"My Favourite Non-Fiction Reads Like Fiction:" What Makes a Non-Fiction Novel Good?

 Recently, I have really gotten into reading non-fiction books. Whether it's a celebrity autobiography, a humourous self-help book, or a poignant memoir, I just eat them up. I only really got into reading non-fiction novels last year, when I read Sissy by Jacob Tobia, a memoir that I absolutely loved. However, I have found that when I write positive reviews of non-fiction books, more often than not, the main positive trait that I put onto these books is that "they read like a fiction book." And I've come to wonder why this is. 

What do I mean when I say that a non-fiction book reads like fiction? To be honest, I had to ponder this myself. I think what I mean is, that the book uses poetic language, heavy with metaphor, making use of tone, to pull me into the story. There is not too much focus on statistics, or analytical writing. It doesn't feel like I'm reading a research paper, instead more like a creative writing piece. I guess these books have a stream of consciousness feel to them, so that I feel like I need to keep reading. However, I wonder why most of my non-fiction has to feel like fiction in order for me to receive it positively. Why can't it just be good non-fiction, without being compared to another genre? 

I bring this conversation up because I just finished an excellent non-fiction book, Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall. This book is about the history of white feminism and its erasure of issues that affect marginalized people. I really enjoyed it. However, I would argue that it didn't read like a fiction novel. There were a lot of statistics and studies that were cited throughout the book. Kendall did share personal stories throughout the book, but overall it was less about her own life and more about a historical issue that she has meticulously researched and discusses at great length. This non-fiction book was great without being compared to fiction. And I think I need to break my reviewing habit of comparing non-fiction to fiction. 

I do tend to read more fiction that I do non-fiction. It is mostly because of personal preference, and because the main genre that I read is YA. However, this doesn't mean that I have to compare every other genre to fiction. Non-fiction is unique from fiction because it displays fact. It gives the opportunity for the author to include research and evidence that fiction novels do not always concern themselves with. Non-fiction authors do establish a unique voice, but they do so by how they choose to display and write about their facts. Non-fiction writers, like fiction writers, are educating the masses on a wide variety of issues. And they should be highlighted without the need to be compared to fiction. 

I think I need to change the way I review non-fiction. Yes, it is an important part of the reviewing process to highlight how the author writes. If they make use of great diction and metaphor that fiction writers commonly use, then that's awesome! But I don't think that the main positive point for non-fiction reviews (at least for me personally), should be that "it didn't feel like I was reading non-fiction." Because what's wrong with reading non-fiction? What's wrong with reading stats and facts? Certainly it's not everyone's personal taste, but that doesn't mean it's always a negative asset. I just think that when we compare non-fiction writers to fiction writers, we ignore the non-fiction writers who write very differently to fiction writers. And their work is still valid. 

Overall, I want to make a conscious decision to change the way I review non-fiction. Instead of just saying that a non-fiction book "read like fiction," I want to say that it was an extremely well-written, well-researched non-fiction book. And that is valid enough. 

Do you read non-fiction books? How do you review them? Do you agree/disagree with what I said? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Felix Ever After by: Kacen Callender

 Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary 

Published: May 5, 2020 by: Balzer + Bray 

Pages: 354 

Rating: 5/5 stars 

CW: transphobia, homophobia, deadnaming, catfishing 

Felix Love has always struggled with falling in love. He has some very supportive friends, but Felix is beginning to question how he would like to identify. He is Black, queer and transgender, but he also still has a lot of growing to do in terms of discovering himself. But, these internal questions become even more complicated when an anonymous student begins posting photos of Felix before he transitioned, and his deadname is posted publicly. Felix seeks revenge through catfishing. However one problem leads to another, and soon Felix lands himself in a quasi love-triangle, and a support group, all while grappling his relationship with himself. 

This was definitely one of my favourite books that I read in 2020. I just love books where the characters are so well developed and so beautifully flawed. But what I loved most about Felix Ever After was that I could relate to it. This book touches on issues of self-discovery, identity, allyship, and so much more. I guarantee, something will resonate with you when reading this book. 

