New Reading Goal

So recently I’ve been trying to branch out my reading taste from just YA into adult fiction. As some of you might know, I read A LOT of teen fiction, and so I’ve been trying to include more adult books into my book diet.

But recently I realised that I only read fiction. During school, this was fine, because I would be reading heavy books on history, political science, gender studies, race theory, and not to mention classics, and so I read fiction to give my brain some relaxation.

But it’s been 2 years since I completed by undergraduate degree, and I’ve been stuck in a fiction rut. The nourishment my brain had been getting from school is non-existent now, and only recently I realised how under-nourished my brain was!

That’s not to say you can’t learn things from fiction; you can. Historical fiction is probably my favourite type of fiction in which I’m constantly learning about the time period and the people. At the same time, I miss being completely immersed in an idea or a concept, and learning about it.

So I’ve made a conscious decision to start reading more non-fiction books, in subjects that interest me. Not to sound like a total nerd, but I love learning, especially about things I have no knowledge of, and so I’m excited to get back into it!

Here are some books that have caught my eye, and that I’m hoping I can pick up soon. 🙂

Brain on Fire is a memoir of Susannah Cahalan, a journalist, and the time in her life when her body started attacking her brain, for reasons unknown. Before being hospitalized and strapped to a bed, Susannah was a bright, healthy young woman, with no symptoms of the condition she later developed. She was about to be committed to the psychiatric ward when one doctor saved her life and helped her return to a normal life.

I’m fascinated by the brain, and my little taste of reading about different disorders it can develop in Pretty Girl-13 whetted my appetite to learn more.

Delirious Delhi is a travel memoir and tells the tale of David Pager and his wife Jenny who move all the way from New York City to Delhi, India and their adventures in a city filled with extremes.

I’ve never read a travel memoir before, but it seems like a good way to learn about a new place, without just reading a fact book. I’ve never been to India, but it is a country that interests me, especially because of my cultural connection. While skimming a few pages of this at work today, I found myself interested in Pager’s experiences with South Asian culture, which had a humorous, but still illuminating tone.

The Secret Rooms is a piece of historical non-fiction which looks at the mystery surrounding the death of the Duke of Rutland. He spent his last days in the servants’ quarters of his own house, and nothing anyone said could persuade him to come. After his death, his son sealed the rooms and they remained sealed for 60 years.

Catherine Bailey digs deeper into the Gothic mystery from the 40s to uncover what really happened with the Duke of Rutland, and why it was such a big secret.

So those are only 3 titles that I recently became interested in; they fall under 3 very distinct genres, but all sound equally engaging.

Have you read any of the titles above? What are some of your favourite non-fiction books? Do share in the comments, since I’m really trying to branch out!

Thanks for reading,

Ikhlas