Pairing Fiction and Nonfiction Reads

Pairing fiction and nonfiction books on the same or similar subjects can really enhance a reading experience. I enjoy finding these pairings and usually suggest starting with the fiction tale followed by the nonfiction one. Here are some recent pairings that work well together:

Dixon, Descending by Karen Outen (fiction) and Everest, Inc. by Will Cockrell (nonfiction):

Dixon, Descending follows two brothers, Dixon and Nate, who seek to become the first Black Americans to climb Everest. During the climb, the weight of their decision to tackle Everest weighs Dixon down as Nate develops increasingly serious health complications.

Everest, Inc. addresses how guided climbing began and how the urge to climb Everest became a goal shared by people around the world. Following the history of guided expeditions, the book provides an interesting look at the mountain today and how climbs are conducted. Reading the two books together provides an in-depth understanding of what it takes to climb the most iconic mountain on our planet and why so many people seek to summit Everest.

Making the Best of What’s Left by Judith Viorst (memoir) and The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old by Hendrik Groen (fiction):

In Making the Best of What’s Left, Viorst discusses all of the indignities that came with old age in a humorous and touching manner as well as discussing what it is like to be alive when so many people you know no longer are.

In his novel, Hendrik Groen touches on many of the same topics as he writes in his diary daily. While they both have funny stories to tell, the books also reinforce the notion that the elderly deserve a great amount of respect and empathy and that they have a lot to teach us. The books are particularly important reads for those with aging parents or friends and pair beautifully together.

The Family Experiment by John Marrs (thriller) and Cue the Sun by Emily Nussbaum:

In The Family Experiment, an ever-increasing number of people cannot afford to start families so a company has created virtual children to raise. To advertise this product, the company launches a reality TV show that follows 10 couples raising virtual children while competing to win the right to keep their virtual child or be given the money to raise a real baby.

Cue the Sun chronicles how reality television came to be, from all the way back in the 1940s through the popular shows of today. Both books touch on how fake, scripted, and manipulated “reality TV” really is and what often really happens behind the scenes. Pairing the two provides an engaging opportunity to reflect on our fixation with reality TV and how it impacts our everyday lives as well as contemplate its future.

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her award-winning Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram.