Fiction or nonfiction? Why?

I appreciate fiction, but I almost always read nonfiction. It's probably because I typically choose the books on topics I'm interested in and want to learn about. But I also love the way a great nonfiction writer can weave a narrative so strong that it's just as much literature as it is journalism.

Some of my favorite examples of nonfiction that do this well: Soul Full of Coal Dust, Toms River, Desert Solitaire (Abbey can be problematic, though, so be warned), The Pine Barrens, This Land, and on and on.

I guess I'm kinda stuck in the environment/nature section these days!

Twospoons,

I'm a bit of both but definitely lean more towards fiction. I love a random world where anything can happen and I don't always know the resolution.

I do love reading some historical fiction though, such as Conn Igguldens books as an example. Books about Rome or Ghengis Khan that 'make up' the gaps in history but keep to the roots somewhat.

LyraTheUnholy,

Fiction has always been my preference: I started reading to find my own world to take refuge in, when I was young, and fantasy, specifically, really fulfilled that need. Escapism is the main reason I still read books. I never really got into historical biographies, however I do love a good philosophy or neurolinguistics book if I am in the mood to learn something new.

SmokeInFog,
@SmokeInFog@midwest.social avatar

I'm almost always reading at least one of both, but usually two nonfiction and one fiction. Basically: have two topics for learning to avoid monotony; and have a fiction around for pure diversion.

Currently I'm working on:

Fiction:

Nonfiction:

EDIT: Oh yeah, I'm also listening to Wool by Hugh Howey (first book in the series the show Silo is based on)

little girl asking, "why not both?"

adamsw216,

I try to read a healthy mix of both. At any given time, I am usually reading at least one non-fiction and one fiction book simultaneously. These days I have been reading a lot of history and fantasy/science fiction.

FilthyNingen,

What good history non fiction have you read recently? I’m always in the market for more

adamsw216,

Sorry for the late reply, but I recently read Pacific Crucible by Ian Toll about WWII at sea in the Pacific. It is an excellent narrative telling of the entry of the United States into World War II with plenty of background information about naval sea power and the wide reach of Alfred Thayer Mahan’s book, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History. He explains that naval battle strategies that had not changed significantly for hundreds of years were forced to be reconsidered after the rise of the airplane. From there, we arrive at the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which Toll paints in vivid detail. Like the subtitle says, Toll very closely follows the “War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942” without a single misstep. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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