Week 2: (Nov. 5 to 9) – Fiction / Nonfiction Book Pairing (Sarah’s Book Shelves): This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. It can be a “If you loved this book, read this!” or just two titles that you think would go well together. Maybe it’s a historical novel and you’d like to get the real history by reading a nonfiction version of the story.
I try to pick nonfiction books I've read this year, and hopefully even a fiction that pairs with it from this year. Not always possible.
Puritan-era Witches
This nonfiction book was, long. It was very detailed, and was 22 audio parts long. Wow, that was really long. I had been picking away at it, listening on a high speed, but it all blurred together to me. This may have been better to read in a paper book? Anyway, I was listening to this when I had iPhone issues, and ended up losing all the YA Sync books I hadn't read yet. I'll confess, I wasn't too disappointed to lose this one, and even though I only listened to half, I feel like I got the jist. Women = bad. Witches = bad. Men spouting religion persecuting women. Rinse and repeat.
You can try instead:
I've not been a fan of Puritan literature, beginning and ending with The Scarlet Letter. The whole attitude in the 1600s America is infuriating. However, I tried this children's book, The Witch of Blackbird Pond and I quite liked it. It was sweet, without being too perfect. Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks was also okay, but I liked this one better.
or possibly:
How to Hang a Witch is a book from this year's YA Sync that I was disappointed to lose. I haven't read it yet, but I have requested it and will get from my library soon. I was going to give The Scarlet Letter another try, but it also got deleted.
Are you interested in the nature of time? I have two great books for you
I listened to Benedict Cumberbatch read Rovelli's second physics book, the first being Seven Brief Lessons on Physics. Theoretical physics books are interesting, and I probably couldn't tell you a single thing after I them. As I listen or read, I nod my head and (mostly) understand what the ideas are. Then, poof, gone. But I keep trying, hoping something will stick. Plus, listening to Cumberbatch for a few hours is delightful.
The Order of Time reminded me very much of the fictional book, Einstein's Dreams.
Any chance I have to promote this sweet little book, I do. Many of the ideas of time from The Order of Time, I was familiar with due to Einstein's Dreams. I've written about it more than once, but here's my original blog post about it.
Imagine Einstein is having dreams about different versions of time as he struggles to finish his Theory of Relativity. Each chapter is a different dream about time.
Have you read any of these? What else (fiction or nonfiction) would go with my selections?
