Archive
Bloggers’ Alliance of Nonfiction Devotees (BAND): October Discussion: Favorite Anthologies
BAND is a monthly discussion group of book bloggers who love nonfiction! If you’d like to join us, check out our tumblr page.
This month Ash of English Major’s Junk Food asks us: What are your favorite nonfiction anthologies?
It’s funny; I haven’t read a nonfiction anthology in a while, but I immediately thought of one book that sits proudly on one of my livingroom bookshelves at home that I return to relatively frequently to read bits and pieces from—Written by Herself: Autobiographies of American Women: An Anthology.
Time to toot my own horn a bit here, I was the recipient of the Smith College Book Award in high school, and this was the book they chose to send me. As a young feminist growing up in a rural, traditional area, this book rocked my world. So many strong, intelligent women of all races and ethnicities from many time periods overcoming obstacles to achieve amazing things. Any time I had a rough day in high school or college, I would turn to this book and read a section of it. Um, plus it has a Smith College Book Award bookplate with my name on it, which is just bad-ass. Alas, they were unable to convince me to go to a women’s college. I wanted boys around. 😉 But hopefully the alumni association of Smith will still be pleased to know that this book helped one young girl become a stronger woman.
I’m glad Ash brought up this topic, because it made me think about one of my more unique favorite books, but also realize that it’s been a while since I read a nonfiction anthology. I’ll have to think on a topic that interests me and hunt one down at the library!
Check out the nonfiction books I’ve reviewed and discussed since the August discussion:
- The Last Manchu: The Autobiography of Henry Pu Yi, Last Emperor of China
(review)
- A Stolen Life: A Memoir
(review)
- Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women , Work, and the Family, from Slavery to the Present
(review)
- Coming of Age in Mississippi
(review)
- Lean, Long & Strong: The 6-Week Strength-Training, Fat-Burning Program for Women
(review)