The genre discussion of the day is nonfiction! My initial response is always that I’m not a fan, but that is untrue. According to my category label, I read a lot of nonfiction. And I am always interested in nonfiction, especially if it falls under one of these two categories:
- Memoir
- Self-help
Memoirs are awesome, especially if they read like fiction, which is why I preferred Zora Neale Hurston’s autobiography to Angela Davis’s. For example. I also dig graphic novel autobiographies/biographies like Maus and Persepolis.
As for self-help, I love that stuff. I think mostly because I’m on a quest to be a better person. Also, because I love when books tell me something about my life. Plus also, I think a lot of self-help books say the same things in different ways, and it’s always interesting to see which one clicks.
Peace from Broken Pieces by Iyanla Vanzant actually combines memoir and self-help (LOVE HER). A book that has been particularly helpful for me lately has been Cheryl Richardson’s The Art of Extreme Self-Care. I am so terrible at self-care and need to do better and just thinking about her book helps.
I also like books about religion and spirituality, and a lot of times they fall under the self-help category.
The Englishist 
I love self help books. They’ve become my thing in recent years. Never any harm hearing good advice. And I’m always hopeful they’ll have an effect on my at some point… :0)
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I recently read both Maus and Persepolis. GREAT reads. Maus was particularly powerful and I’m upset that I didn’t read it earlier.
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Yes, same! But I’m glad I did read it. Such a great book.
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I don’t read self help books really but I adore memoirs!
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I love memoirs too! I have to be in the right mood for them, but I love it when they storytelling is strong since the truth can often be so much stranger and more powerful than fiction.
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I haven’t read any self-help recently, but I read a lot last year. I’d particular recommend The 20-something manifesto and All the Money in the World.
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I think a friend of mine read The 20-Something Manifesto. All the Money in the World sounds interesting. Thanks for the recs!
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I’ve been really digging graphic memoirs/autobiographies too. Unfortunately, my library doesn’t have many of them so I don’t get to read them that often. My mom got me Radioactive, a biography of Marie Curie for Christmas that I am excited to dig into.
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Interlibrary loan! That’s how I get the books I want that my library doesn’t have.
I’ve heard good things about the Curie biography. Adding it to my to-read list.
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