Best Nonfiction Books
While talking on Instagram the other day, I asked our readers if Jackie and I should put together a list of our favorite books by genre. The resounding YES I got had me scrambling to put together the first of those lists – the best nonfiction books we’ve ever read.
Collectively, Jackie and I have read hundreds of memoirs, biographies, true crime stories, and history books. So, narrowing it down to less than 20 books was a true feat, but we did it! How? With hours of discussion, sorting, and debate on Jackie’s couch over a cup of steaming hot tea. Now, read on to see what made our list of the best nonfiction books!
The Best Nonfiction Books
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
The Best Memoir
Educated by Tara Westover – Jump to section
The Best Nonfiction Science Book
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot – Jump to section
The Best Nonfiction History Book
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel – Jump to section
The Best Nonfiction Book About Politics
Becoming by Michelle Obama – Jump to section
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Best Nonfiction Books: Biographies and Memoirs
From Scratch
Author: Tembi Locke
Year: 2019
Genre: Nonfiction
More info: May 2019 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I knew what this book was about before reading it and I was still not prepared for the heartbreak and beauty within the pages. This memoir is truly a love letter to Tembi’s husband who died from cancer. This is an incredibly sad book that had me in tears.
The descriptions of the food, the people, and the love she had for her husband are unlike anything that I have read before. This is a five-star book about grief if you can read through heartache. It’s one of the Netflix book adaptations I’m planning on watching.
Trigger Warnings
Death of a Spouse, Grief
Why Jackie loves it
This is a five-star book about grief if you can read through heartache. This is beautifully written and although it is sad, the authors journey to finding herself again is inspirational.
Find this book in: Books Set in Italy / Best Netflix Book Adaptations / Best Reese Witherspoon Books / Books About Food / Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2019 / Best Nonfiction Books
Plot
This coming-of-age book had me thinking about it for DAYS. I mean truly, DAYS. This story shows the impact a lack of education can have on generations. Tara tells her life story about growing up with her survivalist family, having little contact with the outside world.
Tara’s journey was inspiring, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking all in one. This nonfiction book about cults had great insight into more extremist religions and survivalists.
Trigger Warnings
Child abuse
Why Kirsten loves it
I don’t usually read memoirs but I heard great things about this book. I loved it so much- it made my list of favorites for the year. It is an amazing story that reads like a novel rather than nonfiction.
Find this book in: Books about Cults / Books about Poverty / Coming-of-age Books for Adults / Best Books of 2018 / Best Books for Book Clubs to Read / Best Nonfiction Books
What Made Maddy Run
Author: Kate Fagan
Year: 2018
Genre: Nonfiction
More info: National Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
What an emotional non-fiction book about Madison’s life, her pressures, and her mental state leading up to her suicide. I remember when Madison’s suicide happened here in Philadelphia.
I was 8 months pregnant at the time. It was a tragedy that was all over the news as parents everywhere felt the pain of Madison’s parents.
Trigger Warnings
Suicide
Why Kirsten loves it
I read this book in prep for a book discussion at a local community center that works on suicide prevention. I learned so much about suicide from this book, which handled the subject with the grace and thoughtfulness it deserves.
Find this book in: Books About Women in Sports / Best Nonfiction Books / Books About Sports
Plot
This is an amazing recount of Jeanette Walls’s upbringing and childhood. She is a successful journalist and writer living in New York City. Her parents also live in New York; however, they choose to be homeless. Jeanette Wells’s upbringing was unconventional and her parents did not offer her a structured childhood.
Trigger Warnings
Alcoholism, Child abuse
Why Jackie loves it
This is a fascinating memoir that reads like fiction. It gives a unique perspective to mental illness from a close family member. Wells is able to do this without blame and with love and respect respect for both her parents.
Find this book in: Thought-provoking Books / Coming-of-age Books for Adults / Books about Poverty / Books like Where the Crawdads Sing / Best Nonfiction Books
I’m Glad My Mom Died
Author: Jennette McCurdy
Year: 2022
Genre: Memoir
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Jeanette Mccurdy, star of the shows iCarly and Sam and Cat, has written her heartbreaking memoir. Forced into acting at 6 years old by a mentally ill and unstable mother, Jeanette lived her life trying to make her mother happy. The result was an eating disorder, addiction, and abuse.
Trigger Warnings
Eating disorders, Child abuse, Emotional abuse
Why Jackie loves it
I listened to this coming-of-age book and found it hard to put down but also extremely difficult to listen to at times because it is such a sad book.