First off, I loved how every character grew in this book. You've got Felix, a transgender teen who seeks revenge after anonymous transphobic attacks are posted against him, and he turns to catfishing. Now, this may seem like fighting fire with fire, however Felix really comes into his own through this book. He makes mistakes, which is understandable because he is a teen. What's important is that he recognizes these mistakes, and these mistakes only make him stronger. Felix is beautifully flawed, just like we all are. I commend Callender's ability to make a flawed character just so damn likable. 

This book touches on so many topics facing Black teens, transgender teens, queer teens, even allies (and fake allies). Issues such as labelling, toxic masculinity, the affects of social media, and the attending of pride events were brought up. I loved how Callender was able to show multiple sides of arguments through these issues. For example, some characters in this novel loved going to pride events, and some found them to be overwhelming. Callender even explains in this novel how straight people often corrupt pride events, which I really found to be important. In the explanation of these topics, Callender demonstrates that there is no one size fits all queer person. All the characters in this novel are diverse not only in identity, but also in their thought process. And I can appreciate that. 

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this novel, you will be able to take something away from this novel. I learnt so much about allyship and identity from this book. I learnt so much about myself from this book, so much so that I almost wrote an essay for an English course on it. You will root for Felix, and you will be satisfied with where the story ends. I cannot say enough positive things about this book. All I can say is that you have to read it. 

Have you read Felix Ever After? What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Cinderella is Dead by: Kalynn Bayron

 Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy 

Published: July 7, 2020 by: Bloomsbury 

Pages: 400 

Rating: 3.5/5 stars 

CW: sexual assault, forced marriage, murder, homophobia, misogyny, predatory behaviour 

Sophia lives in a kingdom that draws its history from the story of Cinderella. But, the story has been greatly altered by the kingdom's ruthless king. Now, teen girls a forced to attend a ball where they are chosen to be wives by the kingdom's men. They have no choice but to accept the men who choose them. If the girls are not chosen, then the consequences could be deadly. Sophia is trying everything to find a way out of the ball, and her way out comes in the form of Constance, a mysterious girl who claims to be the last known descendant of the original Cinderella. Constance encourages Sophia to join her revolt against the king and reveal the true Cinderella story. But their journey will not be easy. 

I was excited for this book. I don't usually love fairytale retellings, but this one seemed so unique that I knew I had to give it a shot. The idea of the story of Cinderella being intertwined with a society full of misogyny is something that I would have never considered could be done before. While I did love some aspects of the story, I do think it could have been executed better. 

First off, I loved the themes brought forth in this novel. Sophia is a girl who is going through hell. This story goes into some dark themes that you would never consider to be linked to the Disney version of Cinderella. But I think the novel better aligns itself with the Grimm versions of fairytales. I think a main theme of the book is that girls are conditioned to believe one side of a story. This side could be steeped in misogynistic practices. But there are always two sides to every story, and this book seeks to reveal them. I appreciated how this novel tackles storytelling, and the way fairytales are constructed. 

I loved Sophia and Constance as main characters. I think they are both pretty badass, and I loved reading about Sophia's commitment to finding a way out of her situation. She chooses not to be subservient, and she chooses to be a voice for the voiceless. I loved that about her. Both girls are also queer, and as you can tell by the book cover, Sophia is also Black. I think the book does a good job at showing how Sophia's identity as a Black queer woman also affects how she is treated. 

My main gripe with this novel is the pacing. It starts off slow, building up the tension and sharing some backstory about how the kingdom views the Cinderella story. But the final chapters move far too quickly to be seen as a satisfying ending. To be honest, I assumed that this novel would be a series because I didn't think that everything would be wrapped up in a sufficient amount of time. But the resolution happens so fast and so conveniently, that you almost miss it. The consequence of this is, that I didn't feel like some of the secondary characters got enough page time, and I wanted to know more about where they ended up. The ending didn't seem believable to me. It just happened so fast. And I think that when a story has such a powerful revolt at its core, it needs to have an elaborate resolution. 

Overall, this book has some good characters and a really interesting theme, but I think the ending is a bit disappointing. That being said, I do think this novel is worth a read. It deals with some tough subject matter for sure, but it also has some lovable characters and a solid theme at its core. 

Have you read Cinderella is Dead? What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

2020 Year in Review

 

CW: this post will briefly mention the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as anxiety and OCD

2020 was a rough year. And honestly, I don't really want to waste much time going into why. I think you can pretty much guess why most people are saying that 2020 sucked. For me it was a culmination of health anxiety, and being newly diagnosed with OCD amidst a pandemic. But, I'm personally done with discussing why 2020 was a bad year. We can't change anything, we can only look forward to the future. And this is not to bash anyone who is venting about 2020. If you need to let out your frustrations, by all means, let it out. But I personally want to discuss more of the positive aspects of 2020. I feel like I need that. Because, this year did have some good aspects, especially reading-wise. So, here is my 2020 wrap-up. It wasn't all bad. 

What I Read: 

I read 157 books this year! That is the most books I have ever read in a year, and I am very proud of myself. I started off my Goodreads challenge at 50 books, but I raised it to 150 once I realized that I was reading a lot. Overall, I feel very accomplished, and I think the extra time staying indoors played a massive role in this feat. 

Some Overall Reading Stats: 

I read 48, 905 pages this year. The longest book I read was The Iliad, at 1248 pages. The shortest book I read was The One: Epilogue by: Kiera Cass, at 11 pages. My average length for books was 315 pages. 

I think I read from a good variety of genres this year. My genre stats are as follows: 

22 Classics 

41 Contemporary/Romance 

63 Fantasy/Mythology 

11 Nonfiction/Poetry/Plays

5 Historical Fiction 

5 Children's Books 

10 Thriller/Mystery 

I think these genre stats do represent my general interests. I did a huge reread of Rick Riordan books this year, so that accounts for the high number of fantasy books. I think overall in 2021, I would like to work on reading more historical fiction. It's a genre I typically shy away from, but I am interested in history, so I don't see why I shouldn't read more historical fiction. I am also looking forward to reading more nonfiction in 2021, as the nonfiction books I did read were fantastic. 

My Favourite Books of the Year: 

This was a hard decision, as I read so many amazing books this year. But, I have narrowed down my books. Since I reread a lot this year, I am also offering a reward for favourite reread. 

Favourite Reread: 

The Last Olympian by: Rick Riordan 

I was so happy to get a Percy Jackson reread in this year. This reread offered me the serotonin boost I needed, and it reignited my love for all that Rick Riordan creates. This book is triumphant and holds a special place in my heart. It's just fabulous. 

I do have to say, an honourable mention has to go to Cemetery Boys by: Aiden Thomas. This was by-far the best YA book I read this year, and even though I borrowed it from the library, I am willing to purchase the book on my own because I can see myself rereading it for years to come. It's a beautiful Latinx story, and the author seems like such a lovely person. 

How Diversely Did I Read This Year? 

I am happy that most of my diverse reads this year came from Own Voices authors. I think it is super important to read Own Voices, because then authentic stories can be told. I loved the Own Voices novel Felix Ever After by: Kacen Callender. It was a contemporary novel about a trans teenager named Felix who is struggling with how to label himself. It was fabulous. 

I think I did well in reading novels with Black and South Asian representation this year. South Asian representation is really important to me, as I am half-Pakistani and I want to see some stories that I can relate to in novels. I found that in novels such as An Ember in the Ashes by: Sabaa Tahir, which is a fabulous fantasy that I was happy to reread this year. This series ended this year, and it was bittersweet to leave it behind. But Sabaa created and concluded a fabulous story. 

