The inspiration for this post came from Randy Stafford’s comment on my post about entering 2024. To quote: “The writers I feel most guilty about not reviewing are those who have done good work, have sort of been forgotten, and are nearing the end of their lives.” Continue reading →

One of the things I’ve been wanting to do for a while is read more nonfiction. As I slowly (very slowly) unpack and sort through the library, I’m going to organize the books so that they are actually organized. This will be new and different, but I should have the shelving a space to be able to find things I’m looking for.

At the top of the list is history. While I like history in general, there are some topics/time periods I’m particularly interested in.

First, there’s the history of the science fiction and fantasy fields. I’ve picked up pretty much every book on the field, especially the pulps, that I can get my hands on. There are a few biographies I’ve not read, and the ones I have are on the list to try to get to. Of course, the pulps were much bigger than just sf/f, and anything pulp related tends to make its way to my shelves sooner or later.

When it comes to biographies, I have several about Edgar Allan Poe sitting on the shelves. Will Oliver is finishing up a biography of Robert E. Howard, and it will move to the top of the list as soon as it comes out.

As for historical time periods, ancient history on just about any topic is on the list, with special interest in Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and pre-Norman invasion histories of England. Vikings are a must. I want to know more about Russian history as well as Byzantine. Pre-Revolutionary and Pre-Civil War history, Gilded Age, and the Roaring Twenties are areas of US history I want to dig deepr into, although pretty much anything related to US history will be of interest. Note: If I can remember it, I don’t consider it to be history. That doesn’t mean I won’t read about it. General histories and biographies fall under this category.

True crime is an interest. There have been more books on Jack the Ripper out in recent years than I’ve been able to keep track of. Some I’ve got, and some I’ve missed. Lizzie Borden is another true crime topic of interest, but I don’t see how much new can be written about that case. (And yes, I think she did it even though she was acquited.)

Books on writing are on the list. I’m always open to trying to improve my craft.

Business and leadership and general personal development are areas I read in as well. The business is for writing, because wriiting is a business. I want to one day have enough writiing income to make a living at it. That will take time, and things are changing in the business world. The leadership and professional development are carry-overs from when I was in academia and supervised a few dozen graduate teaching assistants.

Finally, I used to read a lot of religious and spiritual books. I’ve not read much in this genre for a few years and am wanting to get back to it.

What areas do you read in when you read nonfiction?