Week 8 - Nonfiction

Assignment 3
For this assignment, I decided to draw from nonfiction titles I've read myself. When I do read nonfiction, it tends to be biographies, memoirs and humor. Once in a while, I step outside the box and read something else in nonfiction. I went back through my Goodreads account and picked out a few.

The Happiness Project (158 R) by Gretchen Rubin
150s Psychology

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's (616.8588 R) by John Elder Robinson
612-618 Medical

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie (813 M) by Wendy McClure
810s American Literature in English (although I'd just classify it as a humorous memoir)

Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time (Bio Sheffield) by Rob Sheffield

Assignment 4
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's takes a candid look at Asperger's through the eyes of someone who was diagnosed with the condition later in life. Because of the author's meticulous nature, the writing is very descriptive and detailed. Robinson is a strong "character" and does an excellent job of explaining how he relates to people and things.
I would recommend this title to someone who enjoyed Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and was interested in learning more about Asperger's. As a side note, Robinson is the brother of author Augusten Burroughs so readers who like Burroughs might be interested in learning about his sibling.

With the backdrop of their mutual love of music, Rob Sheffield chronicles his courtship and marriage to his wife, Renee in Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time. Sheffield writes in a very conversational tone and through his descriptions creates a bond between the "characters" and the reader. Through wit and humor, the author reflects on his relationship with his wife and tackles the difficult subject of her untimely passing.
I would recommend this title to anyone who likes realistic and/or romantic fiction. Fans of Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks would find familiar themes and subject matter in Love is a Mix Tape. I think they would enjoy Sheffield if they are willing to take the leap into nonfiction.