Non-Fiction 5 Challenge Recap

I've participated in this challenge for the past few years and it is one of my favorites.  For some reason I seem to read a great deal of non-fiction over the summer months and easily surpass the goal of 5 books between May and September.

I made a list of books that were already on my shelf and decided to work from that list for this challenge.  In the end I read only 3 of the 10 books on that list, but I read a total of 19 non-fiction books.

Here are the 5  19 books I read (or listened to) for this challenge:

1. Alone: Orphaned on the Ocean, by Richard Logan and Tere Duperrault Fassbender - fascinating story of a child who survived the unthinkable.
2. Indian Chieftains and Great Heroes, by Charles Eastman - short stories shedding new light on Native American history (audiobook)
3. The Basque History of the World, by Mark Kurlansky - a bit dry but still education and worth reading (audiobook)
4. The Lost City of Z, by David Grann - fascinating look at jungle exploration and treasure hunting (audiobook)
5. The Eyes of Willie McGee, by Alex Heard - racism and rape charges in the 1940's American South, and the repercussion that last to this day
6. Crazy for the Storm, by Norman Ollestad - another child survival story, this time on a mountain
7. Blizzard: The Storm That Changed America, by Jim Murphy - excellent short book that taught me a great deal (audiobook)
8. Beyond Smart, by Linda Morgan - this parenting book wasn't much help to me
9. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown - heartbreaking look Native American history from the Native American perspective - A MUST READ (audiobook)
10. The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer - an inspiring reminder of what you can do if you simply put your mind to it 
11. Steve and Me, by Terri Irwin - heartwarming love story between the Crocodile Hunter and his wife, and between the both of them and the natural world
12. We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young, by Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway - important story of a turning-point battle in Vietnam (audiobook)
13. We Are Soldiers Still, by Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway - Vietnam veterans return to the scene of their greatest battle and reconcile with their enemy - I liked parts of this book (audiobook)
14. American Widow, by Alissa Torres - a 9/11 widow's story told in graphic (comic) format
15. Kon-Tiki, by Thor Heyerdahl - fascinating story of a raft journey across the Pacific Ocean
16. Outcasts United, by Warren St. John - bringing together refugee boys to create a soccer team - excellent book
17. Naked In Eden, by Robin Easton - had a promising start but fell flat for me
18. Smile, by Raina Telgemeier - hilarious memoir in graphic novel format about getting braces and being a pre-teen 
19. Once A Warrior King, by David Donovan - a very different look at the war in Vietnam - highly recommended

Did anyone else participate in this challenge?  How did you do?  What was the best book you read for the challenge?  I enjoyed so many of these, I'd be hard pressed to pick just one ...