Why I've fallen in love with non-fiction books

Sunday 25 March 2018

Why I've Fallen in Love with Non-Fiction Books

I've always been an avid reader of fiction. When I was younger, I could sit and read for hours on end in the same spot in my own little bubble. I devoured so many types of fiction; from horror novels to romantic love stories to much more recently, crime and detective-style books. However, towards the end of last year, something changed for me. I started getting bored of similar plots and long-winded character development. To me, it felt a little tired and overdone.

Did anyone else absolutely bloody love the Horrible Histories series growing up? I tore through each one out there, and my interest in past times, other cultures and struggles hasn't died. This is where my love of non-fiction has absolutely flourished. The amount of non-fiction on offer to book lovers is growing rapidly and I am living for it!

There's something that really interests me about everyday lives. Perhaps I'm just nosy, but the personal aspect of other people's experiences has always been a fascination for me, completely reflected in what I watch, listen and now read about. I love dating shows like First Dates (literally who doesn't) and listening to My Favourite Murder, a podcast that discusses real-life crimes and mysteries. 

I'm currently reading two fantastic non-fiction books, and I'm getting through them like nobody's business. The first is Quirkology, a book discussing the most interesting studies carried out around the world into everyday behaviour by author and notable professor in psychology, Richard Wiseman and other experts. 

This man has had such an interesting career and has had the opportunity to get involved with experiments such as worldwide quests to find out why we laugh at some jokes and others not at all, why our surnames have more of an impact on our lives than we may think and so many other aspects of our behaviour which we never think about but tend towards. 

It makes you think about our individual and collective quirks, and the factors that influence our decisions! A lot of the results will surprise you - especially in the fact that as unique we like to think ourselves, we can all act in a remarkably similar way. This book has made me cackle with laughter, tears and feel shameful about human behaviour all at the same time. I would 100% recommend this for anyone who's keen on psychology without wanting to delve too far into academic territory and keep it fun!

My other fave current read is I Stand Corrected by Eden Collinsworth. Eden previously worked at a publishing company in LA as well as launching her own magazine before working as a corporate officer at Hearst for over a decade. Her interest had always lay with intercultural communication, and this book looks at the fascinating sociocultural development in China of manners and etiquette. Eden lives in China for a number of years and learns how to conduct business and in turn, comes to understand the fundamental societal differences between China and the West. 

Anyone who's lived abroad for a period of time will understand that adjusting to new cultures is hard, especially when you're not fluent in the language! This book explores the difficulties that you encounter in attempting to understand cultural nuances woven into everyday interactions. China has always fascinated me, and this provides an interesting overview into the country's rich history, culture and the society of today which remains under totalitarian rule. 

It's a wonderful biographic description of how Eden and her son adjusted to living in China, as they slowly became accustomed to the norms, which of course, to them seemed anything but normal! It's a fantastic piece of writing and I would recommend to anyone who loves to travel and is curious about living in other countries.

Non-fiction right now is giving me an insight how other people live, an aspect of my life that I thoroughly enjoy staying curious about!

Thanks for reading! Are you loving any non-fiction reads right now? Any gems I must know about? Let me know!

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Why I've Fallen in Love with Non-Fiction Books
 

4 comments

  1. I've challenged myself to read at least one none fiction book a month this year and I'm loving it. I'm learning a lot and reading more widely. I think the most fascinating is Why We Sleep, I've learnt so much and for something so scientifically heavy it's super accessible.
    Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk

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    1. That's a great idea, I really love non-fiction at the moment. oooh I love stuff to do with sleep, normally because I tend to sleep talk lol!

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  2. I read fiction all the time but reading this post has made me want to venture into non-fiction! I might start with these ones you recommended as they both seem like really great reads! I'll let you know how I get on with them!
    Molly | http://gracetoglowandgo.com

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    1. Great to hear! I was the same, I could devour fiction but I lost a lot of interest in it recently. Hoping my interest will be piqued again as I do still like fiction but right now it just doesn't interest me!

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