Snowflakes and Spider Silk

I read so much  genre fiction. I love it, it helps me get through the day sometimes when I have another world to escape into. Genre fiction is entertaining and emotional and so much fun! But lately I have been making an effort to read more news articles and nonfiction books. Part of it is the whole "Be a well-informed citizen because this presidency is going to be full of misleading information and alternative facts " but part of it is just because I love to learn new things and I think reading is a great way to do it. So here are the top 10 nonfiction books I want to read this year!   I've been meaning to read this for a while, and I actually just bought myself a copy so I am looking forward to this insightful commentary on how to live in a world where you are judged for the color of your skin - whether the world acknowledges that or not.   This book was recommended to me by a friend, and a collection of essays on feminism in the South Asia...

Title:  Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison Author:  Piper Kerman Genre: Nonfiction, biography My rating: 4 of 5 stars Goodreads Summary: With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years ago. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187-424—one of the millions of women who disappear "down the rabbit hole" of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules, where the uneasy relationship between prisoner and jailer is constantly and unpredictably recalibrated. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity...

I don't read non-fiction very often. According to my Goodreads, I've read over 1,100 books and only 14 of them are non-fiction. I read to escape reality and get my mind off of whatever is bothering me, and fiction is always the way to go for me. But sometimes, I'm more in the mood to learn or think. Even then, I don't always head straight for non-fiction. I might read a historical fiction book to learn more about a time or place in history that I am not familiar with. I might read a news article or an editorial or two online.  I've found that when I do pick up a non-fiction book, it's a very specific kind  of book. I hardly ever read biographies or autobiographies; the only ones I've read are the ones from my biography projects or book reports in elementary school! I don't know why, but reading about the experiences of any one person isn't that interesting to me. There are exceptions, I really do want to read Malala's story s...