It’s Nonfiction November! I only recently became aware that that was a thing, and years ago I would have skipped over it completely, assuming that nonfiction simply wasn’t for me. I’ve always loved fiction, but it’s only been in recent years that I’ve discovered a love of nonfiction as well.
I don’t think I’m alone. So many readers I know are intimidated by nonfiction, and they associate reading nonfiction with reading dry, boring textbooks or lengthy biographies of long-dead historical figures. While yes, those are nonfiction, let me assure you there is so much more nonfiction out there—nonfiction that is actually enjoyable and riveting to read.
If you haven’t read much nonfiction but would like to try, here are several books to help you get started, including great memoirs, works of narrative nonfiction, and personal growth books. I think you’ll find at least one that will work for you.
Excellent Memoirs
For me, memoirs were my gateway into reading more nonfiction. When done well (and the below truly are), they allow you to escape into the story of someone else’s life. Additionally, I highly recommend listening to memoir on audio when the author narrates their own story, which is what I did with all of the memoirs mentioned here.
Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig. Taussig’s fascinating, funny, and eye-opening memoir helped me realize how important reading more from the perspective of people with disabilities is. I recommend this book to any human with a body. She is a great storyteller, making me think as well as making me laugh. I listened to the audio version of this one, which was fantastic.
Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson. Jenny Lawson, known by many as The Bloggess, is known for writing hilarious stories about her life as well as honest insights into her personal struggles with mental illness. This is her third book, and it had me laughing so hard I couldn’t even contain myself (which was slightly embarrassing when listening to the audio while out on a walk in our neighborhood). Somehow she seamlessly blends her humor with raw, sincere reflections on her experience with mental and chronic illness, and the result is this spectacular, cohesive memoir.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. This memoir contains so much: Zauner’s identity growing up Korean American, the grief over losing her mother to cancer, and the love language that she and her mother shared—food. What made her story exceptional to me was the way she seamlessly weaves these parts of her life together. I left this book both hungry and with the desire to go hug my mom.
The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper. I was intrigued by this memoir by an ER physician and while I knew it would be interesting, I wasn’t expecting it to be so enthralling. While Harper is obviously an outstanding physician, she is also a talented storyteller. I listened to this on audio and made excuses to keep doing random household chores so that I could keep listening–the sign of a good audiobook for sure!
The Color of Water by James McBride. More and more, memoir is becoming one of my favorite genres, and this memoir about the author and his white, Jewish mother was stunning. He braids together the experience growing up in his family with his mother’s story, and it is touching, heartbreaking, and even laugh out loud funny at times. A parent-child relationship is almost always complex, and this one is even more so because of their racial divide, but McBride tells her story with so much tenderness–you could feel how much he loved her.
Narrative Nonfiction
Narrative nonfiction stories read like novels; they are often fast-paced and plot-driven. The difference is of course that the “plot” is actually a true account of something that really happened. I’m not a big true crime reader, but that would fall into this category as well. Here are a few of my favorite works of narrative nonfiction.
A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K. Barnett. In this powerful story—part memoir, part deep dive into the legal system—Barnett shares how her life was shaped by her mother’s drug addiction and eventual prison sentence. She eventually goes to law school and discovers a woman who will change her life forever: Sharanda Jones, a Black single mother and business owner, given a life sentence for a first time drug offense. She sees so much of her own life in Sharanda’s story, and she soon throws herself into Sharanda’s case and dedicates herself to her freedom. I highly recommend this gripping and eye-opening story.
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. It’s the true story of the women who worked in watch dial-painting factories in the early twentieth century, where radium was used as an ingredient in the paint. At first the women selected for these jobs were revered and envied, and the glowing residue that remained on their skin and clothes even after they left the factories made their work seem even more glamorous. However, when one by one the women started getting sick from mysterious diseases, affecting their teeth, jaws, and bones, people started to wonder about the cause. I was so surprised that I had never heard about these women, or that radium was once touted as a health-enriching substance. Women were even instructed to point the brushes–for tiny detail work–with their lips to get a more precise tip. What an unbelievable (yet completely true!) story.
