What Should I Read Next?
Ep 475: Help for a fiction lover who wants to read more nonfiction
Apr 29, 2025
Jill Jaclin, an avid reader and retired social worker from New Jersey, joins the conversation with a burning desire to integrate more nonfiction into her reading life. She reveals her struggle with decision anxiety and her unvisited bookshelf filled with educational treasures. The discussion dives into effective strategies to balance her love for fiction with the world of nonfiction, touching on the emotional depth of memoirs and the value of engaging storytelling. Together, they explore how to make nonfiction a fulfilling part of her literary journey.
48:59
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Quick takeaways
- Jill's struggle highlights how emotional connections to fiction can hinder the integration of nonfiction into a reader's habits.
- The conversation emphasizes the importance of finding nonfiction with narrative qualities to bridge the gap between genres for better engagement.
Deep dives
The Importance of Finding the Right Genre
Many readers often grapple with the challenge of incorporating different genres into their reading habits. Jill, an avid reader, shares her struggle with integrating nonfiction into her reading repertoire despite having a collection of nonfiction books on her shelf. She loves fiction and frequently defaults to it, which leaves her nonfiction selections untouched. This highlights the broader issue of how personal preferences and the emotional connection to stories can affect one’s willingness to engage with specific genres, like nonfiction, which she feels may lack the same narrative drive as her beloved fiction.
