own.
So these are my favourite non-fiction books. I’ve been really enjoying doing these Top 5 posts. Let me know if you have any suggestions for the next load!
Set in an unnamed fishing community on the North Cornish coast, the novel focuses around a new arrival to a very close-knit and closeted community. On paper, Timothy Bucchanan’s move from London to the village makes perfect sense. However, the narrative dives into a world that is completely isolated, mysterious and unfriendly to newcomers. With the ghost of a man that still holds sway over the locals, wasted fish being hauled from a contaminated sea, and unsettling dreams, Timothy soon gets swept up in village life, and with thousands of questions going unanswered, Timothy decides secrets must be unveiled, and the past has to be dug up.
With two novels published in this soon-to-be trilogy, this saga is a favourite of mine. The story-telling is good, the plot is highly enjoyable and the fact of it being somewhat of a biography for the main character, a mysterious figure known as Kvothe, makes me love it more. I have read and reread this story, and I still find it as enjoyable as when I first picked it up. If you like high fantasy, excellent writing and a host of unique characters, I suggest this.
The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson.
f high fantasy and epic fantasy and has been influenced authors for years to come. The books are atypical of Tolkien’s florid and highly descriptive writing style, and follow the story of the destruction of the One Ring by the Hobbit, Frodo Baggins and his comrades. So I would say, if you’re looking for the ultimate of ultimate fantasy novels to read, why not try this? You can’t be worse off. And then watch the movies.
milies at peace is crumbling, and an assassination attempt forces Kate and August into a tenuous alliance. But how long will they survive when the streets are safe, and the monsters no longer want to lurk in this shadows?
enthralled me as a young teenage, as young Chiyo is sold to a geisha house and through her trials and tribulations, ends up being of the most celebrated geisha of her time. And Marshall’s movie brings this story to life, with a very well-cast crew of actors (Gong Li is a superb Hatsumomo), and a very true-to-novel plot, the film isn’t loud of brash, but approaches Chiyo’s tale in a superb manner.
A unsettling and thrilling film which grabs all the tension of Larsson’s first novel, and runs away with it. By paying close attention to the novel, and casting the fierce Noomi Rapace as the mysterious Lisbeth Salander, the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is ride from start to finish. Although scenes are taken from later books in Larsson’s series, the film is taut, terrifying and delightful all in one go.
ouple of Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine playing the tragic Mr and Mrs de Winter, this black-and-white gothic tale has thrilled and titillated since release. With Hitchcock’s supreme directing style, and use of suspense, it is no wonder that the author herself said that this film, along with Don’t Look Now, are the only adaptations of her work that she had time for. Also, watch out for Judith Anderson’s excellent acting as the deranged housekeeper Mrs Danvers.
. Lee’s Gothic tale of racism, inequality and moral issues has been read in countless schools, and her protagonist’s father, Atticus Finch, has served as a sort of moral hero for readers. And in Mulligan’s 1962, Gregory Peck plays Finch in a sensitive and just manner, and with an excellent script and casting of Scout and Jem, the film really blows other adaptations out of water due to its direction and faithfulness to the text.
wasn’t just his literary talent that he was praised for, but his flamboyant and very decorated personal life as a social butterfly and celebrity favourite.
Truman ultimately sacrifices his relationship for the sake of a quick buck – his infamous short story ‘La Côte Basque 1965’ fictionalises and reveals all of Babe’s secrets, resulting in his Swans cutting him out of New York society – there is a sense that Truman really did care for Babe. And with the latter chapters showing both Babe and Truman’s downward spiral, due to illness and drink and drug dependencies, it is then when the book really does come into its own. After watching interviews and reading books on Capote, I thought that Benjamin really captured his spirit well.
eason I love it so is because not only does it focus on the last Tsar, but it is also a really good introductory piece for people who want to start reading around his family and the lead-up to the Revolution. Some of the reference books you can buy can be very in depth and overwhelming, and for seasoned Russian historians like myself, that isn’t a problem. But for people who are interested in the whole Anastasia mystery, and want to learn a little bit more of the historical side, Massie’s text is good for them. The way Massie writes is in a very readable and clear style, and it is obvious how well researched this book was. The amount of detail he goes into is very good, and he writes contextually too. So you get the fullest picture of Russia at the time. What also makes this book interesting is the emotional way he deals with the tsarevich’s illness, which Massie himself had to deal with fir
owed for each other, and how they perceived the world around them and the changes that were happening in the time they lived in.
Tsar in a sense but what happened to his extended family after Nicholas and Alexandra’s deaths.
it is the photographs you pay for. It also features diary extracts, scans of unseen letters and everything you need for a visual treat. It’s emotional in some places, just because you do see how the family functioned, not as a royal family but like a normal one and it does beat all over rivals for a photographic book about the Romanovs.
the obvious Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire series, I’ve never actually ventured into reading really high fantasy. But when I was sent Brandon Sanderson’s Words of Radiance books (the third and the fourth books in The Stormlight Archives), and was intrigued by the back covers, I knew I had a new winter read on my hand. So I bought the first volume, The Way of Kings, and when I got this tome of a book of nearly 1,000 pages, I knew I was in for some serious world-building and character exploring.
As in most fantasy series, there are a great deal of warzones and fight scenes. And Sanderson doesn’t disappoint with his descriptions of the battles. Yes, they are bloody, but not explicit. And with the addition of the Shardplates and Blades, the battles reach new heights of intensity and skill. Sanderson has also included layers of technology, magic, science and Other-ness throughout the story, so there isn’t really any point when anything seems too out there or farfetched.
Alice's World 