Week 2: (November 8-12) – Book Pairing with Katie at Doing Dewey: This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. 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.
One of my favorite book pairing experiences has been to read the biography of a poet while reading along with the story in their complete works. If this idea appeals to you here are some possible pairings that I have read:
Jane Kenyon: A Literary Life by John H. Timmerman and Collected Poems by Jane Kenyon (I read her work as I read this biography, but I had to do it with her various books as the collected poems hadn't been published yet.)
Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford and Collected Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay.
And here are a couple biographies from my TBR list with poetry collections I have read:
Robert Frost: A Life by Jay Parini and The Poetry of Robert Frost
Carl Sandburg: A Biography by Penelope Niven and The Complete Poems of Carl Sandburg
That seems to be a great way to appreciate both works. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteI really need to read more poetry. I love it but I feel like I don't pick it up enough to enjoy. Robert Frost is a favorite of mine. :)
ReplyDeleteI go through phases with it. There is a HUGE variety out there so keep looking until you find some that speaks to you. If you like Frost I would suggest trying Jane Kenyon and Carl Sandburg.
DeleteI'll echo the pairing of Savage Beauty with Edna St. Vincent Millay's poems. I enjoyed the bio and am slowly working my way through the poems.
ReplyDeleteI included a Charlotte Bronte bio that I really enjoyed pairing with her books this year, so I'm definitely on board with this sort of pairing! It does seem like knowing something about an author can really add to your experience of their work.
ReplyDeleteNice! I need to check Frost's biography.
ReplyDeleteMy post is here: https://wordsandpeace.com/2021/11/08/nonfiction-november-2021-book-pairings/
I love the pairings of poetry books with the biographies of their authors. I have loved Edna St Vincent Millay's sonnets for years, and would like to delve more into her poetry.
ReplyDelete