My 2018 Book Challenge

I love reading but I mostly read fiction books. So this year I set myself the challenge of only reading non-fiction books. It was difficult at first because I don't know what kinds of non-fiction I'm interested in. If I read non-fiction it's usually because JD read something he's enjoyed and passed on to me. I resorted to wandering around the library picking up anything that looked interesting.

I started off the year with a few biographies.

This book was brilliant. Not only a detailed biography of Freddie Mercury's life, it follows the outbreak of AIDS too. Really interesting to read but also heartbreakingly sad. I loved it.

This book has everything Alan Bennett. His biography but also letters he's written, short stories and plays. I love his Northern voice and the mentions of Leeds where he grew up.  He talks about normal people but makes them so fascinating. It's a real talent.There's even a story about when he visited Harrogate to make a TV show at The Crown Hotel. Really good read.

Maya Angelou has a whole series of autobiographical books and this book was the next on my list. I really enjoy Maya's books, she's fearless and proud despite all she's been through. This one was just as good as others I've read.

Next I had a couple of exercise themed books to read.

Of course, I loved this book. I love my Zombies, Run! app. It's a book to compliment the app as well as a legitimate exercise advice book. I loved it. 

This book suits me well as my yoga is exactly what's being described here. I wasn't prepared for the authors heartfelt biography in this book. It brought me to tears more than once. I love how inclusive this book is, it's given me some great advice on practising yoga and makes me feel happy that such a book exists.

At the library I picked up a few books on politics and economics as they are both subjects I want to learn more about.

As the tagline suggests this book is about Easily Digestible Economics. Short chapters explaining a complicated subject. I really enjoyed it. It was well written, accessible and I finished it feeling I knew more on the subject.

Maybe more of a biography but a political one at least. This is the story of Jo Cox, the MP who was shot and killed in Leeds around the time of the Brexit referendum. It was sad to read but also inspiring. I admired her passion and need to take a stance against things she disagreed with.

Reeled in by the Dr Seuss cover I found this book really interesting. Another short chaptered book explaining difficult ideas in an accessible way. It gives you a lot to think about about the way things are now and how they could be improved. Great read.

I bought this for JD for Christmas and he passed it over to me. I don't like Russell Brands comedy much but this book is a passionate cry for change. I enjoyed reading about his ideas, I didn't always agree but do agree that change is needed. It's also part-biography which was interesting.

Also at the library I found a couple of comic books to read.

This book was really funny. It deals with strong subjects such as anxiety and depression but managed to have me laughing out loud constantly. Maybe just because of my experience living with two daughters feeling  a similar way to the author but probably because it's comic genius. A must read for anyone who suffers with depression or knows somebody who does. Loved it.

I didn't know what to expect from a tragicomic but this didn't disappoint. The comic is biographical and deals with many family issues including death of a parent. It's both funny and sad, so well written and sincere feeling. Great read.

Last few books.

I'd never read The Vagina Monologues so when I saw it in the library I thought, why not? It's an interesting read, a bit short though. I could've read more women's stories for days. Empowering and inspiring book.

I picked this book up because it's yet another subject I don't know much about. It's a well written FAQ book that gave me an intersting insight about what it's like to grow up feeling displaced in your own body. Great read.

Virgie Tovar is a fat activist who I follow on instagram. When I read she'd written a book I ordered it straight away. Another part biographical book that is also a call for an end to dieting and fat shaming. Brilliant read for anyone wanting to opt out of diet culture.

It's definitely been an interesting year of reading. Hopefully I've ended this year with a bit more knowledge that I started it with. I'm going to carry on incorporating non-fiction books into my reading. There are lots more subjects I want to read about as well as lots more reading on subjects I've read about already this year.

I really can't wait to read a fiction book now, my bookshelf is bulging with them. :D