Mini Book Reviews: Nonfiction November 2024

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received a complimentary copy of Epic Runs of North America from Hachette Publishing in exchange for my review.

I didn't expect to read so many books this month but with the focus on non-fiction, I had so many options! Some of the books were in my TBR, some were recommendations from other readers, and some were just spontaneous picks! I've never been good at planning my reading--I like to just go with what suits me at the time. Sometimes after reading a really heavy, long book, I like to read something totally different. 

My favorite book this month was The Sugar Rush. A book about maple syrup? It was just so much more--a buddy story and a competition that was humorous and touching. Plus I learned a lot about maple syrup! My least favorite book was Sure I'll Join Your Cult. Reviews called it hilarious, but I found it obnoxious and chaotic. 

I'm looking forward to getting back to some fiction. I do have a few more nonfiction books I want to read. I hope you find a book or two that you want to read here!  

In this sparse but intense memoir, Amy Lin shares her grief journey after her husband died suddenly while running a marathon. He was the love of her life, and her insecurities about him are evident as she describes their relationship. He sounds like a wonderful partner, supportive and loving to her somewhat prickly personality. While Here After is raw and honest, it didn't make me sad. I admired how she owned her grief--when people would tell her it was time to 'move on', she asserted her right to be on her own grief journey. As it should be. 

I love maple syrup. But enough to read a book about it? This memoir was such a fun read. The author and his partner Bert are racing the clock to try to produce their largest batch of maple syrup to date--a 5 pounder, which will earn them respect from the pros. Climate change has altered the traditional calendar and the author and his cronies try to predict the best time to prepare the trees. The book captures the humor and flavor of Vermont and I found myself frequently laughing out loud! As I read this, I thought The Sugar Rush would be a book my dad would like--and that's a high recommendation!

Epic Runs of North America details 50 must-do runs in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Along with the 50 runs are 150 similar alternatives. I was pleased to see that so many of the places I've run are featured, including my hometown Chicago's epic Lakefront Trail. There are multiple races featured including the Big Sur Marathon and the Boston Marathon along with multiple less-known races that sound really interesting. Besides the races, scenic routes are also listed, offering travelers options to explore scenic locales in their running shoes. The book contains beautiful photographs of many of the locations. This would be a great holiday gift for a runner, along with some plane tickets! I'm ready to go...

My family had a summer place in northern Wisconsin, where we spent many summers, making memories and establishing traditions. When I had a family of my own, I shared those traditions with my children, making new memories. Fifty years later, my aging parents made the difficult and painful decision to sell the house. Reading The Big House, I could relate so much to this memoir, written by a man whose childhood was defined by idyllic summers spent in his grandparents' Cape Cod summer home. When his aging parents can no longer financially maintain the house, the painful decision to sell is made. Beautifully written but a bit long-winded at times, this is more than a story about a house--it's a tribute to families, memories, and traditions. 

As a child growing up in the 1970s, Judy Blume was one of my favorite authors. Her books were relatable and current. My mom bought Are You There God, It's Me Margaret for me when I was in 6th grade and I learned more about puberty and periods than I did from the outdated Disney movie we were shown one day at school. I lived a pretty sheltered life and didn't have much awareness about the women's rights movement, book banning, or pushback on Judy by right-wing conservatives. All I knew was that I loved to read anything I could get my hands on, and especially anything by Judy Blume. In The Genius of Judy, I learned what a groundbreaking author she was and about the challenges she endured to keep her books on the shelves. The book also shares about Judy's liberation from her traditional marriage and her struggles to find herself. Overall, this was an interesting read that took me back to my preteen years. 

Comedian Maria Bamford shares her experiences about living with mental illness. The title is a little misleading--I expected this to be about being a member of an actual cult. Instead, the reader gets a frenetic, chaotic tale that is a real challenge to read. I almost DNF'd this one, but I am no quitter. Once I got to the second half of the book, the narrative became more focused and easier to follow. Maybe that's because she was being treated for her Bipolar Disorder. She says she was funnier when she was unmedicated. With Sure, I'll Join Your Cult, Bamford makes a great case for better mental health care. But as comedy? I didn't find this funny at all.

Truth is stranger than fiction! The Art Thief, is a true story about a prolific art thief that reads like a novel--at times, I had to remind myself this actually happened. A young man, with his girlfriend as his accomplice, traveled throughout Europe to various museums to steal works of art--not for profit, but because he wanted them. His proficiency was quite remarkable. Once he obtained the pieces he wanted, he returned to his apartment in his mother's home and stored them in the attic. Like a junkie who needed a fix, his needs began to overrule logic, he got greedy, and you know what happened. The author spent years researching the thief and his crimes for this fascinating book. I couldn't put it down!

All in Her Head takes the reader down the historical rabbit hole of women's health care at the hands of men, who have traditionally held the role of physician. While much of what I read wasn't surprising, the author shares some truly horrific practices and beliefs of male physicians over the years that made me clench my legs together. The lack of knowledge about women's bodies was truly astonishing. At times a difficult read, this book also reminded me of one of my own experiences at the hands of a male physician that traumatized me for life. This should be an essential read for anyone embarking on a career in medicine. Fortunately, in today's world, 50% of physicians are women; women also have other options such as nurse practitioners and midwives as care providers. If there is any one takeaway from this book, no matter who women choose for their healthcare, it is important to educate and advocate for yourself. 

This interesting and entertaining memoir about life as a sociopath kept me turning the pages. It also made me uncomfortable at times. The author, who always knew she was different, seeks to understand herself as a sociopath, including pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology, with a focus on sociopathy. She seems to have no filter and shares her diagnosis with everyone she meets, as a way to explain herself. She also seems to attract people who are drawn to her irreverent personality and lack of a moral compass, including an unnamed rock star who wanted her in his life. Part of me read this with a skeptical eye. I reminded myself throughout Sociopath-A Memoir that the author admitted to having a personality disorder and could very well have been manipulating the reader. We'll never know but this was a compelling read!

How was your month of reading? Did you participate in Nonfiction November? Have you read any good nonfiction books?

I'm linking up with Jenn and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics. I'm also excited to join Farrah for My Month is Booked! Check out the newest link-up: Share Your Shelf with Slices of Life, Memphis Bridges, Overflowing with Thankfulness, and The Other Side of the Road.