Best New Nonfiction Books of 2024

Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso

Author: Jeremy Egner

Year: 2024

Genre: Nonfiction

More info: From The New York Times Jeremy Enger

Age Range: 16+

Plot

This book starts with the silly NBC Premier League commercial starring Ted Lasso and brings us through casting, set, locations, and writing of the hit show. It does all of this without ever losing the heart and soul of the magical show that proved you can be a good guy.

Why Jackie loves it

If you love the show Ted Lasso as much as I do, this book is a must-read. I am still lamenting the end of the show, the last episode of which had me bawling hysterically. This book gave me everything I was hoping for- it brought me back to the magic of the show and the perfect timing of the premier. #gifted

Find this book in: Giftable Books / New Release Books You Must Read / Best New Nonfiction Books of 2024

Forever Barbie

Author: M.G. Lord

Year: 1994 with updated content for 2024

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Range: 16+

Plot

What a fascinating take on the history of the Barbie doll. Exploring how it came to be, the changes to the doll over the years, and its impact on culture, this book is the most definitive biography of Barbie I’ve ever read (and yes, I’ve read more than one.)

Update for the post-Barbie Movie era, there really is no better biographer for the famed doll herself than Lord. I was particularly interested in the role Ruth Handler played in the creation and growth of Barbie’s popularity.

Why Kirsten loves it

I first read this biography in middle school and didn’t realize it was the same book until after the new forward. I loved it then for its deep unflinching look at the pros and cons of the Barbie Doll. I love it now for incorporating how the doll has changed in recent years.

Find this book in: Feel Good Nonfiction / Best Beach Reads 2024 / Best New Nonfiction Books of 2024

Taylor Swift Styled

Author: Sarah Chapelle

Year: 2024

Genre: Nonfiction

More info:  Instant New York Times & USA Today Bestseller

Age Range: 12+

Plot

In this incredible fashion tome, @taylorswiftstyled takes readers through Taylor Swift’s many fashion reinventions, album by album, one era at a time.

Within the pages you’ll see how Taylor commits to a theme, seamlessly reinventing her style with every new album. Chapelle connects the fashion dots and explains the narrative Taylor was conveying in her outfit choices by pointing out patterns and common elements around each era’s satirical choices.

Why Kirsten loves it

Like her famed IG account, she gives her own commentary and takes on the outfits as well and the way she does it is magnificent. To quote the book “In the world of fashion, where the urge to be cutting, to even be catty, felt like the norm, I wanted to carve out a space that was critically kind in thought and in manner.”

While Chapelle applied this sentiment to Taylor’s fashion, take out “of fashion” and you have an ethos we strive for in this community… one we wish to see more of in the world today. If you loved Elizabeth Holmes’s HRH Royal Fashion, you will adore this one. It’s an ideal gift for the Swiftie in your life!

Find this book in: Books About Fashion / Giftable Books / Best New Nonfiction Books of 2024

When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion

Author: Julie Satow

Year: 2024

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Range: 14+

Plot

This nonfiction book tells the story of Hortense Odlum, Geraldine Stutz, and Dorothy Shaver, three revolutionary women in the world of New York City department stores. These women, who helmed Bonwit Teller, Henri Bendel, and Lord & Taylor, helped to revitalize a dying industry by meeting the needs of their ideal customers – women like them.

While each department store was known for something different, their success was all based on the women in charge and their unique business savvy.

Why Kirsten loves it

I had fun getting a peek behind the curtain of some of the most well-known department stores in the world. While none of these stores have survived to the present day, it was still nice to learn about their storied history.

Find this book in: Books About Fashion / Best New Nonfiction Books of 2024

From Here to the Great Unknown

Author: Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

Genre: Nonfiction

Year: 2024

More info: October 2024 Oprah Book Club Pick

Age: 16+

Plot

Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir, lovingly finished by her daughter Riley upon her death, tells her story for the first time. Born to one of the most famous musicians in the world, she explores growing up at Graceland, her marriage to Michael Jackson, and what it was like living in the Hollywood scene.

Why Kirsten loves it

I was utterly enthralled by the audiobook version of this book. Julia Roberts narrates Lisa Marie’s words, Riley narrates her own voice, and there are recordings Lisa Marie made scattered throughout as well.

