Opinions of a Wolf

Hi guys!  It’s hard to believe a month has gone by already since our very first non-fiction discussion in July.  This month Amy is hosting, and she asks us how did we get into non-fiction?

I actually found myself baffled by this question.  Um, I don’t remember not reading non-fiction?  I was raised very religious, although I’m now agnostic, as most of you know.  Anyway, because my parents were religious, I was encouraged (strongly) to read my Bible every day.  That combined with the kid versions of the Bible were probably my earliest forays into what is technically considered non-fiction. *coughs, coughs*

My earliest memories of non-fiction reading that wasn’t connected to religion is a toss-up between cats, airplanes, and westward expansion.  I was fascinated with all three, although cats probably won.  I had an ongoing campaign from when I could speak until the age of seven to get a cat when my parents finally caved.  I used to wreak havoc in the non-fiction section of the library taking out every single book on whatever topic fascinated me at the moment.

My love of non-fiction definitely played into my first choice of major in undergrad–History with a focus on US History.  These classes consisted almost entirely of reading primary documents, and I loved it.  I was also finally surrounded by other people my age who felt the same excitement at reading non-fiction as I did.  So you see, I never really “got into” non-fiction.  I was born that way. Haha.

Check out the non-fiction books I’ve reviewed and discussed since the July discussion:

• Orchids and Memories: 3 Stories of Hawaii
• Heinrich Himmler: The Sinister Life of the Head of the S.S. and Gestapo
• I Am Hutterite