Hello my fellow bookworms, today marks the start of Nonfiction November 2020, a popular, yearly reading event, that celebrates and gets us discussing our non-fiction reading.🎉 The event is running across five weeks, with five topics and five hosts. For Week 1 (2nd-6th November) we are being hosted by Leann @ Shelf Aware and the topic is:
Your Year in Nonfiction
Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions – What was your favourite nonfiction read of the year? Do you have a particular topic you’ve been attracted to more this year? What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
Well it seems only right to kick off a reflection of my 2020 non-fiction reading with a list of what I have actually read:
- Quick Cooking by Mary Berry ⭐⭐⭐
- No God But One by Nabeel Qureshi ⭐⭐⭐
- The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis ⭐⭐⭐
- More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell & Sean McDowell ⭐⭐
- The Favourite by Ophelia Field ⭐⭐
- Wholeness by ⭐⭐
- How To Pray by Pete Greig ⭐⭐
- The Hairy Bikers’ One Pot Wonders by Si King & Dave Myers ⭐⭐⭐
- The Bible Jesus Read by Philip Yancey ⭐⭐⭐
That is a non-too-shabby nine non-fictions read, so far, this year: with a whopping six being Christian non-fictions; a respectable two being cookbooks and a disappointing solo history non-fiction. It is extremely clear cut what particular topic I have been drawn most to in 2020, and I don’t think that is surprising considering the stressful, scary and uncertain year this has been, due to the-pandemic-that-shall-not-be-named.
Now picking a favourite or favourites is a lot harder! As you can see all my non-fiction reading has been of a high quality this year: all earning either a ⭐⭐ Good or ⭐⭐⭐ Great rating from me! However after thinking long and hard about it, I think the two stand-out non-fiction reads for me this year have been:
📖 No God But One: Allah or Jesus? by Nabeel Qureshi – This Christian non-fiction is a follow up book to Qureshi’s brilliant bestseller, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, in which Muslim to Christian convert, Qureshi analytically compares the origins, similarities, differences and authenticity of these two faiths. With great research, a sympathetic approach and personal insight, this was a fascinating book!
📖 The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis – This classic, Christian non-fiction by the celebrated Christian author, C S Lewis, in which he lays out his ideas and arguments that pain is not sufficient reason to reject belief in a good and powerful God. A very apt read in the current climate of change, suffering and worry; and I took a lot of inspiration, hope and comfort from reading it.
As always I am taking part in Nonfiction November to enjoy reading, sharing and discussing some brilliant non-fiction books. So please leave a comment or link in your own post of this week’s Nonfiction November topic, so we can share and chat!
For now goodbye, take care and happy non-fiction reading. I look forward to seeing you next week to share our Week 2: Book Pairings. 👋📚😃
I’d love to hear from you: Have you read any of these? What non-fiction books have you been reading? What have been your favourites of the year?
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I never thought about including cookery books as part of my reading. I suppose some lend themselves more to that – the ones that have introductions to the cuisine of a country for example
Karen, I get so excited by new cookbooks that I really like to devour them and post-it-note recipes I want to come back to, so it really is a full read for me so I started including them in my reading. 😃
If it wasn’t for Nonfiction, I probably wouldn’t be reading at all right now, so it has been a lifesaver. It is forcing me to focus and think of things other than our present situation, plus a fair amount of it is work related, so I feel I am being pro-active in some way while the theatres in Scotland are all still closed and I have no actual work. I’m glad you have had a good year of Nonfic reading too, and I completely understand why you are reaching for Christian related content for the most part.
Thank you, Alyson and it is good to hear that non-fiction reading is helping to keep you sane and helping stay productive.🙂 I really hope the theatres in Scotland won’t be closed for too much longer! 🙏
Nonfiction seems to be looming ever larger in my reading. Though I still love fiction the best.
Judy, it is good to hear you have been enjoying more non-fiction in your reading, but still finding time for your first love of fiction. 🙂
I read The Problem of Pain many years ago, so perhaps it’s time for a re-read. I’ve already read the McDowell and have the Wimber on my TBR pile!
I’m not sure I could pick a favorite from my non-fiction for the year. They’ve been too vastly different in topic!
Kelly, I hope you are able to read Wholeness by Christy Wimber soon and that you will find it helpful. 🙂 And if your non-fiction has been on vastly differing topics it would be hard to picks favourites, but like me and mine all being too good a quality!
No God But One: Allah or Jesus sounds really interesting to me. Gonna put it on my wishlist!
https://bookfever11.com/2020/11/02/nonfictionnovember-your-year-in-nonfiction/
Hey Stephanie, thank you for stopping by and commenting. It is always lovely to hear from a new face, especially a fellow non-fiction lover. 😊 I also hope you are able to get your hands Qureshi’s book in the not-too-distant-future! 😃
I’ve not read any of these but I’m really interested in the Qureshi. I’ll be posting my own NFN list shortly!
Lory, I hope you are able to read something by Qureshi and I look forward to reading your Nonfiction November list! 🙂