books?

[rose_griffes]

I realized the other day that I can't remember the last time I read a nonfiction book*. So: rec me something! Historical or contemporary, biography or expansive viewpoint on a whole culture...

Preference for something that's not too sad or overly complex. Definite preference for something where women are part of the narrative.

Oh, let me be a part of the narrative.

*Ah. It was a year ago, according to my Goodreads account. And I did read more than one nonfiction book in 2018. But yeah. A year.

Comments

[troisoiseaux]

The first thing that jumps to mind with that description (non-fiction, female-centric, not too heavy) is Liza Mundy's Code Girls, about the American women who worked as Navy and Army codebreakers during WWII.

[rose_griffes]

Ooh, it was $3.99 for the ebook the other day, so I just... bought it. Heh. Thanks for the rec!

[grav_ity]

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube
Radium Girls (admittedly sad)
How The Girl Guides Won The War

[rose_griffes]

Thanks for the recs! Interesting, that Girl Guides book isn't available as an e-book yet; it's recent, but not recent enough to have been formatted for that at the time.

[grav_ity]

What format do you need for ebooks?

[rose_griffes]

I usually buy for Kindle app, but I can do ePub as well.

[grav_ity]

I found this, but perhaps it's region locked?

https://www.amazon.com/How-Girl-Guides-Won-War-ebook/dp/B0040ZNOGI/

[rose_griffes]

It is region-locked. HOW STRANGE.

[elperian]

Ooh, Radium Girls is on my to read list, but the others look fascinating!

[yourlibrarian]

I can't recall the last time I read nonfiction either. I suspect this is in part because I read nonfiction articles every day (on a variety of topics) so I tend to go looking for fiction instead. I also watch shows like NOVA or Nature that are sort of like visual articles and the occasional documentary.

I do like having things both ways though, which is probably why historical fiction is one of my two favorite genres.

[rose_griffes]

Historical fiction can be awesome; a lot depends on the writing style, but there are plenty of HF books that I've really enjoyed.

[elperian]

Oooh, would you be interested in CRIME LADIES running a CRIME RING?

Do your interests tend to American history or something else? Science history? Have I got recs for you!

(Also if you're comfortable with swapping Goodreads accounts we can PM on that; no worries either way)

[rose_griffes]

When it comes to nonfiction I'm flexible; if the narrative is well done I can be persuaded to find an interest in all kinds of topics. But I don't enjoy nonfiction as much as fiction, so... I dunno, it depends? But I'm open to lots of possibilities.

[elperian]

Okay! Here we go:

+ Alice Diamond And The Forty Elephants: Britain's First Female Crime Syndicate by Brian McDonald: I found this interesting and fun and he does a responsible job with the history considering he's documenting women who were flying under the radar.

+ The Wolves at the Door: The True Story of America's Greatest Female Spy by Judith L. Pearson: Virginia Hall spent most of WWII behind enemy lines in France, ran an entire spy ring in Lyon, went back undercover, crossed the Pyrenees, all while working with an amputated leg.

+ Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love by Dava Sobel: His daughter, born Virginia, entered a monastery and became Suor Maria Celeste. She helped transcribe and edit his scientific works and the book is built off their letters. Fantastic.

+ Ireland's Pirate Queen: The True Story of Grace O'Malley, 1530 - 1603 by Anne Chambers: Grace, or her Irish name Granuaile, was pretty badass. She was a pirate with her own ships who fought the English and even had an audience with Elizabeth II.

Those are just a few!

[rose_griffes]

Ooooh, thank you for the list!

[brickhousewench]

A Woman of No Importance about an American woman who, despite missing a leg, because a major spy for not one, but two countries, the US and the UK, during WWII. (I see someone else has recommended a different book about Virginia Hall!)

Tigress of Forli, about a 16th century noblewoman/warrior. She's amazing!

Maybe Becoming, by Michelle Obama?

[rose_griffes]

A Woman of No Importance is not available! :( Well, not as an e-book through Amazon. I'll have to poke around, but thanks for the rec! Maybe when the actual libraries are open again...