an adventure in reading: NONFICTION NOVEMBER: Book Pairing

Monday, November 9, 2015

NONFICTION NOVEMBER: Book Pairing

This week in Nonfiction November, participants are asked to pair a fiction book with a nonfiction book that you would recommend. I listened to Modern Romance this summer and was pleasantly surprised. I expected a stand up routine type comedy book by actor Aziz Ansari about the dating scene. Instead, I was treated to actual science experiments and results, with statistics and everything. My little science heart beat wildly.

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari, (6 h 14 minutes)
How do people meet now a days? What is texting etiquette in modern dating? Aziz Ansari, comedian and actor from Parks and Recreation, wrote this social science study of modern romance along with Eric Klinenber. They did research, interviewed people in the dating scene now, and older people from previous generations. They analysed data and made statistics - this book is more than just comedy.
Aziz read the audiobook, and his humour is throughout. My over-riding thought as I listened to the audiobook was be so thankful I'm not, and will not be, dating in this age of smart phones, Tinder apps, and sexting.

What better book to pair this look at attempts at romance and looking for love than with the classic chick lit book, the girl who struggled with the dating scene to hilarious results: Bridget Jones!

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

There isn't much for me to say about one of my favourite books of all time. It's funny, has Mark Darcy, and never fails to make me smile. If you really like Bridget, the books continue with The Edge of Reason and Mad About the Boy. Realizing that Bridget Jones is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen made this book even better. How fabulous! And then the whole Colin Firth as Mark Darcy in the movie adds a level of meta that can't be beat.

My second pairing is The Martian by Andy Weir along with Packing for Mars by Mary Roach and An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield. It's a bit of a cheat because I haven't read The Martian yet, but I fully intend to soon! I'm on a list at the library, and my sister promises me I'll love it, and I believe her. I can say with great belief that both of these nonfiction astronaut books are extremely readable and either fun (Packing for Mars) or inspirational (Life on Earth)

Comments (17)

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regularrumination 48p · 490 weeks ago

Such great ideas! I really want to read Modern Romance and I've had Packing for Mars and An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth on my TBR for forever.

1 reply · active 489 weeks ago

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raidergirl3 91p · 489 weeks ago

All great books! An Astronaut's Guide to Life is really, really good. Maybe I"m biased though, cause I'm a huge Cmd Hadfield fan.

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norumbega4 55p · 490 weeks ago

I've got Modern Romance out from the library right now though I haven't started it yet. I listened to Bridget Jones' Diary on audio a number of years ago and enjoyed it thoroughly. The Martian was great. I'm not sure why I haven't picked up more of Mary Roach's books. I liked Stiff.

1 reply · active 489 weeks ago

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raidergirl3 91p · 489 weeks ago

Mary Roach is so good. Stiff was the first I listened to, and I was so impressed. That's what nonfiction should be. I'll be interested to hear what you think of Modern Romance. Bridget is a book I've read over and over and absolutely loved, but the movie is so good, it all gets tied up in my head.

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bookishkitty 55p · 490 weeks ago

This is a fun topic! I like your pairings. I haven't read The Martian or Packing for Mars (although I do enjoy Mary Roach's books).

I haven't read Modern Romance, but you have me curious about it--and now I feel like I should read Bridget Jones' Diary after (another book I haven't read).

1 reply · active 489 weeks ago

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raidergirl3 91p · 489 weeks ago

Thanks, Wendy! You never read Bridget? Have you seen the movie? They are actually a bit different, but both still excellent.

I should look for another Mary Roach book. Her book Gulp looks fascinating, if disgusting.

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bkclubcare 43p · 490 weeks ago

I thought about pairing Bridget Jones with Yes Please - must be the comedy link - but I was going for girl with feminist viewpoints having fun in the world. And the Martian pairings are PERFECT.

1 reply · active 489 weeks ago

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raidergirl3 91p · 489 weeks ago

I can see Bridget and Amy Poehler for sure. I havent' read Yes Please because I want to listen to it, and my library doesn't have the audio yet. I guess I should request it.

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opinionsofawolf 21p · 490 weeks ago

I really like your first pairing. Both funny reads about dating, perfect!

1 reply · active 489 weeks ago

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raidergirl3 91p · 489 weeks ago

There are lots of chick lit dating books with humour, but Bridget is the queen!

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jennysbooks 89p · 490 weeks ago

Excellent pairings! Love them both!

1 reply · active 489 weeks ago

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raidergirl3 91p · 489 weeks ago

Thanks Jenny. It was really fun to try to match up books. I should do that in nonfiction reviews more often.

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Anne · 490 weeks ago

I am recommending the Modern Romance book for my daughter. I've seen the Martian/ Mars books on lots of lists so I guess I really need to read Roach's book on Mars since I love her writing.

My Nonfiction Pairs

1 reply · active 489 weeks ago

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raidergirl3 91p · 489 weeks ago

Martian and Mars book really go together, as everybody realized! I should have just put the Hadfield book but I didn't realize how many people have read Packing for Mars!

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kxw116 47p · 489 weeks ago

I love your pairing of Bridget Jones's Diary with Modern Romance! So far, I've only watched the movie of Bridget Jones, but both books are on my to-read list and I think they'd go really well together :)

1 reply · active 489 weeks ago

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raidergirl3 91p · 489 weeks ago

Bridget Jones, the book, is a fun, fun read. Very much like the movie, and then there are the sequels as well. (I'm quite a Bridget fan:)
Modern Romance was such a neat surprise - more than just comedy.

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blackheartmagazine 8p · 489 weeks ago

I pre-ordered Aziz's audiobook, like you, assuming it would be more of his stand-up comedy in book form. But no! I thought this was a really interesting change of pace for him, but yet fit with many of his stand-up observations about the fast pace and often mixed signals involved in the modern dating world. I'd have to agree with you though: I'm definitely glad to be out of that world, and happily married! I just can't imagine trying to find someone compatible with apps that require you to make snap judgments about people based solely on their looks. Wasn't that why all of us bookish types originally took to the Internet - to communicate via our favored medium of WRITING?

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