Bookshelf Tour, Pt. 2 | Nonfiction (continues)

This is something I recently started doing based on a poll I did and me just wanting to do a bookshelf tour, lol! I can’t help myself. I love this sort of thing and enjoy checking out tour posts and videos. I think they give us the opportunity to mention books we wouldn’t otherwise talk about or haven’t talked about often, books that we probably read before we started blogging. It also shows how varied a person’s reading taste and/or book collection might be. Sometimes a title might be on the shelf that you’d never have guessed the person to own or have read.

Well, the books in my collection might not be surprising (or maybe they are, I don’t know), but I hope a few will grab your interest.

I’m still working on the last shelf (the one waaaay at the bottom) of this book case, which is stacked 3-books-deep.

It contains the majority of my nonfiction books: mythology, psychology, philosophy, writing, language mechanics, and a little history. Here’s a look at the second row of the last shelf.

Sitting on top:

Autumn by Karl Ove Knausgaard

It sat on my night table, where I keep my current reads, for a long time before I finally moved it back to the bookshelf, admitting to myself that I’m no longer in the mood to read it.

Mad Kings & Queens by Alison Rattle & Allison Vale

It’s one of my favorite history books. Just a small, short book about kings and queens who did questionable things.

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

From Socrates to Sartre: The Philosophic Quest by T.Z. Lavine

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon ★★★☆☆

I love reading books about art and creativity. This is an encouraging one if you need a pep talk to get started.

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Stacked: left to right

Mythology for Dummies by Christopher W. Blackwell & Amy Hackney Blackwell ★★★☆☆

These “for Dummies” books are pretty good if you want an overview of a subject.

World History for Dummies by Peter Haugen ★★★☆☆

This is actually one of my favorite books. It’s the first “for Dummies” book I read. I can’t remember why I picked it up in the first place, but I enjoyed reading it.

Walking in this World: The Practical Art of Creativity by Julia Cameron

Another book I started but haven’t completed, but that’s because I was trying to do the creativity activities and slowly started forgetting to continue with them.

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp

Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer ★★★★☆

I liked this book so much that I didn’t even bother returning my copy when the publisher recalled the books after learning that it contains fabricated quotes.

Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life by Ken Robinson

I liked Robinson’s first book The Element, but this one didn’t work much for me. Both are about creativity/discovering what you’re good at.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert ★★★★★

Another book on creativity. I love it. It’s one of the most motivating ones I’ve read.

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Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey ★★★★☆

Oh man, I enjoyed reading this book. It digs into famous artists and writers’ creative process.

Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind by Scott Barry Kaufman & Carolyn Gregoire

I started reading it but haven’t completed it. It’s an interesting one, though, that digs into the science behind creativity.

The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair ★★★★★

One of the best books I read last year that quickly became my favorite. It’s all about the history of colors.

A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton

Under the Covers and Between the Sheets: The Inside Story Behind Classic Characters, Authors, Unforgettable Phrases, and Unexpected Endings by C. Alan Joyce & Sarah Janssen

So weird, I remember reading this but can’t recall anything about it. I should give it a reread.

The Bibliophile’s Devotional: 365 Days of Literary Classics by Hallie Ephron

Readings: Essays & Literary Entertainments by Michael Dirda

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Stacked: left to right (continued)

Harry Potter’s Bookshelf: The Great Books Behind the Hogwarts Adventures by John Granger

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones

Sparknotes: The Lord of the Rings ★★★★★

Yep, I read, reviewed, and rated it, lol! That was back when I started blogging.

Sparknotes: Heart of Darkness ★★★★☆

Same here too. The spines don’t show up well in the pic.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott ★★★★☆

The perfect book to read to make writing seem less daunting.

A Journey Through American Literature by Kevin J. Haynes ★★★☆☆

A pretty good read. It’s literary analysis of several classic American literature.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: For Kids by Thomas C. Foster

Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose ★★★★☆

It’s exactly as the title says. A good read by so dry it bored me.

How to Read Novels Like a Professor: A Jaunty Exploration of the World’s Favorite Literary Form by Thomas C. Foster ★★★★★

I enjoy reading Foster’s books and have learned much from them. Both this and How to Read Literature Like a Professor are some of my favorite books. Check them out if you like books about books/reading.

Exposing Harry Potter and Witchcraft: The Menace Beneath the Magic by Steve Wohlberg

A professor bought this for me back in my college days. It started out interesting and then went downhill. I might unhaul it.

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Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture by Ytasha L. Womack

What Makes This Book so Great: Re-Reading the Classics of Science Fiction & Fantasy by Jo Walton

A Little History of Literature by John Sutherland

The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas

Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide by Lois Tyson

One of my college textbooks that I decided to keep because I wanted to reread it. I still want to.

Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven’t Touched Since High School by Kevin Smokler ★★★★☆

Another good one to read if you like books about books.

Essential Literary Terms: With Exercises by Sharon Hamilton

I don’t think I’ll ever complete the exercises in this book like I intended to do when I got it. I might unhaul it too.

How Literature Works: 50 Key Concepts by John Sutherland

The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms by Ross Murfin & Supryia M. Ray

Another college text book I decided to keep.

The Literature Book by D.K. Publishing

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And there ends the second row of the first shelf. I’ve got one more row to go before moving on to the next shelf. I really can’t believe this bookcase so deep sometimes.

Alex from Whimsy Pages suggested I share the number of books I’ve read on each shelf, and, of course, I thought it a grand idea! 😀 Although it will show that I haven’t read many of the books I own, lol! Oh well, here’s some stats:

Total books in this row = 39
How many I completed = 20
How many I will unhaul = 2

← Bookshelf Tour | Nonfiction (begins)

Bookshelf Tour, Pt. 3 | Nonfiction (continues) →

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