Reading is a favorite pastime of many people. Some like to read the latest in mystery stories while they are in bed at night while others will take a great romance novel into a bubble bath. When it comes to novels and longer books you usually have the choice between fiction and non-fiction. Each of these can be read for fun but there is a definite difference between them. Before you choose a book to bring with you to school or to a fitness centre Mississauga to help you through your workout you should know what sets them apart.


The short answer is that non-fiction books are true and fiction is made up. But, there are so many different types of books out there that this can still be a little bit confusing. If you're looking for a novel about your favourite characters or a book about the toys that live in doll houses for your daughter than you're likely going to find it in the fiction section of the bookstore. Most children's books are fiction and anything that has created characters. Memoirs and biographies are regarded as non-fiction, as they are meant to be the truthful telling of a person's life story.


This is one of the places where the line can become a bit blurred. If you've taken an English preparation course on autobiographies or memoirs than you might have come across the story of James Frey and his book "A Million Little Pieces". This story was initially sold as a non-fiction novel but it was later found out that some of the stories in it were completely fabricated. This started a huge controversy when Oprah confronted him on her show and accused him of being a huge liar.


The reason that this is still a talked about subject is that when it comes to recalling past events there is always going to be some argument over what is true and what is made up. If you asked someone about their autism treatment or about their years in high school they are going to remember some things exactly how they were and other things that they have changed in their mind over the years. James Frey claims that he wrote events the way he needed to see them to get through his drug rehabilitation instead of how they actually were.


There are many books that fall under the category of non-fiction that are not stories but rather informational texts. If you want to learn how to cook or how to create canvas paintings than you will be able to find books about that in the non-fiction section. Research books also fall under this category.