Calling all non-fiction leisure readers! Want to find new reads but not sure what to ask for? Check this non-fiction genre map out for new ways to think about non-fiction.
Creative Non-Fiction is a halfway point between absolute non-fiction and absolute fiction. Plays and poetry are inarguably creative works, whether inspired by fact or imagination but in most libraries, they have been traditionally classed as non-fiction. Essays and humor are also examples of storytelling, but often come from a place of biography or observation…otherwise they would be short stories. Readers in this “genre” enjoy the fiction-like storytelling and may cross-over from pure fiction very easily. The short form of the essay (and often poetry and humor as well) appeals to readers who wish to “dip into” a book, rather than committing to a 500-page linear slog through the latest book club darling, though not all essays (or poetry or humor) are non-linear short-form works. Readers of poetry and plays are often seeking that genre most particularly. Literary criticism/analysis is included here for the strong connection to fictional literature…although analysis is not storytelling, it is still a strong interest in the creative works being discussed that will draw this reader into this non-fiction area. Tone in this area varies as widely as in fiction, from the grossly humorous to the light and witty to the heavy and ponderous to the shockingly confessional. Literary criticism tends toward an academic tone, but can also be written for a more general audience (i.e. can be more narrative and readable).
Here are some examples of new books in the Creative Non-Fiction sub-genres…click on each sub-genre for a link to our catalog.
Reading Suggestions 