Adaptation
Jennifer Aniston is on board to produce and star in the adaptation of McCurdy’s memoir. McCurdy will co-produce and she is writing the script with Ari Katcher for Apple Tv.
Find this book in: Coming-of-age Books for Adults / Books About Mental Illness / Books that Will Make You Cry / Best Books for Book Clubs to Read / Best Nonfiction Books / Books Becoming Movies
All Boys Aren’t Blue
Author: George M Johnson
Year: 2020
Genre: Nonfiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I love George M, Johnson’s voice as they talk about very difficult topics in such a way that the book is completely relatable to everyone. Everyone knows that memoirs usually aren’t my preferred genre but there was something about George’s story that hooked me from the first sentence.
Trigger Warnings
Sexual assault, homophobia
Why Jackie loves it
This book is eye-opening and profound. It made me think about things from a different perspective and I was captivated by the story throughout the entire book. This non-fiction book is so captivating, that it reads like fiction.
Find this book in: Books With Blue in the Title / Best Nonfiction Books
Finding Me
Author: Viola Davis
Year: 2022
Genre: Memoir
More info: April 2022 Oprah’s Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Viola Davis’s life story had me entranced as I learned what she needed to overcome during her childhood, college, and her early career to become the powerhouse she is today.
Her thoughts on life in Hollywood were enlightening. Her deep love for her family and her roots shone through. And her story made it very clear that she takes nothing for granted.
Trigger Warnings
Racism
Why Kirsten loves it
Viola worked damn hard to be successful and she deserves every accolade she’s received and more. Her narration even earned her an Audie Awards 2023 nomination.
Find this book in: Best Audiobooks of 2022 / Book About Poverty / Books by Female BIPOC Authors / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Best Nonfiction Books / Oprah Book Club List 2022
Hollywood Park
Author: Mikel Jollett
Year: 2020
Genre: Memoir
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Mikel Jollet, singer of Airborne Toxic Event, writes this astonishing memoir about his life in one of the most notorious cults in the USA, the Church of Synanon. The California commune required parents to give up their child by 6 months to the community school, until he escaped with his mother and brother early one morning. Once free, Mikel had to adjust to life outside the only place he had ever called home, finding the outside world even more difficult to navigate than Synanon.
Trigger Warnings
Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Emotional Abuse
Why Kirsten loves it
I have not read a memoir so fascinating and compelling since Educated by Tara Westover. As non-fiction books go, this is one of the best. Jollett’s story about leaving a cult he was born into and the emotional scars his early childhood trauma left on him was so compelling. I was so impressed by his insight into himself and those around him, and his willingness to be so frank about his journey to adulthood.
Find this book in: Books About Cults / Best Celebrity Memoirs / Best Nonfiction Books
Night
Author: Elie Wiesel
Year: 1958
Genre: Memoir
More info: January 2006 Oprah Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This is a must-read non-fiction book about the Holocaust by the Nobel Peace Prize winner. It is a short but compelling book that will change you and your view of the Holocaust. It’s Elie Wiesel’s account of what happened to him when he was a prisoner at the Nazi death camps.
Trigger Warnings
Death, Antisemitism, Genocide
Why Kirsten loves it
Weisel’s harrowing story can be difficult to read at times, but it is truly essential reading. I read this story as a girl and I continue to think about it all the time. It is probably the most impactful Holocaust autobiography I have ever read.
Why Jackie loves it
I have a personal story about this book. My husband’s grandmother grew up in the same town as Elie Wiesel. She knew both him and his wife. This was the first thing that she told me when I met her (My husband’s name is also Elie, but this is purely coincidental).
Find this book in: Books About the Holocaust / Best Nonfiction Books / Best Celebrity Book Club Books / Books that will Emotionally Wreck You / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Best Books in Translation
Best Science and Math Nonfiction Books
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Author: Rebecca Skloot
Year: 2010
Genre: Nonfiction Science
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 14+
Plot
In the 1950s an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks unknowingly had her cells taken. These cells, known as HeLa, were the first human cells to survive outside the human body and could reproduce indefinitely. HeLa cells became the basis for medical breakthroughs from the creation of the Polio vaccine to cancer and Aids research. However, Henrietta Lacks’s family was never compensated for her contribution to science and could not afford to pay medical bills despite the cells making billions for companies.
Trigger Warnings
Racism
Why Jackie loves it
I read this book a few years ago and I was absolutely stunned. With each page, I kept thinking to myself “this can’t be true” and yet, somehow, it was. If you have not read this non-fiction book about poverty and science, it should be at the top of your list.
