I finished this year's Polymath Reading Challenge early!
It was exciting as usual, and led me to some great #nonfiction books. So, I'm going to share my reading list. No one asked, but here it is.
Thread. 📚
#AmReading #Books #bookstodon #ReadingChallenge #science #history
1. Gastronomy
The Land Where Lemons Grow (Helena Attlee)
The author travels across Italy, exploring the history of various citrus fruits. I never knew citrus could be such a fascinating topic, but the book was an amazing read. From the connections of lemons to the Sicilian mafia, through the orange-throwing carnival of Ivrea, all the way to Renaissance hybrid citrus collections. 🍋 🍊
(Sorry for the Amazon links)
https://www.amazon.com/Land-Where-Lemons-Grow-Citrus/dp/0241952573
2. Language, linguistics
The Invention of Clouds: How an Amateur Meteorologist Forged the Language of the Skies (Richard Hamblyn)
The story of how cloud types were named by Luke Howard at the turn of the 19th century. The book gives great historical context starting from the 1600s, about the birth of meteorology and the difficulties of cloud classification. I finally learned how the categories work.
https://www.amazon.com/Invention-Clouds-Amateur-Meteorologist-Language/dp/0312420013
#cloud #language #linguistics #nonfiction #history #books #bookstodon
3. History outside Europe
Sparks: China's Underground Historians and their Battle for the Future (Ian Johnson)
Highly recommended read. The author traces the work of underground historians, archivists, and documentary filmmakers in China who try to keep records of history that has been erased or changed by the party. They often literally risk their life and freedom to do it.
https://www.amazon.com/Sparks-Chinas-Underground-Historians-Battle/dp/0197575501
4. Russia
The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them (Elif Batuman)
Shorter essays about people who engage with Russian literature, including the author herself. Stories like organizing a Russian literature conference in California, or her summer study in Uzbekistan, or the history of the Ice Palace. Interesting read, although I didn't always like the author's personal attitude.
https://www.amazon.com/Possessed-Adventures-Russian-Books-People/dp/0374532184
5. Crime and criminology
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession (Allison Hoover Bartlett)
The story of a man who used credit card scams to buy extremely expensive rare books and hoard them. The author explores the world of rare book collecting, buyers and sellers and scammers alike. 📚
https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Loved-Books-Much/dp/1594484813
6. Human relationships
The Divorce Colony: How Women Revolutionized Marriage and Found Freedom on the American Frontier (April White)
In the late 19th century, traveling to Sioux Falls was the easiest way to get a divorce - after only 90 days of residency. So the city's largest hotel turned into a "divorce colony" of women (and some men) waiting for their freedom. The book is an awesome read, full of personal stories.
https://www.amazon.com/Divorce-Colony-Revolutionized-Marriage-American/dp/0306827662
7. Movies, cartoons, television
Are You Not Entertained?: Mapping the Gladiator Across Visual Media (Lindsay Steenberg)
Really fun read with all the gladiator stuff coming out this year. The author explores the gladiator as an archetype, and the arena fight as a trope, across various movies and TV shows (even outside historical movies, e.g. Hunger Games, Gamer, Fight Club etc). Lots of good insight into gender, nostalgia etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Are-You-Not-Entertained-Gladiator/dp/1350120073
8. Mental health
Medical Muses: Hysteria in Nineteenth-Century Paris (Asti Hustvedt)
The book explores the heyday of the study of "hysteria", through the lives of three women who were exhibitied in Paris as model hysterics. Sometimes very dark and sometimes amusing, the author goes beyond trying to diagnose them, focusing on the cultural context of "hysteria".
https://www.amazon.com/Medical-Muses-Hysteria-Nineteenth-Century-Paris/dp/0393025608
9. Famous women
The search for Omm Sety (Jonathan Cott)
The fascinating biography of a woman who was declared dead at age 3, and came back to life remembering her previous life in Ancient Egypt. She dedicated her entire life to studying Egypt, moved there, helped archaeologists, and remembered a lot of things that later were discovered to be true...
https://www.amazon.com/Search-Omm-Sety-Jonathan-Cott/dp/0446390402