I would like to work on reading more Own Voices Indigenous novels in 2021. I hope to do so because I plan on doing a master's project on Indigenous young adult literature. I am looking forward to exploring the wonderful world of Indigenous literatures, and I hope to find some great inspiration there. 

What I Blogged: 

I was really happy with the content I put out this year. I think I pushed myself to talk about topics more unique in the bookish and non-bookish world. However, there was one post that was my most special of the year. That would be my post on My Experiences with Pure-OCD. I finally shared my disorder with the world, and this was not easy to do. But, I got so many lovely messages from blogging friends and family members, showing their support. I felt amazing after posting it, and I feel free from hiding now. 

I also surpassed 500 blog posts this year! This was a fabulous feat for me that I was so proud of. I hope to keep blogging for even 500 more posts, as this hobby is truly my passion. 

2020 Shoutouts: 

This year I connected with old blogging friends who put out some really unique content. But, I also met new friends as well. Here are shoutouts to some of my favourite book content creators of 2020: 

Cee @ Dora Reads for her informative and inspiring posts

Veronika and Sabrina @ Wordy and Whimsical for their fun discussions and great recommendations 

Erin @ The Book Archive for sharing my love for Achilles and Patroclus 

Joey, Riv, Claire, Tess and Sofia for being the best book club buddies ever

Roberta @ Offbeat YA for her constant support 

Olivia and Jesse for being awesome booktubers 

2020 was a great year for bookish content! I discovered booktube, booktok, and bookstagram. But of course, I also loved reading blog posts as well. Please check out these creators and the great work that they do. 

2021 Goals: 

Now comes the time to look forward. Reading-wise, I don't want to put pressure on myself to surpass 157 books in 2021, because who knows what the future will hold. I will set my Goodreads challenge to 50 books, and see where that takes me. 

Like I mentioned before, I would like to expand my genre reading by reading more historical fiction, and I would love to read more Indigenous literatures this year. I also hope to tackle more "scary" reads for me, which would be classics. I am determined to find a classic that I can speak passionately about. I don't want to be scared of the genre. 

I am also looking forward to posting more on my bookstagram page! You can follow me at paperbackp Bookstagram is a bit of a different world than blogging, because it's enjoyable nonetheless. I hope to get better at my picture-taking abilities, and just have fun with it. 

I also would like to tweet more. This sounds silly, but I don't think I tweet enough bookish-related things, and I love the positive sides of book twitter a lot. I would love to fangirl more with book twitter, and share bookish opinions with others. Twitter can be intimidating, but it can also be a fun way to meet new friends. 

Life-wise, I would like to stop seeking reassurance from people. My OCD thrives off of reassurance. I constantly need to be reassured that I am not a bad person, or that I don't need to wash my hands, or that I won't get COVID. But I need to tackle this. I need to be sure of myself before I seek reassurance from other people. I hope to keep OCD in the backseat of the car, as opposed to the front seat, like my therapist says. 

Overall, I would like to find some more positivity in 2021. The world is a hard place, this I know. But there is also good, I am sure of it. I want to find that good more often. I hope other's will be able to do the same. 

So, this was my year. If you made it this far, I hope you have a Happy New Year and a fabulous 2021. We will all get through these hardships together. I hope you find some hope and peace in this upcoming year. You got this. 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by: Kacen Callender

 Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary 

Published: October 30, 2018 by: Balzer and Bray 

Pages: 290 

Rating: 3/5 stars 

CW: cheating, grief after the death of a parent

Nathan Bird, a film buff and aspiring screenwriter, has lost all hope in love after his girlfriend Florence breaks up with him. However, Nathan and Florence remain friends, and Florence is determined to make Nathan believe in love again. Enter Oliver James Hernández, Nathan's childhood best friend who has just returned to town. Nathan realizes he still has feelings for Ollie. But can he build up the courage to tell him? 

This was my first Kacen Callender book. I saw everyone talking about Felix Ever After, and while I had that book on hold, I decided to give this one a go. I will say, I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. However, I still have faith in Callender's books because I ended up LOVING Felix Ever After. I just think the characters and themes in this novel fell a little flat. 

