One of my reading goals of 2026 is to consume a bit more nonfiction. Some topics I am interested in include natural sciences, history, astronomy, or literary journalism, but I’m really open to most suggestions. For better or worse, I seem to mostly lean towards a morbid curiosity of darker topics.
Some nonfiction that I’ve read and would recommend (of the limited amount I’ve read):
• The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang
• Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
• Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
• The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff
Some nonfiction on my radar already:
• The Nazi Mind by Laurence Rees
• Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham
• The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte
• Life on Earth by David Attenborough
• Challenger by Adam Higginbotham
by babysoop
2 Comments
The immortal life of Henrietta lacks
Check out Eric Larson! Narrative nonfiction that is totally gripping and beautifully written, lots of dark or heavy topics. My favorites:
Devil in the White City—a grisly serial killer story overlaid with the Chicago world fair
In the Garden of Beasts—an American family serving as diplomats in Berlin during Hitler’s rise to power
The Demon of Unrest—the days leading up to Lincoln’s inauguration and the start of the US civil war
I have been enthralled and disturbed by all of them!