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journalists 

Since I’ve started working for the library I’ve noticed myself reading more broadly, specifically in non-fiction. I used to read fiction almost exclusively, but I’ve really enjoyed getting exposed to some great non-fiction titles and authors. Particularly, I find myself attracted to non-fiction written by journalists. These books are usually written in a way that is really accessible to those outside of whatever industry/group/topic they’re writing about. They read a little quicker since they’re less technical and sometimes even have the feel of a novel. Here are just a few of my favorite non-fiction authors who also happen to be journalists:

12.27 BlinkMalcolm Gladwell

Gladwell became popular largely after the success of his book OUTLIERS, but he’s written several other titles including THE TIPPING POINT and DAVID & GOLIATH. He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996.

My favorite: BLINK

 

12.27 The Undoing ProjectMichael Lewis

Lewis has had several of his books turned into popular movies including MONEYBALL, THE BLIND SIDE, and THE BIG SHORT. He has written for several different publications but is currently a contributing editor to Vanity Fair.

My favorite: THE UNDOING PROJECT

 

12.27 The Library BookSusan Orlean

Orlean’s book THE ORCHID THIEF was turned into a movie called Adaptation starring Nicolas Cage, Tilda Swinton, and Meryl Streep. One of her other titles is RIN TIN TIN which is about the popular dog actor Rin Tin Tin. She has written for numerous publications including Rolling Stone, Esquire, Vogue, and The New Yorker magazine.

My favorite:THE LIBRARY BOOK

 

12.27 The Feather ThiefKirk Wallace Johnson

Johnson wrote a memoir detailing his work with his organization The List Project titled TO BE A FRIEND IS FATAL. While he has contributed to The New Yorker, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal, he mainly focuses on his non-profit organization which seeks to help Iraqi refugees who worked for the U.S. government during the Iraq War.

My favorite:THE FEATHER THIEF

 

Other popular journalist authors:

Mary Roach (STIFF, GULP)

Mitch Albom (TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE,HAVE A LITTLE FAITH)

Truman Capote (IN COLD BLOOD)

Jon Krakauer (INTO THIN AIR, MISSOULA)

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Holiday Road Trip

Once upon a time, long, long ago you couldn’t watch movies in your car! I know this may come as a surprise to some, but it’s true. You were stuck for hours in the car with limited ways of spending your time. You could sleep, stare out the window, tease your younger siblings, sing, or listen to someone read a book and that’s about it.  I grew up taking these kinds of road trips and boredom always got the best of me. But one of my favorite ways of passing the hours in the car was listening to books. This is still my favorite way to pass the time when traveling long distances, so I always have a book to listen. This is one of the reasons I love LIBBY, or overdrive, because it gives me access to lots of audiobooks.

The other day as I was browsing some of our holiday audiobooks, I came across some that I really love. These books aren’t necessarily about a Christmas story but they take place at Christmas time and to me they have a Christmas feeling about them. Here are my top 5 favorite unusual Christmas audiobooks. 

12.23 The Lion the Witch and the WardrobeTHE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
By C.S. Lewis
(1950)

This book of course isn’t one you would think of as a Christmas book but it does take place in a wintery wonderland of ice and snow and a boy named Edward is naughty and makes a bad choice. Does he get coal for Christmas? You will have to read the book to find out. But Father Christmas does visit and gives gifts to all of Edward’s siblings.  I love this particular audiobook because it has sounds, music, and I think the narration is very entertaining to listen to.

 

12.23 WinterhouseWINTERHOUSE
By Ben Guterson
(2018)

Winterhouse is a motel where Elizabeth spends her Christmas break. She is annoyed and really wants to stay home but she is sent away by her aunt and uncle. While at Winterhouse, she discovers dark family secrets and because of her love of puzzles, uncovers a mystery. A perfect audiobook for anyone who loves listening to a good mystery. 

 

12.23 The Mysterious HowlingTHE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING
By Maryrose Wood
(2010)

Miss Penelope has just graduated from Swanburne Academy for poor bright females. When she gets a job as a governess to three young children, she finds she has a lot to teach them. They don’t know anything about manners or how to behave in a civilized manner and this all must be taught and learned before the Christmas ball. 

 

12.23 Harry Potter and the Sorcerers StoneHARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE
By JK Rowling
(1999)

Harry Potter is an all time classic and even though it isn’t a Christmas story, Harry does spend his Christmas holiday at Hogwarts. It’s during the Christmas break that he discovers the secret of the Sorcerer’s stone with the help of his new friends. There couldn’t be a better way to spend your holidays then chasing a villain and solving a mystery as a first year Hogwarts student.

 

12.23 The Greenglass HouseTHE GREENGLASS HOUSE
By Kate Milford
(2014)

This book, like the others mentioned, takes place during the Christmas holidays. Young Milo lives in the Greenglass Inn and usually during the winter it’s pretty quiet but a few days before Christmas, 5 unusual guests show up. They won’t say when they will be leaving or what they are doing there. As items go missing and even more guests show up, the mystery begins to grow and Milo must find a way to save everyone.