Since Lisa Marie passed before finishing this project, Riley’s words are woven throughout — finishing stories, giving context, and bringing her perspective to her mother’s version of events. Riley showed her mother so much grace and love while acknowledging how unique and difficult Lisa Marie’s life was.

Find this book in: Celebrity Memoirs / Giftable Books

My Side of the River: A Memoir

Author: Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez

Year: 2024

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Range: 14+

Plot

This gripping memoir of Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez and her experience living in the U.S. when her parents were forced back to Mexico was a one-siting read for me. Born in America to illegal immigrants, she was just 15 years old when her parents couldn’t get their visitor’s visas renewed, leaving Elizabeth responsible for her young brother in America.

Soon her brother is reunited with her parents while Elizabeth is left to couch surf as she tries to graduate High School in the hopes of making it to an Ivy League college and better the lives of her entire family in the process.

Why Kirsten loves it

Elizabeth’s candid, vulnerability shines a light on the hardships immigrant families face in both facing prejudice and gaining access to the American dream. Her story is a true testament to grit and survival in the face of adversity.

Find this book in: Best New Nonfiction Books of 2024

The Plan: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius

Author: Kendra J. Adachi

Year: 2024

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Range: 14+

Plot

If you are like me you know that managing all the expectations and demands of motherhood can be daunting. Using the acronym PLAN, this book will teach you to prepare, live, adjust, and notice while considering things like hormones, personality, and your stage of life.

Why Kirsten loves it

I adore Adachi’s Lazy Genius Podcast and her book by the same name, so I just knew I had to pick up her book on time management. The straightforward advice was easy to digest because it was written with women in mind. It takes into account that our seasons of life change more than men do because of family obligations, hormones, life stages, and the patriarchy.

We need to be more nimble than our male counterparts – unfairly or not – but Adachi’s PLAN helps us to do just that by leaning into what makes us different and having us push back against the traditional frameworks of planning because they were created for men, by men. (she mentions a stat early on of 93% of time management books being written by males.)

In the few days since I’ve read it, I’ve seen myself reframing the workload ahead of me, and adjusting to balance what is most important at this time in my life. Pair this with her first book and you will set yourself up for a happier, more successful life tailored to YOU. #gifted the audio by Penguin Random House, but I also purchased a physical copy.

Find this book in: Books about Organizing / October 2024 New Books/ Best New Nonfiction Books of 2024 / Giftable Books

Democracy in Retrograde

Author: Sami Sage & Emily Amick

Year: 2024

Genre: Nonfiction

More info: New York Times Bestseller

Age Range: 12+

Plot

In this helpful tome, the writers explain how to beat political overwhelm by understanding the American political system, give examples of how you can get involved, and help you define your political values and ideals.

Why Kirsten loves it

I read this book before voting and it was fascinating. I learned how the government works, and how easy it is to get involved in policy change at the state and local level. It’s a must-read for anyone feeling like they are ready to get to work!

The New Tourist

Author: Paige McClanahan

Year: 2024

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Paige’s look at modern travel had me compulsively flipping the pages. I was fascinated by the look at the travel industry and its impact on world culture since the 1970s.

She used concrete examples in Hawaii, Iceland, Liverpool, Barcelona, and more to show the benefits and pitfalls of tourism on the environment, country finances, and local cultures.

Why Kirsten loves it

I read this captivating look at the travel industry while I was traveling. I was able to see the good and bad parts of travel in my destination (Cambridge, MD) which has recently been revitalized but still shows the aging and hardship of its pre-tourist days.

Find this book in: Best New Nonfiction Books of 2024

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew

Authors: Emmanuel Acho and Noa Tishby

Year: 2024

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Range: 14+

Plot

Emmanuel Acho is back with a book that was in the making months before the October 7th massacre in Israel. Within the pages of this book, Acho and Tishby seek to explain the root of Jewish stereotypes and the history of Jewish persecution, while mending the bridges between the Black and Jewish communities.

The audiobook version is even better than the book as there is more content and the conversation is so natural. This book is a primer on how we got to this point in history again and how we can come together through education and mutual respect.

Why Jackie loves it

The frank and sometimes funny conversations between Acho and Tishby are exactly what our world needs right now. I loved how they tackled the hard stuff, answering the hard questions with grace and humor. It’s a wonderful resource for Jewish people in the current climate but is most important for non-Jewish allies and naysayers.

Find this book in: Jewish Writers / Best Audiobooks / Best New Nonfiction Books of 2024