Types of Nonfiction Books
Nonfiction writing encompasses a huge variety of books and it can get very confusing. Often, people tell me or Jackie that they do not like nonfiction because they do not want to read self-help books or political biographies. I decided to write this article to outline the different types of nonfiction, in the hope that everyone can find a book they love.
Nonfiction books are a huge variety of books that range from newspapers and textbooks to memoirs and cookbooks. Jackie and I wanted to write this article to help you determine what types of nonfiction genres you love to read. If you are looking for the best nonfiction books, you can check out the list.
Types of Nonfiction Genres
There are many different types of nonfiction genres, but I have my favorites – ones you’ll find scattered throughout this website if you are looking for suggestions.
Memoir
A memoir generally focuses on a specific time or subject matter in someone’s life. A celebrity might right about their specific experiences on a TV show, or someone might examine a common thread like their relationship with their parents.
Examples include:
- Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett
- From Scratch by Tembi Locke
- Maid by Stephanie Land
Autobiography
Similar to a memoir, an autobiography covers the history of someone’s entire life, not just one common thread or specific time.
Examples include:
- Spare by Prince Harry
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Biography
A biography is the story of someone’s life written by someone else. Biographies can focus on a common theme or tell the full story of someone’s life.
Examples include:
- Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr.
- What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan
- The Queen of All Mayhem by Dane Hucklebridge
History
A history is a nonfiction book written about a subject or group of people over time. Usually, it will follow a group of groundbreaking people, the invention of a product, or the history of an industry.
Examples include:
Science and Mathematics
Nonfiction science and mathematics are books that cover – you guessed it – innovations in math and science.
Examples include:
- Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
- Humble Pi by Matt Parker
Politics, Race, and Social Sciences
Nonfiction books on politics, race, and social sciences tend to overlap in some way, so I am putting them all together. These books focus on specific social issues like women’s rights, racism, and class differences, which all have political tie-ins or stories directly about politics and policy.
Examples include:
- The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
- Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
- First Women by Kate Andersen Brower
Essay
Essay collections are books that are written by a collection of authors on the same subject OR by one author about a few subjects. Think of them as the nonfiction equivalent of a collection of short stories.
Examples include:
- Who is Government? by Michael Lewis
- 1619 Project by various authors
- Naked by David Sedaris
Self-Help, Health and Wellness
Self-help books give you help for personal problems and solutions for changing your habits. While Wellness books include how to improve your overall health, diet, sleep, and help you coping with anxiety and stress. While there is a slight difference between the two, I find that there is a lot of overlap between them, and so I put them in the same category.
Examples include:
- Find Your Calm by Dr. Jamie Zuckerman
- The Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi
- The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Cookbook
Fairly self-explanatory, cookbooks are books with recipes inside and, YES, they absolutely count as nonfiction!
Examples include:
- Ramsey in 10 by Gordon Ramsey
- The Love & Lemons Cookbook by Jeanine Donofrio
- The Skinnytaste Cookbook by Gina Homolka
Travel
For our purposes, travel nonfiction focuses on nonfiction stories about traveling, transportation, or specific places. These books are not travel guides, but rather a reflection of one person’s experience in a specific place.
Examples include:
- Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
- Come Fly the World by Julia Cooke
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
True Crime
Think of a true crime nonfiction book as an in-depth documentary about a specific crime or a series of crimes linked together.
Examples include:
- Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
- The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
- The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Other Genres of Nonfiction
Of course, there are other forms of nonfiction, but we don’t have a lot of expertise in them. So I’ll list them below, but don’t expect any posts about them in the future.
- Philosophy
- Religion
- Business and Economics
- Crafts and Hobbies
- Travel Guides
- Parenting
- Textbooks
- Language
- Coffee table books
Expert Tip
When diving into the genres of nonfiction, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Here are a few tips for choosing nonfiction genres you will enjoy reading:
- Think about what you love to do in your free time (other than reading). For example, if you love watching reality shows, a celebrity memoir is the perfect genre of nonfiction for you.
- Pick a nonfiction genre similar to your taste in fiction.
- Mystery/ Thriller: True Crime
- Books Set Abroad: Travel
- Historical Fiction: History
- What helps you relax? Pick a nonfiction genre that appeals to that side of you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the types of nonfiction?
There are many types of nonfiction books. A few of our favorites are memoirs, history, science and math, self-help, true crime, and cookbooks.
Are there genres of nonfiction similar to those in fiction books?
Yes. Too often, we think of nonfiction genres as one thing, but that is not the case. You would never believe that a historical fiction book and a thriller book were the same. A nonfiction history is very different than a true crime nonfiction book.
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Epilogue
It’s easy to label a book as nonfiction, but like fiction, it helps to dive deeper into subgenres to figure out exactly what kinds of books you might like. What is your favorite nonfiction genre?