Let's start with the positives. I did think this was a cute and easy to get through novel. In a year that was filled with doom and gloom, it was nice to read something relatively positive and just get a bit of a serotonin boost. I liked how this book did not have many heavy themes or sorrow to it. It's a solid contemporary, and I appreciated that. 

I liked how this book incorporated a diverse cast of characters. Most of the characters are LGBTQ+ and POC. The love stories are not really sad and upsetting. The queer characters simply exist without being put through major trauma. This was refreshing to see, and I think is definitely needed in more books. 

That being said, I did have a problem with a lot of the character's actions. Nathan is kinda a jerk. Yes, he is a teenager and should make mistakes. However, he does a lot of shitty things to Oliver and his friends, and these actions are swept under the rug without any resolutions. I think it's important for teenagers to learn from their mistakes, and we don't get that here. 

There is also far too much cheating in this book for me. Cheating is so common that it's almost written off as normal. Nobody really shows remorse for cheating against their partners, and the cheating happens so quickly that you almost forget it's happened. I think this book didn't do its best to represent healthy relationships and honesty in relationships, and that was unfortunate. 

I think Callender is a writer who I want to read more from. I definitely don't want to write them off as a never to read again author, because Felix Ever After was incredible. However, this book didn't blow me away like I hoped it would, which sucked. 

Have you read This is Kind of an Epic Love Story? What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

What's On My 2021 TBR?

 I don't usually do TBR lists. I am a huge mood reader, and I get most of my books from the library, so normally I just browse the library until I find something that interests me. However, I feel like there have been a lot of books lately that I really want to get to in 2021. Some are new releases, and some have been out for a while. Hopefully I can check some of these off my list! 

1. These Violent Delights by: Chloe Gong 

These Violent Delights is a Romeo and Juliet retelling about rival gangs in 1920s Shanghai. This gives me major West Side Story vibes and I am here for it!!! 

2. The Tyrant's Tomb and The Tower of Nero by: Rick Riordan 

I really need to finish the Trials of Apollo series. I have two books left, and although I know I'll be so sad to leave the Camp Half Blood chronicles behind, it's about time that I see where Apollo's story ends. Ugh I will be a wreck though! 

3. The Ship of the Dead by: Rick Riordan 

Speaking of finishing Rick Riordan series, I also need to finish the Magnus Chase trilogy. I'm surprised this series hasn't been spoiled for me yet, but I plan to keep it that way. Like with the Trials of Apollo, I will be really sad to let this series go. But I do see plenty of rereads in my future. 

4. Son of a Trickster by: Eden Robinson 

Son of a Trickster is about a teenager named Jared who is trying to keep it all together despite his difficult family life. But to make matters more interesting, Jared's grandmother insists that Jared is a son of a trickster, and ravens start to talk to him. 

I really want to read this book because I plan on using it for research for (hopefully) my masters degree. I want to do a masters based on Indigenous literature, and this book is definitely on my list for books I think would benefit my research. 

5. Shadows Cast by Stars by: Catherine Knutsson 

In a world ravaged by a plague, Indigenous people's blood is being harvested as it contains the antibodies used to fight the disease. Sixteen year old Cassandra is on the run from government officials who will stop at nothing to get to her. She is determined to protect her and her family. 

Another novel that I hope to use should I be admitted into my masters program. I do love plague books, even during this time of COVID, and I think reading a science fiction novel from an Indigenous voice will be super interesting and will offer a unique perspective. 

6. The Gilded Wolves by: Roshani Chokshi 

I plan to buddy-read this novel with the members of my book club. The Gilded Wolves is about a treasure-hunter in 1889 Paris who is sent on a mission with a few unlikely companions in order to track down a hidden artifact. I love books set in Paris so I am really looking forward to reading this one. 

