I know, I know. When you have the choice between reading nonfiction and fiction, the obvious choice always appears to be fiction. But what if I told you that a world of nonfiction books is waiting for you to jump in?
So many readers (including one-year-ago-Bri) see nonfiction as a genre that holds useless facts and boring topics, but that isn’t always the case. Take my current read, for example! I'm reading Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield, where the author tells the story of his life with his wife through songs from the mixtapes she used to make for him. What's more fun than that? Featured below is an abundant list of nonfiction reads that will keep you on the edge of your seat! From topics like heritage month reading, to learn more about the communities you aren’t a part of, to history reading, to learn about when we started wearing pockets, the options for fun reading are endless, AND it’s all true! Keep reading for some of our recommendations on what you should read next in the wonderful world of nonfiction.
*Note: Books with orange text are NOT available in KanShare, while books with green text ARE available in KanShare!
National Heritage Reading!
Most months are celebrated with a national heritage month of sorts. For example, Black History Month takes place in February, and Women’s History Month is in March. There are so many communities to explore and learn about, and books are the perfect way to do so! Featured here are eight picks to fill your months with endless learning. Dive right in today!
Books Listed:
*Colorization by Wil Haygood / *My Broken Language by Quiara Alegria Hudes / *Women In White Coats by Olivia Campbell / *Haben by Haben Girma / *How to be a Muslim by Haroon Moghul / *Nothing More of This Land by Joseph Lee / *All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung / *300,000 Kisses by Sean Hewitt & Luke Edward Hall
Science Reading!
Science is an ever-evolving field filled with discoveries and knowledge galore. With its constant changing comes more and more books telling us everything we need to know. These book picks include some more funky topics like mushrooms and extinction, paired with the classic topics like disease and anatomy. The options are endless for all of our science lovers!
Books Listed:
*The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean / *Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green / *Is A River Alive by Robert Macfarlane / *Replaceable You by Mary Roach / *Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake / *Your Life is Manufactured by Tim Minshall / *Vanished by Sadiah Qureshi / *Our Brains, Our Selves by Masud Husain
History Reading!
Reading about history is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but you can explore history without always studying wars and disease (unless that’s what you are into, of course). With books on the history of drinks and pockets, you are sure to be entertained this year!
Books Listed:
*Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party by Edward Dolnick / *Pockets by Hannah Carlson / *The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson / *The Rescue Artist by Edward Dolnick / *Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel / *Black In Blues by Imani Perry / *A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson / *A History of World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage
Memoir Reading!
It is often said that the best way to learn is through experience. If that’s what you are hoping to find, memoirs are the perfect place for you. What better way to get to know your favorite celebrities or learn from others’ mistakes than to dive into a book that outlines all of the lessons someone has learned? With iconic recommendations, such as Malala Yousafzai’s memoir, we have you covered for the memoirs you should pick up next.
Books Listed:
*The Lady From the Black Lagoon by Mallory O'Meara / *Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come by Jessica Pan / *How Far the Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler / *Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai / *Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy / *Barbarian Days by William Finnegan / *Growing Up by Russell Baker / *Vagabond by Tim Curry
Random Reading!
We have finally made it to my personal favorite category of all: the random topics that authors know way too much about, so much so that they had to share them with the rest of us. I present to you books on Scrabble, Birkin Bags, and True Crime. If you are looking for something that is completely factual but also completely random, this category is for you. I hope you have fun learning about the joys of things you never knew you wanted to know.
Books Listed:
*Death in the Garden by Michael Brown / *Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis / *The Story of the World's Most Notorious Superstition by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer / *The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown / *Are You Mad At Me by Meg Josephson / *Framed by John Grisham / *You Didn't Hear This From Me by Kelsey McKinney / *Bringing Home the Birkin by Michael Tonello
This long list probably looks intimidating to our resident fiction readers, and trust me, it looks intimidating to me, too. But by sprinkling in a couple of lovely nonfiction reads into our year, maybe we all can learn something new! And if you find any funky and fun nonfiction, please, please, please don’t hesitate to share; we all could use some fun reading!
Thanks for reading!
Bri :)
