Top Ten Tuesday (TTT) brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish.
Welcome back to another TTT! I’m sorry I have been sporadic on these, honestly I just haven’t had a lot of time to get them done each week. I almost skipped this week, as it was another open ended topic. But I finally was able to come up with a list that I find interesting, I hope you guys do too. Without further ado…
Ten Books to Read if You are in the Mood for Non-Fiction (especially if it involves art theft)
Can you believe it? I actually do read non-fiction here and there. Although most of the time it has a true crime element to it. As I’ve branched out in my non-fiction reading I’ve discovered that I actually love to read stories about art theft. I especially like the stories that see the art recovered, but we can’t always have a happy ending.
I thought about making this list ALL true crime, but I really did enjoy the first three books listed and I figured, hey, it’s my list. I can mix it up a bit.
I will also say that in the memoir category I purposely left out Wil Wheaton and Jenny Lawson – I have included them before on several TTT lists and tried to keep things fresh this week. They are both terrific writers and I encourage you to read any and all of their books and blogs.
US History
Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell. The history of Hawaii, told with a dash of humor.
Biography
The King’s Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi. You’ve probably seen the movie – a fascinating tale of a monarch with a stutter. Who comes to the throne in the age of radio broadcasts. Very touching read.
Memoir
Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch. After the death of her sister, Ms. Sankovitch decides to read a book and write a review every day for a year. I am now realizing just what an undertaking that was. 😉
True Crime (Murder)
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. We all know the story of Lincoln’s assassination. But O’Reilly and Dugard write this book like a modern day thriller.
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that changed America by Erik Larson. Yes, this book is about a serial killer who preys on women in 1890’s Chicago. But it is also a fascinating look at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
True Crime (Art Theft)
The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World’s Largest Unsolved Art Theft by Ulrich Boser. Priceless works of art were stolen from the Gardner Museum. Their frames still hang empty.
Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo. An interesting look into the world of art forgery.
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter. Fascinating account of the small group of men who were charged with saving the world’s greatest art from theft and destruction during WWII.
The Great Pearl Heist: London’s Greatest Thief and Scotland Yard’s Hunt for the World’s Most Valuable Necklace by Molly Caldwell Crosby. Fun to read about a 100+ year old theft and the early history of Scotland Yard.
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett. An interesting tale in the world of rare book theft.
So, what non-fiction do you think I should tackle next? What did you pick for this open-ended TTT? Comment away and link up to your own TTT if you’ve got one!
Hidden Staircase 
I just finished the audiobook of The King’s Speech recently (I picked it up for an alphabet challenge). I found it fascinating!
I enjoy fictional art heists (my favorite being the Audrey Hepburn film How to Steal a Million), so I’ll have to try some of these!
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I know, The King’s Speech was such an interesting story. I recommend the film too if you haven’t seen it yet.
I find art heist books and movies to be so much fun! I will check out that Audrey Hepburn film, haven’t seen that one yet. I do love to watch her in Charade. 🙂
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I have seen The King’s Speech. Lovely film!
Oh, Charade is one of my favorites! How to Steal a Million is super fun – Hepburn and Peter O’Toole. It’s available for streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
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Oh I will watch that one too! Haven’t seen it either. I also like To Catch a Thief with Gregory Peck and Grace Kelly.
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The only book I own from this list is “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that changed America”. I had actually tried to start reading it…but didn’t get too far…might try to pick it up again at a later date though. This is an interesting list! I occasionally read non-fiction and this list has some pretty interesting reads, I especially love True Crime stuff! I’ve posted a TTT but not sure if it’d be up your alley, but check it out if you have the time 😀
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I really liked the way that Erik Larson wove the Chicago World’s Fair into the narrative. I found it really interesting. I’ve read a few of his other books but I think Devil in the White City is the best one.
You’re TTT was really interesting! I haven’t read any Manga, I am going to check one of those books out. The graphics look amazing and the stories you chose all sound like a lot of fun!
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Great topic!
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Thank you! Trying to mix things up a bit. 🙂
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I really need to check some of these out. I want to read Killing Lincoln. I have some family who read that and recommended it. I am also super interested in the art theft focused books. Thanks for all the recs!!
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I’ll tell you, I’m not an O’Reilly fan in general, but I’ve read Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy and enjoyed them both. It’s funny because you know the ultimate outcome, but the journey is fascinating. Enjoy!
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As usual, I have found so many great books to add to my TBR after your post 🙂 I would also highly recommend The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan. It’s an excellent look at the women who worked in Oak Ridge, TN and unknowingly – indirectly – helped win WW2. Plus, my grandmother is on the cover, so you have to read it 😉 My TTT
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I’m so glad you see some books you like! 🙂 I will check out The Girls of Atomic City for sure. HOW COOL is it that your grandmother is on the cover?! That is amazing!!
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What an awesome list! I really do enjoy non-fiction but I hardly ever read it — and this year I’m trying to change that. The only book from your list I’ve read is “The Devil in the White City” (though of course I’ve seen the “Monuments Men” and “King’s Speech” movies). I’m going to look all these up on Goodreads, and I’m especially interested in the Sarah Vowell book. We’re about to move back to Hawaii (and we lived there for three years previously) so I’m all about books that deal with the Aloha State!
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Yeah, I don’t read a lot of non-fiction but when I do pick one up they are fascinating. I still need to watch The Monuments Men, I know I will like it. I want to read more by Sarah Vowell, she is very funny and I like her take on history. So jealous you are moving back to Hawaii! It is a beautiful state. Aloha!
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I haven’t read any of these books, but I love a good history book. I’ve watched The Kings Speech, and I LOVED it. But I also am inexplicably in love with Colin Firth, so that’s likely part of the reason. But as someone with a [slight] speech impediment that bothers her to no end, The Kings Speech really stuck with me!
My TTT: http://brownbooksandgreentea.com/2016/03/01/books-to-read-if-youre-in-the-mood-for-activism/
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You should read the book, it was so interesting. It truly was a heart warming read. Thanks for stopping by!
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I loved The Man Who Loved Books Too Much! It was absolutely fascinating! I added the rest of the art heist books to my TBR. I love art crime! I really want to read The Devil in the White City and Tolstoy and the Purple Chair. Great list! I love nonfiction.
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I read The Man Who Loved Books too Much first, probably about 6 or 7 years ago. And that led to my discovery of the art theft books. Really interesting reads! I hope you like them all!
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Thanks for these recommendations! I’ve been meaning to read more non-fiction this year, so I will add some of these to my list! 🙂
My TTT
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You are welcome! Non-fiction isn’t a category I read much in, and I tend to gravitate towards either history or something with a mystery element. Regular biographies are not my cuppa. 🙂 Enjoy!
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I’ve been meaning to check out The Man Who Loved Books Too Much! This is a great topic and a great list. The two non-fiction books I’ve enjoyed most recently were Unbroken and The Boys in the Boat. I don’t tend to read much non-fiction, but I do like to mix things up every once in a while. 🙂
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Thanks! I will check out those two books. I don’t read a lot of non-fiction either. These pics all were so interesting, and most of them have a mystery element to them. 🙂
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Devil in the White City was really good. I can’t wait for the film!
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I didn’t even know they were making a film until I posted this. Can’t wait to see it!
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