Find this book in: Books About Poverty / Best Nonfiction Books / Thought-Provoking Books
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Woman Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Author: Margot Lee Shetterly
Year: 2016
Genre: Nonfiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This true and amazing story is about Black female mathematicians and their role in the space race. So many people know this story because of the movie but, the book gives so many more details.
These women, who were originally sent to teach math in the South’s segregated schools, were called into service during WWII. They were some of the most brilliant minds of their generation. They eventually helped in the race to space during the Cold War.
Trigger Warnings
Racism, Sexism
Why Jackie loves it
When I read this book, years before the movie came out, I couldn’t put it down. I was mesmerized by what these overlooked women had gone through as they worked to help their country.
Find this book in: Feel Good Nonfiction Books / Black History Book List / Books Like Lessons in Chemistry / Best Nonfiction Books
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family
Author: Robert Kolker
Year: 2020
Genre: Nonfiction
More info: June 2020 Oprah’s Book Club Pick
#1 New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 15+
Plot
Stop everything and add Hidden Valley Road to your TBR now!! All I can say is wow! This favorite is one of the best books on Mental Illness and an absolutely fascinating non-fiction book.
This is the amazing story of Don and Mimi Galvin whose family paved the way for schizophrenia research over the past 50 years. Of their 12 children- 10 sons and 2 daughters, 6 of the boys have schizophrenia.
The struggles of this family to survive through the age of lobotomies and institutionalization provide a look into the history of this disorder. It’s unbelievable to think how far we’ve come and yet, we are not even close to understanding this disease.
Trigger Warnings
Suicide, Mental illness, Sexual Assult
Why Kirsten loves it
I think it’s unbelievable to think how far we’ve come and yet, we are not even close to understanding this disease. I could not put this book down.
Why Jackie loves it
I found this book to be absolutely fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time. It is still shocking to me how much we do not understand about the human mind and how much stigma there is with mental illness.
Find this book in: Books on Mental Illness / 20 Best Books of 2020 / Best Books for Book Clubs to Read / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Best Nonfiction Books / Oprah Book Club List 2020
Best Nonfiction Books: History
Plot
Did you know the town of Gander, Newfoundland, took in 6,500 people on planes that had to have emergency landings after 9/11? I didn’t until I read this story, which also inspired the show Come From Away.
The townspeople were so welcoming and kind. It’s like Mr. Rodgers says – always look for the helpers.
Trigger Warnings
Grief
Why Kirsten loves it
I sobbed through this entire story. This non-fiction book was poignant and hopeful at the same time. It will keep you in the grip of its pages.
Find this book in: Plane Books / Feel Good Nonfiction / Books to Emotionally Wreck You / Best Nonfiction Books
The Art Thief
Author: Michael Finkel
Year: 2023
Genre: Nonfiction True Crime
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 14+
Plot
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a nonfiction book that read so much like fiction. Imagine two people driving around Europe casually stealing billions of dollars worth of art from the most famous galleries and museums in the world. That’s what this book about thieves is all about.
Trigger Warnings
Domestic Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts
Why Kirsten loves it
I was floored by the writing, but the story is one I wouldn’t believe if it wasn’t true. It’s a fast, compelling book that art lovers, mystery lovers, and true crime aficionados must read.
Find this book in: Books About Con Artists and Thieves / Best Nonfiction Books
Dolls of Our Lives
Author: Mary Mahoney and Allison Horrocks
Year: 2024
Genre: Nonfiction History
Age Range: 16+
Plot
If you are a fan of American Girl Dolls, or you were as a child, you MUST read this book. It’s feel-good nonfiction at its finest with these two writers giving us the background on the beloved Pleasant Company dolls.
I love that the writers read this audiobook. It felt like listening to a conversation with friends. It focuses on the 6 original American Girl dolls and their origin stories. It also explains how the authors met and created their podcast.
Why Kirsten loves it
I found myself wrapped up in fond memories of my childhood. This read will bring back all the nostalgia for your dolls! #gifted
Find this book in: Feel Good Nonfiction Books / Summer Reads of 2024 / Best Nonfiction Books / Pop Culture Nonfiction Books
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold in the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Author: Daniel James Brown
Year: 2013
Genre: Nonfiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This bestselling book, recently adapted into a movie, tells the true tale of the 1936 USA men’s rowing team and their unlikely run for the gold medal. It’s a non-fiction story that reads like fiction, and sports nuts will love this story!