 

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Downton Abbey

December is a magical time of year. There’s a chill in the air, a pine tree in the living room, and an endless number of holiday treats to nibble on. But you know what’s been missing the last few years? A DOWNTON ABBEY Christmas special on PBS.

Fortunately, this year gave us the DOWNTON ABBEY movie, which just came out on DVD. But if, like me, you’ve already seen it and are still wishing for the intrigue, the romance, the complicated class dynamics, and the gorgeous evening gowns that Downton once added to your life, these historical fiction reads should do the trick.

12.20 The Summer Before the WarTHE SUMMER BEFORE THE WAR
By Helen Simonson
(2017)

Historical fiction is a go-to genre for me, and this novel is one of my absolute favorites of the past few years. It features the tiny coastal town of Rye England in the summer of 1914, where a single, well-educated Beatrice Nash moves following the death of her father. There she develops a close friendship with society matron Agatha Kent and her two adult nephews, Hugh and Daniel. It’s funny, poignant, as clever as the Dowager Countess herself, and delightfully written.

 

12.20 The DressmakerTHE DRESSMAKER
By Kate Alcott
(2013)

Aspiring seamstress Tess gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she’s hired as a lady’s maid by celebrated designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon. With Lady Gordon, she sets off across the Atlantic in the famously doomed Titanic (where James and Patrick Crawley died, setting off the events of the Downton Abbey series). The Dressmakers offers a fascinating look into class relations, the well-known story of the Titanic’s sinking, and the largely forgotten social and political uproar that followed.

 

12.20 BelgraviaBELGRAVIA
By Julian Fellowes
(2016)

Belgravia takes place many years before Downton – as it’s set first in 1815 and then in the 1840s – but it’s chock full of the love triangles, intrigue, and sharp, witty dialogue you’d expect from Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey.  Fellowes has a masterful understanding of the time setting, making this one of the most believable (and delightfully gossipy) pieces of historical fiction I’ve ever read. Even better, the audiobook narration by Juliet Stevenson is absolutely excellent.

 

12.20 AtonementATONEMENT
By Ian McEwan
(2003)

Aristocratic Cecilila Tallis and working class Robbie Turner are on the brink of romance when a misunderstanding and lie by Cecilia’s sister Briony tears everything apart. Set upon the brink of World War II, this novel takes place a generation after Downton Abbey, but they share a story of star-crossed lovers, class snobbery, high drama and the leveling effects of war.

 

12.20 The Hired GirlTHE HIRED GIRL
By Laura Amy Schlitz
(2015)

If you always preferred the downstairs half of Downton’s plots, I recommend this young adult novel. It features a naïve but plucky main character, Joan, who runs away from her abusive home in the country to Baltimore, where she gets work as a cook and cleaning girl to a wealthy Jewish family. Joan’s character has echoes of Anne Shirley, Cassandra Mortmain, and Downton’s own Daisy. 

 

Given all the great historical fiction novels out there, this list was hard to narrow down! What novels would you recommend for Downton Abbey fans? Still can't get enough of the Downton-esque?  Try these true stories and period dramas.

 

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The Red Queen Crown 

If you’re a fan of fantasy fiction like I am, chances are you have read the RED QUEEN series by Victoria Aveyard.  Now that you’re done with that, what else is there to read?   

If you think curling up on the couch with a good, dark fantasy book during a thunderstorm sounds like the best afternoon ever, check these titles out: 

12.18 Storm SirenSTORM SIREN
By Mary Weber
(2014)

Nym, a seventeen-year-old slave, shouldn’t exist.  She is an Elemental, who are always born male, and always killed at birth.  When a court emissary recognizes her as Elemental, she is purchased and trained to control her abilities so she can be used as a weapon in the long-standing war that her country is losing. 

 

12.18 Three Dark CrownsTHREE DARK CROWNS
By Kendare Blake
(2016)

On the island kingdom of Fennbirn, every generation a set of triplet girls are born to the queen, each equal heirs to the throne and each a possessor of magic.  When the sisters turn sixteen, a fight to the death begins and the last heir standing gets the crown. 

 

12.18 The Bone WitchTHE BONE WITCH
By Rin Chupeco
(2017)

Tea’s talents for necromancy means she’s a bone witch, something that makes her feared and ostracized by her community.  She leaves home to train with an older bone witch, and puts all of her efforts into becoming an asha, one who can use elemental magic.  When danger draws near she must overcome obstacles and make a powerful choice. 

 

12.18 The Young ElitesTHE YOUNG ELITES
By Marie Lu
(2014)

The blood fever killed most of those infected and left survivors with strange markings and stranger powers.  Adelina survived, and her father believes she is an abomination because of it.  Cast out by her family, she joins the Young Elite, a secret society for the survivors with those strange powers. 

 

12.18 The Black WitchTHE BLACK WITCH
By Laurie Forest
(2017)

Elloren Gardner is the spitting image of her grandmother, the last Black Witch, who defeated the enemy and saved her people during the Realm War.  Now evil is rising again and many think Elloren is her grandmother’s heir however she has no magic.  She is given the opportunity to attend Verpax University to become an apothecary but the university admits all manner of people and proves to be a dangerous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.

 

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