Tag Archives: nonfiction

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Thistle

This slim book is Douglass’s memoir of his life as a slave and escape into freedom. It’s more than just a memoir, though. It’s a statement against slavery, which may seem obvious or normal now but was a difficult and … Continue reading →

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The Woman Who Fell from the Sky, by Jennifer Steil

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Thistle

In the mid-2000s, Jennifer Steil agreed to teach a three-week course on proper journalism in Yemen. At the end of her time there, she was offered a year-long contract managing the newspaper, and after a few weeks of reflection back … Continue reading →

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Radio Shangri-La, by Lisa Napoli

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Thistle

Lisa Napoli traveled to Bhutan, a small country sandwiched between India and China, after hearing it was “the happiest kingdom on earth.” She was given the opportunity to go without the daily $200 tourist tariff as long as she helped … Continue reading →

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Readathon: Chopin and George Sand in Majorca, by Bartolome Ferra

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Thistle

In the 1830s, Chopin and George Sand spent a winter in Majorca for Sand’s son’s health. Neither liked it very much. This is one account of their time there. When I originally got this book from a library book sale, … Continue reading →

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West With the Night, by Beryl Markham (audio)

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Thistle

Beryl Markham grew up in Kenya. In her adulthood, she first worked with race horses and later became a pilot. At one point, she crossed the Atlantic from Europe to North America solo, one of the first people to do … Continue reading →

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Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert (audio)

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Thistle

After a rough divorce, Elizabeth Gilbert set off on a year’s journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia. This book is her memoir of that year. I’ve considered reading this book for years now, but never really had any motivation to … Continue reading →

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Mondays in the Middle East, by David Cross

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Thistle

Mondays in the Middle East is a collection of emails. David Cross and his family lived in the Middle East for many years, where he studied the culture. Every week on Monday he would send an email home to friends/family … Continue reading →

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Harry Potter: Film Wizardry, by Brian Sibley

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Thistle

I have never been as big a fan of the Harry Potter movies as I am of the books, but I do enjoy the movies. I own the first six, and there are some I like better than others. When … Continue reading →

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Spirit of the Elephant, by Gill Davies

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Thistle

I adore elephants, so when I saw this book on the clearance rack at B&N, I knew I had to get it. The book is half photography and half information on elephants. The photography in the book is beautiful, if … Continue reading →

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Things I’ve Been Silent About, by Azar Nafisi (audio)

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Thistle

Years ago, pre-blogging, I read Reading Lolita in Tehran, a sort of combination memoir, history lesson, and literary analysis rolled into one. It was a fascinating, wonderful book for me, especially parts 1 and 4, which dealt more with the … Continue reading →

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