7. All Boys Aren't Blue by: George M. Johnson 

I love a good memoir. All Boys Aren't Blue chronicles the childhood experiences of George M. Johnson. Johnson discusses growing up in New Jersey and Virginia, attending college, and all of the trials that came in between. Along the way, they write about issues of toxic masculinity, gender identity, and more. This is supposed to be a really well-written memoir about what it's like to be Black and queer. I cannot wait to read this. 

8. Here for It; Or, How to Save Your Soul in America by: R. Eric Thomas 

Here for It is a nonfiction book of essay's by R. Eric Thomas. This book is supposed to be really funny, as Thomas discusses what it was like for a Black boy to go to school in white suburbia, but he also discusses coming to terms with his sexuality despite attending a highly conservative church. I do love when nonfiction books are able to bring in humour, so I have high hopes for this one. 

So, these are the books on my 2021 TBR! I can't guarantee that I'll get through all of them, but hopefully I will make some progress :) 

Do you have a 2021 TBR? What's on it?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

The Silence of the Girls by: Pat Barker

 Genre: Historical Fiction, Mythology 

Published: September 4, 2018 by: Doubleday Books 

Pages: 291 

Rating: 3/5 stars 

CW: graphic descriptions of r*pe, graphic descriptions of war, blood and gore, misogyny, slavery

Briseis is a native Trojan, but her world comes crumbling down when the Greeks invade Troy. The Trojan War has begun. Briseis is kidnapped by the Greeks and brought to their camp as a slave. She is set to be a slave to Achilles, however Agamemnon also demands that Briseis belong to him. Achilles refuses to fight in defiance, and Briseis observes the two men fight for power. Briseis' story echoes that of many Trojan women during the war. These women were forgotten and abused, forced to endure trauma despite having no say in the war whatsoever. This novel seeks to tell their story. 

To say that I wanted to read this book would be an understatement. I have wanted to read this since it came out two years ago. But for some reason, I didn't get the chance until now. I absolutely love Trojan War retellings, and I figured that a book from Briseis' perspective would give a voice to a character who in the Iliad, is essentially voiceless. However, I can't say that this book was fully enjoyable. It was just... ok. 

I think Barker writes really well. This was my first time reading one of her novels, and her vivid descriptions really help to establish the world building in this novel. She did a great job at setting the scene of the war, and nothing was glazed over. I think it is definitely needed in a mythological retelling to make sure that the reader gets to know each and every character that plays a part in the story. Barker does develop all of the significant characters. 

 I will read any Trojan War retelling, and I will most probably not hate it. I'm very fascinated by the story of the Trojan War, and I'm always curious as to how different authors characterize the characters. I think Barker gives a great voice to Briseis, and I loved how she was the storyteller. Her perspective is one that I have always been curious about, and I'm happy that Barker took this opportunity to tell her story. Despite this story being a myth, you can't help but think about the countless women in Ancient Greece who did have to go through this trauma during war. It's a necessary story to tell. However, that being said, the story is also very disturbing with a lot of graphic descriptions. So be careful when reading, and be aware of the content warnings.

Like I hinted at before, I didn't love this book. And this is because Barker chooses to give Achilles' perspective about halfway through the novel. I thought this was unnecessary, as well as counterproductive, because the whole point of the novel is to give a voice to the Trojan women. By doing this, I think Barker attempts to humanize Achilles. But Achilles is canonically an asshole. Similarly, there are already a ton of books telling his story. We don't need it, and it significantly took away from my experience with the novel. 

I saw someone review this book saying that they think Barker actually wanted to tell Achilles' story, she but realized that was overdone, so she hid Achilles' story in a story of Briseis. I definitely see how this might have been the case. This book was too Achilles heavy, which disappointed me. Nobody needs an Achilles redemption arc. Give me the stories that haven't been told. 

Overall, this book was an example of one that I was so looking forward to reading, but it did fall short. It wasn't all bad. Like I said, Trojan War retellings pretty much always get at least a three star rating from me, because I love the story so much. However, I'm not sure this is the best retelling out there. 

Have you read The Silence of the Girls? What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess