I mentioned that I went to the library last week to pick up some nonfiction reads and decided I need to at least start one of them. It was hard to decide but I ended up starting The Folded Clock by Heidi Julavits. As I was turning the pages a previous patron’s checkout slip fell out and I was curious to see what other books this person had read or was at least interested in.

I hope they enjoyed A Confederacy of Dunces. That is such a great book with such a memorable character. The other book titles were new to me though and I started looking them up and now I want to read these.

The State We’re In: Maine Stories by Ann Beattie. The collection is woven around Jocelyn, a wry, disaffected teenager living with her aunt and uncle while attending summer school. As in life, the narratives of other characters interrupt Jocelyn’s, sometimes challenging, sometimes embellishing her view. Doesn’t that sound good? I’ve not read any of Beattie’s books and this sounds like it could be a good one to pick up.

The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota. Three young men, and one unforgettable woman, come together in a journey from India to England, where they hope to begin something new—to support their families; to build their futures; to show their worth; to escape the past. I love stories of the immigrant experience and think this one could be really good.

The Noise Of Time by Julian Barnes. Another author who I keep meaning to read. A stunning portrait of a relentlessly fascinating man and a brilliant exploration of the meaning of art and its place in society.

So to the library patron who checked out The Folded Clock last year and left the check-out slip in the book, thank you! I now have added a few more books to my reading list. Not that I needed another stream of book recommendations. Ha.

Let me know if you’ve read any of these and/or if you’ve also added books to your list via a different type of “recommendation”.

For this week’s Nonfiction November topic we go to Sarah from Sarah’s Bookshelves who has put together the following prompt: Pick two books that go together.

“It can be a “If you loved this book, read this!” or just two titles that you think would go well together. Maybe it’s a historical novel and you’d like to get the real history by reading a nonfiction version of the story.”

I struggled a bit with this one until I remembered what is one thing I love to do other than reading? Journaling (making journals and keeping my own). So then it became a bit easier to choose two books which I think you’d enjoy if diaries are something that appeals to you.

For fiction a very fun read is Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding. I read this when I myself was a singleton and I loved every bit of it. It was often hilarious and had me agreeing with Bridget on the trials of finding a good job, the right guy and crazy friends/family. I love the movie version too and have lost track of how many times I’ve watched it. It’s usually my go to whenever I’ve been sick.

Now if you think anyone can keep a journal, you are right. A lot of us have had those little journals with locks right? But I think what makes people lose interest in journaling so often is the idea that you have to always do the same type of entries or that it has to be linear. Break all the rules. Journaling can be whatever you want it to be. You can use pictures, you can use scraps of junk mail, you can actually not even write at all. I think you get the idea right?

I’ve read a ton of books on the art of journaling and now I keep about 5-6 journals myself but if you are new to keeping a diary and/or what to pick up where you left off check out Note to Self by Samara O’Shea. I read this book a few years ago and still recommend it to anyone who is thinking of picking up a diary practice again.

The chapters in this book are divided on topics such as writing about everyday life, finding your spiritual path, dream journaling, blogging and even detailing the intimate life. She’ll show you what the benefits are when writing on any of those topics and guide you on how to approach writing about them as well.

I hope this gives you an idea of two books to check out. Would love to hear if you’ve read these or if there are some others that you think would make perfect pairs.