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. As a child I was obsessed with horses, reading books like The Saddle Club series and watching the movie National Velvet over and over. This story took me back to my horse-girl roots, but in a grown up way, telling the true story of a horse who inspired a nation, as well as the owner, trainer, and jockeys who helped make him great. I adored this story, and I think it’s a story for anyone, even if you weren’t a former horse girl.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean. In April of 1986 there was a fire in the Los Angeles Public Library; it burned for more than seven hours and destroyed hundreds of thousands of books. This book tells the story of the fire, its aftermath, and speculates about its origins. Orlean’s retelling of that day reads like a novel with a fascinating cast of characters present at the library that day, as well as telling a larger story about libraries and books and why they’re so important to society. This is a book-lover’s book for sure.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou. Bad Blood is the story of the company Theranos, started by young Stanford dropout Elizabeth Holmes. She claimed that her company created a device that could run hundreds of life-saving blood tests with just a drop of blood. However, as John Carreyrou informs the world, first through his articles in the Wall Street Journal, Theranos did not actually do what they claimed to do. The story of the company, and of Elizabeth Holmes, was riveting, and it blew my mind how many people went along with her empty promises. It was such a crazy, riveting story.
Personal Growth Gems
I love reading about personal growth and self-development; maybe it’s the enneagram one in me, I don’t know. But I think learning about habits, mindset, and how to manage the brain is fascinating. Not everyone feels this way, but if you’re drawn to podcasts that fall into this category, it’s worth giving a personal development book a try as well. This isn’t a comprehensive list (I have a whole blog post on personal growth books), instead here are a few I’ve read and enjoyed recently.
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. I read this one slowly, which I recommend to really soak in her words of wisdom. It’s a fairly short book, but each chapter dives into a different aspect of what Brown calls “Wholeheartedness.” She reflects on faith, intuition, perfectionism, authenticity and more. I love her easy-to-follow, relatable writing style, and I’m glad I took my time reading and reflecting on each chapter.
Don’t Overthink It by Anne Bogel. As someone who does tend to overthink, second-guess, and doubt my decisions, I felt like Anne Bogel’s words were meant for me. Her advice is practical and wide-ranging, addressing overthinking in a variety of situations. Don’t Overthink It was an enjoyable yet informative read, and I’m glad I purchased a Kindle copy so that I can go back and refer to it again when I find myself struggling with indecision. I think if you tend to struggle with decisions as well, this is a great one to pick up!
I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. I’ve listened to Sarah and Beth’s podcast, Pantsuit Politics, for years, and I love their smart and thoughtful approach to politics. Their book is all about rethinking the way we have political conversations, which have become so fraught and anxiety-inducing. While they encourage nuance, this book isn’t about how to compromise and doesn’t give platitudes about meeting in the middle. Instead, it helps us see the current state of political discussion and encourages us to find other ways to engage in conversation. This was an excellent read.
Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski. As you may guess from the title, Burnout is about how and why women experience burnout. It was fascinating and eye-opening, and I loved the writing style. Also–I listened on audio, and the way they said “ugh,” every time they mentioned the patriarchy made me laugh out loud. I recommend this to any woman who has experienced stress or burnout… so, all women.
Quiet by Susan Cain. I’ve always identified as an introvert, although there have been plenty of times throughout my life that I wanted to change that about myself in order to achieve certain goals. Reading this helped me understand the strengths that introverts often bring to situations, and the way so many institutions, from schools to the corporate world, are not set up to highlight those strengths. While I’m sure there will still be times where I wish I enjoyed networking, or felt more comfortable in a group of mostly strangers, this book helped me understand the value I can bring to these situations as an introvert.
I hope that this list gives you some ideas if you have been wanting to try nonfiction but aren’t sure where to start. If you do enjoy nonfiction, I’d love to hear some of your favorites too! Let me know in the comments.