Trigger Warnings
Antisemitism, War
Why Kirsten loves it
The Olympic games gave me such a heightened sense of American pride. The heroics of the team enthralled me. The sheer force of will and strength it took to get in that boat and win. I was rooting for the team and cheering them on the whole time. I thought I would be bored by the minutia of rowing, but I wasn’t.
Find this book in: Books with Colors in the Title / Feel Good Nonfiction Books / Boat Books / Books About Sports / Best Nonfiction Books
HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style
Author: Elizabeth Holmes
Year: 2020
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Range: 12+
Plot
I’m an avid follower of Elizabeth Holmes’ account (you should be too) where she explains the significance of the Royal Family’s wardrobe. The nuance and attention to detail the Royals use when
Why Kirsten loves it
Elizabeth breaks it down in an accessible and understandable way. I’m thrilled that her book delivers everything I’ve come to expect from her and more. This in-depth look at The Queen, Diana, Catherine, and Meghan is informative and beautiful. It is the perfect coffee table book for any fashion lover.
Find this book in: Good Nonfiction Books for Beginners / Fashion Books / Books about the Royal Family / Books about Queen Elizabeth II / Best Nonfiction Books
Best Politics and Social Sciences Nonfiction Books
Becoming
Author: Michele Obama
Year: 2018
Genre: Nonfiction
More info: November 2018 Oprah’s Book Club Pick
Age Range: 15+
Plot
I am so happy that I finally read this book. Michelle Obama is a brilliant woman who has such an incredible story to tell. I was intrigued by her life and her upbringing.
I listened to this book and was so happy to hear the story read by Obama herself. Obama is a brilliant woman and it was a pleasure to hear her story told in her voice. There is something about her voice that is so calming and soothing.
Why Kirsten loves it
This is one of my favorite non-fiction books about women in politics. As nonfiction books go, this one is a must.
Why Jackie loves it
I also listened to this one and I think the audio version is a must. I loved hearing this book read by the former first lady!
Find this book in: Feel Good Nonfiction Books / Books about Women in Politics / Books by BIPOC Female Authors / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Celebrity Memoirs / Best Nonfiction Books
Three Women
Author: Lisa Taddeo
Year: 2019
Genre: nonfiction
More info: Debut #1 New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This is a nonfiction book about three women and their sexual and emotional lives. Taddeo drove around the country to connect with the three women from this book: Sloane, Maggie, and Lina. This book was utterly enthralling. I had heard mixed reviews of this book going into it but I think I figured out where the love/hate comes from. This book has a lot of graphic sex in the form of statutory rape, affairs, and swinging partners.
Trigger Warnings
Graphic Sex
Why Kirsten loves it
The scenes are graphic but not designed to titillate the reader like a 50 Shades book…but rather to explain why the women felt the way they did. Why they felt power, love, or understanding in the sexual encounters. So it feels very voyeuristic on some level because it’s so deeply personal. As I said, I thought it was outstanding but I can so easily see how it is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Find this book in: The Best Books of 2019 / Best Nonfiction Books
Helpful Tips
Are you new to nonfiction and trying to find a great book? Are you a nonfiction lover who is looking for a new book? Here are some recommendations for choosing a book:
- Pick a book that is in a subgenre of nonfiction that appeals to you
- Read another book by a favorite author or about a person/ topic you want to know more about
- Look through the books on this list. Are you a Jackie or a Kirsten when it comes to fiction? See if our taste in nonfiction books matches yours, too!
- Do not be intimidated by books labeled nonfiction. There is a misconception that nonfiction books are boring or will be difficult to read because they are factual. Many of the books on this list read like fiction. They are fun and page-turning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best nonfiction books?
This is a tough question given the wide range of nonfiction genres. To start, try some of these. For politics, go with Becoming by Michelle Obama. For history, go with The Art Thief by Michael Finkel. If you are interested in science, you must read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. When it comes to memoirs, Educated by Tara Westover can’t be beat.
What are the best nonfiction books for someone new to the genre?
Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett, The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, and The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede.
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Epilogue
It was hard to choose our favorite nonfiction books, but Jackie and I truly think these are the best nonfiction books we have ever read. Do our top picks match up with yours? If not, let me know below what books you would recommend!
Book Lists by Genre
Are you looking for more books in your favorite genre? This hub will let you choose which genre to dive into!
These picks are EXCELLENT! I agree on so many and am intrigued by the others. By the way, I still think about Educated on a nearly daily basis years later. XO, Jules