Make It Sound Adult and I Promise I Won't Read It - Armchair BEA Day 4

Ummm...for those of you who have not yet figured it out by my choice of books or occasional rant about the classics I had to read for school, I'll make it short: I hate reading anything that doesn't sound like pure YA enjoyment. and it's not only that I don't like books set anytime before the 21st century - I especially despise books that call themselves nonfictional.

Now, before you run at me and throw all your Charles Dickens novels and J.F. Kennedy autobiographies at me, let me explain a few things.

1) I usually do what I'm told - especially in school

I'm pretty sure I can proudly call myself among the only ten people of our 200 pupils class that actually read every. single. novel. we were supposed to read in 12 years of school. If it's required (for a good grade) I will read it. However, it will take me hours and hours of moaning and ranting before I actually start. I want to read what sounds good to me. And maybe that's Brave New World (someday), but right now, it's mostly funny/quirky/action - packed YA. There you have it. 

2) It's never as bad as it sounds

Another true highschool fact? None of the novels I was forced to read was actually bad. Not a single one of them. In the end, I usually at least liked the book. And I liked working with it in class. Because, let's face it, books are amazing!!!!

3) Nonfictional Sounds Like Textbooks. Almost.

It's a fact. If there's no story, but just plain information, it's like  a school book - just without the example problems.

I have read a couple (but really, just a few!!) biographies. Mostly German ones, though. One was from a former politician here in Germany, Helmut Schmidt, the other one about a pretty famous German author, Erich Kästner. Both books were amazing and stayed in my head until now. Then, I read parts of a huge nonfictional book. The German title is "Bildung" and the English translation would probably be something like "Education". That's what it does, too. Gives you a bunch of information about history, languages, literature, music and art. You definitely feel educated after reading it. And it is absolutely amazingly interesting. Why - despite my dislike to read books that seem more educational than fun - did I pick those books up? Out of pure interest, my darlings, without a teacher forcing them on me.

Oh, oh, oh! I have a last one! Nonfictional it is,too. Well, kind of.

It's the Princess Lessons by Mia Thermopolis, her friends, her stylist and her grandmére. It taught me pretty much everything I need to know about life. 

Bottom Line of this? I hate stereotyping and I won't do it. Also, I have read enough nonfictional books to know that they can be nothing but amazing - most of them probably are. Anyway, having just escaped school, I don't feel ready (just ignore that choice of words. Please. ) to so some serious reading. Reading serious books, I mean. Oh, you know what I mean. 

If you do have suggestions for nonfiction that rocked your socks, though, then puh-lease leave those down there in the comments! I'd love to know and expand my horizones!