Hi! I have a hard time getting through non fiction books, but i sometimes enjoy a short non fiction article. I’ve read some of Guns, Germs, and Steel and some of
Sapiens but got bored fast. If I do read a non-fiction it’s typically a memoir. I love reading and want to expand my horizons. I’m open to all subjects. Any recommendations?
by raquelly45
15 Comments
*Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time* by Dava Sobel.
I am also a non-fiction hater! A few things that have helped me: listen to non-fiction books through Audible or in an audio format.
Memoirs are fun for me as well! I love Samantha Irby, she’s a hoot and a half.
“The Ice Cream Maker” by Subir Chowdhury. Reading it was an extra credit assignment when I was in college and it’s like 180 pages so I figured I’d do it—one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s easy to get through and the message is really powerful. I’m not 100% sure if it qualifies because I don’t remember if the story is completely true or not, but as someone who basically only reads fiction, this one felt super nonfiction-y (lol) since it deals with more “serious” topics like quality of work, success, family, etc.
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach.
Red Notice by Bill Browder
American Kingpin by Nick Bilton
They both read like action novels; I struggle with a lot of non fiction too but I couldn’t put either of these down.
In Cold Blood blends fiction and non-fiction well. How it gets categorized depends on who you ask. That might be something to check out.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty – may sound morbid, but is actually really engaging with a great sense of humor.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah – the audiobook is fantastic!
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, by Caitlin Doughty. A memoir about working in a funeral home. One of the most entertaining books I have ever read about a subject I knew nothing about.
You are definitely going to get more than one Patrick Radden Keefe rec but Empire of Pain was the one I listen to so far, and it might have been the most engaging book i read that year.
Bruce Lee by Matthew Polly.
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann reads like a fiction but is non-fiction.
Hot Zone
The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border – about immigration
Your Face Belongs to Us by Kashmir Hill – about AI, privacy, but told in an investigative journalism tone that makes you feel like you’re uncovering smth
Norco ‘80 by Peter Houlahan; subtitled “The true story of the most spectacular bank robbery in American History”
A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape From North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman
Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuściński
Lost in Translation by Ella Frances Sanders
What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses by Daniel Chamovitz